Amazon rain-forest fires.

PubMed

Sanford, R L; Saldarriaga, J; Clark, K E; Uhl, C; Herrera, R

1985-01-04

Charcoal is common in the soils of mature rain forests within 75 kilometers of San Carlos de Rio Negro in the north central Amazon Basin. Carbon-14 dates of soil charcoal from this region indicate that numerous fires have occurred since the mid-Holocene epoch. Charcoal is most common in tierra firme forest Oxisols and Ultisols and less common in caatinga and igapo forest soils. Climatic changes or human activities, or both, have caused rain-forest fires.

Refining Landsat classification results using digital terrain data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Wayne A.; Shasby, Mark

1982-01-01

 Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation systems (EROS) Data Center have recently completed two land-cover mapping projects in which digital terrain data were used to refine Landsat classification results. Digital ter rain data were incorporated into the Landsat classification process using two different procedures that required developing decision criteria either subjectively or quantitatively. The subjective procedure was used in a vegetation mapping project in Arizona, and the quantitative procedure was used in a forest-fuels mapping project in Montana. By incorporating digital terrain data into the Landsat classification process, more spatially accurate landcover maps were produced for both projects.

Environmental Education about the Rain Forest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkmuller, Klaus

Designed to help in the development of an educational program about the value of rain forests, this handbook presents a condensation of issues, facts, and concepts. The handbook is divided into three parts. Part one introduces the rain forest ecosystem and provides conceptual background material needed in the determination of problems, the…

Does proximity to a mature forest contribute to the seed rain and recovery of an abandoned agriculture area in a semiarid climate?

PubMed

Souza, J T; Ferraz, E M N; Albuquerque, U P; Araújo, E L

2014-07-01

Proximity to forests contributes to the recolonisation of anthropogenic-disturbed areas through seed input. We evaluated the role of proximity to a mature forest in the recolonisation of an agricultural area that has been abandoned for 18 years and is currently a young forest. Seed rain was monitored at fixed distances from the mature forest. The type of surface recolonisation (germination versus resprouting) and the reproductive season were measured in both forests. The majority of plants recolonising the young forest originated from seed germination. Proximity to the mature forest contributed to the seed rain in the young forest; however, 18 years has not provided sufficient time for the recolonisation of 80 species present in the mature forest. Some species shared between forests differed in their fruiting season and seed dispersal. The seed rain had a total species richness of 56, a total density of 2270 seeds·m(-2)·year(−1) and predominance of self- and wind dispersal. A significant reduction in seed rain with increasing distance from the mature forest was observed. The young forest contained 35 species not observed in the mature forest, and the floristic similarity between the two forests was 0.5, indicating that the two forests are floristically distinct. © 2013 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Life on the edge: carbon fluxes from wetland to ocean along Alaska's coastal temperate rain forest

Treesearch

Rhonda Mazza; Richard Edwards; David D' Amore

2010-01-01

Acre for acre, streams of the coastal temperate rain forest along the Gulf of Alaska export 36 times as much dissolved organic carbon as the world average. Rain and snow are the great connectors, tightly linking aquatic and terrestrial systems of this region. The freshwater that flushes over and through the forest floor leaches carbon...

The mysterious demise of an ice-age relic: exposing the cause of yellow-cedar decline.

Treesearch

Jonathan Thompson

2007-01-01

For more than a century, yellow-cedar has been inexplicably dying throughout the northern coastal rain forests of the Pacific Northwest. Yellow-cedar mortality has been mapped on more than a half million acres in southeastern Alaska, yet until recently the cause of death was a stubborn mystery. Researchers are hopeful, after several decades of investigation, that they...

Effect of simulated acid rain on the litter decomposition of Quercus acutissima and Pinus massoniana in forest soil microcosms and the relationship with soil enzyme activities.

PubMed

Wang, Congyan; Guo, Peng; Han, Guomin; Feng, Xiaoguang; Zhang, Peng; Tian, Xingjun

2010-06-01

With the continuing increase in human activities, ecologists are increasingly interested in understanding the effects of acid rain on litter decomposition. Two dominant litters were chosen from Zijin Mountain in China: Quercus acutissima from a broad-leaved forest and Pinus massoniana from a coniferous forest. The litters were incubated in microcosms and treated with simulated acid rain (gradient pH levels). During a six-month incubation, changes in chemical composition (i.e., lignin, total carbohydrate, and nitrogen), litter mass losses, soil pH values, and activities of degradative enzymes were determined. Results showed that litter mass losses were depressed after exposure to acid rain and the effects of acid rain on the litter decomposition rates of needles were higher than on those of leaves. Results also revealed that simulated acid rain restrained the activities of cellulase, invertase, nitrate reductase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase, and urease, while it enhanced the activities of catalase in most cases during the six-month decomposition process. Catalase and polyphenol oxidase were primarily responsible for litter decomposition in the broad-leaved forest, while invertase, nitrate reductase, and urease were primarily responsible for litter decomposition in the coniferous forest. The results suggest acid rain-restrained litter decomposition may be due to the depressed enzymatic activities. According to the results of this study, soil carbon in subtropical forests would accumulate as a long-term consequence of continued acid rain. This may presumably alter the balance of ecosystem carbon flux, nutrient cycling, and humus formation, which may, in turn, have multiple effects on forest ecosystems. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Natural and near natural tropical forest values

Treesearch

Daniel H. Henning

2011-01-01

This paper identifies and describes some of the values associated with tropical rain forests in their natural and near-natural conditions. Tropical rain forests are moist forests in the humid tropics where temperature and rainfall are high and the dry season is short. These closed (non-logged) and broad-leaved forests are a global resource. Located almost entirely in...

Arbuscular-mycorrhizal networks inhibit Eucalyptus tetrodonta seedlings in rain forest soil microcosms.

PubMed

Janos, David P; Scott, John; Aristizábal, Catalina; Bowman, David M J S

2013-01-01

Eucalyptus tetrodonta, a co-dominant tree species of tropical, northern Australian savannas, does not invade adjacent monsoon rain forest unless the forest is burnt intensely. Such facilitation by fire of seedling establishment is known as the "ashbed effect." Because the ashbed effect might involve disruption of common mycorrhizal networks, we hypothesized that in the absence of fire, intact rain forest arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) networks inhibit E. tetrodonta seedlings. Although arbuscular mycorrhizas predominate in the rain forest, common tree species of the northern Australian savannas (including adult E. tetrodonta) host ectomycorrhizas. To test our hypothesis, we grew E. tetrodonta and Ceiba pentandra (an AM-responsive species used to confirm treatments) separately in microcosms of ambient or methyl-bromide fumigated rain forest soil with or without severing potential mycorrhizal fungus connections to an AM nurse plant, Litsea glutinosa. As expected, C. pentandra formed mycorrhizas in all treatments but had the most root colonization and grew fastest in ambient soil. E. tetrodonta seedlings also formed AM in all treatments, but severing hyphae in fumigated soil produced the least colonization and the best growth. Three of ten E. tetrodonta seedlings in ambient soil with intact network hyphae died. Because foliar chlorosis was symptomatic of iron deficiency, after 130 days we began to fertilize half the E. tetrodonta seedlings in ambient soil with an iron solution. Iron fertilization completely remedied chlorosis and stimulated leaf growth. Our microcosm results suggest that in intact rain forest, common AM networks mediate belowground competition and AM fungi may exacerbate iron deficiency, thereby enhancing resistance to E. tetrodonta invasion. Common AM networks-previously unrecognized as contributors to the ashbed effect-probably help to maintain the rain forest-savanna boundary.

[Dynamics of Quercus variabilis seed rain and soil seed bank in different habitats on the north slope of Qinling Mountains].

PubMed

Wu, Min; Zhang, Wen-Hui; Zhou, Jian-Yun; Ma, Chuang; Ma, Li-Wei

2011-11-01

In order to explore the dynamics of Quercus variabilis seed rain and soil seed bank in different habitats on the north slope of Qinling Mountains, three kinds of micro-habitats (understory, forest gap, and forest edge) were selected, with the seed rain quantity and quality of Q. variabilis, seed amount and viability in soil seed bank, as well as the seedling development of Q. variabilis studied. The seed rain of Q. variabilis started from mid August, reached the peak in mid September-early October, and ended at the beginning of November, and there existed differences in the dissemination process, occurrence time, and composition of the seed rain among the three micro-habitats. The seed rain had the maximum intensity (39.55 +/- 5.56 seeds x m(-2)) in understory, the seeds had the earliest landing time, the longest lasting duration, and the highest viability in forest gap, and the mature seeds had the largest proportion in forest edge, accounting for 58.7% of the total. From the ending time of seed rain to next August, the total reserve of soil seed bank was the largest in understory and the smallest in forest edge. In the three habitats, the amount of mature and immature seeds, that of seeds eaten by animals, and the seed viability in soil seed bank all decreased with time. In contrast, the number of moldy seeds increased. The seeds were mainly concentrated in litter layer, a few of them were in 0-2 cm soil layer, and few were in 2-5 cm soil layer. The density of the seedlings varied with habitats, being the largest in forest gap, followed by in forest edge, and the least in understory, which suggested that forest gap was more suitable for the seed germination and seedling growth of Q. variabilis, and thus, appropriate thinning should be taken to increase forest gap to provide favorable conditions for the natural regeneration of Q. variabilis forest.

Forest structure and composition in the lower montane rain forest of the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Peter L. Weaver

2010-01-01

Six groups of three plots stratified by aspect and topography and varying in elevation were used to sample forest structure and tree species composition within the lower montane rain forest (tabonuco forest) of the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) in Puerto Rico. Stem density, tree height, and total above ground biomass varied by site. Significant differences in...

People & Tropical Rain Forests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NatureScope, 1989

1989-01-01

Discusses ways people who live in rain forests make a living and some of the products that enrich our lives. Provides activities covering forest people, tropical treats, jungle in the pantry, treetop explorers, and three copyable pages to accompany activities. (Author/RT)

NASA LCLUC Program: An Integrated Forest Monitoring System for Central Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laporte, Nadine; LeMoigne, Jacqueline; Elkan, Paul; Desmet, Olivier; Paget, Dominique; Pumptre, Andrew; Gouala, Patrice; Honzack, Miro; Maisels, Fiona

2004-01-01

Central Africa has the second largest unfragmented block of tropical rain forest in the world; it is also one of the largest carbon and biodiversity reservoirs. With nearly one-third of the forest currently allocated for logging, the region is poised to undergo extensive land-use change. Through the mapping of the forests, our Integrated Forest Monitoring System for Central Africa (INFORMS) project aims to monitor habitat alteration, support biodiversity conservation, and promote better land-use planning and forest management. Designed as an interdisciplinary project, its goal is to integrate data acquired from satellites with field observations from forest inventories, wildlife surveys, and socio-economic studies to map and monitor forest resources. This project also emphasizes on collaboration and coordination with international, regional, national, and local partners-including non-profit, governmental, and commercial sectors. This project has been focused on developing remote sensing products for the needs of forest conservation and management, insuring that research findings are incorporated in forest management plans at the national level. The societal impact of INFORMS can be also appreciated through the development of a regional remote sensing network in central Africa. With a regional office in Kinshasa, (www.OSFAC.org), the contribution to the development of forest management plans for 1.5 million hectares of forests in northern Republic of Congo (www.tt-timber.com), and the monitoring of park encroachments in the Albertine region (Uganda and DRC) (www.albertinerift.org).

Rain Forest Murals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleiner, Cheryl

2010-01-01

The rain forest murals in the author's school began as a request from her principal to have students decorate the cafeteria with their own paintings. She decided to brainstorm ideas with her eighth-grade students. Taking into consideration the architectural space and the environmental concerns they wanted to convey, students chose the rain forest…

Arbuscular-Mycorrhizal Networks Inhibit Eucalyptus tetrodonta Seedlings in Rain Forest Soil Microcosms

PubMed Central

Janos, David P.; Scott, John; Aristizábal, Catalina; Bowman, David M. J. S.

2013-01-01

Eucalyptus tetrodonta, a co-dominant tree species of tropical, northern Australian savannas, does not invade adjacent monsoon rain forest unless the forest is burnt intensely. Such facilitation by fire of seedling establishment is known as the "ashbed effect." Because the ashbed effect might involve disruption of common mycorrhizal networks, we hypothesized that in the absence of fire, intact rain forest arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) networks inhibit E. tetrodonta seedlings. Although arbuscular mycorrhizas predominate in the rain forest, common tree species of the northern Australian savannas (including adult E. tetrodonta) host ectomycorrhizas. To test our hypothesis, we grew E. tetrodonta and Ceiba pentandra (an AM-responsive species used to confirm treatments) separately in microcosms of ambient or methyl-bromide fumigated rain forest soil with or without severing potential mycorrhizal fungus connections to an AM nurse plant, Litsea glutinosa. As expected, C. pentandra formed mycorrhizas in all treatments but had the most root colonization and grew fastest in ambient soil. E. tetrodonta seedlings also formed AM in all treatments, but severing hyphae in fumigated soil produced the least colonization and the best growth. Three of ten E. tetrodonta seedlings in ambient soil with intact network hyphae died. Because foliar chlorosis was symptomatic of iron deficiency, after 130 days we began to fertilize half the E. tetrodonta seedlings in ambient soil with an iron solution. Iron fertilization completely remedied chlorosis and stimulated leaf growth. Our microcosm results suggest that in intact rain forest, common AM networks mediate belowground competition and AM fungi may exacerbate iron deficiency, thereby enhancing resistance to E. tetrodonta invasion. Common AM networks–previously unrecognized as contributors to the ashbed effect–probably help to maintain the rain forest–savanna boundary. PMID:23460899

Reliability of the Forest Service type rain gage

Treesearch

G. L. Hayes

1942-01-01

The Forest Service type rain-gage was originated by W. B. Osborne of the Portland, Oreg., office of the U. S. Forest Service to meet a need for reliable rainfall measurements at low cost. Many hundreds of them, over 700 on the national forests of northern Idaho and western Montana alone, are now being used during the summer months as aids to forest-fire control...

77 FR 47814 - Florida National Forests Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-10

... CONTACT: Denise Rains, Public Affairs Officer, National Forests in Florida, 850-523-8568, email [email protected] agenda. Written comments and requests for time for oral comments must be sent to Denise Rains, U.S... , or via facsimile to 850-523-8505, Attention: Denise Rains. A summary of the meeting will be posted at...

Variability within the 10-Year Pollen Rain of a Seasonal Neotropical Forest and Its Implications for Paleoenvironmental and Phenological Research

PubMed Central

Haselhorst, Derek S.; Moreno, J. Enrique; Punyasena, Surangi W.

2013-01-01

Tropical paleoecologists use a combination of mud-water interface and modern pollen rain samples (local samples of airborne pollen) to interpret compositional changes within fossil pollen records. Taxonomic similarities between the composition of modern assemblages and fossil samples are the basis of reconstructing paleoclimates and paleoenvironments. Surface sediment samples reflect a time-averaged accumulation of pollen spanning several years or more. Due to experimental constraints, modern pollen rain samples are generally collected over shorter timeframes (1–3 years) and are therefore less likely to capture the full range of natural variability in pollen rain composition and abundance. This potentially biases paleoenvironmental interpretations based on modern pollen rain transfer functions. To determine the degree to which short-term environmental change affects the composition of the aerial pollen flux of Neotropical forests, we sampled ten years of the seasonal pollen rain from Barro Colorado Island, Panama and compared it to climatic and environmental data over the same ten-year span. We establish that the pollen rain effectively captured the strong seasonality and stratification of pollen flow within the forest canopy and that individual taxa had variable sensitivity to seasonal and annual changes in environmental conditions, manifested as changes in pollen productivity. We conclude that modern pollen rain samples capture the reproductive response of moist tropical plants to short-term environmental change, but that consequently, pollen rain-based calibrations need to include longer sampling periods (≥7 years) to reflect the full range of natural variability in the pollen output of a forest and simulate the time-averaging present in sediment samples. Our results also demonstrate that over the long-term, pollen traps placed in the forest understory are representative samples of the pollen output of both canopy and understory vegetation. Aerial pollen traps, therefore, also represent an underutilized means of monitoring the pollen productivity and reproductive behavior of moist tropical forests. PMID:23320089

Variability within the 10-year pollen rain of a seasonal neotropical forest and its implications for paleoenvironmental and phenological research.

PubMed

Haselhorst, Derek S; Moreno, J Enrique; Punyasena, Surangi W

2013-01-01

Tropical paleoecologists use a combination of mud-water interface and modern pollen rain samples (local samples of airborne pollen) to interpret compositional changes within fossil pollen records. Taxonomic similarities between the composition of modern assemblages and fossil samples are the basis of reconstructing paleoclimates and paleoenvironments. Surface sediment samples reflect a time-averaged accumulation of pollen spanning several years or more. Due to experimental constraints, modern pollen rain samples are generally collected over shorter timeframes (1-3 years) and are therefore less likely to capture the full range of natural variability in pollen rain composition and abundance. This potentially biases paleoenvironmental interpretations based on modern pollen rain transfer functions. To determine the degree to which short-term environmental change affects the composition of the aerial pollen flux of Neotropical forests, we sampled ten years of the seasonal pollen rain from Barro Colorado Island, Panama and compared it to climatic and environmental data over the same ten-year span. We establish that the pollen rain effectively captured the strong seasonality and stratification of pollen flow within the forest canopy and that individual taxa had variable sensitivity to seasonal and annual changes in environmental conditions, manifested as changes in pollen productivity. We conclude that modern pollen rain samples capture the reproductive response of moist tropical plants to short-term environmental change, but that consequently, pollen rain-based calibrations need to include longer sampling periods (≥7 years) to reflect the full range of natural variability in the pollen output of a forest and simulate the time-averaging present in sediment samples. Our results also demonstrate that over the long-term, pollen traps placed in the forest understory are representative samples of the pollen output of both canopy and understory vegetation. Aerial pollen traps, therefore, also represent an underutilized means of monitoring the pollen productivity and reproductive behavior of moist tropical forests.

Soil-calcium depletion linked to acid rain and forest growth in the eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lawrence, Gregory B.; Huntington, T.G.

1999-01-01

Since the discovery of acid rain in the 1970's, scientists have been concerned that deposition of acids could cause depletion of calcium in forest soils. Research in the 1980's showed that the amount of calcium in forest soils is controlled by several factors that are difficult to measure. Further research in the 1990's, including several studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, has shown that (1) calcium in forest soils has decreased at locations in the northeastern and southeastern U.S., and (2) acid rain and forest growth (uptake of calcium from the soil by roots) are both factors contributing to calcium depletion.

Pollen-based biome reconstructions for Latin America at 0, 6000 and 18 000 radiocarbon years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marchant, R.; Harrison, S.P.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Markgraf, Vera; Van Boxel, J. H.; Ager, T.; Almeida, L.; Anderson, R.; Baied, C.; Behling, H.; Berrio, J.C.; Burbridge, R.; Bjorck, S.; Byrne, R.; Bush, M.B.; Cleef, A.M.; Duivenvoorden, J.F.; Flenley, J.R.; De Oliveira, P.; Van Geel, B.; Graf, K.J.; Gosling, W.D.; Harbele, S.; Van Der Hammen, T.; Hansen, B.C.S.; Horn, S.P.; Islebe, G.A.; Kuhry, P.; Ledru, M.

2009-01-01

The biomisation method is used to reconstruct Latin American vegetation at 6000±500 and 18 000±1000 radiocarbon years before present (14C yr BP) from pollen data. Tests using modern pollen data from 381 samples derived from 287 locations broadly reproduce potential natural vegetation. The strong temperature gradient associated with the Andes is recorded by a transition from high altitude cool grass/shrubland and cool mixed forest to mid-altitude cool temperate rain forest, to tropical dry, seasonal and rain forest at low altitudes. Reconstructed biomes from a number of sites do not match the potential vegetation due to local factors such as human impact, methodological artefacts and mechanisms of pollen representivity of the parent vegetation. At 6000±500 14C yr BP 255 samples are analysed from 127 sites. Differences between the modern and the 6000±500 14C yr BP reconstruction are comparatively small. Patterns of change relative to the modern reconstruction are mainly to biomes characteristic of drier climate in the north of the region with a slight more mesic shift in the south. Cool temperate rain forest remains dominant in western South America. In northwestern South America a number of sites record transitions from tropical seasonal forest to tropical dry forest and tropical rain forest to tropical seasonal forest. Sites in Central America also show a change in biome assignment to more mesic vegetation, indicative of greater plant available moisture, e.g. on the Yucat??n peninsula sites record warm evergreen forest, replacing tropical dry forest and warm mixed forest presently recorded. At 18 000±1000 14C yr BP 61 samples from 34 sites record vegetation that reflects a generally cool and dry environment. Cool grass/shrubland prevalent in southeast Brazil, Amazonian sites record tropical dry forest, warm temperate rain forest and tropical seasonal forest. Southernmost South America is dominated by cool grass/shrubland, a single site retains cool temperate rain forest indicating that forest was present at some locations at the LGM. Some sites in Central M??xico and lowland Colombia remain unchanged in their biome assignments, although the affinities that these sites have to different biomes do change between 18 000±1000 14C yr BP and present. The " unresponsive" nature of these sites results from their location and the impact of local edaphic influence.

Seed dispersal limitations shift over time in tropical forest restoration.

PubMed

Reid, J Leighton; Holl, Karen D; Zahawi, Rakan A

2015-06-01

Past studies have shown that tropical forest regeneration on degraded farmlands is initially limited by lack of seed dispersal, but few studies have tracked changes in abundance and composition of seed rain past the first few years after land abandonment. We measured seed rain for 12 months in 10 6-9-year-old restoration sites and five mature, reference forests in southern Costa Rica in order to learn (1) if seed rain limitation persists past the first few years of regeneration; (2) how restoration treatments influence seed community structure and composition; and (3) whether seed rain limitation is contingent on landscape context. Each restoration site contained three 0.25-ha treatment plots: (1) a naturally regenerating control, (2) tree islands, and (3) a mixed-species tree plantation. Sites spanned a deforestation gradient with 9-89% forest area within 500 m around the treatment plots. Contrary to previous studies, we found that tree seeds were abundant and ubiquitous across all treatment plots (585.1 ± 142.0 seeds · m(-2) · yr(-1) [mean ± SE]), indicating that lack of seed rain ceased to limit forest regeneration within the first decade of recovery. Pioneer trees and shrubs comprised the vast majority of seeds, but compositional differences between restoration sites and reference forests were driven by rarer, large-seeded species. Large, animal-dispersed tree seeds were more abundant in tree islands (4.6 ± 2.9 seeds · m(-2) · yr(-1)) and plantations (5.8 ± 3.0 seeds · m(-2) · yr(-1)) than control plots (0.2 ± 0.1 seeds · m(-2) · yr(-1)), contributing to greater tree species richness in actively restored plots. Planted tree species accounted for < 1% of seeds. We found little evidence for landscape forest cover effects on seed rain, consistent with previous studies. We conclude that seed rain limitation shifted from an initial, complete lack of tree seeds to a specific limitation on large-seeded, mature forest species over the first decade. Although total seed abundance was equal among restoration treatments, tree plantations and tree islands continued to diversify seed rain communities compared to naturally regenerating controls. Compositional differences between regenerating plots and mature forests suggest that large-seeded tree species are appropriate candidates for enrichment planting.

Changes in habitat use at rainforest edges through succession: A case study of understory birds in the Brazilian Amazon

Treesearch

Luke L. Powell; Gustavo Zurita; Jared D.  Wolfe; Erik I.  Johnson; Philip C  Stouffer

2015-01-01

Primary tropical rain forests are being rapidly perforated with new edges via roads, logging, and pastures, and vast areas of secondary forest accumulate following abandonment of agricultural lands. To determine how insectivorous Amazonian understory birds respond to edges between primary rain forest and three age classes of secondary forest, we radio-tracked two...

Model gives a 3-month warning of Amazonian forest fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2011-08-01

The widespread drought suffered by the Amazon rain forest in the summer of 2005 was heralded at the time as the drought of the century. Because of the dehydrated conditions, supplemented by slash and burn agricultural practices, the drought led to widespread forest fires throughout the western Amazon, a portion of the rain forest usually too lush to support spreading wildfires. Only 5 years later, the 2005 season was outdone by even more widespread drought, with fires decimating more than 3000 square kilometers of western Amazonian rain forest. Blame for the wildfires has been consistently laid on deforestation and agricultural practices, but a convincing climatological explanation exists as well. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL047392, 2011)

Analysis of normalized radar cross section (sigma-O) signature of Amazon rain forest using SEASAT scatterometer data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bracalente, E. M.; Sweet, J. L.

1984-01-01

The normalized radar cross section (NRCS) signature of the Amazon rain forest was SEASAT scatterometer data. Statistics of the measured (NRCS) values were determined from multiple orbit passes for three local time periods. Plots of mean normalized radar cross section, dB against incidence angle as a function of beam and polarization show that less than 0.3 dB relative bias exists between all beams over a range of incidence angle from 30 deg to 53 deg. The backscattered measurements analyzed show the Amazon rain forest to be relatively homogeneous, azimuthally isotropic and insensitive to polarization. The return from the rain forest target appears relatively consistent and stable, except for the small diurnal variation (0.75 dB) that occurs at sunrise. Because of the relative stability of the rain forest target and the scatterometer instrument, the response of versus incidence angle was able to detect errors in the estimated yaw altitude angle. Also, small instrument gain biases in some of the processing channels were detected. This led to the development of an improved NRCS algorithm, which uses a more accurate method for estimating the system noise power.

Seed rain, soil seed bank, seed loss and regeneration of Castanopsis fargesii (Fagaceae) in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

Treesearch

Xiaojun Du; Qinfeng Guo; Xianming Gao; Keping Na

2007-01-01

Understanding the seed rain and seed loss dynamics in the natural condition has important significance for revealing the natural regeneration mechanisms.We conducted a 3-year field observation on seed rain, seed loss and natural regeneration of Castanopsis fargesii Franch., a dominant tree species in evergreen broad-leaved forests in Dujiangyan,...

Seed invasion filters and forest fire severity

Treesearch

Tom R. Cottrell; Paul F. Hessburg; Jonathan A. Betz

2008-01-01

Forest seed dispersal is altered after fire. Using seed traps, we studied impacts of fire severity on timing of seed dispersal, total seed rain, and seed rain richness in patches of high and low severity fire and unburned Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in the Fischer and Tyee fire complexes in the eastern Washington Cascades. Unburned...

Response of soil respiration to acid rain in forests of different maturity in southern China.

PubMed

Liang, Guohua; Liu, Xingzhao; Chen, Xiaomei; Qiu, Qingyan; Zhang, Deqiang; Chu, Guowei; Liu, Juxiu; Liu, Shizhong; Zhou, Guoyi

2013-01-01

The response of soil respiration to acid rain in forests, especially in forests of different maturity, is poorly understood in southern China despite the fact that acid rain has become a serious environmental threat in this region in recent years. Here, we investigated this issue in three subtropical forests of different maturity [i.e. a young pine forest (PF), a transitional mixed conifer and broadleaf forest (MF) and an old-growth broadleaved forest (BF)] in southern China. Soil respiration was measured over two years under four simulated acid rain (SAR) treatments (CK, the local lake water, pH 4.5; T1, water pH 4.0; T2, water pH 3.5; and T3, water pH 3.0). Results indicated that SAR did not significantly affect soil respiration in the PF, whereas it significantly reduced soil respiration in the MF and the BF. The depressed effects on both forests occurred mostly in the warm-wet seasons and were correlated with a decrease in soil microbial activity and in fine root biomass caused by soil acidification under SAR. The sensitivity of the response of soil respiration to SAR showed an increasing trend with the progressive maturity of the three forests, which may result from their differences in acid buffering ability in soil and in litter layer. These results indicated that the depressed effect of acid rain on soil respiration in southern China may be more pronounced in the future in light of the projected change in forest maturity. However, due to the nature of this field study with chronosequence design and the related pseudoreplication for forest types, this inference should be read with caution. Further studies are needed to draw rigorous conclusions regarding the response differences among forests of different maturity using replicated forest types.

Response of Soil Respiration to Acid Rain in Forests of Different Maturity in Southern China

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiaomei; Qiu, Qingyan; Zhang, Deqiang; Chu, Guowei; Liu, Juxiu; Liu, Shizhong; Zhou, Guoyi

2013-01-01

The response of soil respiration to acid rain in forests, especially in forests of different maturity, is poorly understood in southern China despite the fact that acid rain has become a serious environmental threat in this region in recent years. Here, we investigated this issue in three subtropical forests of different maturity [i.e. a young pine forest (PF), a transitional mixed conifer and broadleaf forest (MF) and an old-growth broadleaved forest (BF)] in southern China. Soil respiration was measured over two years under four simulated acid rain (SAR) treatments (CK, the local lake water, pH 4.5; T1, water pH 4.0; T2, water pH 3.5; and T3, water pH 3.0). Results indicated that SAR did not significantly affect soil respiration in the PF, whereas it significantly reduced soil respiration in the MF and the BF. The depressed effects on both forests occurred mostly in the warm-wet seasons and were correlated with a decrease in soil microbial activity and in fine root biomass caused by soil acidification under SAR. The sensitivity of the response of soil respiration to SAR showed an increasing trend with the progressive maturity of the three forests, which may result from their differences in acid buffering ability in soil and in litter layer. These results indicated that the depressed effect of acid rain on soil respiration in southern China may be more pronounced in the future in light of the projected change in forest maturity. However, due to the nature of this field study with chronosequence design and the related pseudoreplication for forest types, this inference should be read with caution. Further studies are needed to draw rigorous conclusions regarding the response differences among forests of different maturity using replicated forest types. PMID:23626790

The Role of Fog in Ecosystem Hydrology: Initial Results from Investigations Using Stable Isotopes of Water in Hawaiian Cloud Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholl, M. A.; Gingerich, S. B.; Giambelluca, T. W.; Nullet, M. A.; Loope, L. L.

2002-05-01

The role of fog drip in cloud forest ecosystems is being investigated at two sites, one each on the windward and leeward sides of East Maui, Hawaii. The study involves using the different isotopic signatures of fog (cloud water) and rain to trace fog through the forest water cycle, as well as comparing relative amounts of fog, rain, and throughfall. At each site, volume of rain, fog plus rain, and throughfall is recorded hourly. Stable isotope samples of rain, fog, soil water, stream water, and tree sap are collected monthly, and each site has a visibility sensor and weather station. The windward site, at 1950 m altitude, is enveloped by orographic clouds under trade wind conditions almost every day. This site is near the upper boundary of extensive forested mountain slopes that are a major watershed for the island. Volume data suggest that fog drip (compared to rain as measured by a standard gage) contributes substantially to the forest water budget on the windward side. Tree sap deuterium composition was consistently similar to fog composition for samples analyzed thus far, while soil water was isotopically lighter, possibly reflecting a mixture of fog with rain or shallow groundwater. The leeward site, at 1220 m, is often in a cloud bank under trade wind conditions. During the summer the major source of precipitation is cloud water; rainfall generally occurs during winter storms. Scattered cloud forest remnants persist at this site despite degradation of extensive native forest by ungulate browsing, plant invasion, and fire. Here, fog drip was a smaller proportion of the total precipitation than at the windward site, but exceeded rainfall for some precipitation events. Unlike the windward site, tree sap and soil water had similar isotopic composition. The information gained from this study underscores the importance of trees and shrubs in extracting cloud water that contributes to soil moisture, groundwater recharge, and stream flow in watersheds.

Pollen-based biome reconstructions for Latin America at 0, 6000 and 18 000 radiocarbon years ago

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marchant, R.; Cleef, A.; Harrison, S.P.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Markgraf, Vera; Van Boxel, J.; Ager, T.; Almeida, L.; Anderson, R.; Baied, C.; Behling, H.; Berrio, J.C.; Burbridge, R.; Bjorck, S.; Byrne, R.; Bush, M.; Duivenvoorden, J.; Flenley, J.; De Oliveira, P.; Van Gee, B.; Graf, K.; Gosling, W.D.; Harbele, S.; Van Der Hammen, T.; Hansen, B.; Horn, S.; Kuhry, P.; Ledru, M.-P.; Mayle, F.; Leyden, B.; Lozano-Garcia, S.; Melief, A.M.; Moreno, P.; Moar, N.T.; Prieto, A.; Van Reenen, G.; Salgado-Labouriau, M.; Schabitz, F.; Schreve-Brinkman, E. J.; Wille, M.

2009-01-01

The biomisation method is used to reconstruct Latin American vegetation at 6000??500 and 18 000??1000 radiocarbon years before present ( 14C yr BP) from pollen data. Tests using modern pollen data from 381 samples derived from 287 locations broadly reproduce potential natural vegetation. The strong temperature gradient associated with the Andes is recorded by a transition from high altitude cool grass/shrubland and cool mixed forest to mid-altitude cool temperate rain forest, to tropical dry, seasonal and rain forest at low altitudes. Reconstructed biomes from a number of sites do not match the potential vegetation due to local factors such as human impact, methodological artefacts and mechanisms of pollen representivity of the parent vegetation. At 6000??500 14C yr BP 255 samples are analysed from 127 sites. Differences between the modern and the 6000??500 14C yr BP reconstruction are comparatively small; change relative to the modern reconstruction are mainly to biomes characteristic of drier climate in the north of the region with a slight more mesic shift in the south. Cool temperate rain forest remains dominant in western South America. In northwestern South America a number of sites record transitions from tropical seasonal forest to tropical dry forest and tropical rain forest to tropical seasonal forest. Sites in Central America show a change in biome assignment, but to more mesic vegetation, indicative of greater plant available moisture, e.g. on the Yucat??n peninsula sites record warm evergreen forest, replacing tropical dry forest and warm mixed forest presently recorded. At 18 000??1000 14C yr BP 61 samples from 34 sites record vegetation reflecting a generally cool and dry environment. Cool grass/shrubland is prevalent in southeast Brazil whereas Amazonian sites record tropical dry forest, warm temperate rain forest and tropical seasonal forest. Southernmost South America is dominated by cool grass/shrubland, a single site retains cool temperate rain forest indicating that forest was present at some locations at the LGM. Some sites in Central Mexico and lowland Colombia remain unchanged in the biome assignments of warm mixed forest and tropical dry forest respectively, although the affinities that these sites have to different biomes do change between 18000??1000 14C yr BP and present. The "unresponsive" nature of these sites results from their location and the impact of local edaphic influence. ?? Author(s) 2009.

Acid rain impacts on calcium nutrition and forest health

Treesearch

Donald H. DeHayes; Paul G. Schaberg; Gary J. Hawley; G. Richard Strimbeck

1999-01-01

Forest ecosystems throughout the world are exposed to acid rain, a complex solution consisting largely of H+, SO42-, NH4+, and NO3- pollutant ions derived from sulfur and nitrogen oxides. Although the public in...

EFFECT OF SIMULATED SULFURIC ACID RAIN ON THE CHEMISTRY OF A SULFATE-ADSORBING FOREST SOIL

EPA Science Inventory

Simulated H2SO4 rain (pH 3.0, 3.5, 4.0) or control rain (pH 5.6) was applied for 3.5 yr to large lysimeter boxes containing a sulfate-adsorbing forest soil and either red alder (Alnus rubra) or sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seedlings. After removal of the plants and the litter lay...

Understanding the role of fog in forest hydrology: Stable isotopes as tools for determining input and partitioning of cloud water in montane forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scholl, M.; Eugster, W.; Burkard, R.

2011-01-01

Understanding the hydrology of tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) has become essential as deforestation of mountain areas proceeds at an increased rate worldwide. Passive and active cloud-water collectors, throughfall and stemflow collectors, visibility or droplet size measurements, and micrometeorological sensors are typically used to measure the fog water inputs to ecosystems. In addition, stable isotopes may be used as a natural tracer for fog and rain. Previous studies have shown that the isotopic signature of fog tends to be more enriched in the heavier isotopes 2H and 18O than that of rain, due to differences in condensation temperature and history. Differences between fog and rain isotopes are largest when rain is from synoptic-scale storms, and fog or orographic cloud water is generated locally. Smaller isotopic differences have been observed between rain and fog on mountains with orographic clouds, but only a few studies have been conducted. Quantifying fog deposition using isotope methods is more difficult in forests receiving mixed precipitation, because of limitations in the ability of sampling equipment to separate fog from rain, and because fog and rain may, under some conditions, have similar isotopic composition. This article describes the various types of fog most relevant to montane cloud forests and the importance of fog water deposition in the hydrologic budget. A brief overview of isotope hydrology provides the background needed to understand isotope applications in cloud forests. A summary of previous work explains isotopic differences between rain and fog in different environments, and how monitoring the isotopic signature of surface water, soil water and tree xylem water can yield estimates of the contribution of fog water to streamflow, groundwater recharge and transpiration. Next, instrumentation to measure fog and rain, and methods to determine isotopic concentrations in plant and soil water are discussed. The article concludes with the identification of some of the more pressing research questions in this field and offers various suggestions for future research. ?? 2010 This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Tangled trends for temperate rain forests as temperatures tick up

Treesearch

Noreen Parks; Tara Barrett

2013-01-01

Climate change is altering growing conditions in the temperate rain forest region that extends from northern California to the Gulf of Alaska. Longer, warmer growing seasons are generally increasing the overall potential for forest growth in the region. However, species differ in their ability to adapt to changing conditions. For example, researchers with Pacific...

Differences in seed rain composition in small and large fragments in the northeast Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

PubMed

Knörr, U C; Gottsberger, G

2012-09-01

Tropical forests are seriously threatened by fragmentation and habitat loss. The impact of fragment size and forest configuration on the composition of seed rain is insufficiently studied. For the present study, seed rain composition of small and large forest fragments (8-388 ha) was assessed in order to identify variations in seed abundance, species richness, seed size and dispersal mode. Seed rain was documented during a 1-year period in three large and four small Atlantic Forest fragments that are isolated by a sugarcane matrix. Total seed rain included 20,518 seeds of 149 species of trees, shrubs, palms, lianas and herbs. Most species and seeds were animal-dispersed. A significant difference in the proportion of seeds and species within different categories of seed size was found between small and large fragments. Small fragments received significantly more very small-sized seeds (<0.3 cm) and less large-seeded species (>1.5 cm) that were generally very rare, with only one species in small and eight in large fragments. We found a negative correlation between the inflow of small-sized seeds and the percentage of forest cover. Species richness was lower in small than in large fragments, but the difference was not very pronounced. Given our results, we propose changing plant species pools through logging, tree mortality and a high inflow of pioneer species and lianas, especially in small forest fragments and areas with low forest cover. Connecting forest fragments through corridors and reforestation with local large-seeded tree species may facilitate the maintenance of species diversity. © 2012 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Pollen-based biome reconstructions for Latin America at 0, 6000 and 18 000 radiocarbon years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marchant, R.; Harrison, S.P.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Markgraf, Vera; Van Boxel, J. H.; Ager, T.; Almeida, L.; Anderson, R.; Baied, C.; Behling, H.; Berrio, J.C.; Burbridge, R.; Bjorck, S.; Byrne, R.; Bush, M.B.; Cleef, A.M.; Duivenvoorden, J.F.; Flenley, J.R.; De Oliveira, P.; Van Geel, B.; Graf, K.J.; Gosling, W.D.; Harbele, S.; Van Der Hammen, T.; Hansen, B.C.S.; Horn, S.P.; Islebe, G.A.; Kuhry, P.; Ledru, M.-P.; Mayle, F.E.; Leyden, B.W.; Lozano-Garcia, S.; Melief, A.B.M.; Moreno, P.; Moar, N.T.; Prieto, A.; Van Reenen, G. B.; Salgado-Labouriau, M. L.; Schasignbitz, F.; Schreve-Brinkman, E. J.; Wille, M.

2009-01-01

The biomisation method is used to reconstruct Latin American vegetation at 6000±500 and 18 000±1000 radiocarbon years before present (14C yr BP) from pollen data. Tests using modern pollen data from 381 samples derived from 287 locations broadly reproduce potential natural vegetation. The strong temperature gradient associated with the Andes is recorded by a transition from high altitude cool grass/shrubland and cool mixed forest to mid-altitude cool temperate rain forest, to tropical dry, seasonal and rain forest at low altitudes. Reconstructed biomes from a number of sites do not match the potential vegetation due to local factors such as human impact, methodological artefacts and mechanisms of pollen representivity of the parent vegetation.

At 6000±500 14C yr BP 255 samples are analysed from 127 sites. Differences between the modern and the 6000±500 14C yr BP reconstruction are comparatively small. Patterns of change relative to the modern reconstruction are mainly to biomes characteristic of drier climate in the north of the region with a slight more mesic shift in the south. Cool temperate rain forest remains dominant in western South America. In northwestern South America a number of sites record transitions from tropical seasonal forest to tropical dry forest and tropical rain forest to tropical seasonal forest. Sites in Central America also show a change in biome assignment to more mesic vegetation, indicative of greater plant available moisture, e.g. on the Yucat??n peninsula sites record warm evergreen forest, replacing tropical dry forest and warm mixed forest presently recorded.

At 18 000±1000 14C yr BP 61 samples from 34 sites record vegetation that reflects a generally cool and dry environment. Cool grass/shrubland prevalent in southeast Brazil, Amazonian sites record tropical dry forest, warm temperate rain forest and tropical seasonal forest. Southernmost South America is dominated by cool grass/shrubland, a single site retains cool temperate rain forest indicating that forest was present at some locations at the LGM. Some sites in Central M??xico and lowland Colombia remain unchanged in their biome assignments, although the affinities that these sites have to different biomes do change between 18 000±1000 14C yr BP and present. The " unresponsive" nature of these sites results from their location and the impact of local edaphic influence.

Growth and yield model application in tropical rain forest management

Treesearch

James Atta-Boateng; John W., Jr. Moser

2000-01-01

Analytical tools are needed to evaluate the impact of management policies on the sustainable use of rain forest. Optimal decisions concerning the level of management inputs require accurate predictions of output at all relevant input levels. Using growth data from 40 l-hectare permanent plots obtained from the semi-deciduous forest of Ghana, a system of 77 differential...

Foliar and ecosystem respiration in an old-growth tropical rain forest

Treesearch

Molly A. Cavaleri; Steven F. Oberbauer; Michael G. Ryan

2008-01-01

Foliar respiration is a major component of ecosystem respiration, yet extrapolations are often uncertain in tropical forests because of indirect estimates of leaf area index (LAI).A portable tower was used to directly measure LAI and night-time foliar respiration from 52 vertical transects throughout an old-growth tropical rain forest in Costa Rica. In this study, we (...

Threshold responses to soil moisture deficit by trees and soil in tropical rain forests: insights from field experiments

Treesearch

Patrick Meir; Tana Wood; David R. Galbraith; Paulo M. Brando; Antonio C.I. Da Costa; Lucy Rowland; Leandro V. Ferreira

2015-01-01

Many tropical rain forest regions are at risk of increased future drought. The net effects of drought on forest ecosystem functioning will be substantial if important ecological thresholds are passed. However, understanding and predicting these effects is challenging using observational studies alone. Field-based rainfall exclusion (canopy throughfall exclusion; TFE)...

Calculation of Individual Tree Water Use in a Bornean Tropical Rain Forest Using Individual-Based Dynamic Vegetation Model SEIB-DGVM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakai, T.; Kumagai, T.; Saito, T.; Matsumoto, K.; Kume, T.; Nakagawa, M.; Sato, H.

2015-12-01

Bornean tropical rain forests are among the moistest biomes of the world with abundant rainfall throughout the year, and considered to be vulnerable to a change in the rainfall regime; e.g., high tree mortality was reported in such forests induced by a severe drought associated with the ENSO event in 1997-1998. In order to assess the effect (risk) of future climate change on eco-hydrology in such tropical rain forests, it is important to understand the water use of trees individually, because the vulnerability or mortality of trees against climate change can depend on the size of trees. Therefore, we refined the Spatially Explicit Individual-Based Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (SEIB-DGVM) so that the transpiration and its control by stomata are calculated for each individual tree. By using this model, we simulated the transpiration of each tree and its DBH-size dependency, and successfully reproduced the measured data of sap flow of trees and eddy covariance flux data obtained in a Bornean lowland tropical rain forest in Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Complex Spatial Structure in a Population of Didymopanax pittieri, A Tree of Wind-Exposed Lower Montane Rain Forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawton, Robert M.; Lawton, Robert O.

2010-01-01

Didymopanax pittieri is a common shade-intolerant tree colonizing treefall gaps in the elfin forests on windswept ridgecrests in the lower montane rain forests of the Cordillera de Tilarain, Costa Rica. All D. pittieri taller than > 0.5 m in a 5.2-ha elfin forested portion of a gridded study watershed in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve were located, mapped, and measured. This local population of D. pittieri is spatially inhomogeneous, in that density increases with increasing wind exposure; D. pittieri are more abundant near ridge crests than lower on windward slopes. The important and ubiquitous phenomenon of spatial inhomogeneity in population density is addressed and corrected for in spatial analyses by the application of the inhomogeneous version of Ripley's K. The spatial patterns of four size classes of D. pittieri (<5 cm dbh, 5-10 cm dbh, 10-20 cm dbh, and> 20 cm dbh) were investigated. Within the large-scale trend in density driven by wind exposure, D. pittieri saplings are clumped at the scale of treefall gaps and at the scale of patches of aggregated gaps. D. pittieri 5-10 cm dbh are randomly distributed, apparently due to competitive thinning of sapling clumps during the early stages of gap-phase regeneration. D. pittieri larger than 10 cm dbh are overdispersed at a scale larger than that of patches of gaps. Natural disturbance can influence the distribution of shade intolerant tree populations at several different spatial scales, and can have discordant effects at different life history stages.

First direct landscape-scale measurement of tropical rain forest Leaf Area Index, a key driver of global primary productivity

Treesearch

David B. Clark; Paulo C. Olivas; Steven F. Oberbauer; Deborah A. Clark; Michael G. Ryan

2008-01-01

Leaf Area Index (leaf area per unit ground area, LAI) is a key driver of forest productivity but has never previously been measured directly at the landscape scale in tropical rain forest (TRF). We used a modular tower and stratified random sampling to harvest all foliage from forest floor to canopy top in 55 vertical transects (4.6 m2) across 500 ha of old growth in...

Seasonal rhythms of seed rain and seedling emergence in two tropical rain forests in southern Brazil.

PubMed

Marques, M C M; Oliveira, P E A M

2008-09-01

Seasonal tropical forests show rhythms in reproductive activities due to water stress during dry seasons. If both seed dispersal and seed germination occur in the best environmental conditions, mortality will be minimised and forest regeneration will occur. To evaluate whether non-seasonal forests also show rhythms, for 2 years we studied the seed rain and seedling emergence in two sandy coastal forests (flooded and unflooded) in southern Brazil. In each forest, one 100 x 30-m grid was marked and inside it 30 stations comprising two seed traps (0.5 x 0.5 m each) and one plot (2 x 2 m) were established for monthly monitoring of seed rain and a seedling emergence study, respectively. Despite differences in soil moisture and incident light on the understorey, flooded and unflooded forests had similar dispersal and germination patterns. Seed rain was seasonal and bimodal (peaks at the end of the wetter season and in the less wet season) and seedling emergence was seasonal and unimodal (peaking in the wetter season). Approximately 57% of the total species number had seedling emergence 4 or more months after dispersal. Therefore, both seed dormancy and the timing of seed dispersal drive the rhythm of seedling emergence in these forests. The peak in germination occurs in the wetter season, when soil fertility is higher and other phenological events also occur. The strong seasonality in these plant communities, even in this weakly seasonal climate, suggests that factors such as daylength, plant sensitivity to small changes in the environment (e.g. water and nutrient availability) or phylogenetic constraints cause seasonal rhythms in the plants.

Holocene History of the Chocó Rain Forest from Laguna Piusbi, Southern Pacific Lowlands of Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behling, Hermann; Hooghiemstra, Henry; Negret, Alvaro José

1998-11-01

A high-resolution pollen record from a 5-m-long sediment core from the closed-lake basin Laguna Piusbi in the southern Colombian Pacific lowlands of Chocó, dated by 11 AMS 14C dates that range from ca. 7670 to 220 14C yr B.P., represents the first Holocene record from the Chocó rain forest area. The interval between 7600 and 6100 14C yr B.P. (500-265 cm), composed of sandy clays that accumulated during the initial phase of lake formation, is almost barren of pollen. Fungal spores and the presence of herbs and disturbance taxa suggest the basin was at least temporarily inundated and the vegetation was open. The closed lake basin might have formed during an earthquake, probably about 4400 14C yr B.P. From the interval of about 6000 14C yr B.P. onwards, 200 different pollen and spore types were identified in the core, illustrating a diverse floristic composition of the local rain forest. Main taxa are Moraceae/Urticaceae, Cecropia,Melastomataceae/Combretaceae, Acalypha, Alchornea,Fabaceae, Mimosa, Piper, Protium, Sloanea, Euterpe/Geonoma, Socratea,and Wettinia.Little change took place during that time interval. Compared to the pollen records from the rain forests of the Colombian Amazon basin and adjacent savannas, the Chocó rain forest ecosystem has been very stable during the late Holocene. Paleoindians probably lived there at least since 3460 14C yr B.P. Evidence of agricultural activity, shown by cultivation of Zea maissurrounding the lake, spans the last 1710 yr. Past and present very moist climate and little human influence are important factors in maintaining the stable ecosystem and high biodiversity of the Chocó rain forest.

Threshold Responses to Soil Moisture Deficit by Trees and Soil in Tropical Rain Forests: Insights from Field Experiments

PubMed Central

Meir, Patrick; Wood, Tana E.; Galbraith, David R.; Brando, Paulo M.; Da Costa, Antonio C. L.; Rowland, Lucy; Ferreira, Leandro V.

2015-01-01

Many tropical rain forest regions are at risk of increased future drought. The net effects of drought on forest ecosystem functioning will be substantial if important ecological thresholds are passed. However, understanding and predicting these effects is challenging using observational studies alone. Field-based rainfall exclusion (canopy throughfall exclusion; TFE) experiments can offer mechanistic insight into the response to extended or severe drought and can be used to help improve model-based simulations, which are currently inadequate. Only eight TFE experiments have been reported for tropical rain forests. We examine them, synthesizing key results and focusing on two processes that have shown threshold behavior in response to drought: (1) tree mortality and (2) the efflux of carbon dioxdie from soil, soil respiration. We show that: (a) where tested using large-scale field experiments, tropical rain forest tree mortality is resistant to long-term soil moisture deficit up to a threshold of 50% of the water that is extractable by vegetation from the soil, but high mortality occurs beyond this value, with evidence from one site of increased autotrophic respiration, and (b) soil respiration reaches its peak value in response to soil moisture at significantly higher soil moisture content for clay-rich soils than for clay-poor soils. This first synthesis of tropical TFE experiments offers the hypothesis that low soil moisture–related thresholds for key stress responses in soil and vegetation may prove to be widely applicable across tropical rain forests despite the diversity of these forests. PMID:26955085

Natural Experiment Demonstrates That Bird Loss Leads to Cessation of Dispersal of Native Seeds from Intact to Degraded Forests

PubMed Central

HilleRisLambers, Janneke; Tewksbury, Joshua J.; Rogers, Haldre S.

2013-01-01

In healthy forests, vertebrate frugivores move seeds from intact to degraded forests, aiding in the passive regeneration of degraded forests. Yet vertebrate frugivores are declining around the world, and little is known about the impact of this loss on regeneration of degraded areas. Here, we use a unique natural experiment to assess how complete vertebrate frugivore loss affects native seed rain in degraded forest. All native vertebrate frugivores (which were primarily avian frugivores) have been functionally extirpated from the island of Guam by the invasive brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), whereas the nearby island of Saipan has a relatively intact vertebrate frugivore community. We captured seed rain along transects extending from intact into degraded forest and compared the species richness, density and condition of the seed rain from native bird-dispersed tree species between the two islands. Considering seeds from native bird-dispersed species, approximately 1.66 seeds landed per 26 days in each square meter of degraded forest on Saipan, whereas zero seeds landed per 26 days per square meter in degraded forest on Guam. Additionally, on Saipan, 69% of native bird-dispersed seeds in intact forest and 77% of seeds in degraded forest lacked fleshy fruit pulp, suggesting ingestion by birds, compared to 0% of all seeds on Guam. Our results show an absence of seed rain in degraded forests on Guam, correlated with the absence of birds, whereas on Saipan, frugivorous birds regularly disperse seeds into degraded forests, providing a mechanism for re-colonization by native plants. These results suggest that loss of frugivores will slow regeneration of degraded forests on Guam. PMID:23741503

Natural experiment demonstrates that bird loss leads to cessation of dispersal of native seeds from intact to degraded forests.

PubMed

Caves, Eleanor M; Jennings, Summer B; Hillerislambers, Janneke; Tewksbury, Joshua J; Rogers, Haldre S

2013-01-01

In healthy forests, vertebrate frugivores move seeds from intact to degraded forests, aiding in the passive regeneration of degraded forests. Yet vertebrate frugivores are declining around the world, and little is known about the impact of this loss on regeneration of degraded areas. Here, we use a unique natural experiment to assess how complete vertebrate frugivore loss affects native seed rain in degraded forest. All native vertebrate frugivores (which were primarily avian frugivores) have been functionally extirpated from the island of Guam by the invasive brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), whereas the nearby island of Saipan has a relatively intact vertebrate frugivore community. We captured seed rain along transects extending from intact into degraded forest and compared the species richness, density and condition of the seed rain from native bird-dispersed tree species between the two islands. Considering seeds from native bird-dispersed species, approximately 1.66 seeds landed per 26 days in each square meter of degraded forest on Saipan, whereas zero seeds landed per 26 days per square meter in degraded forest on Guam. Additionally, on Saipan, 69% of native bird-dispersed seeds in intact forest and 77% of seeds in degraded forest lacked fleshy fruit pulp, suggesting ingestion by birds, compared to 0% of all seeds on Guam. Our results show an absence of seed rain in degraded forests on Guam, correlated with the absence of birds, whereas on Saipan, frugivorous birds regularly disperse seeds into degraded forests, providing a mechanism for re-colonization by native plants. These results suggest that loss of frugivores will slow regeneration of degraded forests on Guam.

Diurnal raptors in the fragmented rain forest of the Sierra Imataca, Venezuela

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alvarez, E.; Ellis, D.H.; Smith, D.G.; LaRue, C.T.; Bird, David M.; Varland, Daniel E.; Negro, Juan Jose

1996-01-01

The rain forest of the Sierra Imataca in eastern Venezuela has been subjected to extensive deforestation for pastures and agricultural settlements. In the last decade the opening of access roads combined with intensified logging and mining activities have fragmented a significant portion of the remaining forest. We noted local distribution and habitat use for 42 species of diurnal raptors observed in affected areas in this region. We observed some raptors considered as forest interior species and other open country species foraging and roosting in man-made openings inside the forest.

Functional and environmental determinants of bark thickness in fire-free temperate rain forest communities.

PubMed

Richardson, Sarah J; Laughlin, Daniel C; Lawes, Michael J; Holdaway, Robert J; Wilmshurst, Janet M; Wright, Monique; Curran, Timothy J; Bellingham, Peter J; McGlone, Matt S

2015-10-01

In fire-prone ecosystems, variation in bark thickness among species and communities has been explained by fire frequency; thick bark is necessary to protect cambium from lethal temperatures. Elsewhere this investment is deemed unnecessary, and thin bark is thought to prevail. However, in rain forest ecosystems where fire is rare, bark thickness varies widely among species and communities, and the causes of this variation remain enigmatic. We tested for functional explanations of bark thickness variation in temperate rain forest species and communities. We measured bark thickness in 82 tree species throughout New Zealand temperate rain forests that historically have experienced little fire and applied two complementary analyses. First, we examined correlations between bark traits and leaf habit, and leaf and stem traits. Second, we calculated community-weighted mean (CWM) bark thickness for 272 plots distributed throughout New Zealand to identify the environments in which thicker-barked communities occur. Conifers had higher size-independent bark thickness than evergreen angiosperms. Species with thicker bark or higher bark allocation coefficients were not associated with "slow economic" plant traits. Across 272 forest plots, communities with thicker bark occurred on infertile soils, and communities with thicker bark and higher bark allocation coefficients occurred in cooler, drier climates. In non-fire-prone temperate rain forest ecosystems, investment in bark is driven by soil resources, cool minimum temperatures, and seasonal moisture stress. The role of these factors in fire-prone ecosystems warrants testing. © 2015 Botanical Society of America.

Information for space radar designers: Required dynamic range vs resolution and antenna calibration using the Amazon rain forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, R. K.; Frost, V. S.

1985-01-01

Calibration of the vertical pattern of the antennas for the SEASAT scatterometer was accomplished using the nearly-uniform radar return from the Amazon rain forest. A similar calibration will be attempted for the SIR-B antenna. Thick calibration is important to establish the radiometric calibration across the swath of the SIR-B, and the developed methodology will provide an important tool in the evaluation of future spaceborne imaging radars. This calibration was made by the very-wide-beam SEASAT scatterometer antennas because at 14.65 GHz the scattering coefficient of the rain forest is almost independent of angle of incidence. It is expected that the variation in scattering coefficient for the rain forest across the relatively narrow vertical beam of the SIR-B will be very small; even at L band the forest should be essentially impenetrable for radar signals, the volume scatter from the treetops will predominate as at higher frequencies. The basic research elements include: (1) examination of SIR-B images over the rain forest to establish the variability of the scattering coefficient at finer resolutions than that of the SEASAT scatterometer; (2) analysis of the variability of SIR-B data detected prior to processing for either azimuth compression or; possibly, range compression so that averages over relatively large footprints can be used; (3) processing of data of the form of (2) using algorithms that can recover the vertical pattern of the antenna.

Holocene rain-forest wilderness: a neotropical perspective on humans as an exotic, invasive species

Treesearch

Robert L. Sanford; Sally P. Horn

2000-01-01

Large areas of lowland tropical rain-forests in the neotropics have been burned over the past 6,000 years, mostly by pre-Colombian agriculturists. This paper presents additional evidence of fires and other human impacts in neotropical forests, and considers the opportunities and limitations of different approaches to determining past land-use “signatures.” Knowledge of...

Long-term changes in structure and composition following hurricanes in a primary lower montane rain forest in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

P.L. Weaver

2013-01-01

Ridges within the lower montane rain forests (sensu Beard) of the Caribbean Basin are dominated by Dacryodes excelsa, a tree species known as tabonuco in Puerto Rico and gommier in the Lesser Antilles. Periodially, hurricanes traverse the islands causing changes in structure, species composition, and dynamics of forests. The chronology of post-hurricane vegetation...

Comparison of direct and indirect methods for assessing leaf area index across a tropical rain forest landscape

Treesearch

Paulo C. Olivas; Steven F. Oberbauer; David B. Clark; Deborah A. Clark; Michael G. Ryan; Joseph J. O' Brien; Harlyn Ordonez

2013-01-01

Many functional properties of forests depend on the leaf area; however, measuring leaf area is not trivial in tall evergreen vegetation. As a result, leaf area is generally estimated indirectly by light absorption methods. These indirect methods are widely used, but have never been calibrated against direct measurements in tropical rain forests, either at point or...

Precipitation nutrients in the open and under two forests in Minnesota

Treesearch

Elon S. Verry; D.R. Timmons

1977-01-01

Concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na were measured in rain and snow in the open, and in throughfall and stemflow under black spruce and aspen forests in north-central Minnesota. Concentrations of total P in rain and black spruce throughfall were inversely related to storm size. Annual precipitation nutrient inputs to the forest floor were calculated for each site...

Reduced availability of large seeds constrains Atlantic forest regeneration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Janaina B. P.; Melo, Felipe P. L.; Santos, Bráulio A.; Tabarelli, Marcelo

2012-02-01

Secondary forests are expanding in defaunated fragmented tropical landscapes, but their resilience potential remains poorly understood. In this study we used a chronosequence of advancing (19-62-yr old) Atlantic forest regeneration following slash-and-burn agriculture to infer successional shifts in seed rain in terms of seed density, species richness, taxonomic and functional composition, and local spatial distribution. After monitoring seed rain during 12 months in 60 1-m2 seed traps, we recorded over 400,000 seeds belonging to 180 morphospecies. From early to late-successional stage, seed rain decreased in density, increased in per capita species richness, gradually changed in species composition, and became less aggregated spatially. Regardless the age of forest stand, vertebrate-dispersed seeds accounted for 67-75% of all species recorded. Large-seeded species typical of old-growth forests, on the other hand, accounted for only 5-8% of the species recorded in the seed rain, a proportion around five times smaller than that reported for the old-growth forests of the same study site (31%). Our results suggest that the secondary forests considered, which are embedded in one of the largest (3500 ha) and best preserved remnant of the severely fragmented Atlantic forest of Northeast Brazil, may fail attaining older successional stages due to the reduced availability of large-seeded late-successional species. This regeneration constraint may be even stronger in smaller, more isolated forest remnants of the region, potentially reducing their ability to provide ecosystem services.

Mammals of the Braulio Carrillo- La Selva Complex, Costa Rica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Timm, Robert M.; Wilson, Don E.; Clauson, Barbara L.; LaVal, Richard K.; Vaughan, Christopher S.

1989-01-01

Costa Rica's La Selva-Braulio Carrillo complex encompasses a 60-km protected corridor of Caribbean rain and cloud forest extending from 30 m at the La Selva Biological Station to 2,906 m at the top of Volcán Barva. The 52,000-ha complex covers four life zones and two transitional zones, including tropical wet forest, tropical wet forest cool-transition, tropical premontane wet-transition rain forest, tropical premontane rain forest, lower montane rain forest, and montane rain forest. Located in the northeastern part of the country, the area is representative of Central American Caribbean slope forests that extend from Mexico to Panama. The extensive elevational gradient of the complex provides protected habitat for a variety of altitudinal migrants. With support from the National Geographic Society and Rice Foundation, the Organization for Tropical Studies organized a biological survey of the complex in early 1986. The mammal team worked at six sites along the elevational transect established by the expedition: 300 m, 700 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, 2,050 m, and 2,600 m. We supplemented our collecting records with unpublished records made available by colleagues, records in the published literature, and specimens in museum collections. In addition, observations recorded by a variety of observers at the La Selva Biological Station are summarized. The mammal fauna of the complex comprises 142 species including 79 bats, 23 rodents, 15 carnivores, 7 marsupials, 6 edentates, 4 artiodactyls, 3 primates, 2 rabbits, 2 shrews, and 1 perissodactyl. At least 10 additional species are likely to occur there. The only species of mammal likely to have been extirpated from the area is the giant anteater. Recognizing the importance of the area to wildlife and to mankind in general, the government of Costa Rica added 13,500 ha to the complex on 13 April 1986. This area, previously known as the “Zona Protectora,” provided the mid-elevational link between the lowlands of the La Selva Biological Station and the montane forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Unfortunately, destruction of the rain forests surrounding the complex will soon render it an isolated island of protected forest. Thus, the area will become increasingly valuable as a refuge for many species with home ranges that require extensive tracts of undisturbed habitat.

Ouragans et diversité biologique dans les forêts tropicales. L'exemple de la Guadeloupe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imbert, Daniel; Roustéau, Alain; Labbé, Patrick

1998-06-01

In this work, we consider the role played by hurricanes in the maintenance of high biodiversity, ,and we look at how biodiversity may influence the response of tropical forest ecosystems to hurricane disturbances. After hurricane Hugo struck Guadeloupe in 1989, we started a comparative study on the resistance and the resilience of the rain forest, the semi-deciduous forest and the mangrove forest. It appeared that the resistance of these forests was positively linked to their diversity, which was assessed both through flora richness and structure complexity (resultin from the variety of life forms). Examples of species specific resistance or vulnerability occur in the three forests; however, the higher the ecosystem diversity, the fewer and the weaker they are. Abundant species tend to be less vulnerable than others — at least in the rain forest and in the semi-deciduous forest. Forest recovery operates mainly through pre-existing individuals (surviving trees, coppicing stumps, saplings or seedlings). Pioneer species may slightly and temporarily benefit from large openings, especially in the rain forest. Strong recurrence of hurricanes may lead to the extinction of some rare, vulnerable, short-range disseminating, non pioneer species.

Molpa: A newly recorded genus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from China.

PubMed

Wu, Chao; Yang, Zhen; Liu, Chun-Xiang; Zong, Cheng

2017-12-20

The genus Molpa Walker was previously considered to be disjunctly distributed in broad-leaf rain forests in India and Malaysia. Here we report one new species Molpa dulongensis sp. nov. from subtropic broad-leaf rain forests in southwestern Yunnan Province in China. This is a part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot area. So we can infer that Molpa is continuously distributed in broad-leaf rain forests found in Oriental Region. Redescription of the genus Molpa and description of the new species Molpa dulongensis sp. nov. are provided. The types are deposited in Insect Collection of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (IZCAS).

When does seed limitation matter for scaling up reforestation from patches to landscapes?

PubMed

Caughlin, T Trevor; Elliott, Stephen; Lichstein, Jeremy W

2016-12-01

Restoring forest to hundreds of millions of hectares of degraded land has become a centerpiece of international plans to sequester carbon and conserve biodiversity. Forest landscape restoration will require scaling up ecological knowledge of secondary succession from small-scale field studies to predict forest recovery rates in heterogeneous landscapes. However, ecological field studies reveal widely divergent times to forest recovery, in part due to landscape features that are difficult to replicate in empirical studies. Seed rain can determine reforestation rate and depends on landscape features that are beyond the scale of most field studies. We develop mathematical models to quantify how landscape configuration affects seed rain and forest regrowth in degraded patches. The models show how landscape features can alter the successional trajectories of otherwise identical patches, thus providing insight into why some empirical studies reveal a strong effect of seed rain on secondary succession, while others do not. We show that seed rain will strongly limit reforestation rate when patches are near a threshold for arrested succession, when positive feedbacks between tree canopy cover and seed rain occur during early succession, and when directed dispersal leads to between-patch interactions. In contrast, seed rain has weak effects on reforestation rate over a wide range of conditions, including when landscape-scale seed availability is either very high or very low. Our modeling framework incorporates growth and survival parameters that are commonly estimated in field studies of reforestation. We demonstrate how mathematical models can inform forest landscape restoration by allowing land managers to predict where natural regeneration will be sufficient to restore tree cover. Translating quantitative forecasts into spatially targeted interventions for forest landscape restoration could support target goals of restoring millions of hectares of degraded land and help mitigate global climate change. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Rain Forests: Tropical Treasures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braus, Judy, Ed.

1989-01-01

Ranger Rick's NatureScope is a creative education series dedicated to inspiring in children an understanding and appreciation of the natural world while developing the skills they will need to make responsible decisions about the environment. The topic of this issue is "Rain Forests: Tropical Treasures." Contents are organized into the…

Prolonged acid rain facilitates soil organic carbon accumulation in a mature forest in Southern China.

PubMed

Wu, Jianping; Liang, Guohua; Hui, Dafeng; Deng, Qi; Xiong, Xin; Qiu, Qingyan; Liu, Juxiu; Chu, Guowei; Zhou, Guoyi; Zhang, Deqiang

2016-02-15

With the continuing increase in anthropogenic activities, acid rain remains a serious environmental threat, especially in the fast developing areas such as southern China. To detect how prolonged deposition of acid rain would influence soil organic carbon accumulation in mature subtropical forests, we conducted a field experiment with simulated acid rain (SAR) treatments in a monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest at Dinghushan National Nature Reserve in southern China. Four levels of SAR treatments were set by irrigating plants with water of different pH values: CK (the control, local lake water, pH ≈ 4.5), T1 (water pH=4.0), T2 (water pH=3.5), and T3 (water pH=3.0). Results showed reduced pH measurements in the topsoil exposed to simulated acid rains due to soil acidification. Soil respiration, soil microbial biomass and litter decomposition rates were significantly decreased by the SAR treatments. As a result, T3 treatment significantly increased the total organic carbon by 24.5% in the topsoil compared to the control. Furthermore, surface soil became more stable as more recalcitrant organic matter was generated under the SAR treatments. Our results suggest that prolonged acid rain exposure may have the potential to facilitate soil organic carbon accumulation in the subtropical forest in southern China. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climate, rain shadow, and human-use influences on fire regimes in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Treesearch

M.P. North; K.M. van de Water; S.L. Stephens; B.M. Collins

2009-01-01

There have been few fire history studies of eastern Sierra Nevada forests in California, USA, where a steep elevation gradient, rain shadow conditions, and forest stand isolation may produce different fire regimes than those found on the range’s western slope. We investigated historic fire regimes and potential climate influences on four forest types ranging in...

Phosphorus loading to tropical rain forest streams after clear-felling and burning in Sabah, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malmer, Anders

1996-07-01

Most estimates of P export from natural or disturbed humid tropical ecosystems by streams have been based only on export of dissolved P, even though P often is limiting and can be expected to be strongly associated to particles. Therefore loss of ignition (LOI) and particulate P (Ppart) analyses were made on organic and inorganic detritus resulting from surface erosion and on stream-suspended sediments in an undisturbed rain forest (control), as well as during and after conversion of rain forest into forest plantation. Control forest surface erosion and stream sediments consisted mainly of organics, and dissolved P (Pdiss) dominated over Ppart in stream water. The same relation was found after conversion, with a maximum mean Pdiss/Ppart ratio of up to 10 after burning, compared with 2-2.5 for control forests. This larger difference was assumed to depend on PO4 dissolved from ashes to larger concentrations than could be adsorbed during the short time (<1 hour) to reach peak flow during rainstorms.

Daytime turbulent exchange between the Amazon forest and the atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitzjarrald, David R.; Moore, Kathleen E.; Cabral, Osvaldo M. R.; Scolar, Jose; Manzi, Antonio O.; Deabreusa, Leonardo D.

1989-01-01

Detailed observations of turbulence just above and below the crown of the Amazon rain forest during the wet season are presented. The forest canopy is shown to remove high frequency turbulent fluctuations while passing lower frequencies. Filter characteristics of turbulent transfer into the Amazon rain forest canopy are quantified. Simple empirical relations that relate observed turbulent heat fluxes to horizontal wind variance are presented. Changes in the amount of turbulent coupling between the forest and the boundary layer associated with deep convective clouds are presented both as statistical averages and as a series of case studies. These convective processes during the rainy season are shown to alter the diurnal course of turbulent fluxes. In wake of giant coastal systems, no significant heat or moisture fluxes occur for up to a day after the event. Radar data is used to demonstrate that even small raining clouds are capable of evacuating the canopy of substances normally trapped by persistent static stability near the forest floor. Recovery from these events can take more than an hour, even during mid-day. In spite of the ubiquitous presence of clouds and frequent rain during this season, the average horizontal wind speed spectrum is well described by dry CBL similarity hypotheses originally found to apply in flat terrain.

Daytime turbulent exchange between the Amazon forest and the atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitzjarrald, David R.; Moore, Kathleen E.; Cabral, Osvaldo M. R.; Scolar, Jose; Manzi, Antonio

1990-01-01

Detailed observations of turbulence just above and below the crown of the Amazon rain forest during the wet season are presented. The forest canopy is shown to remove high frequency turbulent fluctuations while passing lower frequencies. Filter characteristics of turbulent transfer into the Amazon rain forest canopy are quantified. Simple empirical relations that relate observed turbulent heat fluxes to horizontal wind variance are presented. Changes in the amount of turbulent coupling between the forest and the boundary layer associated with deep convective clouds are presented both as statistical averages and as a series of case studies. These convective processes during the rainy season are shown to alter the diurnal course of turbulent fluxes. In wake of giant coastal systems, no significant heat or moisture fluxes occur for up to a day after the event. Radar data is used to demonstrate that even small raining clouds are capable of evacuating the canopy of substances normally trapped by persistent static stability near the forest floor. Recovery from these events can take more than an hour, even during mid-day. In spite of the ubiquitous presence of clouds and frequent rain during this season, the average horizontal wind speed spectrum is well described by dry CBL similarity hypotheses originally found to apply in flat terrain.

Agaricales Fungi from atlantic rain forest fragments in Minas Gerais, Brazil

PubMed Central

Rosa, Luiz Henrique; Capelari, Marina

2009-01-01

Two Atlantic Rain Forest fragments in Minas Gerais state were studied to access their Agaricales fungal richness. A total of 187 specimens were collected and 109 species, 39 genera, and eight families were identified. Thirty-three species were cited for the first time in Brazil. PMID:24031432

Why Save a Can?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutierrez, Melida; Johnson, Cheryl

2009-01-01

This activity ties together the recycling of aluminum and the protection of rain forests. Students use critical thinking to study the effects of open pit mining of bauxite in rain forests and then draw their own conclusions about how to minimize the impact of bauxite mining and boost recycling efforts within their communities. Drawing conclusions…

The Importance of the Nothofagus Forest on Snowmelt Process linked to floods in Mountain Basins of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina as Input for Land Use Policies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iturraspe, R. J.; Urciuolo, A. B.; Lofiego, R.

2007-05-01

The conception and application of policies and best practices for the appropriate land use from the view point of extreme floods attenuation, must be based on scientist acknowledge of the basin response, reaching each one of the hydrological cycle's components. That condition is necessary as a start point for an integrated intersectoral management of water and forest resources at the basin scale, especially when forest logging or forest urbanization appear as land use alternatives with socioeconomic importance, confronting the natural roll of the forest in the basin. Within this framework, this article analyzes the forest importance on the seasonal snow-pack and snow-melting process in the mountain basin environment of Tierra del Fuego Island, Argentina, where a mixed rain-snow hydrological regimen and a canopy of native Nothofagus forest are basic features considered. Extreme floods events are related to heavy rain and snow-melting combination. In theory, the worst scenario is the exceptional rain occurrence at the moment of the maximum snow storage, air temperature higher than 0ºC in the whole basin, and previous wet conditions. On this scenario we analyze aspects that indicate forest influences on the snow pack distribution and evolution which are favorable to the attenuation of the intensity of melting process which are induced by rain and temperate air mass. Results were obtained in the context of the EPIC FORCE (EU) Project.

Reconstructed high-resolution scatterometer data: a comparison with AVHRR vegetation index images for regional-scale monitoring of tropical rain forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardin, Perry J.; Long, David G.

1993-08-01

There is considerable interest in utilizing microwave and visible spectrum imagery for the assessment of tropical rain forests. Because rain forest spans large sub-continental areas, medium resolution (1 - 16 km) imagery will play an important role in providing a global perspective of any forest removal or change. Since 1978, AVHRR imagery from NOAA polar orbiters has provided coverage of tropical regions at this desirable resolution, but much of the imagery is plagued with heavy cloud cover typical of equatorial regions. In contrast, no historical source of active microwave imagery at native 1 - 16 km resolution exists for all the global rain forest regions. In this paper, the authors compare the utility of Seasat scatterometer (SASS) ku-band microwave data to early-date AVHRR vegetation index products for discrimination of tropical vegetation formations. When considered separately, both the AVHRR imagery and the SASS imagery could be used to distinguish between broad categories of equatorial land cover, but the AVHRR imagery was slightly superior. When combined, the two data sets provided discrimination capability superior than could be obtained by using either set alone.

Biomass and carbon dynamics of a tropical mountain rain forest in China.

PubMed

Chen, DeXiang; Li, YiDe; Liu, HePing; Xu, Han; Xiao, WenFa; Luo, TuShou; Zhou, Zhang; Lin, MingXian

2010-07-01

Biometric inventories for 25 years, from 1983 to 2005, indicated that the Jianfengling tropical mountain rain forest in Hainan, China, was either a source or a modest sink of carbon. Overall, this forest was a small carbon sink with an accumulation rate of (0.56+/-0.22) Mg C ha(-1)yr(-1), integrated from the long-term measurement data of two plots (P9201 and P8302). These findings were similar to those for African and American rain forests ((0.62+/-0.23) Mg C ha(-1)yr(-1)). The carbon density varied between (201.43+/-29.38) Mg C ha(-1) and (229.16+/-39.2) Mg C ha(-1), and averaged (214.17+/-32.42) Mg C ha(-1) for plot P9201. Plot P8302, however, varied between (223.95+/-45.92) Mg C ha(-1) and (254.85+/-48.86) Mg C ha(-1), and averaged (243.35+/-47.64) Mg C ha(-1). Quadratic relationships were found between the strength of carbon sequestration and heavy rainstorms and dry months. Precipitation and evapotranspiration are two major factors controlling carbon sequestration in the tropical mountain rain forest.

Using pan-tropical biomass maps to improve IPCC Tier 1 default level emission factors - a case study for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langner, Andreas; Achard, Frédéric; Grassi, Giacomo

2014-05-01

The IPCC proposes three Tier levels for greenhouse gas emission monitoring with a hierarchical order in terms of accuracy as well as data requirements/complexity. While Tier 1 provides default above-ground biomass (AGB) values per ecological zone and continent, Tier 2 and 3 are either based on country-specific remote sensing or permanent sample-plot data. Due to missing capacities most developing countries have to rely on Tier 1 default values, which show highest uncertainties. Furthermore, IPCC Tier 1 values lack transparency as they are based on a variety of studies that have been repeatedly updated and combined with expert opinions, thus blurring the original data sources. A possible way to increase credibility is a conservative monitoring approach, following the principle of conservativeness, thus reducing the likelihood of unjustified payments for emission reductions not reflecting reality. For the implementation of that principle knowledge about the distribution of the biomass within each ecological zone is essential. However, such information is not available for the IPCC Tier 1 values, which only provide mean values and/or AGB ranges that are not based on a common statistical analysis. Using the pan-tropical datasets of Saatchi et al (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108, 9899-9904, 2011; 1km spatial resolution) and Baccini et al (Nat Climate Change, 2:182-185, 2012; 500m spatial resolution) we calculated the mean AGB values as well as their 50% confidence intervals for each ecological zone within the DRC using Globcover2009 as forest/non-forest mask and the FAO ecological zones dataset. Such analysis is more transparent while at the same time leading to "statistically improved" Tier 1 values, potentially allowing a conservative monitoring approach by selecting the lower bound of the confidence interval for emission estimation during the reference period and the higher bound for the assessment period. Within the DRC Baccini generally delivers higher AGB estimates than Saatchi but even Baccini shows between 81t/ha and 143t/ha lower estimates for Tropical Rain Forests and Moist Deciduous Forests respectively than IPCC. While the AGB values for Tropical Dry Forest of both maps are similar to the IPCC, Tropical Mountain Systems cannot easily be compared as their IPCC data lack a mean value. A recent study by Mitchard et al (Carbon Balance and Management, 8, 10, 2013) compared both pan-tropical datasets, pointing out notable differences in the Congo basin. However, their analysis revealed that none of both maps is generally superior. Therefore, we suggest using the average of both maps as a reasonable approximation to the real but unknown AGB values, thus resulting in 213±69t/ha for Tropical Rain Forests, 94±19t/ha for Moist Deciduous Forests, 119±31t/ha for Tropical Dry Forests and 182±61t/ha for Tropical Mountain Systems of the DRC while the corresponding IPCC values are 310t/ha, 260t/ha, 120t/ha and 40-190t/ha.

Forest and community structure of tropical sub-montane rain forests on the island of Dominica, Lesser Antilles

Treesearch

S.J. DeWalt; K. Ickes; A. James

2016-01-01

To examine short- and long-term changes in hurricane-prone sub-montane rain forests on Dominica in the Lesser Antilles of the eastern Caribbean, we established 17 permanent, 0.25-ha vegetation plots clustered in 3 regions of the island—northeast, northwest, and southwest. We counted all trees ≥10 cm diameter almost 30 years after Hurricane David caused substantial tree...

Cloud and fog interactions with coastal forests in the California Channel Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Still, C. J.; Baguskas, S. A.; Williams, P.; Fischer, D. T.; Carbone, M. S.; Rastogi, B.

2015-12-01

Coastal forests in California are frequently covered by clouds or immersed in fog in the rain-free summer. Scientists have long surmised that fog might provide critical water inputs to these forests. However, until recently, there has been little ecophysiological research to support how or why plants should prefer foggy regions; similarly, there is very little work quantifying water delivered to ecosystems by fog drip except for a few notable sites along the California coast. However, without spatial datasets of summer cloudcover and fog inundation, combined with detailed process studies, questions regarding the roles of cloud shading and fog drip in dictating plant distributions and ecosystem physiology cannot be addressed effectively. The overall objective of this project is to better understand how cloudcover and fog influence forest metabolism, growth, and distribution. Across a range of sites in California's Channel Islands National Park we measured a wide variety of ecosystem processes and properties. We then related these to cloudcover and fog immersion maps created using satellite datasets and airport and radiosonde observations. We compiled a spatially continuous dataset of summertime cloudcover frequency of the Southern California bight using satellite imagery from the NOAA geostationary GOES-11 Imager. We also created map of summertime cloudcover frequency of this area using MODIS imagery. To assess the ability of our mapping approach to predict spatial and temporal fog inundation patterns, we compared our monthly average daytime fog maps for GOES pixels corresponding to stations where fog inputs were measured with fog collectors in a Bishop pine forest. We also compared our cloudcover maps to measurements of irradiance measurements. Our results demonstrate that cloudcover and fog strongly modulate radiation, water, and carbon budgets, as well as forest distributions, in this semi-arid environment. Measurements of summertime fog drip, pine sapflow and growth, and soil respiration are strongly related to variations in cloudcover and fog drip. Importantly, spatial variations in cloud cover and fog immersion drive large changes in modeled water budgets and correspond closely to patterns of tree growth and mortality.

Tropical Rain Forest Structure, Tree Growth and Dynamics along a 2700-m Elevational Transect in Costa Rica

PubMed Central

Clark, David B.; Hurtado, Johanna; Saatchi, Sassan S.

2015-01-01

Rapid biological changes are expected to occur on tropical elevational gradients as species migrate upslope or go extinct in the face of global warming. We established a series of 9 1-ha plots in old-growth tropical rainforest in Costa Rica along a 2700 m relief elevational gradient to carry out long-term monitoring of tropical rain forest structure, dynamics and tree growth. Within each plot we mapped, identified, and annually measured diameter for all woody individuals with stem diameters >10 cm for periods of 3-10 years. Wood species diversity peaked at 400-600 m and decreased substantially at higher elevations. Basal area and stem number varied by less than two-fold, with the exception of the 2800 m cloud forest summit, where basal area and stem number were approximately double that of lower sites. Canopy gaps extending to the forest floor accounted for <3% of microsites at all elevations. Height of highest crowns and the coefficient of variation of crown height both decreased with increasing elevation. Rates of turnover of individuals and of stand basal area decreased with elevation, but rates of diameter growth and stand basal area showed no simple relation to elevation. We discuss issues encountered in the design and implementation of this network of plots, including biased sampling, missing key meteorological and biomass data, and strategies for improving species-level research. Taking full advantage of the major research potential of tropical forest elevational transects will require sustaining and extending ground based studies, incorporation of new remotely-sensed data and data-acquisition platforms, and new funding models to support decadal research on these rapidly-changing systems. PMID:25856163

Links to Literature--Huge Trees, Small Drawings: Ideas of Relative Sizes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Gail

1996-01-01

Discusses a unit integrating science, mathematics, and environmental education centered around "The Great Kapok Tree," by Lynne Cherry (1990). Ratios are used to make scale drawings of trees in a rain forest. Other activities include a terrarium and problem-solving activities based on eating habits of rain forest animals. (KMC)

Space Radar Image of Manaus, Brazil

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-27

These two images were created using data from the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR). On the left is a false-color image of Manaus, Brazil acquired April 12, 1994, onboard space shuttle Endeavour. In the center of this image is the Solimoes River just west of Manaus before it combines with the Rio Negro to form the Amazon River. The scene is around 8 by 8 kilometers (5 by 5 miles) with north toward the top. The radar image was produced in L-band where red areas correspond to high backscatter at HH polarization, while green areas exhibit high backscatter at HV polarization. Blue areas show low backscatter at VV polarization. The image on the right is a classification map showing the extent of flooding beneath the forest canopy. The classification map was developed by SIR-C/X-SAR science team members at the University of California,Santa Barbara. The map uses the L-HH, L-HV, and L-VV images to classify the radar image into six categories: Red flooded forest Green unflooded tropical rain forest Blue open water, Amazon river Yellow unflooded fields, some floating grasses Gray flooded shrubs Black floating and flooded grasses Data like these help scientists evaluate flood damage on a global scale. Floods are highly episodic and much of the area inundated is often tree-covered. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01712

Tropical secondary forest management influences frugivorous bat composition, abundance and fruit consumption in Chiapas, Mexico.

PubMed

Vleut, Ivar; Levy-Tacher, Samuel Israel; de Boer, Willem Frederik; Galindo-González, Jorge; Vazquez, Luis-Bernardo

2013-01-01

Most studies on frugivorous bat assemblages in secondary forests have concentrated on differences among successional stages, and have disregarded the effect of forest management. Secondary forest management practices alter the vegetation structure and fruit availability, important factors associated with differences in frugivorous bat assemblage structure, and fruit consumption and can therefore modify forest succession. Our objective was to elucidate factors (forest structural variables and fruit availability) determining bat diversity, abundance, composition and species-specific abundance of bats in (i) secondary forests managed by Lacandon farmers dominated by Ochroma pyramidale, in (ii) secondary forests without management, and in (iii) mature rain forests in Chiapas, Southern Mexico. Frugivorous bat species diversity (Shannon H') was similar between forest types. However, bat abundance was highest in rain forest and O. pyramidale forests. Bat species composition was different among forest types with more Carollia sowelli and Sturnira lilium captures in O. pyramidale forests. Overall, bat fruit consumption was dominated by early-successional shrubs, highest late-successional fruit consumption was found in rain forests and more bats consumed early-successional shrub fruits in O. pyramidale forests. Ochroma pyramidale forests presented a higher canopy openness, tree height, lower tree density and diversity of fruit than secondary forests. Tree density and canopy openness were negatively correlated with bat species diversity and bat abundance, but bat abundance increased with fruit abundance and tree height. Hence, secondary forest management alters forests' structural characteristics and resource availability, and shapes the frugivorous bat community structure, and thereby the fruit consumption by bats.

A long pollen record from lowland Amazonia: Forest and cooling in glacial times

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colinvaux, P.A.; Moreno, J.E.; Bush, M.B.

A continuous pollen history of more than 40,000 years was obtained from a lake in the lowland Amazon rain forest. Pollen spectra demonstrate that tropical rain forest occupied the region continuously and that savannas or grasslands were not present during the last glacial maximum. The data suggest that the western Amazon forest was not fragmented into refugia in glacial times and that the lowlands were not a source of dust. Glacial age forests were comparable to modern forests but also included species now restricted to higher evaluations by temperature, suggesting a cooling of the order of 5{degrees} to 6{degrees}C. 23more » refs., 22 tabs.« less

Tropical Secondary Forest Management Influences Frugivorous Bat Composition, Abundance and Fruit Consumption in Chiapas, Mexico

PubMed Central

Vleut, Ivar; Levy-Tacher, Samuel Israel; de Boer, Willem Frederik; Galindo-González, Jorge; Vazquez, Luis-Bernardo

2013-01-01

Most studies on frugivorous bat assemblages in secondary forests have concentrated on differences among successional stages, and have disregarded the effect of forest management. Secondary forest management practices alter the vegetation structure and fruit availability, important factors associated with differences in frugivorous bat assemblage structure, and fruit consumption and can therefore modify forest succession. Our objective was to elucidate factors (forest structural variables and fruit availability) determining bat diversity, abundance, composition and species-specific abundance of bats in (i) secondary forests managed by Lacandon farmers dominated by Ochroma pyramidale, in (ii) secondary forests without management, and in (iii) mature rain forests in Chiapas, Southern Mexico. Frugivorous bat species diversity (Shannon H’) was similar between forest types. However, bat abundance was highest in rain forest and O. pyramidale forests. Bat species composition was different among forest types with more Carollia sowelli and Sturnira lilium captures in O. pyramidale forests. Overall, bat fruit consumption was dominated by early-successional shrubs, highest late-successional fruit consumption was found in rain forests and more bats consumed early-successional shrub fruits in O. pyramidale forests. Ochroma pyramidale forests presented a higher canopy openness, tree height, lower tree density and diversity of fruit than secondary forests. Tree density and canopy openness were negatively correlated with bat species diversity and bat abundance, but bat abundance increased with fruit abundance and tree height. Hence, secondary forest management alters forests’ structural characteristics and resource availability, and shapes the frugivorous bat community structure, and thereby the fruit consumption by bats. PMID:24147029

How does tree age influence damage and recovery in forests impacted by freezing rain and snow?

PubMed

Zhu, LiRong; Zhou, Ting; Chen, BaoMing; Peng, ShaoLin

2015-05-01

The response and recovery mechanisms of forests to damage from freezing rain and snow events are a key topic in forest research and management. However, the relationship between the degree of damage and tree age, i.e., whether seedlings, young trees, or adult trees are most vulnerable, remains unclear and is rarely reported. We investigated the effect of tree age on the degrees of vegetation damage and subsequent recovery in three subtropical forest types-coniferous, mixed, and broad-leaved-in the Tianjing Mountains, South China, after a series of rare icy rain and freezing snow events in 2008. The results showed that damage and recovery rates were both dependent on tree age, with the proportion of damaged vegetation increasing with age (estimated by diameter at breast height, DBH) in all three forest types and gradually plateauing. Significant variation occurred among forest types. Young trees in the coniferous forest were more vulnerable than those in the broad-leaved forest. The type of damage also varied with tree age in different ways in the three forest types. The proportion of young seedlings that were uprooted (the most severe type of damage) was highest in the coniferous forest. In the mixed forest, young trees were significantly more likely to be uprooted than seedlings and adult trees, while in the broad-leaved forest, the proportion of uprooted adult trees was significantly higher than that of seedlings and young trees. There were also differences among forest types in how tree age affected damage recovery. In the coniferous forest, the recovery rate of trees with broken trunks or crowns (DBH > 2.5 cm) increased with tree age. However, in the mixed and broad-leaved forests, no obvious correlation between the recovery rate of trees with broken trunks or crowns and tree age was observed. Trees with severe root damage did not recover; they were uprooted and died. In these forests, vegetation damage and recovery showed tree age dependencies, which varied with tree shape, forest type, and damage type. Understanding this dependency will guide restoration after freezing rain and snow disturbances.

Amazon Rain Forest Classification Using J-ERS-1 SAR Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, A.; Kramer, C.; Alves, M.; Chapman, B.

1994-01-01

The Amazon rain forest is a region of the earth that is undergoing rapid change. Man-made disturbance, such as clear cutting for agriculture or mining, is altering the rain forest ecosystem. For many parts of the rain forest, seasonal changes from the wet to the dry season are also significant. Changes in the seasonal cycle of flooding and draining can cause significant alterations in the forest ecosystem.Because much of the Amazon basin is regularly covered by thick clouds, optical and infrared coverage from the LANDSAT and SPOT satellites is sporadic. Imaging radar offers a much better potential for regular monitoring of changes in this region. In particular, the J-ERS-1 satellite carries an L-band HH SAR system, which via an on-board tape recorder, can collect data from almost anywhere on the globe at any time of year.In this paper, we show how J-ERS-1 radar images can be used to accurately classify different forest types (i.e., forest, hill forest, flooded forest), disturbed areas such as clear cuts and urban areas, and river courses in the Amazon basin. J-ERS-1 data has also shown significant differences between the dry and wet season, indicating a strong potential for monitoring seasonal change. The algorithm used to classify J-ERS-1 data is a standard maximum-likelihood classifier, using the radar image local mean and standard deviation of texture as input. Rivers and clear cuts are detected using edge detection and region-growing algorithms. Since this classifier is intended to operate successfully on data taken over the entire Amazon, several options are available to enable the user to modify the algorithm to suit a particular image.

Comparative effects of simulated acid rain of different ratios of SO42- to NO3- on fine root in subtropical plantation of China.

PubMed

Liu, Xin; Zhao, Wenrui; Meng, Miaojing; Fu, Zhiyuan; Xu, Linhao; Zha, Yan; Yue, Jianmin; Zhang, Shuifeng; Zhang, Jinchi

2018-03-15

The influence of acid rain on forest trees includes direct effects on foliage as well as indirect soil-mediated effects that cause a reduction in fine-root growth. In addition, the concentration of NO 3 - in acid rain increases with the rapidly growing of nitrogen deposition. In this study, we investigated the impact of simulated acid rain with different SO 4 2- /NO 3 - (S/N) ratios, which were 5:1 (S), 1:1 (SN) and 1:5 (N), on fine-root growth from March 2015 to February 2016. Results showed that fine roots were more sensitive to the effects of acid rain than soils in the short-term. Both soil pH and fine root biomass (FRB) significantly decreased as acid rain pH decreased, and also decreased with the percentage of NO 3 - increased in acid rain. Acid rain pH significantly influenced soil total carbon and available potassium in summer. Higher acidity level (pH=2.5), especially of the N treatments, had the strongest inhibitory impact on soil microbial activity after summer. The structural equation modelling results showed that acid rain S/N ratio and pH had stronger direct effects on FRB than indirect effects via changed soil and fine root properties. Fine-root element contents and antioxidant enzymes activities were significantly affected by acid rain S/N ratio and pH during most seasons. Fine-root Al ion content, Ca/Al, Mg/Al ratios and catalase activity were used as better indicators than soil parameters for evaluating the effects of different acid rain S/N ratios and pH on forests. Our results suggest that the ratio of SO 4 2- to NO 3 - in acid rain is an important factor which could affect fine-root growth in subtropical forests of China. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Land-use systems and resilience of tropical rain forests in the Tehuantepec Isthmus, Mexico.

PubMed

García-Romero, Arturo; Oropeza-Orozco, Oralia; Galicia-Sarmiento, Leopoldo

2004-12-01

Land-cover types were analyzed for 1970, 1990 and 2000 as the bases for determining land-use systems and their influence on the resilience of tropical rain forests in the Tehuantepec Isthmus, Mexico. Deforestation (DR) and mean annual transformation rates were calculated from land-cover change data; thus, the classification of land-use change processes was determined according to their impact on resilience: a) Modification, including land-cover conservation and intensification, and b) Conversion, including disturbance and regeneration processes. Regeneration processes, from secondary vegetation under extensive use, cultivated vegetation under intensive use, and cultivated or induced vegetation under extensive use to mature or secondary vegetation, have high resilience capacity. In contrast, cattle-raising is characterized by rapid expansion, long-lasting change, and intense damages; thus, recent disturbance processes, which include the conversion to cattle-raising, provoke the downfall of the traditional agricultural system, and nullify the capacity of resilience of tropical rain forest. The land-use cover change processes reveal a) the existence of four land-use systems (forestry, extensive agriculture, extensive cattle-raising, and intensive uses) and b) a trend towards the replacement of agricultural and forestry systems by extensive cattle-raising, which was consolidated during 1990-2000 (DR of evergreen tropical rain forest = 4.6%). Only the forestry system, which is not subject to deforestation, but is affected by factors such as selective timber, extraction, firewood collection, grazing, or human-induced fire, is considered to have high resilience (2 years), compared to agriculture (2-10 years) or cattle-raising (nonresilient). It is concluded that the analysis of land-use systems is essential for understanding the implications of land-use cover dynamics on forest recovery and land degradation in tropical rain forests.

Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests responded to glacial-interglacial rhythms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falcon-Lang, Howard J.

2004-08-01

Pennsylvanian tropical rain forests flourished during an icehouse climate mode. Although it is well established that Milankovitch-band glacial-interglacial rhythms caused marked synchronous changes in Pennsylvanian tropical climate and sea level, little is known of vegetation response to orbital forcing. This knowledge gap has now been addressed through sequence- stratigraphic analysis of megafloral and palynofloral assemblages within the Westphalian D Cantabrian Sydney Mines Formation of eastern Canada. This succession was deposited in a low- accommodation setting where sequences can be attributed confidently to glacio-eustasy. Results show that long-lived, low-diversity peat mires dominated by lycopsids were initiated during deglaciation events, but were mostly drowned by rising sea level at maximum interglacial conditions. Only upland coniferopsid forests survived flooding without significant disturbance. Mid- to late interglacial phases witnessed delta-plain progradation and establishment of high-diversity, mineral-substrate rain forests containing lycopsids, sphenopsids, pteridosperms, cordaites, and tree ferns. Renewed glaciation resulted in sea-level fall, paleovalley incision, and the onset of climatic aridity. Glacial vegetation was dominated by cordaites, pteridosperms, and tree ferns; hydrophilic lycopsids and sphenopsids survived in paleovalley refugia. Findings clearly demonstrate the dynamic nature of Pennsylvanian tropical ecosystems and are timely given current debates about the impact of Quaternary glacial-interglacial rhythms on the biogeography of tropical rain forest.

Correlates of microhabitat use and density of Clethrionomys gapperi and Peromyscus keeni in temperate rain forests of Southeast Alaska.

Treesearch

Winston P. Smith; Scott M. Gende; Jeffrey V. Nichols

2005-01-01

We studied red-backed vole Clethrionomys gapperi and Keen' s mouse Peromyscus keeni populations in the Alexander Archipelago to test predictions regarding habitat relations in temperate rain forest of southeastern Alaska during August - September 1998 and 2000 and April - May 1999 and 2000. We measured 26 vegetative and...

Herbicides for site preparation...broadcast spray by mist blower tested against understory in Hawaii rain forest

Treesearch

Stanley B. Carpenter

1966-01-01

Two studies started in 1964 tested control of dense understory vegetation in Hawaii rain forests with herbicides applied by a large turbine blower spraying from widely spaced bulldozer lines. Brushkiller and Tordon 101 were effective on shrubs. Results on treefern were poor, but encouraging enough to merit additional study.

Environmental and biotic controls over aboveground biomass throughout a tropical rainforest

Treesearch

G.P. Asner; R.F. Hughes; T.A. Varga; D.E. Knapp; T. Kennedy-Bowdoin

2009-01-01

The environmental and biotic factors affecting spatial variation in canopy three-dimensional (3-D) structure and aboveground tree biomass (AGB) are poorly understood in tropical rain forests. We combined field measurements and airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) to quantify 3-D structure and AGB across a 5,016 ha rain forest reserve on the...

Searching for signatures across microbial communities: Metagenomic analysis of soil samples from mangrove and other ecosystems.

PubMed

Imchen, Madangchanok; Kumavath, Ranjith; Barh, Debmalya; Azevedo, Vasco; Ghosh, Preetam; Viana, Marcus; Wattam, Alice R

2017-08-18

In this study, we categorize the microbial community in mangrove sediment samples from four different locations within a vast mangrove system in Kerala, India. We compared this data to other samples taken from the other known mangrove data, a tropical rainforest, and ocean sediment. An examination of the microbial communities from a large mangrove forest that stretches across southwestern India showed strong similarities across the higher taxonomic levels. When ocean sediment and a single isolate from a tropical rain forest were included in the analysis, a strong pattern emerged with Bacteria from the phylum Proteobacteria being the prominent taxon among the forest samples. The ocean samples were predominantly Archaea, with Euryarchaeota as the dominant phylum. Principal component and functional analyses grouped the samples isolated from forests, including those from disparate mangrove forests and the tropical rain forest, from the ocean. Our findings show similar patterns in samples were isolated from forests, and these were distinct from the ocean sediment isolates. The taxonomic structure was maintained to the level of class, and functional analysis of the genes present also displayed these similarities. Our report for the first time shows the richness of microbial diversity in the Kerala coast and its differences with tropical rain forest and ocean microbiome.

The northern flying squirrel as an indicator species of temperate rain forest: test of an hypothesis.

Treesearch

Winston P. Smith; Scott M. Gende; Jeffrey V. Nichols

2005-01-01

Management indicator species (MIS) often are selected because their life history and demographics are thought to reflect a suite of ecosystem conditions that are too difficult or costly to measure directly. The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) has been proposed as an MIS of temperate rain forest of southeastern Alaska based on previous...

The effects of acid rain on nitrogen fixation in Western Washington coniferous forests

Treesearch

Robert Denison; Bruce Caldwell; Bernard Bormann; Lindell Eldred; Cynthia Swanberg; Steven Anderson

1976-01-01

We investigated both the current status of nitrogen fixation in Western Washington forests, and the potential effects of acid rain on this vital process. Even the low concentrations of sulfur dioxide presently found in the Northwest are thought to have an adverse effect on nitrogen fixation by limiting the distribution of the epiphytic nitrogen-fixing lichen, ...

Physical hydrology and the effects of forest harvesting in the Pacific Northwest: a review.

Treesearch

R. Dan Moore; S.M. Wondzell

2005-01-01

The Pacific Northwest encompasses a range of hydrologic regimes that can be broadly characterized as either coastal (where rain and rain on snow are dominant) or interior (where snowmelt is dominant). Forest harvesting generally increases the fraction of precipitation that is available to become streamflow, increases rates of snowmelt, and modifies the runoff pathways...

Rain Forest Tourism - Estimating the Benefits of Tourism Development in a New National Park in Madagascar

Treesearch

D. Evan Mercer; R. Kramer; N. Sharma

1995-01-01

Travel cost and contingent valuation methods are applied to the problem of estimating the potential consumer surplus available to international nature tourists from a rain forest conservation project in Madagascar. Data are derived from surveys of nature tourists in Madagascar and international, nature tourism professionals in the U.S. and Europe. Typical trip travel...

Los Arboles Hablan: A Spanish Language Curriculum Unit Based on the Study of Latin American Rain Forests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuman, John P.

"Los Arboles Hablan," a video-based curriculum that promotes the learning of Spanish as a second language through study of the Latin American rain forests is described. The 12-session unit was designed for use at the middle school level and integrates science, social science, and environmental education with content focusing on the…

Water, water everywhere: subtle shifts in soil saturation drive ecological function in coastal rain forests

Treesearch

Marie Oliver; David D' Amore

2015-01-01

New research reveals how topography, soil temperature, and subtle shifts in soil drainage are key drivers in ecosystem function in the coastal temperate rain forests of southeast Alaska and British Columbia. These studies, by Dave D'Amore and his colleagues, provide a better understanding of the influence of soil hydrology on dissolved organic carbon export and...

Postfire seed rain of black spruce, a semiserotinous conifer, in forests of interior Alaska

Treesearch

Jill Johnstone; Leslie Boby; Emily Tissier; Michelle Mack; Dave Verbyla; Xanthe. Walker

2009-01-01

The availability of viable seed can act as an important constraint on plant regeneration following disturbance. This study presents data on seed quantity and quality for black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), a semiserotinous conifer that dominates large areas of North American boreal forest. We sampled seed rain and viability for 2 years...

Rain forest promotes trophic interactions and diversity of trap-nesting Hymenoptera in adjacent agroforestry.

PubMed

Klein, Alexandra-Maria; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Tscharntke, Teja

2006-03-01

1. Human alteration of natural ecosystems to agroecosystems continues to accelerate in tropical countries. The resulting world-wide decline of rain forest causes a mosaic landscape, comprising simple and complex agroecosystems and patchily distributed rain forest fragments of different quality. Landscape context and agricultural management can be expected to affect both species diversity and ecosystem services by trophic interactions. 2. In Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, 24 agroforestry systems, differing in the distance to the nearest natural forest (0-1415 m), light intensity (37.5-899.6 W/m(-2)) and number of vascular plant species (7-40 species) were studied. Ten standardized trap nests for bees and wasps, made from reed and knotweed internodes, were exposed in each study site. Occupied nests were collected every month, over a period totalling 15 months. 3. A total of 13,617 brood cells were reared to produce adults of 14 trap-nesting species and 25 natural enemy species, which were mostly parasitoids. The total number of species was affected negatively by increasing distance from forest and increased with light intensity of agroforestry systems. The parasitoids in particular appeared to benefit from nearby forests. Over a 500-m distance, the number of parasitoid species decreased from eight to five, and parasitism rates from 12% to 4%. 4. The results show that diversity and parasitism, as a higher trophic interaction and ecosystem service, are enhanced by (i) improved connectivity of agroecosystems with natural habitats such as agroforestry adjacent to rain forest and (ii) management practices to increase light availability in agroforestry, which also enhances richness of flowering plants in the understorey.

Degradation of Root Community Traits as Indicator for Transformation of Tropical Lowland Rain Forests into Oil Palm and Rubber Plantations

PubMed Central

Edy, Nur; Meyer, Marike; Corre, Marife D.; Polle, Andrea

2015-01-01

Conversion of tropical forests into intensely managed plantations is a threat to ecosystem functions. On Sumatra, Indonesia, oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations are rapidly expanding, displacing rain forests and extensively used rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) agro-forests. Here, we tested the influence of land use systems on root traits including chemical traits (carbon, nitrogen, mineral nutrients, potentially toxic elements [aluminium, iron] and performance traits (root mass, vitality, mycorrhizal colonization). Traits were measured as root community-weighed traits (RCWTs) in lowland rain forests, in rubber agro-forests mixed with rain forest trees, in rubber and oil palm plantations in two landscapes (Bukit Duabelas and Harapan, Sumatra). We hypothesized that RCWTs vary with land use system indicating increasing transformation intensity and loss of ecosystem functions. The main factors found to be related to increasing transformation intensity were declining root vitality and root sulfur, nitrogen, carbon, manganese concentrations and increasing root aluminium and iron concentrations as well as increasing spore densities of arbuscular mycorrhizas. Mycorrhizal abundance was high for arbuscular and low for ectomycorrhizas and unrelated to changes in RCWTs. The decline in RCWTs showed significant correlations with soil nitrogen, soil pH and litter carbon. Thus, our study uncovered a relationship between deteriorating root community traits and loss of ecosystem functionality and showed that increasing transformation intensity resulted in decreasing root nutrition and health. Based on these results we suggest that land management that improves root vitality may enhance the ecological functions of intense tropical production systems. PMID:26366576

Degradation of Root Community Traits as Indicator for Transformation of Tropical Lowland Rain Forests into Oil Palm and Rubber Plantations.

PubMed

Sahner, Josephine; Budi, Sri Wilarso; Barus, Henry; Edy, Nur; Meyer, Marike; Corre, Marife D; Polle, Andrea

2015-01-01

Conversion of tropical forests into intensely managed plantations is a threat to ecosystem functions. On Sumatra, Indonesia, oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations are rapidly expanding, displacing rain forests and extensively used rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) agro-forests. Here, we tested the influence of land use systems on root traits including chemical traits (carbon, nitrogen, mineral nutrients, potentially toxic elements [aluminium, iron] and performance traits (root mass, vitality, mycorrhizal colonization). Traits were measured as root community-weighed traits (RCWTs) in lowland rain forests, in rubber agro-forests mixed with rain forest trees, in rubber and oil palm plantations in two landscapes (Bukit Duabelas and Harapan, Sumatra). We hypothesized that RCWTs vary with land use system indicating increasing transformation intensity and loss of ecosystem functions. The main factors found to be related to increasing transformation intensity were declining root vitality and root sulfur, nitrogen, carbon, manganese concentrations and increasing root aluminium and iron concentrations as well as increasing spore densities of arbuscular mycorrhizas. Mycorrhizal abundance was high for arbuscular and low for ectomycorrhizas and unrelated to changes in RCWTs. The decline in RCWTs showed significant correlations with soil nitrogen, soil pH and litter carbon. Thus, our study uncovered a relationship between deteriorating root community traits and loss of ecosystem functionality and showed that increasing transformation intensity resulted in decreasing root nutrition and health. Based on these results we suggest that land management that improves root vitality may enhance the ecological functions of intense tropical production systems.

[Relationships between soil moisture and needle-fall in Masson pine forests in acid rain region of Chongqing, Southwest China].

PubMed

Wang, Yi-Hao; Wang, Yan-Hui; Li, Zhen-Hua; Yu, Peng-Tao; Xiong, Wei; Hao, Jia; Duan, Jian

2012-10-01

From March 2009 to November 2011, an investigation was conducted on the spatiotemporal variation of soil moisture and its effects on the needle-fall in Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) forests in acid rain region of Chongqing, Southeast China, with the corresponding soil moisture thresholds determined. No matter the annual precipitation was abundant, normal or less than average, the seasonal variation of soil moisture in the forests could be obviously divided into four periods, i.e., sufficient (before May), descending (from June to July), drought (from August to September), and recovering (from October to November). With increasing soil depth, the soil moisture content increased after an initial decrease, but the difference of the soil moisture content among different soil layers decreased with decreasing annual precipitation. The amount of monthly needle-fall in the forests in growth season was significantly correlated with the water storage in root zone (0-60 cm soil layer), especially in the main root zone (20-50 cm soil layer). Soil field capacity (or capillary porosity) and 82% of field capacity (or 80% of capillary porosity) were the main soil moisture thresholds affecting the litter-fall. It was suggested that in acid rain region, Masson pine forest was easily to suffer from water deficit stress, especially in dry-summer period. The water deficit stress, together with already existed acid rain stress, would further threaten the health of the Masson forest.

Methods for measuring bird-mediated seed rain: Insights from a Hawaiian mesic forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, Eli; Stewart, Meredith; Brinkman, Andrew; Paxton, Eben H.; Yelenik, Stephanie G.

2017-01-01

Amount and diversity of bird-dispersed seed rain play important roles in determining forest composition, yet neither is easy to quantify. The complex ecological processes that influence seed movement make the best approach highly context specific. Although recent advances in seed rain theory emphasize quantifying source-specific seed shadows, many ecological questions can be addressed u sing a less mechanistic approach that requires fewer assumptions. Using seed rain rates from 0.38 m2 hoop traps sampled twice monthly over the course of a year, we show that number of traps required to identify changes in seed rain varies across seed species and forest type. Detecting a 50% increase in amount of seed rain required from 65 to >300 traps, while detecting a 200% increase generally required ≤⃒50 traps. Trap size and ecological context dictate the number of seeds found in each trap, but the coefficient of variation (CV) across traps in a given ecological context can help inform future studies about number of traps needed to detect change. To better understand factors influencing variation around estimates of seed rain, we simulated both clustered and evenly distributed patterns of fecal deposition using three different levels of seed aggregation (number of seeds in each fecal deposit). When patterns of fecal deposition were clustered, rather than evenly dispersed across the study area, they required >1.5 times the number of traps to identify a 100% increase in seed rain. Similarly, we found that low seed aggregation required >1.5 times the number of traps to detect a 100% change than when aggregation was medium or high. At low aggregations, fewer seed rain traps contained seeds (low, 33 ± 5%; medium, 23 ± 4%; high, 24 ± 5%), resulting in more variation across traps than medium and high aggregations. We also illustrate the importance of training observers to discern between morphologically similar seeds from different species and provide resources to help identify bird-dispersed seeds commonly found within midelevation mesic Hawaiian forests.

Deforestation, fire susceptibility, and potential tree responses to fire in the eastern Amazon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uhl, C.; Kauffman, J.B.

1990-04-01

In the state of Para, Brazil, in the eastern Amazon, the authors studied the potential for sustained fire events within four dominant vegetation cover types (undisturbed rain forest, selectively logged forest, second-growth forest, and open pasture), by measuring fuel availability, microclimate, and rates of fuel moisture loss. They also estimated the potential tree mortality that might result from a wide-scale Amazon forest fire by measuring the thermal properties of bark for all trees in a 5-ha stand of mature forest, followed by measurements of heat flux through bark during simulated fires. In pastures the average midday temperature was almost 10{degree}Cmore » greater and the average midday relative humidity was 30% lower than in primary forest. The most five-prone ecosystem was the open pasture followed by selectively logged forest, second growth forest, and undisturbed rain forest in which sustained combustion was not possible even after prolonged rainless periods. Even though the autogenic factors in primary forest of the eastern Amazon create a microclimate that virtually eliminates the probability of fire, they are currently a common event in disturbed areas of Amazonia. As many as 8 {times} 10{sup 6} ha burned in the Amazon Basin of Brazil in 1987 alone. In terms of current land-use patterns, altered microclimates, and fuel mass, there are also striking similarities between the eastern Amazon and East Kalimantan, Indonesia (the site of recent rain forest wildfires that burned 3.5 {times} 10{sup 6} ha).« less

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the tree seedlings of two Australian rain forests: occurrence, colonization, and relationships with plant performance.

PubMed

Gehring, Catherine A; Connell, Joseph H

2006-03-01

The roots of rain forest plants are frequently colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that can promote plant growth in the nutrient poor soils characteristic of these forests. However, recent studies suggest that both the occurrence of AMF on rain forest plants and the dependence of rain forest plants on AMF can be highly variable. We examined the occurrence and levels of AMF colonization of some common seedling species in a tropical and a subtropical rain forest site in Queensland, Australia. We also used a long-term database to compare the growth and mortality rates of seedling species that rarely formed AMF with those that regularly formed AMF. In both forests, more than one-third of the seedling species rarely formed AMF associations, while 40% of species consistently formed AMF in the tropical site compared to 27% in the subtropical site. Consistent patterns of AMF occurrence were observed among plant families at the two sites. Variation among seedling species in AMF occurrence or colonization was not associated with differences in seed mass among species, variation in seedling size and putative age within a species, or lack of AMF inoculum in the soil. Comparisons of four seedling species growing both in the shaded understory and in small canopy gaps revealed an increase in AMF colonization in two of the four species in gaps, suggesting that light limitation partially explains the low occurrence of AMF. Seedling survival was significantly positively associated with seed biomass but not with AMF colonization. Furthermore, seedling species that regularly formed AMF and those that did not had similar rates of growth and survival, suggesting that mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal strategies were equivalent in these forests. Furthermore, the high numbers of seedlings that lacked AMF and the overall low rate of seedling growth (the average seedling required 6 years to double its height) suggest that most seedlings did not receive significant indirect benefits from AMF through connection to canopy trees via a common mycorrhizal network.

Spatial and temporal variation in soil CO2 efflux in an old-growth neotropical rain forest, LA Selva, Costa Rica

Treesearch

Luitgard Schwendenmann; Edzo Veldkamp; Tania Brenes; Joseph J. O' Brien; Jens Mackensen

2003-01-01

Our objectives were to quantify and compare soil CO2, efflux of two doininant soil types in an old-growth neotropical rain forest in the Atlantic zone of Costa Rica, and to evaluate the control of environmental Factors on CO2, release. We measured soil CO2 efflux from eight permanent soil chamhers on...

Bananas and Balsa, Quetzals and Quinine: A Rainforest Unit for Science and Language Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pottle, Jean L.

The destruction of rain forests and the impact this has on the earth is an important environmental issue. This book was written to help students learn why it is important to protect those areas of the world. In this activity book, students are introduced to a number of inhabitants of the rain forest. They learn about the diversity of plants and…

Throughfall in a Puerto Rican lower montane rain forest: A comparison of sampling strategies

Treesearch

F. Holwerda; F.N. Scatena; L.A. Bruijnzeel

2006-01-01

During a one-year period, the variability of throughfall and the standard errors of the means associated with different gauge arrangements were studied in a lower montane rain forest in Puerto Rico. The following gauge arrangements were used: (1) 60 fixed gauges, (2) 30 fixed gauges, and (3) 30 roving gauges. Stemflow was measured on 22 trees of four different species...

Geodetic imaging: A new tool for Mesoamerican archaeology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, William E.; Shrestha, Ramesh L.; Fisher, Christopher; Leisz, Stephen

2012-10-01

On 15 May 2012, Honduran President Porfirio Lobo convened a press conference to announce that researchers mapping areas of the Mosquitia region of Honduras, using airborne light detection and ranging (lidar), had discovered what appeared to be an extensive complex of archaeological ruins hidden beneath the dense canopy of rain forest that shrouds the terrain [UTL Scientific, LLC, 2012]. President Lobo released preliminary images of the ruins derived from the airborne lidar observations (Figure 1a) but withheld information about their precise location so that measures could be taken to protect and preserve this newly discovered cultural heritage. The coordinates of the ruins, determined from the lidar observations with an accuracy of a few decimeters, will enable archaeological teams to use the Global Positioning System to navigate through the dense forest directly to features of interest.

Can salvage logging affect seed dispersal by birds into burned forests?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rost, J.; Pons, P.; Bas, J. M.

2009-09-01

The recovery of vegetation in Mediterranean ecosystems after wildfire is mostly a result of direct regeneration, since the same species existing before the fire regenerate on-site by seeding or resprouting. However, the possibility of plant colonization by dispersal of seeds from unburned areas remains poorly studied. We addressed the role of the frugivorous, bird-dependent seed dispersal (seed rain) of fleshy-fruited plants in a burned and managed forest in the second winter after a fire, before on-site fruit production had begun. We also assessed the effect on seed rain of different microhabitats resulting from salvage logging (erosion barriers, standing snags, open areas), as well as the microhabitats of unlogged patches and an unburned control forest, taking account of the importance of perches as seed rain sites. We found considerable seed rain by birds in the burned area. Seeds, mostly from Olive trees Olea europaea and Evergreen pistaches Pistacia lentiscus, belonged to plants fruiting only in surrounding unburned areas. Seed rain was heterogeneous, and depended on microhabitat, with the highest seed density in the unburned control forest but closely followed by the wood piles of erosion barriers. In contrast, very low densities were found under perches of standing snags. Furthermore, frugivorous bird richness seemed to be higher in the erosion barriers than elsewhere. Our results highlight the importance of this specific post-fire management in bird-dependent seed rain and also may suggest a consequent heterogeneous distribution of fleshy-fruited plants in burned and managed areas. However, there needs to be more study of the establishment success of dispersed seeds before an accurate assessment can be made of the role of bird-mediated seed dispersal in post-fire regeneration.

Biomass burning in the Amazon-fertilizer for the mountaineous rain forest in Ecuador.

PubMed

Fabian, Peter; Kohlpaintner, Michael; Rollenbeck, Ruetger

2005-09-01

Biomass burning is a source of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen compounds which, along with their photochemically generated reaction products, can be transported over very long distances, even traversing oceans. Chemical analyses of rain and fogwater samples collected in the mountaineous rain forest of south Ecuador show frequent episodes of high sulfate and nitrate concentration, from which annual deposition rates are derived comparable to those found in polluted central Europe. As significant anthropogenic sources are lacking at the research site it is suspected that biomass burning upwind in the Amazon basin is the major source of the enhanced sulfate and nitrate imput. Regular rain and fogwater sampling along an altitude profile between 1800 and 3185 m has been carried out in the Podocarpus National Park close to the Rio SanFrancisco (3 degrees 58'S, 79 degrees 5'W) in southern Ecuador. pH values, electrical conductivity and chemical ion composition were measured at the TUM-WZW using standard methods. Results reported cover over one year from March 2002 until May 2003. Annual deposition rates of sulfate were calculated ranging between 4 and 13 kg S/ha year, almost as high as in polluted central Europe. Nitrogen deposition via ammonia (1.5-4.4 kg N/ha year) and nitrate (0.5-0.8 kg N/ha year) was found to be lower but still much higher than to be expected in such pristine natural forest environment. By means of back trajectory analyses it can be shown that most of the enhanced sulfur and nitrogen deposition is most likely due to forest fires far upwind of the ecuadorian sampling site, showing a seasonal variation, with sources predominantly found in the East/North East during January-March (Colombia, Venezuala, Northern Brazil) and East/SouthEast during July-September (Peru, Brazil). Our results show that biomass burning in the Amazon basin is the predominant source of sulfur and nitrogen compounds that fertilize the mountaineous rain forest in south Ecuador. The mountaineous rain forest in south Ecuador has developed on poor and acid soils, with low nutrient availability. The additional ferilization resulting from anthropogenic biomass burning constitutes a significant disturbance of this ecosystem, its functioning and biodiversity. Thus it is planned to employ isotope analyses for quantifying the pathways. of nitrate and sulfate deposition in these natural forests.

Scientific approach as an understanding and applications of hydrological concepts of tropical rainforest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haryanto, Z.; Setyasih, I.

2018-04-01

East Kalimantan has a variety of biomes, one of which is tropical rain forests. Tropical rain forests have enormous hydrological potential, so it is necessary to provide understanding to prospective teachers. Hydrology material cannot be separated from the concept of science, for it is needed the right way of learning so students easily understand the material. This research uses descriptive method with research subject is geography education students taking hydrology course at Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Mulawarman University. The results showed that the students were able to observe, ask question, collect data, give reason, and communicate the hydrological conditions of tropical rain forest biomes, especially related to surface ground water and groundwater conditions. Tropical rainforests are very influenced by the hydrological conditions of the region and the availability of water is affected by the forest area as a catchment area. Therefore, the tropical rainforest must be maintained in condition and its duration, so that there is no water crisis and hydrological related disasters.

Carbon and water fluxes above a cacao plantation in Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falk, U.; Ibrom, A.

2003-04-01

The investigation of interactions between biosphere and atmosphere of the major land use types of the tropical rain forest margin area in South East Asia and quantification of the impact that land use change from undisturbed primary rain forest to pasture has on these interactions is task of subprogramme B1 within the DFG-funded project STORMA (Stability of Rain Forest Margins). In order to fulfill the projects tasks the different major land use types have to be investigated and each ecosystem characterized one by one and compared to a reference site in an undisturbed primary rain forest, to see the changes in the atmosphere-biospheric interactions, i. e. in water and carbon household, with land use change and thus the impact on regional climate. One of the major land use types in the valleys around the Lore Lindu National Park on Sulawesi are Cacao plantations, Theobroma cacao. A site in the Palolo valley near the village Nopu was chosen as research site since the area there is covered with small Cacao fields which form to one big area of Cacao and matches the requirements of the applied research approach. Since Cacao trees need to be shaded especially when younger, shadow trees had been planted and trees of the former forest had been left standing to serve as wind breaks and sun shades. The plantations in Nopu, Palolo valley, consist not only of fields of cultivated Cacao, but also serve as environment and home to the farmers and their families. The whole area of Cacao plantation is interspersed with wooden farm houses, which are also sources of carbon dioxide due to cooking or small power plants etc. and thus have to be taken into account when looking at the carbon household of this specific ecosystem. An estimation of the components of the carbon and water household and the contribution of the humans living within this environment to the carbon household of Cacao plantations of this ecosystem is subject of this presentation. From December 2001 until April 2002 and June 2002 until now eddy-covariance measurements have been performed above a Cacao plantation in Nopu measuring time series of water vapour, CO2, air temperature, three-dimensional wind vector, photosyntetic active radiation and the surface temperature of the Cacao canopy at 10 Hz. Additionally, net radiation balance and soil heat fluxes have been measured. In order to assess the carbon input caused by the humans living in the ecosystem, a mapping of the site area has been carried out, including investigations of consumption of fire wood and use of machines, like generators for example. In order to obtain the energy balance equation of the canopy surface, also the radiation balance and the heat flux into the canopy have to be evaluated.

Contributions of acid rain research to the forest science-policy interface: learning from the national acid precipitation assessment program.

Treesearch

Charles E. Peterson; David S. Shriner

2004-01-01

During the 1970s, there was growing concern by scientists, policy officials and the general public in the USA over the possible effects of acid rain on human health and the environment (crops, forests, water, etc.). The lack of science-based information needed for policy and regulatory decisions led Congress to create an interagency task force in 1980 called the...

Valuing a Global Environmental Good: U.S. Residents' Willingness to Pay to Protect Tropical Rain Forests

Treesearch

Randall A. Kramer; D. Evan Mercer

1997-01-01

(CV) is the most common technique for valuing nonmarket environmental resources, rarely has it been applied to global environmental goods. This study uses CV in a national survey to assess the value U.S. residents place on tropical rain forest protection. On average, respondents were willing to make a one-time payment of approximately $21-31 per household to protect an...

Vulnerability to xylem embolism as a major correlate of the environmental distribution of rain forest species on a tropical island.

PubMed

Trueba, Santiago; Pouteau, Robin; Lens, Frederic; Feild, Taylor S; Isnard, Sandrine; Olson, Mark E; Delzon, Sylvain

2017-02-01

Increases in drought-induced tree mortality are being observed in tropical rain forests worldwide and are also likely to affect the geographical distribution of tropical vegetation. However, the mechanisms underlying the drought vulnerability and environmental distribution of tropical species have been little studied. We measured vulnerability to xylem embolism (P 50 ) of 13 woody species endemic to New Caledonia and with different xylem conduit morphologies. We examined the relation between P 50 , along with other leaf and xylem functional traits, and a range of habitat variables. Selected species had P 50 values ranging between -4.03 and -2.00 MPa with most species falling in a narrow range of resistance to embolism above -2.7 MPa. Embolism vulnerability was significantly correlated with elevation, mean annual temperature and percentage of species occurrences located in rain forest habitats. Xylem conduit type did not explain variation in P 50 . Commonly used functional traits such as wood density and leaf traits were not related to embolism vulnerability. Xylem embolism vulnerability stands out among other commonly used functional traits as a major driver of species environmental distribution. Drought-induced xylem embolism vulnerability behaves as a physiological trait closely associated with the habitat occupation of rain forest woody species. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modern pollen-rain characteristics of tall terra firme moist evergreen forest, southern Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosling, William D.; Mayle, Francis E.; Tate, Nicholas J.; Killeen, Timothy J.

2005-11-01

The paucity of modern pollen-rain data from Amazonia constitutes a significant barrier to understanding the Late Quaternary vegetation history of this globally important tropical forest region. Here, we present the first modern pollen-rain data for tall terra firme moist evergreen Amazon forest, collected between 1999 and 2001 from artificial pollen traps within a 500 × 20 m permanent study plot (14°34'50″S, 60°49'48″W) in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (NE Bolivia). Spearman's rank correlations were performed to assess the extent of spatial and inter-annual variability in the pollen rain, whilst statistically distinctive taxa were identified using Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Comparisons with the floristic and basal area data of the plot (stems ≥10 cm d.b.h.) enabled the degree to which taxa are over/under-represented in the pollen rain to be assessed (using R-rel values). Moraceae/Urticaceae dominates the pollen rain (64% median abundance) and is also an important constituent of the vegetation, accounting for 16% of stems ≥10 cm d.b.h. and ca. 11% of the total basal area. Other important pollen taxa are Arecaceae (cf. Euterpe), Melastomataceae/Combretaceae, Cecropia, Didymopanax, Celtis, and Alchornea. However, 75% of stems and 67% of the total basal area of the plot ≥10 cm d.b.h. belong to species which are unidentified in the pollen rain, the most important of which are Phenakospermum guianensis (a banana-like herb) and the key canopy-emergent trees, Erisma uncinatum and Qualea paraensis.

ACID RAIN AND SOIL MICROBIAL ACTIVITY: EFFECTS AND THEIR MECHANISMS

EPA Science Inventory

In the investigation, our aim was to determine if acid rain affects soil microbial activity and to identify possible mechanisms of observed effects. A Sierran forest soil (pH 6.4) planted with Ponderosa pine seedlings was exposed to simulated rain (pH 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.6) with ...

A Student Guide to Tropical Forest Conservation

Treesearch

J. Louise Mastrantonio; John K. Francis

1997-01-01

Tropical forests, which circle the globe, are surprisingly diverse, ranging from rain forests to savannas. Tropical forests are disappearing at an alarming rate as they are converted to farmland and other uses. Modern forest management practices can help stem the tide by providing income and valuable products while maintaining forest cover. Puerto Rico has already gone...

[Valuation of forest damage cost from SO2 emission: a case study in Hunan Province].

PubMed

Hao, Jiming; Li, Ji; Duan, Lei; He, Kebin; Dai, Wennan

2002-11-01

Large amount SO2 emission caused serious damage of forest ecosystem in China and calculation of the damage cost is an important issue for policy-making. However, no applicable method was developed to estimate forest damage under different SO2 emission scenarios. Basing on previous field researches on sulfur-related forest impact in China and recent critical load mapping research, this paper presented a model for forest damage calculation by developing a dose-response function that related the damage to cumulative sulfur critical loads. This model was applied to the forests in Hunan, a province in acid rain control zone in China. Results showed that in the business-as-usual case, SO2 emission in Hunan will increase by 120% from 1995 (8.82 mil. ton) to 2020 (19.56 mil. ton), but damage cost will increase by 4.3 times, reaching 6.19 billion RMB in 2020. Results also showed the measures for SO2 control were cost-effective because the marginal damage cost will be about 6000 RMB per ton SO2 in 2020 in BAU case. At current SO2 emission level, marginal benefit will be about 1500 RMB per ton. Uncertainty analysis demonstrated that this model provides reasonable damage estimates and would therefore be applicable in a broad range of policy settings.

Tropical savannas and dry forests.

PubMed

Pennington, R Toby; Lehmann, Caroline E R; Rowland, Lucy M

2018-05-07

In the tropics, research, conservation and public attention focus on rain forests, but this neglects that half of the global tropics have a seasonally dry climate. These regions are home to dry forests and savannas (Figures 1 and 2), and are the focus of this Primer. The attention given to rain forests is understandable. Their high species diversity, sheer stature and luxuriance thrill biologists today as much as they did the first explorers in the Age of Discovery. Although dry forest and savanna may make less of a first impression, they support a fascinating diversity of plant strategies to cope with stress and disturbance including fire, drought and herbivory. Savannas played a fundamental role in human evolution, and across Africa and India they support iconic megafauna. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 48494 - Hiawatha East Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-14

...: Janel Crooks, RAC Coordinator, USDA, Hiawatha National Forest, 820 Rains Drive, Gladstone, Michigan...; attn RAC; 820 Rains Drive, Gladstone, MI 49837, or by email to [email protected] or via facsimile to...

[Species composition and diversity of soil mesofauna in the 'Holy Hills' fragmentary tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna, China].

PubMed

Yang, X; Sha, L

2001-04-01

The species composition and diversity of soil mesofauna were examined in fragmented dry tropical seasonal rainforest of tow 'Holy Hills' of Dai nationality, compared with the continuous moist tropical seasonal rain forest of Nature Reserve in Xishuangbanna area. 5 sample quadrats were selected along the diagonal of 20 m x 20 m sampling plot, and the samples of litterfall and 0-3 cm soil were collected from each 50 cm x 10 cm sample quadrat. Animals in soil sample were collected by using dry-funnel(Tullgren's), were identified to their groups according to the order. The H' index, D.G index and the pattern of relative abundance of species were used to compare the diversity of soil mesofauna. The results showed that the disturbance of vegetation and soil resulted by tropical rainforest fragmentation was the major factor affecting the diversity of soil mesofauna. Because the fragmented forest was intruded by some pioneer tree species and the "dry and warm" effect operated, this forest had more litterfall on the floor and more humus in the soil than the continuous moist rain forest. The soil condition with more soil organic matter, total N and P, higher pH value and lower soil bulk density became more favorable to the soil mesofauna. Therefore, the species richness, abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna in fragmented forests were higher than those in continuous forest, but the similarity of species composition in fragmented forest to the continuous forest was minimal. Soil mesofauna diversity in fragmented forests did not change with decreasing fragmented area, indicating that there was no species-area effect operation in this forest. The pattern of relative abundance of species in these forest soils was logarithmic series distribution.

Trace gas and aerosol transports into and out of the Amazon Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garstang, Michael; Greco, Steven

1991-01-01

Overviews of the wet season Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment (ABLE IIB) are presented which give the context of the wet season experiment and some of the results. Copies of all reprints and manuscripts published or accepted for publication are attached. A complete list of all papers published in the reviewed literature, papers presented as well as published as part of conference preceedings, and articles published in the news media are listed in the appendices. Two scales of interaction of the rain forest were pursued in this work: (1) global interactions; and (2) local and regional interactions. Under the first scale, the role of the rain forest in the global system was the central thrust of the work. Under the second scale, the role of the rain forest on the basin and smaller scales was emphasized. The appendices also provide a summary of future work and a listing of degrees awarded during this report period.

Convergent structural responses of tropical forests to diverse disturbance regimes.

PubMed

Kellner, James R; Asner, Gregory P

2009-09-01

Size frequency distributions of canopy gaps are a hallmark of forest dynamics. But it remains unknown whether legacies of forest disturbance are influencing vertical size structure of landscapes, or space-filling in the canopy volume. We used data from LiDAR remote sensing to quantify distributions of canopy height and sizes of 434,501 canopy gaps in five tropical rain forest landscapes in Costa Rica and Hawaii. The sites represented a wide range of variation in structure and natural disturbance history, from canopy gap dynamics in lowland Costa Rica and Hawaii, to stages and types of stand-level dieback on upland Mauna Kea and Kohala volcanoes. Large differences in vertical canopy structure characterized these five tropical rain forest landscapes, some of which were related to known disturbance events. Although there were quantitative differences in the values of scaling exponents within and among sites, size frequency distributions of canopy gaps followed power laws at all sites and in all canopy height classes. Scaling relationships in gap size at different heights in the canopy were qualitatively similar at all sites, revealing a remarkable similarity despite clearly defined differences in species composition and modes of prevailing disturbance. These findings indicate that power-law gap-size frequency distributions are ubiquitous features of these five tropical rain forest landscapes, and suggest that mechanisms of forest disturbance may be secondary to other processes in determining vertical and horizontal size structure in canopies.

Long-term measurement of terpenoid flux above a Larix kaempferi forest using a relaxed eddy accumulation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochizuki, Tomoki; Tani, Akira; Takahashi, Yoshiyuki; Saigusa, Nobuko; Ueyama, Masahito

2014-02-01

Terpenoids emitted from forests contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosols and affect the carbon budgets of forest ecosystems. To investigate seasonal variation in terpenoid flux involved in the aerosol formation and carbon budget, we measured the terpenoid flux of a Larix kaempferi forest between May 2011 and May 2012 by using a relaxed eddy accumulation method. Isoprene was emitted from a fern plant species Dryopteris crassirhizoma on the forest floor and monoterpenes from the L. kaempferi. α-Pinene was the dominant compound, but seasonal variation of the monoterpene composition was observed. High isoprene and monoterpene fluxes were observed in July and August. The total monoterpene flux was dependent on temperature, but several unusual high positive fluxes were observed after rain fall events. We found a good correlation between total monoterpene flux and volumetric soil water content (r = 0.88), and used this correlation to estimate monoterpene flux after rain events and calculate annual terpenoid emissions. Annual carbon emission in the form of total monoterpenes plus isoprene was determined to be 0.93% of the net ecosystem exchange. If we do not consider the effect of rain fall, carbon emissions may be underestimated by about 50%. Our results suggest that moisture conditions in the forest soil is a key factor controlling the monoterpene emissions from the forest ecosystem.

Spatial contagiousness of canopy disturbance in tropical rain forest: an individual-tree-based test.

PubMed

Jansen, Patrick A; van der Meer, Peter J; Bongers, Frans

2008-12-01

Spatial contagiousness of canopy dynamics-the tendency of canopy disturbances to occur nearby existing canopy openings due to an elevated risk of tree fall around gaps-has been demonstrated in many temperate-zone forests, but only inferentially for tropical forests. Hypothesized mechanisms increasing the risk of tree fall around tropical forest gaps are (1) increased tree exposure to wind around gaps, (2) reduced stability of trees alongside gaps due to crown asymmetry, or (3) reduced tree health around gaps due to damage from prior disturbances. One hypothesized consequence of elevated disturbance levels around gaps would be that gap-edge zones offer relatively favorable prospects for seedling recruitment, growth, and survival. We tested whether disturbance levels are indeed elevated around natural canopy gaps in a neotropical rain forest in French Guiana, and more so as gaps are larger. We followed the fate of 5660 trees >10 cm stem diameter over five years across 12 ha of old-growth forest and analyzed the risk and magnitude of canopy disturbance events in relation to tree diameter and the proximity and size of natural canopy gaps. We found that the cumulative incidence of disturbance over the five-year survey was not significantly elevated around preexisting gaps, and only weakly related to gap size. Also, neither the risk nor the magnitude of canopy disturbances increased significantly with the proximity of gaps. Moreover, canopy disturbance risk around gaps was independent of gap size, while the magnitude of disturbance events around gaps was weakly related to gap size. Tree size was the major driver of disturbance risk as well as magnitude. We did find an elevated incidence of disturbance inside preexisting gaps, but this "repeat disturbance" was due to an elevated disturbance risk inside gaps, not around gaps. Overall, we found no strong evidence for canopy dynamics in this rain forest being spatially contagious. Our findings are consistent with the traditional view of tropical rain forests as mosaics of patches with predictable regeneration cycles.

Dispersal of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in a Hawaiian rain forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lapointe, D.A.

2008-01-01

Introduced mosquito-borne pathogens avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum Grassi and Feletti) and avian pox virus (Avipoxvirus) have been implicated in the past extinctions and declines of Hawaiian avifauna and remain significant obstacles to the recovery and restoration of endemic Hawaiian birds. Effective management of avian disease will require extensive mosquito control efforts that are guided by the local ecology of the vector Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae). During October and November 1997 and September through November 1998 five mark-release-recapture experiments with laboratory-reared Cx. quinquefasciatus were conducted in a native rain forest on Hawaii Island. Of the overall 66,047 fluorescent dye-marked and released females, 1,192 (1.8%) were recaptured in 43-52 CO2-baited traps operated for 10-12-d trapping periods. Recaptured mosquitoes were trapped in all directions and at distances up to 3 km from the release site. The cumulative mean distance traveled (MDTs) over the trapping period ranged from a high of 1.89 km after 11 d (September 1998) to a low of 0.81 km after 11 d (November 1998). Released mosquitoes moved predominately in a downwind direction and they seemed to use forestry roads as dispersal corridors. Applying an estimated MDT of 1.6 km to a geographical information system-generated map of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge clearly demonstrated that the effective refuge area could be reduced 60% by mosquitoes infiltrating into managed refuge lands. These findings should have significant implications for the design of future refuges and development of effective mosquito-borne avian disease control strategies.

Colossal carbon! Disturbance and biomass dynamics in Alaska's national forests

Treesearch

John Kirkland; Tara Barrett

2016-01-01

The Chugach and Tongass National Forests are changing, possibly in response to global warming. Forested areas within Alaska's temperate rain forests are creeping into areas that were previously too cold or too wet. These forests are also becoming denser. As biomass increases, the amount of carbon stored in the forest also increases. Tara Barrett, a...

An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NatureScope, 1989

1989-01-01

Focuses on the characteristics of tropical rain forests, where they grow, and some of the misconceptions about them. Includes six activities on: figuring out forests, jungle journey, tropical trivia trek, forest comparisons, and lost in the jungle. Five copyable sheets are provided. (RT)

Guatemalan forest synthesis after Pleistocene aridity

PubMed Central

Leyden, Barbara W.

1984-01-01

Sediments from two lakes in the Peten Department, Guatemala, provide palynological evidence from Central America of late Pleistocene aridity and subsequent synthesis of mesic forests. Late Glacial vegetation consisted of marsh, savanna, and juniper scrub. An early Holocene temperate forest preceded a mesic tropical forest with Brosimum (ramon). Thus “primeval” rain forests of Guatemala are no older than 10,000 to 11,000 years and are considerably younger in the Peten due to Mayan disturbances. Among dated Neotropical sites, the Peten has the most mesic vegetation yet shown to have supplanted xeric vegetation present during the Pleistocene. The arid late Glacial-humid early Holocene transition appears to have been pantropical in the lowlands. The Peten was not a Pleistocene refugium for mesophytic taxa, as has been suggested. Thus genesis of extant rain forests in northern Central America and southern Mexico remains unexplained. Images PMID:16593498

[Soil seed bank research in China: present status, progress and challenges].

PubMed

Shen, You-Xin; Zhao, Chun-Yan

2009-02-01

By searching soil seed bank (SSB) papers from http://www.cqvip.com (1989-2006) and Web of Science (1985-2006), the information on SSB density, species richness, and research methods were summarized according to the 29 classified vegetation types in Vegetation of China. In total, the data of 238 sites with 14 vegetation types were collected. The results showed that the research methods adopted by different researchers and the obtained data of SSB density and species richness varied greatly. In related researches, sampling work was mostly conducted in April and October, sampling plot number ranged from 2 to 480, plot area ranged from 78 cm2 to 10,000 cm2, with 10 cm x 10 cm and 20 cm x 20 cm as most common, and total sampling area ranged from 600 cm2 to 500,000 cm2, with the most being 1,000-10,000 cm2. SSB density varied from 8 ind x m(-2) (desert) to 65,355 ind x m(-2) (tropical rain forest), and species richness varied from 1 (secondary bare alkali-saline patch in temperate) to 74 (tropical seasonal rain forest) per site. SSB density and species richness were higher in tropical rain forest and seasonal rain forest than in temperate coniferous forest, and in manmade forest than in agricultural land or barren land. Grassland, desert, and meadow had smaller species richness. In future, the SSB research should be extended both in scope and in deepness, with the focus on the long term research and strategy research of some important ecosystems, and the research should be incorporated into vegetation regeneration and restoration studies. The related methodological research should be also emphasized in the future.

Data-driven clustering of rain events: microphysics information derived from macro-scale observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djallel Dilmi, Mohamed; Mallet, Cécile; Barthes, Laurent; Chazottes, Aymeric

2017-04-01

Rain time series records are generally studied using rainfall rate or accumulation parameters, which are estimated for a fixed duration (typically 1 min, 1 h or 1 day). In this study we use the concept of rain events. The aim of the first part of this paper is to establish a parsimonious characterization of rain events, using a minimal set of variables selected among those normally used for the characterization of these events. A methodology is proposed, based on the combined use of a genetic algorithm (GA) and self-organizing maps (SOMs). It can be advantageous to use an SOM, since it allows a high-dimensional data space to be mapped onto a two-dimensional space while preserving, in an unsupervised manner, most of the information contained in the initial space topology. The 2-D maps obtained in this way allow the relationships between variables to be determined and redundant variables to be removed, thus leading to a minimal subset of variables. We verify that such 2-D maps make it possible to determine the characteristics of all events, on the basis of only five features (the event duration, the peak rain rate, the rain event depth, the standard deviation of the rain rate event and the absolute rain rate variation of the order of 0.5). From this minimal subset of variables, hierarchical cluster analyses were carried out. We show that clustering into two classes allows the conventional convective and stratiform classes to be determined, whereas classification into five classes allows this convective-stratiform classification to be further refined. Finally, our study made it possible to reveal the presence of some specific relationships between these five classes and the microphysics of their associated rain events.

Maybeso Experimental Forest.

Treesearch

Valerie Rapp

2004-01-01

The Maybeso Experimental Forest is in southeast Alaska within the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States and home to the Northern Hemi-sphere's largest temperate rain forest. Located about 42 miles west of Ketchikan, Alaska, it is on Prince of Wales Island, the largest island of the Alexander Archipelago and the third largest...

Caribbean dry forest networking: an opportunity for conservation

Treesearch

K. Banda-Rodriguez; J. Weintritt; R.T. Pennington

2016-01-01

Seasonally dry tropical forest is the most threatened tropical forest in the world. Though its overall plant species diversity is lower than in neighboring biomes such as rain forest, species endemism can be high, and its conservation has often been neglected. Caribbean dry forests face diverse threats including tourism, agriculture, and climate change. The Latin...

From the Guiana Highlands to the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest: four new species of Selaginella (Selaginellaceae – Lycopodiophyta: S. agioneuma, S. magnafornensis, S. ventricosa, and S. zartmanii)

PubMed Central

López, Christian A.; Sierra, Adriel M.; Ceballos, Jorge

2018-01-01

We describe four new species in the genus Selaginella (i.e., S. agioneuma, S. magnafornensis, S. ventricosa, and S. zartmanii) from Brazil, all presently classified in subg. Stachygynandrum. For each of the new taxa we discuss taxonomic affinities and provide information on habitat, distribution, and conservation status. In addition, line drawings and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of stems sections, leaves, and spores (when present) are included. Selaginella agioneuma and S. magnafornensis are from the State of Espíritu Santo where they inhabit premontane to montane Atlantic rain forests in the Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi and Parque Estadual Forno Grande, respectively. Selaginella ventricosa was collected in upper montane forests at Parque Nacional Serra da Mocidade, State of Roraima and S. zartmanii in premontane Amazon rain forests on upper Rio Negro at Mpio. São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas State in both Serra Curicuriari and the Morro dos Seis Lagos Biological Reserve. PMID:29770272

Amazon plant diversity revealed by a taxonomically verified species list.

PubMed

Cardoso, Domingos; Särkinen, Tiina; Alexander, Sara; Amorim, André M; Bittrich, Volker; Celis, Marcela; Daly, Douglas C; Fiaschi, Pedro; Funk, Vicki A; Giacomin, Leandro L; Goldenberg, Renato; Heiden, Gustavo; Iganci, João; Kelloff, Carol L; Knapp, Sandra; Cavalcante de Lima, Haroldo; Machado, Anderson F P; Dos Santos, Rubens Manoel; Mello-Silva, Renato; Michelangeli, Fabián A; Mitchell, John; Moonlight, Peter; de Moraes, Pedro Luís Rodrigues; Mori, Scott A; Nunes, Teonildes Sacramento; Pennington, Terry D; Pirani, José Rubens; Prance, Ghillean T; de Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci; Rapini, Alessandro; Riina, Ricarda; Rincon, Carlos Alberto Vargas; Roque, Nádia; Shimizu, Gustavo; Sobral, Marcos; Stehmann, João Renato; Stevens, Warren D; Taylor, Charlotte M; Trovó, Marcelo; van den Berg, Cássio; van der Werff, Henk; Viana, Pedro Lage; Zartman, Charles E; Forzza, Rafaela Campostrini

2017-10-03

Recent debates on the number of plant species in the vast lowland rain forests of the Amazon have been based largely on model estimates, neglecting published checklists based on verified voucher data. Here we collate taxonomically verified checklists to present a list of seed plant species from lowland Amazon rain forests. Our list comprises 14,003 species, of which 6,727 are trees. These figures are similar to estimates derived from nonparametric ecological models, but they contrast strongly with predictions of much higher tree diversity derived from parametric models. Based on the known proportion of tree species in neotropical lowland rain forest communities as measured in complete plot censuses, and on overall estimates of seed plant diversity in Brazil and in the neotropics in general, it is more likely that tree diversity in the Amazon is closer to the lower estimates derived from nonparametric models. Much remains unknown about Amazonian plant diversity, but this taxonomically verified dataset provides a valid starting point for macroecological and evolutionary studies aimed at understanding the origin, evolution, and ecology of the exceptional biodiversity of Amazonian forests.

Amazon plant diversity revealed by a taxonomically verified species list

PubMed Central

Cardoso, Domingos; Särkinen, Tiina; Alexander, Sara; Amorim, André M.; Bittrich, Volker; Celis, Marcela; Daly, Douglas C.; Fiaschi, Pedro; Funk, Vicki A.; Giacomin, Leandro L.; Heiden, Gustavo; Iganci, João; Kelloff, Carol L.; Knapp, Sandra; Cavalcante de Lima, Haroldo; Machado, Anderson F. P.; dos Santos, Rubens Manoel; Mello-Silva, Renato; Michelangeli, Fabián A.; Mitchell, John; Moonlight, Peter; de Moraes, Pedro Luís Rodrigues; Mori, Scott A.; Nunes, Teonildes Sacramento; Pennington, Terry D.; Pirani, José Rubens; Prance, Ghillean T.; de Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci; Rapini, Alessandro; Rincon, Carlos Alberto Vargas; Roque, Nádia; Shimizu, Gustavo; Sobral, Marcos; Stehmann, João Renato; Stevens, Warren D.; Taylor, Charlotte M.; Trovó, Marcelo; van den Berg, Cássio; van der Werff, Henk; Viana, Pedro Lage; Zartman, Charles E.; Forzza, Rafaela Campostrini

2017-01-01

Recent debates on the number of plant species in the vast lowland rain forests of the Amazon have been based largely on model estimates, neglecting published checklists based on verified voucher data. Here we collate taxonomically verified checklists to present a list of seed plant species from lowland Amazon rain forests. Our list comprises 14,003 species, of which 6,727 are trees. These figures are similar to estimates derived from nonparametric ecological models, but they contrast strongly with predictions of much higher tree diversity derived from parametric models. Based on the known proportion of tree species in neotropical lowland rain forest communities as measured in complete plot censuses, and on overall estimates of seed plant diversity in Brazil and in the neotropics in general, it is more likely that tree diversity in the Amazon is closer to the lower estimates derived from nonparametric models. Much remains unknown about Amazonian plant diversity, but this taxonomically verified dataset provides a valid starting point for macroecological and evolutionary studies aimed at understanding the origin, evolution, and ecology of the exceptional biodiversity of Amazonian forests. PMID:28923966

Analysis of Chromobacterium sp. natural isolates from different Brazilian ecosystems

PubMed Central

Lima-Bittencourt, Cláudia I; Astolfi-Filho, Spartaco; Chartone-Souza, Edmar; Santos, Fabrício R; Nascimento, Andréa MA

2007-01-01

Background Chromobacterium violaceum is a free-living bacterium able to survive under diverse environmental conditions. In this study we evaluate the genetic and physiological diversity of Chromobacterium sp. isolates from three Brazilian ecosystems: Brazilian Savannah (Cerrado), Atlantic Rain Forest and Amazon Rain Forest. We have analyzed the diversity with molecular approaches (16S rRNA gene sequences and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis) and phenotypic surveys of antibiotic resistance and biochemistry profiles. Results In general, the clusters based on physiological profiles included isolates from two or more geographical locations indicating that they are not restricted to a single ecosystem. The isolates from Brazilian Savannah presented greater physiologic diversity and their biochemical profile was the most variable of all groupings. The isolates recovered from Amazon and Atlantic Rain Forests presented the most similar biochemical characteristics to the Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 strain. Clusters based on biochemical profiles were congruent with clusters obtained by the 16S rRNA gene tree. According to the phylogenetic analyses, isolates from the Amazon Rain Forest and Savannah displayed a closer relationship to the Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene tree revealed a good correlation between phylogenetic clustering and geographic origin. Conclusion The physiological analyses clearly demonstrate the high biochemical versatility found in the C. violaceum genome and molecular methods allowed to detect the intra and inter-population diversity of isolates from three Brazilian ecosystems. PMID:17584942

Building a Global Network of Hydro-climatology Sites in Cloud-affected Tropical Montane Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, G. W.; Asbjornsen, H.; Bruijnzeel, S., Sr.; Berry, Z. C.; Giambelluca, T. W.; Martin, P.; Mulligan, M.

2015-12-01

Tropical montane forests are characteristically wet environments with low evapotranspiration and sometimes significant contributions from fog interception. They are often located at headwater catchments critical for water supplies, but ecohydroclimate data in these regions are sparse. Such evidence may be crucial for assessing climate alterations in these sensitive ecosystems. As part of a global effort led by the Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Research Coordination Network (Cloudnet - http://cloudnet.agsci.colostate.edu), we aim to extend the network of tropical montane forest sites and establish robust protocols for measuring key ecohydroclimatic parameters, including fog interception, windblown rain, throughfall, leaf wetness, and micrometeorological conditions. Specific recommendations for standardized protocols include (1) rain and fog collectors uniquely designed to separately quantify fog interception from direct rain inputs, even in windy conditions, (2) trough-style throughfall gages that collect 40 times the area of a typical tipping bucket gage with added features to reduce splash-out, (3) clusters of leaf wetness sensors to differentiate frequency and duration of wetness caused by rain and fog on windward and leeward exposures, and (4) basic micrometeorological sensors for solar radiation, temperature, humidity, and wind. At sites where resources allow for additional measurements, we developed protocols for quantifying soil moisture, soil saturation, and plant water uptake from both roots and leaves (i.e. foliar absorption), since these are also important drivers in these systems. Participating sites will be invited to contribute to a global meta-analysis that will provide new insights into the ecohydrology of cloud-affected tropical montane forests.

Estimation of the rain signal in the presence of large surface clutter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahamad, Atiq; Moore, Richard K.

1994-01-01

The principal limitation for the use of a spaceborne imaging SAR as a rain radar is the surface-clutter problem. Signals may be estimated in the presence of noise by averaging large numbers of independent samples. This method was applied to obtain an estimate of the rain echo by averaging a set of N(sub c) samples of the clutter in a separate measurement and subtracting the clutter estimate from the combined estimate. The number of samples required for successful estimation (within 10-20%) for off-vertical angles of incidence appears to be prohibitively large. However, by appropriately degrading the resolution in both range and azimuth, the required number of samples can be obtained. For vertical incidence, the number of samples required for successful estimation is reasonable. In estimating the clutter it was assumed that the surface echo is the same outside the rain volume as it is within the rain volume. This may be true for the forest echo, but for convective storms over the ocean the surface echo outside the rain volume is very different from that within. It is suggested that the experiment be performed with vertical incidence over forest to overcome this limitation.

Airborne and spaceborne radar images for geologic and environmental mapping in the Amazon rain forest, Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurtak, James J.; Ford, John P.

1986-01-01

Spaceborne and airborne radar image of portions of the Middle and Upper Amazon basin in the state of Amazonas and the Territory of Roraima are compared for purposes of geological and environmental mapping. The contrasted illumination geometries and imaging parameters are related to terrain slope and surface roughness characteristics for corresponding areas that were covered by each of the radar imaging systems. Landforms range from deeply dissected mountain and plateau with relief up to 500 m in Roraima, revealing ancient layered rocks through folded residual mountains to deeply beveled pediplain in Amazonas. Geomorphic features provide distinct textural signatures that are characteristic of different rock associations. The principle drainages in the areas covered are the Rio Negro, Rio Branco, and the Rio Japura. Shadowing effects and low radar sensitivity to subtle linear fractures that are aligned parallel or nearly parallel to the direction of radar illumination illustrate the need to obtain multiple coverage with viewing directions about 90 degrees. Perception of standing water and alluvial forest in floodplains varies with incident angle and with season. Multitemporal data sets acquired over periods of years provide an ideal method of monitoring environmental changes.

The role of urban forest to reduce rain acid in urban industrial areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slamet, B.; Agustiarni, Y.; Hidayati; Basyuni, M.

2018-03-01

Urban forest has many functions mainly on improving the quality of the urban environment. One of the functions is to increase pH and reduce dangerous chemical content. The aim of the research is to find out the role of vegetation density of urban forest around the industrial area in reducing the acid rain. The condition of land cover was classified into four classes which are dense, medium, sparse and open area. The water of the throughfall and stemflow was taken from each type of land cover except in the open area. Parameters measured in this study are water acidity (pH), anion content (SO4 2- and NO3 -), cation content (Ca2+, Mg2+, and NH4 +) and electrical conductivity (EC). The results indicated that urban forest vegetation was able to increase the pH of rain water from 5.42 which is in an open area without vegetation to be 7.13 and 7.32 in dense and moderate vegetation cover by throughfall mechanism, respectively. Rain water acidity also decreased through stemflow mechanism with a pH ranged from 5.92 - 6.43. Urban forest vegetation decreased sulfate content (SO42-) from 528.67 mg/l in open area to 44 - 118 mg/l by throughfall mechanism and ranged from 90 to 366.67 mg/l through stemflow mechanism. Urban forest vegetation significantly decreased the rainwater nitrate content from 27 mg/l to 0.03 - 0.70 mg/l through the mechanism of throughfall and between 1.53 - 8.82 mg/l through the stemflow mechanism. Urban forest vegetation also increased the concentration of cations (NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+) compared with open areas. Urban forest vegetation showed increased the electrical conductivity (EC) from 208.12 μmhos/cm to 344.67 - 902.17 μmhos/cm through the through fall mechanism and 937.67 - 1058.70 μmhos/cm through the stemflow mechanism. The study suggested that urban forests play a significant role in reducing rainwater acidity and improving the quality of rainwater that reached the soil surface.

The impacts of selective logging and clear-cutting on woody plant diversity after 40years of natural recovery in a tropical montane rain forest, south China.

PubMed

Ding, Yi; Zang, Runguo; Lu, Xinghui; Huang, Jihong

2017-02-01

Historically, clear-cutting and selective logging have been the commercial logging practices. However, the effect of these pervasive timber extraction methods on biodiversity in tropical forests is still poorly understood. In this study, we compared abiotic factors, species diversity, community composition, and structure between ca. 40-year-old clear-cut (MCC); ca. 40-year-old selectively logged (MSL); and tropical old growth montane rain forests (MOG) on Hainan Island, China. Results showed that there were a large number of trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) <30cm in the two logged forests. Additionally, the two logged forests only had 40% of the basal area of the large trees (DBH≥30cm) found in the old growth forest. The species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices generally showed no difference among the three forest types. MCC had 70% of the species richness of the large trees in the MOG, whereas MSL and MOG had similar species richness. High value timber species had similar species richness among the three forest types, but a lower abundance and basal area of large trees in MCC. The species composition was distinct between the three forests. Large trees belonging to the family Fagaceae dominated in the logged forests and played a more important role in the old growth forest. Huge trees (DBH≥70cm) were rare in MCC, but were frequently found in MSL. Most abiotic factors varied inconsistently among the three forest types and few variables related to species diversity, community structure and composition. Our study indicated that MSL had a relatively faster recovery rate than MCC in a tropical montane rain forest after 40years, but both logged forests had a high recovery potential over a long-term. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Short-Term Exposure to Warm Microhabitats Could Explain Amphibian Persistence with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

PubMed Central

Daskin, Joshua H.; Alford, Ross A.; Puschendorf, Robert

2011-01-01

Environmental conditions can alter the outcomes of symbiotic interactions. Many amphibian species have declined due to chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but many others persist despite high Bd infection prevalence. This indicates that Bd's virulence is lower, or it may even be a commensal, in some hosts. In the Australian Wet Tropics, chytridiomycosis extirpated Litoria nannotis from high-elevation rain forests in the early 1990 s. Although the species is recolonizing many sites, no population has fully recovered. Litoria lorica disappeared from all known sites in the early 1990 s and was thought globally extinct, but a new population was discovered in 2008, in an upland dry forest habitat it shares with L. nannotis. All frogs of both species observed during three population censuses were apparently healthy, but most carried Bd. Frogs perch on sun-warmed rocks in dry forest streams, possibly keeping Bd infections below the lethal threshold attained in cooler rain forests. We tested whether short-term elevated temperatures can hamper Bd growth in vitro over one generation (four days). Simulating the temperatures available to frogs on strongly and moderately warmed rocks in dry forests, by incubating cultures at 33°C for one hour daily, reduced Bd growth below that of Bd held at 15°C constantly (representing rain forest habitats). Even small decreases in the exponential growth rate of Bd on hosts may contribute to the survival of frogs in dry forests. PMID:22028834

Short-term exposure to warm microhabitats could explain amphibian persistence with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

PubMed

Daskin, Joshua H; Alford, Ross A; Puschendorf, Robert

2011-01-01

Environmental conditions can alter the outcomes of symbiotic interactions. Many amphibian species have declined due to chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but many others persist despite high Bd infection prevalence. This indicates that Bd's virulence is lower, or it may even be a commensal, in some hosts. In the Australian Wet Tropics, chytridiomycosis extirpated Litoria nannotis from high-elevation rain forests in the early 1990 s. Although the species is recolonizing many sites, no population has fully recovered. Litoria lorica disappeared from all known sites in the early 1990 s and was thought globally extinct, but a new population was discovered in 2008, in an upland dry forest habitat it shares with L. nannotis. All frogs of both species observed during three population censuses were apparently healthy, but most carried Bd. Frogs perch on sun-warmed rocks in dry forest streams, possibly keeping Bd infections below the lethal threshold attained in cooler rain forests. We tested whether short-term elevated temperatures can hamper Bd growth in vitro over one generation (four days). Simulating the temperatures available to frogs on strongly and moderately warmed rocks in dry forests, by incubating cultures at 33°C for one hour daily, reduced Bd growth below that of Bd held at 15°C constantly (representing rain forest habitats). Even small decreases in the exponential growth rate of Bd on hosts may contribute to the survival of frogs in dry forests.

The biogeographic origin of a radiation of trees in Madagascar: implications for the assembly of a tropical forest biome.

PubMed

Federman, Sarah; Dornburg, Alex; Downie, Alexander; Richard, Alison F; Daly, Douglas C; Donoghue, Michael J

2015-10-05

Madagascar's rain forests are characterized by extreme and uneven patterns of species richness and endemicity, the biogeographic and evolutionary origins of which are poorly understood. Here we use a time-calibrated phylogeny of a dominant group of trees in Madagascar's eastern rain forests, Canarium, and related Burseraceae (Canarieae), to test biogeographic hypotheses regarding the origin and radiation of the flora of this unique biome. Our findings strongly support the monophyly of Malagasy Canarium, suggesting that this clade represents a previously undocumented in situ radiation. Contrary to expectations of dispersal from Africa during the Oligocene, concurrent with the formation of Madagascar's rain forest biome, our analyses support a late Miocene origin for Malagasy Canarium, probably by long distance dispersal from Southeast Asia. Our study illustrates the importance of considering long distance dispersal as a viable explanation for clades with pantropical distributions diversifying subsequent to the Oligocene, and it highlights the formation of the Indo-Australian Archipelago and associated fast-moving equatorial surface currents, suggesting an under-appreciated evolutionary link among tropical centers of endemism. We postulate that the relatively recent establishment and radiation of Canarium in Madagascar may have been facilitated by the highly stochastic climates associated with these forest ecosystems.

The contrasting nature of woody plant species in different neotropical forest biomes reflects differences in ecological stability.

PubMed

Pennington, R Toby; Lavin, Matt

2016-04-01

A fundamental premise of this review is that distinctive phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns in clades endemic to different major biomes illuminate the evolutionary process. In seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs), phylogenies are geographically structured and multiple individuals representing single species coalesce. This pattern of monophyletic species, coupled with their old species stem ages, is indicative of maintenance of small effective population sizes over evolutionary timescales, which suggests that SDTF is difficult to immigrate into because of persistent resident lineages adapted to a stable, seasonally dry ecology. By contrast, lack of coalescence in conspecific accessions of abundant and often widespread species is more frequent in rain forests and is likely to reflect large effective population sizes maintained over huge areas by effective seed and pollen flow. Species nonmonophyly, young species stem ages and lack of geographical structure in rain forest phylogenies may reflect more widespread disturbance by drought and landscape evolution causing resident mortality that opens up greater opportunities for immigration and speciation. We recommend full species sampling and inclusion of multiple accessions representing individual species in phylogenies to highlight nonmonophyletic species, which we predict will be frequent in rain forest and savanna, and which represent excellent case studies of incipient speciation. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Diversity and aboveground biomass of lianas in the tropical seasonal rain forests of Xishuangbanna, SW China.

PubMed

Lü, Xiao-Tao; Tang, Jian-Wei; Feng, Zhi-Li; Li, Mai-He

2009-01-01

Lianas are important components of tropical forests and have significant impacts on the diversity, structure and dynamics of tropical forests. The present study documented the liana flora in a Chinese tropical region. Species richness, abundance, size-class distribution and spatial patterns of lianas were investigated in three 1-ha plots in tropical seasonal rain forests in Xishuangbanna, SW China. All lianas with > or = 2 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were measured, tagged and identified. A total of 458 liana stems belonging to 95 species (ranging from 38 to 50 species/ha), 59 genera and 32 families were recorded in the three plots. The most well-represented families were Loganiaceae, Annonceae, Papilionaceae, Apocynaceae and Rhamnaceae. Papilionaceae (14 species recorded) was the most important family in the study forests. The population density, basal area and importance value index (IVI) varied greatly across the three plots. Strychnos cathayensis, Byttneria grandifolia and Bousigonia mekongensis were the dominant species in terms of IVI across the three plots. The mean aboveground biomass of lianas (3 396 kg/ha) accounted for 1.4% of the total community above-ground biomass. The abundance, diversity and biomass of lianas in Xishuangbanna tropical seasonal rain forests are lower than those in tropical moist and wet forests, but higher than those in tropical dry forests. This study provides new data on lianas from a geographical region that has been little-studied. Our findings emphasize that other factors beyond the amount and seasonality of precipitation should be included when considering the liana abundance patterns across scales.

The characteristics of soil and water loss in Pinus Massoniana forest in Quaternary red soil area of south China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yuejun; Huang, Yanhe; Jie, Yang

2017-08-01

The soil and water loss in Pinus massoniana forests is an urgent environmental problem in the red soil region of southern China.Using the method of field monitoring, by analogy and statistical analysis, The characteristics of soil and water loss of Pinus massoniana forests in Quaternary red soil region under 30 rainfall were analyzed,the results show that the relationship models of rainfall,runoff and sediment of pure Pinus massoniana plot were slightly different from the naked control plot,were all the univariate quadratic linear regression models.the contribution of runoff and sediment in different rain types were different, and the water and soil loss in Pinus massoniana forest was most prominent under moderate rain.The merging effect of sparse Pinus massoniana forest on raindrop, aggravated the degree of soil and water loss to some extent.

Evaluation of the use of scientific information in developing the 1997 Forest plan for the Tongass National Forest.

Treesearch

Fred H. Everest; Douglas N. Swanston; Charles G. Shaw; Winston P. Smith; Kent R. Julin; Stewart D. Allen

1997-01-01

The Tongass National Forest is the largest remaining relatively unaltered coastal temperate rain forest in the world. The Forest consists of 16.9 million acres of land distributed across more that 22,000 islands and a narrow strip of mainland in southeast Alaska. The Forest contains abundant timber, wildlife, fisheries, mineral, and scenic resources. The authors...

Forest biological diversity interactions with resource utilization

Treesearch

S.T. Mok

1992-01-01

The most important forest resources of the Asia-Pacific region are the highly diverse rain forests. Utilization of the resource is a natural and inevitable consequence of the region's socio-economic development. The sustainable management and development of forest resources in the region can be achieved by implementing conservational forestry, which is based on...

Restoration of Native Hawaiian Dryland Forest at Auwahi, Maui

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medieros, Arthur C.; vonAllmen, Erica

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND The powerful volcanoes that formed the high islands of the Hawaiian archipelago block northeasterly tradewinds, creating wet, windward rain forests and much drier, leeward forests. Dryland forests in Hawai'i receive only about 20 inches of rain a year. However, the trees in these forests intercept fog and increase ground moisture levels, thereby enabling these seemingly inhospitable habitats to support a diverse assemblage of plants and animals. Dryland forests of the Hawaiian Islands, like those worldwide, have been heavily impacted by humans both directly and indirectly. Less than 10% of Hawai'i's original dryland forest habitat remains. These forests have been severely impacted by urban development, ranching and agriculture, and invasive species. In particular, browsing animals and alien grasses have caused significant damage. Feral ungulates, including goats, sheep, cattle, and pigs, consume sensitive plants. Alien grasses have become dominant in the understory in many dryland habitats. In addition, these introduced grasses are fire-adapted and have increased the incidence of wildfire in these ecosystems. Native Hawaiian plants did not evolve with frequent fires or mammalian herbivores and typically do not survive well under these pressures.

Mapping of government land encroachment in Cameron Highlands using multiple remote sensing datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zin, M. H. M.; Ahmad, B.

2014-02-01

The cold and refreshing highland weather is one of the factors that give impact to socio-economic growth in Cameron Highlands. This unique weather of the highland surrounded by tropical rain forest can only be found in a few places in Malaysia. It makes this place a famous tourism attraction and also provides a very suitable temperature for agriculture activities. Thus it makes agriculture such as tea plantation, vegetable, fruits and flowers one of the biggest economic activities in Cameron Highlands. However unauthorized agriculture activities are rampant. The government land, mostly forest area have been encroached by farmers, in many cases indiscriminately cutting down trees and hill slopes. This study is meant to detect and assess this encroachment using multiple remote sensing datasets. The datasets were used together with cadastral parcel data where survey lines describe property boundary, pieces of land are subdivided into lots of government and private. The general maximum likelihood classification method was used on remote sensing image to classify the land-cover in the study area. Ground truth data from field observation were used to assess the accuracy of the classification. Cadastral parcel data was overlaid on the classification map in order to detect the encroachment area. The result of this study shows that there is a land cover change of 93.535 ha in the government land of the study area between years 2001 to 2010, nevertheless almost no encroachment took place in the studied forest reserve area. The result of this study will be useful for the authority in monitoring and managing the forest.

Off-nadir antenna bias correction using Amazon rain forest sigma deg data. [Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birrer, I. J.; Bracalente, E. M.; Dome, G. J.; Sweet, J.; Berthold, G.; Moore, R. K. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The radar response from the Amazon rain forest was studied to determine the suitability of this region for use as a standard target to calibrate a scatterometer like that proposed for the National Ocean Satellite System (NOSS). Backscattering observations made by the SEASAT-1 scatterometer system show the Amazon rain forest to be a homogeneous, azimuthally-isotropic, radar target which is insensitive to polarization. The variation with angle of incidence may be adequately modeled as sigma deg (dB) = alpha theta + beta with typical values for the incidence-angle coefficient from 0.07 dB deg to 0.15 dB/deg. A small diurnal effect occurs, with measurements at sunrise being 0.5 dB to 1 dB higher than the rest of the day. Maximum likelihood estimation algorithms are presented which permit determination of relative bias and true pointing angle for each beam. Specific implementation of these algorithms for the proposed NOSS scatterometer system is also discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cranbrook, The Earl of.

After a century of scientific investigation, it is now possible to understand Malaysia's complex ecosystem as an essential prerequisite to the successful management for conservation and long term productivity in the area. Contents: The physical setting: Forest types and forest zonation; The dipterocarps; Forest palms; Forest bamboos; Herbaceous flowering plants; Ferns; Higher fungi; Forest tree biology; Forest management; Mammals; Genetic diversity and evolution; Mammals; Distribution and ecology, Earl of Cranbook, Birds; Termites in rain forests; Forest lepidoptera; Freshwaters; Animal conservation strategies; People of the forest.

Basal area growth for 15 tropical trees species in Puerto Rico. Forest

Treesearch

B. R. Parresol

1995-01-01

The tabonuco forest of Puerto Rico support a diverse population of tree species valued for timber, fuel, food, wildlife food and cover, and erosion control among other use. tree basal area growth data spanning 39 years are avaible on 15 species from eigth permanent plots in Luquillo Experimental Forest. The complexity of the rain forest challeges current forest...

The 2008 South China Freeze and its Impact on the Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, B.; Ai, C.; Wang, Y.; Li, Z.; Cao, Y.; Wang, X.

2008-12-01

An unprecedented calamity caused by snow and freezing rain occurred in South China in 2008. This freeze was closely related to the La Nina phenomenon according to a report from the World Meteorological Organization. The freeze stroke 19 provinces in China, and damaged forests of 19.33 million ha with a standing volume loss of 371 million m3. It is estimated that the direct economic loss in the form of destroyed forests is over $8 billion. The indirect loss in the form of impaired ecological functions, such as water and soil conservation, water resources conservancy, biodiversity and forest carbon pool etc is enormous. The calamity of snow and freezing rain affected the structure and function of forest ecosystems. The snow load and freezing rain caused mechanical damage to the trees, with the species of Pinus massoniana, Cunninghamia lanceolata, Pinus elliottii and Phyllostachys pubescens etc. being the most seriously affected. The cold weather could also cause the physiological hurt to the trees. The change of the biotic components leads to the change of abiotic components in the ecosystems. The sunlight under the canopy was intensified due to the opening up of the canopy. The air temperature in the forest, the nutrient and microorganism in soil, the litterfall dynamic were also affected. The alteration of the forest ecosystem structure brought in the alteration of its functions. The damage of the ecosystem structure weakened the capacity of the water and soil conservation, water resources conservancy and reduced the biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Forest gaps allow more sunlight into the freeze-damaged ecosystem, inducing the invasion of more masculine species. The direction and progress of the community succession was therefore altered. At the same time, the freeze made a great impact on the stability and health of the forest ecosystem, increasing the potential risk of outbreak of forest fire and plant diseases/insect pests. Some suggestions on the rebuilding and recovery of damaged forest were given in this paper.

Climate and the weight/height relationship in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Hiernaux, J; Rudan, P; Brambati, A

1975-01-01

25 populations of the rain forest and 44 of the open country, all descended from the West-Central African stock which lived in the latter biome, are compared for body weight and height. On a log weight/height diagram, the 69 populations cluster along a straight line which intersects the lines of equal body weight/surface ratio: the shorter the body size, the lower the ratio tends to be. The rain forest populations are concentrated in the lower part of the bivariate distribution. The shortest one, the Mbuti Pygmies, has a very low ratio despite a relatively heavy weight. The shorter stature of the rain forest populations seems to be largely genetic in origin; it probably results from selective pressure exerted by the thermal stres in this hot and wet biome where sweating is of low thermolytic efficiency. The amount of reduction of adult stature depends for a large part on the number of generations spent in the forest by the population. Line A (in figure 1) is similar to a growth trend. The 69 populations differ genetically by the target that growth has to reach on a common log weight/height trend line. They achieve this differentiation through different speeds of growth.

Global rain-fed, irrigated, and paddy croplands: A new high resolution map derived from remote sensing, crop inventories and climate data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmon, J. Meghan; Friedl, Mark A.; Frolking, Steve; Wisser, Dominik; Douglas, Ellen M.

2015-06-01

Irrigation accounts for 70% of global water use by humans and 33-40% of global food production comes from irrigated croplands. Accurate and timely information related to global irrigation is therefore needed to manage increasingly scarce water resources and to improve food security in the face of yield gaps, climate change and extreme events such as droughts, floods, and heat waves. Unfortunately, this information is not available for many regions of the world. This study aims to improve characterization of global rain-fed, irrigated and paddy croplands by integrating information from national and sub-national surveys, remote sensing, and gridded climate data sets. To achieve this goal, we used supervised classification of remote sensing, climate, and agricultural inventory data to generate a global map of irrigated, rain-fed, and paddy croplands. We estimate that 314 million hectares (Mha) worldwide were irrigated circa 2005. This includes 66 Mha of irrigated paddy cropland and 249 Mha of irrigated non-paddy cropland. Additionally, we estimate that 1047 Mha of cropland are managed under rain-fed conditions, including 63 Mha of rain-fed paddy cropland and 985 Mha of rain-fed non-paddy cropland. More generally, our results show that global mapping of irrigated, rain-fed, and paddy croplands is possible by combining information from multiple data sources. However, regions with rapidly changing irrigation or complex mixtures of irrigated and non-irrigated crops present significant challenges and require more and better data to support high quality mapping of irrigation.

Humus depths under cut and uncut northern hardwood forests

Treesearch

George Hart

1960-01-01

Harvesting timber on lands devoted primarily to watershed management may alter, for better or worse, many features of a forested watershed. One such feature is forest humus. The beneficial role of forest humus in watershed management is widely recognized. A protective mantle of humus serves to cushion the impact of rain, to impede surface runoff, to restrict soil...

The forest ecosystems observatory in Guadeloupe (FWI)

Treesearch

G. Van Laere; Y. Gall; A. Rousteau

2016-01-01

Between 2010 and 2012, Parc National de la Guadeloupe, Office National des Forêts, and Université des Antilles et de la Guyane established 9 permanent 1-ha plots in tropical rain forest of Basse-Terre Island (Guadeloupe). These plots comprise the Guadeloupian Forest Observatory, and are specifically designed for long-term tree growth measurements and forest-dynamics...

Development of one-minute rain-rate and rain-attenuation contour maps for satellite propagation system planning in a subtropical country: South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojo, J. S.; Owolawi, P. A.

2014-10-01

Millimeter and microwave system design at higher frequencies require as input a 1-min rain-rate cumulative distribution function for estimating the level of degradation that can be encountered at such frequency bands. Owing to the lack of 1-min rain-rate data in South Africa and the availability of 5-min and hourly rainfall data, we have used rain-rate conversion models and the refined Moupfouma model to convert the available data into 1-min rain-rate statistics. The attenuation caused by these rain rates was predicted using the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommendations model. The Kriging interpolation method was used to draw contour maps over different percentages of time for spatial interpolation of rain-rate values into a regular grid in order to obtain a highly consistent and predictable inter-gauge rain-rate variation over South Africa. The present results will be useful for system designers of modern broadband wireless access (BWA) and high-density cell-based Ku/Ka, Q/V band satellite systems, over the desired area of coverage in order to determine the appropriate effective isotropically radiated power (EIRP) and receiver characteristics of this region.

Fifty-thousand-year vegetation and climate history of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Bolivian Amazon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burbridge, Rachel E.; Mayle, Francis E.; Killeen, Timothy J.

2004-03-01

Pollen and charcoal records from two large, shallow lakes reveal that throughout most of the past 50,000 yr Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, in northeastern lowland Bolivia (southwestern Amazon Basin), was predominantly covered by savannas and seasonally dry semideciduous forests. Lowered atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, in combination with a longer dry season, caused expansion of dry forests and savannas during the last glacial period, especially at the last glacial maximum. These ecosystems persisted until the mid-Holocene, although they underwent significant species reassortment. Forest communities containing a mixture of evergreen and semideciduous species began to expand between 6000 and 3000 14C yr B.P. Humid evergreen rain forests expanded to cover most of the area within the past 2000 14C yr B.P., coincident with a reduction in fire frequencies. Comparisons between modern pollen spectra and vegetation reveal that the Moraceae-dominated rain forest pollen spectra likely have a regional source area at least 2-3 km beyond the lake shore, whereas the grass- and sedge-dominated savanna pollen spectra likely have a predominantly local source area. The Holocene vegetation changes are consistent with independent paleoprecipitation records from the Bolivian Altiplano and paleovegetation records from other parts of southwestern Amazonia. The progressive expansion in rain forests through the Holocene can be largely attributed to enhanced convective activity over Amazonia, due to greater seasonality of insolation in the Southern Hemisphere tropics driven by the precession cycle according to the Milankovitch Astronomical Theory.

Ecology: Accumulating Threats to Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Russell W.

1980-01-01

This article identifies the cumulative effects of some environmental problems facing mankind and presents possible alternative futures. The author discusses the pervasive infiltration and detrimental effects in the biosphere of polychlorinated biphenyls, the recent increase in acid rain, the loss of tropical rain forest lands, and future energy…

Trypanocidal activity of extracts from Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest plant species.

PubMed

Pizzolatti, M G; Koga, A H; Grisard, E C; Steindel, M

2003-01-01

The trypanocidal activity of crude hydro alcoholic extracts and several fractions of 13 plants from Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest were tested in vitro against epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Crude ethanol extracts with promising in vitro activity (DL50 between 5-10 microg/ml) against epimastigotes were fractionated by solvent partition and further tested against bloodstream form of the parasite. Activity against bloodstream parasites was observed in both dichloromethane and hexane fractions of Polygala sabulosa and P. paniculata.

The ecological variations in thermal infrared emissivity of vegetation. [in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arp, G. K.; Phinney, D. E. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Through a series of contrasts, the statistical significance of differences in emissivity was determined for vegegation in dry and humid deserts, montane and deciduous rain forests, and the temperate region. No significant differences were found between the two types of desert vegetation or among the types of nondesert vegetation. However, the rain forest vegetation was significantly different from that of the temperate region. On a community-wide level, there is some physiological adaptation in plants to their radiational environment.

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Throughfall Amounts and Solutes in a Tropical Montane Forest - Comparisons with Findings From Lowland Rain Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmermann, A.

2007-05-01

The diverse tree species composition, irregular shaped tree crowns and a multi-layered forest structure affect the redistribution of rainfall in lower montane rain forests. In addition, abundant epiphyte biomass and associated canopy humus influence spatial patterns of throughfall. The spatial variability of throughfall amounts controls spatial patterns of solute concentrations and deposition. Moreover, the living and dead biomass interacts with the rainwater during the passage through the canopy and creates a chemical variability of its own. Since spatial and temporal patterns are intimately linked, the analysis of temporal solute concentration dynamics is an important step to understand the emerging spatial patterns. I hypothesized that: (1) the spatial variability of volumes and chemical composition of throughfall is particularly high compared with other forests because of the high biodiversity and epiphytism, (2) the temporal stability of the spatial pattern is high because of stable structures in the canopy (e.g. large epiphytes) that show only minor changes during the short term observation period, and (3) the element concentrations decrease with increasing rainfall because of exhausting element pools in the canopy. The study area at 1950 m above sea level is located in the south Ecuadorian Andes far away from anthropogenic emission sources and marine influences. Rain and throughfall were collected from August to October 2005 on an event and within-event basis for five precipitation periods and analyzed for pH, K, Na, Ca, Mg, NH4+, Cl-, NO3-, PO43-, TN, TP and TOC. Throughfall amounts and most of the solutes showed a high spatial variability, thereby the variability of H+, K, Ca, Mg, Cl- and NO3- exceeded those from a Brazilian tropical rain forest. The temporal persistence of the spatial patterns was high for throughfall amounts and varied depending on the solute. Highly persistent time stability patterns were detected for K, Mg and TOC concentrations. Time stability patterns of solute deposition were somewhat weaker than for concentrations for most of the solutes. Epiphytes strongly affected time stability patterns in that collectors situated below thick moss mats or arboreal bromeliads were in large part responsible for the extreme persistence with low throughfall amounts and high ion concentrations (H+ showed low concentrations). Rainfall solute concentrations were low compared with a variety of other tropical lowland and montane forest sites and showed a small temporal variability during the study period for both between and within-event dynamics, respectively. Throughfall solute concentrations were more within the range when compared with other sites and showed highly variable within-event dynamics. For most of the solutes, within-event concentrations did not reach low, constant concentrations in later event stages, rather concentrations fluctuated (e.g. Cl-) or increased (e.g. K and TOC). The within-event throughfall solute concentration dynamics in this lower montane rain forest contrast to recent observations from lowland tropical rain forests in Panama and Brazil. The observed within-event patterns are attributed (1) to the influence of epiphytes and associated canopy humus, and (2) to low rainfall intensities.

Evaporation from a tropical rain forest, Luquillo Experimental Forest, eastern Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schellekens, J.; Bruijnzeel, L. A.; Scatena, F. N.; Bink, N. J.; Holwerda, F.

2000-08-01

Evaporation losses from a watertight 6.34 ha rain forest catchment under wet maritime tropical conditions in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, were determined using complementary hydrological and micrometeorological techniques during 1996 and 1997. At 6.6 mm d-1 for 1996 and 6.0 mm d-1 for 1997, the average evapotranspiration (ET) of the forest is exceptionally high. Rainfall interception (Ei), as evaluated from weekly throughfall measurements and an average stemflow fraction of 2.3%, accounted for much (62-74%) of the ET at 4.9 mm d-1 in 1996 and 3.7 mm d-1 in 1997. Average transpiration rates (Et) according to a combination of the temperature fluctuation method and the Penman-Monteith equation were modest at 2.2 mm d-1 and 2.4 mm d-1 in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Both estimates compared reasonably well with the water-budget-based estimates (ET - Ei) of 1.7 mm d-1 and 2.2 mm d-1. Inferred rates of wet canopy evaporation were roughly 4 to 5 times those predicted by the Penman-Monteith equation, with nighttime rates very similar to daytime rates, suggesting radiant energy is not the dominant controlling factor. A combination of advected energy from the nearby Atlantic Ocean, low aerodynamic resistance, plus frequent low-intensity rain is thought to be the most likely explanation of the observed discrepancy between measured and estimated Ei.

Simulation of water available for runoff in clearcut forest openings during rain-on-snow events in the western Cascade Range of Oregon and Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Heeswijk, Marijke; Kimball, J.S.; Marks, Danny

1996-01-01

Rain-on-snow events are common on mountain slopes within the transient-snow zone of the Pacific Northwest. These events make more water available for runoff than does precipitation alone by melting the snowpack and by adding a small amount of condensate to the snowpack. In forest openings (such as those resulting from clearcut logging), the amount of snow that accumulates and the turbulent- energy input to the snowpack are greater than below forest stands. Both factors are believed to contribute to a greater amount of water available for runoff during rain-on-snow events in forest openings than forest stands. Because increased water available for runoff may lead to increased downstream flooding and erosion, knowledge of the amount of snowmelt that can occur during rain on snow and the processes that control snowmelt in forest openings is useful when making land-use decisions. Snow accumulation and melt were simulated for clearcut conditions only, using an enery- balance approach that accounts for the most important energy and mass exchanges between a snowpack and its environment. Meteorological measurements provided the input for the simulations. Snow accumulation and melt were not simulated in forest stands because interception of precipitation processes are too complex to simulate with a numerical model without making simplifying assumptions. Such a model, however, would need to be extensively tested against representative observations, which were not available for this study. Snowmelt simulated during three rain-on-snow events (measured in a previous study in a clearcut in the transient-snow zone of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon) demonstrated that melt generation is most sensitive to turbulent- energy exchanges between the air and the snowpack surface. As a result, the most important climate variable that controls snowmelt is wind speed. Air temperature, however, is a significant variable also. The wind speeds were light, with a maximum of 3.3 meters per second during one event and average wind speeds for all three events ranging from 1.7 to 2.1 meters per second. For observed and estimated conditions, the average simulated snowmelt ranged from 0.2 to 0.8 millimeter liquid water per hour, and turbulent-energy exchange provided 51 percent of the energy that led to snowmelt during the largest of the three rain-on-snow events. When wind speeds were multiplied by a factor of 4, the simulated snowmelt ranged from 1.0 to 2.5 millimeters per hour. Similarly, when wind speeds were multiplied by a factor of 6, the simulated snowmelt ranged from 1.6 to 3.7 millimeters per hour. Turbulent-energy exchange provided a dominant 88 and 92 percent of the energy input to the snowpack during the largest rain-on-snow event when average wind speeds were multiplied by factors of 4 and 6, respectively. During the same event, the contribution to melt by the sum of net solar and net thermal radiation (net all-wave radiation) was roughly equal to the contribution of sensible energy carried by the precipitation itself (advective heat). Estimates of snowmelt resulting from rain on snow for climate conditions other than those observed and estimated in the simulated plot-scale data were expanded by simulating snowmelt for 24-hour presumed rain-on-snow events extracted from the reconstructed, long-term historical climate records for Cedar Lake and Snoqualmie Pass National Weather Service stations in Washington State. The selected events exceeded 75 millimeters of precipitation in 24 hours. When clearcut conditions were assumed to be identical to those at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest site and a ripe snowpack that never completely melted was assumed to be available, simulated 24-hour snowmelt ranged from 4.2 to 47.0 millimeters (0.2 to 2.0 millimeters per hour) for low wind speeds (1.5 meters per second) and from 10.3 to 178.8 millimeters (0.4 to 7.5 millimeters per hour) for high wind speeds (8.2 meters per second). The ranges in

Growth of ponderosa pine seedlings as affected by air pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momen, B.; Anderson, P. D.; Houpis, J. L. J.; Helms, J. A.

The effect of air pollution on seedling survival and competitive ability is important to natural and artificial regeneration of forest trees. Although biochemical and physiological processes are sensitive indicators of pollution stress, the cumulative effects of air pollutants on seedling vigor and competitive ability may be assessed directly from whole-plant growth characteristics such as diameter, height, and photosynthetic area. A few studies that have examined intraspecific variation in seedling response to air pollution indicate that genotypic differences are important in assessing potential effects of air pollution on forest regeneration. Here, we studied the effects of acid rain (no-rain, pH 5.1 rain, pH 3.0 rain) and ozone (filtered, ambient, twice-ambient) in the field on height, diameter, volume, the height:diameter ratio, maximum needle length, and time to reach maximum needle length in seedlings of three families of ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws). Seedling diameter, height, volume, and height:diameter ratio related significantly to their pre-treatment values. Twice-ambient ozone decreased seedling diameter compared with ozone-filtered air. A significant family-by-ozone interaction was detected for seedling height, as the height of only one of the three families was decreased by twice-ambient ozone compared with the ambient level. Seedling diameter was larger and the height:diameter ratio was smaller under pH 3.0 rain compared to either the no-rain or the pH 5.1-rain treatment. This suggests greater seedling vigor, perhaps due to a foliar fertilization effect of the pH 3.0 rain.

Cascading Effects of Canopy Opening and Debris Deposition from a Large-Scale Hurricane Experiment in a Tropical Rain Forest

Treesearch

Aaron B. Shiels; Grizelle Gonzalez; D. Jean Lodge; Michael R Willig; Jess K. Zimmerman

2015-01-01

Intense hurricanes disturb many tropical forests, but the key mechanisms driving post-hurricane forest changes are not fully understood. In Puerto Rico, we used a replicated factorial experiment to determine the mechanisms of forest change associated with canopy openness and organic matter (debris) addition. Cascading effects from canopy openness accounted for...

Spread of an invasive grass in closed-canopy deciduous forests across local and regional environmental gradients

Treesearch

Cynthia D. Huebner

2010-01-01

Spread of Microstegium vimineum, an invasive exotic grass, in closed-canopy forests of West Virginia, U.S. was evaluated across a local (roadside to forest interior) and regional (across two geographic provinces) environmental gradient. Seed dispersal distances from roadside populations into forest interiors based on seed rain and soil seed bank data...

[Soil seed bank formation during early revegetation of areas affected by mining in a tropical rain forest of Chocó, Colombia].

PubMed

Valois-Cuesta, Hamleth; Martínez-Ruiz, Carolina; Urrutia-Rivas, Yorley

2017-03-01

Mining is one of the main economic activities in many tropical regions and is the cause of devastation of large areas of natural tropical forests. The knowledge of the regenerative potential of mining disturbed areas provides valuable information for their ecological restoration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of age of abandonment of mines and their distance from the adjacent forest, on the formation of soil seed bank in abandoned mines in the San Juan, Chocó, Colombia. To do this, we determined the abundance and species composition of the soil seed bank, and the dynamics of seed rain in mines of different cessation period of mining activity (6 and 15 years), and at different distances from the adjacent forest matrix (50 and 100 m). Seed rain was composed by five species of plants with anemocorous dispersion, and was more abundant in the mine of 6 years than in the mine of 15 years. There were no significant differences in the number of seeds collected at 50 m and 100 m from the adjacent forest. The soil seed bank was represented by eight species: two with anemocorous dispersion (common among the seed rain species) and the rest with zoochorous dispersion. The abundance of seeds in the soil did not vary with the age of the mine, but was higher at close distances to the forest edge than far away. During the early revegetation, the formation of the soil seed bank in the mines seems to be related to their proximity to other disturbed areas, rather than their proximity to the adjacent forest or the cessation activity period of mines. Therefore, the establishment of artificial perches or the maintenance of isolated trees in the abandoned mines could favour the arrival of bird-dispersed seeds at mines. However, since the soil seed bank can be significantly affected by the high rainfall in the study area, more studies are needed to evaluate management actions to encourage soil seed bank formation in mines of high-rainfall environments in the Chocó region.

Prevalence of pterygium and cataract in indigenous populations of the Brazilian Amazon rain forest.

PubMed

Paula, J S; Thorn, F; Cruz, A A V

2006-05-01

To compare the prevalence of pterygium and cataract in four indigenous populations of the Brazilian Amazonian rain forest (Arawak, Tukano, Maku, and Yanomami) with different ethnic and social behaviour backgrounds. A cross-sectional pterygium and cataract survey was performed in 624 adult Indians of the Brazilian rain forest belonging to four different ethnic groups. The Indians were classified according to their social behaviour in two groups: Arawak and Tukano (group 1) and Maku and Yanomami (group 2). Slit-lamp biomicroscopy was employed to examine the entire sample. All subjects were classified as 1 or 0 according to the presence or absence pterygium and cataract. Sex and age were also recorded. chi(2)-tests revealed that the prevalence of pterygium and cataract differed significantly between groups 1 and 2. For pterygia: 36.6% (97/265) and 5.0% (18/359), respectively (chi(2)=101.2, P<0.0001), and for cataracts: 24.5% (65/265) and 13.7% (49/359) respectively (chi(2)=12.09, P=0.0005). Gender was not associated with pterygium (P=0.1326) and cataract (P=0.2263) in both groups. Elderly subjects showed a significantly higher prevalence of cataract (P<0.0001). The prevalence of pterygia did not increase with age (P=0.8079) in both groups. Indians of group 1 have higher prevalence of pterygia and cataract than Indians of group 2. Social behaviour, especially the rate of sun exposure, appears to be the main factor for the different rates of pterygium and cataract displayed by these indigenous people of the Brazilian rain forest.

Evidence of late Palaeocene-early Eocene equatorial rain forest refugia in southern Western Ghats, India.

PubMed

Prasad, V; Farooqui, A; Tripathi, S K M; Garg, R; Thakur, B

2009-11-01

Equatorial rain forests that maintain a balance between speciation and extinction are hot-spots for studies of biodiversity. Western Ghats in southern India have gained attention due to high tropical biodiversity and endemism in their southern most area. We attempted to track the affinities of the pollen fl ora of the endemic plants of Western Ghat area within the fossil palynoflora of late Palaeocene-early Eocene (approximately 55-50 Ma) sedimentary deposits of western and northeastern Indian region. The study shows striking similarity of extant pollen with twenty eight most common fossil pollen taxa of the early Palaeogene. Widespread occurrences of coal and lignite deposits during early Palaeogene provide evidence of existence of well diversified rain forest community and swampy vegetation in the coastal low lying areas all along the western and northeastern margins of the Indian subcontinent. Prevalence of excessive humid climate during this period has been seen as a result of equatorial positioning of Indian subcontinent, superimposed by a long term global warming phase (PETM and EECO) during the early Palaeogene. The study presents clear evidence that highly diversifi ed equatorial rain forest vegetation once widespread in the Indian subcontinent during early Palaeogene times, are now restricted in a small area as a refugia in the southernmost part of the Western Ghat area. High precipitation and shorter periods of dry months seem to have provided suitable environment to sustain lineages of ancient tropical vegetation in this area of Western Ghats in spite of dramatic climatic changes subsequent to the post India-Asia collision and during the Quaternary and Recent times.

Mathematical Modeling Applied to Prediction of Landslides in Southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Lúcia; Araújo, João; Braga, Beatriz; Fernandes, Nelson

2013-04-01

Mass movements are natural phenomena that occur on the slopes and are important agents working in landscape development. These movements have caused serious damage to infrastructure and properties. In addition to the mass movements occurring in natural slopes, there is also a large number of accidents induced by human action in the landscape. The change of use and land cover for the introduction of agriculture is a good example that have affected the stability of slopes. Land use and/or land cover changes have direct and indirect effects on slope stability and frequently represent a major factor controlling the occurrence of man-induced mass movements. In Brazil, especially in the southern and southeastern regions, areas of original natural rain forest have been continuously replaced by agriculture during the last decades, leading to important modifications in soil mechanical properties and to major changes in hillslope hydrology. In these regions, such effects are amplified due to the steep hilly topography, intense summer rainfall events and dense urbanization. In November 2008, a major landslide event took place in a rural area with intensive agriculture in the state of Santa Catarina (Morro do Baú) where many catastrophic landslides were triggered after a long rainy period. In this area, the natural forest has been replaced by huge banana and pine plantations. The state of Santa Catarina in recent decades has been the scene of several incidents of mass movements such as this catastrophic event. In this study, based on field mapping and modeling, we characterize the role played by geomorphological and geological factors in controlling the spatial distribution of landslides in the Morro do Baú area. In order to attain such objective, a digital elevation model of the basin was generated with a 10m grid in which the topographic parameters were obtained. The spatial distribution of the scars from this major event was mapped from another image, obtained immediately after the landslide event. Numerical simulations with the SHALSTAB model were carried out in the basin and the results compared to the original location of the scars in the field. The results suggest that the combination of field mapping with the numerical simulation scenarios may contribute to the definition of better land management practices in such environment. Besides this, the replacement of the natural rain forest by huge banana plantations in this environment may have played a major role in defining the spatial distribution of landslides scars and the magnitude of the landslides generated.

Native plant propagation and habitat restoration at Hakalau Forest National Wildlie Refuge, Hawaii

Treesearch

Baron Horiuchi; Jack Jeffrey

2002-01-01

Hakalau Forest NWR was established in 1985 under the authority of the Endangered Species Act to preserve and protect five species of endangered forest birds and their rain forest habitat. While most of the 32,730 acre refuge is closed canopy forest, over one hundred years of cattle grazing, logging and burning have convened about 5,000 acres (2,023 ha) of upper...

Management and utilization of forest resources in Papua New Guinea

Treesearch

P.B.L. Srivastava

1992-01-01

Papua New Guinea, with an area of about 46.7 million ha and population of 3.7 million, is blessed with a large natural forest resource. Over 80 percent of the land is covered with forests of various types, ranging from swamp and lowland rain forests in coastal plains to alpine vegetation and moss forests in the highlands, most of which are owned by the people. About 15...

Canada issues booklet describing acid rain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

A booklet recently released by Environment Canada describes acid rain in terms easily understood by the general public. Although Acid Rain — The Facts tends somewhat to give the Canadian side of this intercountry controversial subject, it nevertheless presents some very interesting, simple statistics of interest to people in either the U.S. or Canada. Copies of the booklet can be obtained from Inquiry Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OH3, Canada, tel. 613-997-2800.The booklet points out that acid rain is caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Once released into the atmosphere, these substances can be carried long distances by prevailing winds and return to Earth as acidic rain, snow, fog, or dust. The main sources of SO2 emissions in North America are coal-fired power generating stations and nonferrous ore smelters. The main sources of NOx emissions are vehicles and fuel combustion. From economical and environmental viewpoints, Canada believes acid rain is one of the most serious problems presently facing the country: increasing the acidity of more than 20% of Canada's 300,000 lakes to the point that aquatic life is depleted and acidity of soil water and shallow groundwater is increasing, causing decline in forest growth and water fowl populations, and eating away at buildings and monuments. Acid rain is endangering fisheries, tourism, agriculture, and forest resources in an area of 2.6 million km2 (one million square miles) of eastern Canada, about 8% of Canada's gross national product.

Tropical Rainforest Education. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rillero, Peter

This digest provides four guideposts for tropical rainforest education: (1) structure; (2) location and climate; (3) importance; and (4) conservation of resources. Research is cited and background information provided about the layers of life and the adaptations of life within the tropical rain forest. Aspects of life within and near rain forests…

Cloud water in windward and leeward mountain forests: The stable isotope signature of orographic cloud water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scholl, M.A.; Giambelluca, T.W.; Gingerich, S.B.; Nullet, M.A.; Loope, L.L.

2007-01-01

Cloud water can be a significant hydrologic input to mountain forests. Because it is a precipitation source that is vulnerable to climate change, it is important to quantify amounts of cloud water input at watershed and regional scales. During this study, cloud water and rain samples were collected monthly for 2 years at sites on windward and leeward East Maui. The difference in isotopic composition between volume‐weighted average cloud water and rain samples was 1.4‰ δ18O and 12‰ δ2H for the windward site and 2.8‰ δ18O and 25‰ δ2H for the leeward site, with the cloud water samples enriched in 18O and 2H relative to the rain samples. A summary of previous literature shows that fog and/or cloud water is enriched in 18O and 2H compared to rain at many locations around the world; this study documents cloud water and rain isotopic composition resulting from weather patterns common to montane environments in the trade wind latitudes. An end‐member isotopic composition for cloud water was identified for each site and was used in an isotopic mixing model to estimate the proportion of precipitation input from orographic clouds. Orographic cloud water input was 37% of the total precipitation at the windward site and 46% at the leeward site. This represents an estimate of water input to the forest that could be altered by changes in cloud base altitude resulting from global climate change or deforestation.

Changes in photosynthesis and leaf characteristics with tree height in five dipterocarp species in a tropical rain forest.

PubMed

Kenzo, Tanaka; Ichie, Tomoaki; Watanabe, Yoko; Yoneda, Reiji; Ninomiya, Ikuo; Koike, Takayoshi

2006-07-01

Variations in leaf photosynthetic, morphological and biochemical properties with increasing plant height from seedlings to emergent trees were investigated in five dipterocarp species in a Malaysian tropical rain forest. Canopy openness increased significantly with tree height. Photosynthetic properties, such as photosynthetic capacity at light saturation, light compensation point, maximum rate of carboxylation and maximum rate of photosynthetic electron transport, all increased significantly with tree height. Leaf morphological and biochemical traits, such as leaf mass per area, palisade layer thickness, nitrogen concentration per unit area, chlorophyll concentration per unit dry mass and chlorophyll to nitrogen ratio, also changed significantly with tree height. Leaf properties had simple and significant relationships with tree height, with few intra- and interspecies differences. Our results therefore suggest that the photosynthetic capacity of dipterocarp trees depends on tree height, and that the trees adapt to the light environment by adjusting their leaf morphological and biochemical properties. These results should aid in developing models that can accurately estimate carbon dioxide flux and biomass production in tropical rain forests.

Analysis on the vegetation phenology of tropical seasonal rain forest in South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, B.; Chen, X.

2016-12-01

Using Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) LAI data during 1982 to 2003, we analyzed spatial and temporal variations of vegetation phenology in the tropical seasonal rain forest of South America. Several methods were used to fit seasonal LAI curves and extract start (SOS) and end (EOS) of the growing season. The results show that Fourier function can most effectively fit LAI curves, and yearly RMSEs for differences between observed and fitted LAI values are less than 0.01. The SOS ranged from 250 to 350 days of year, and occurred earlier in west than in east. Contrarily, the EOS were between 120 and 180 days of year, and appeared earlier in east than in west. Thus, the growing season was longer in west than in east. With regard to linear trends, SOS shows a significant advancement at 7% of pixels and a significant delay at 13% of pixels, whereas EOS advanced significantly at 16% of pixels and was delayed significantly at 18% of pixels. Preseason precipitation is the main influence factor of SOS and EOS in the tropical seasonal rain forest of South America.

Protecting rain forests and forager's rights using LANDSAT imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkie, David S.

1991-01-01

Creating rain forest reserves is vital given the global decline in biodiversity. Yet, the plants and animals that will be protected from untrammeled commercial exploitation within such reserves constitute essential resources for indigenous foragers and farmers. Balancing the needs of local subsistence level populations with the goals of national and international conservation agencies requires a thorough understanding of the mutual impacts that arise from the interaction of park and people. In the Ituri forest of Zaire, LANDSAT TM image analysis and GPS ground truth data were used to locate human settlements so that boundaries of the proposed Okapi Reserve could be chosen to minimize its impact on the subsistence practices of the local foragers and farmers. Using satellite imagery in conjunction with cultural information should help to ensure traditional resource exploitation rights of indigenous peoples whilst simultaneously protecting the largest contiguous area of undisturbed forest.

Can extractive reserves save the rain forest: A ecological and socioeconomic comparison of non-timber forest product extraction systems in Peten, Guatemala, and West Kalimantan, Indonesia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salafsky, N.; Dugelby, B.L.; Terborgh, J.W.

1992-04-01

Extractive reserves in tropical rain forests, in which only non-timber products are harvested, have been heralded by some conservationists as a means of maintaining biodiversity while providing income for local people. The study of extraction systems in Peten, Guatemala, and in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, leads to a more tempered conclusion, for while the Peten program was quite successful, the Kalimantan program was not. The study finds the success of an extractive reserve to be contingent on: (1) ecological conditions, and (2) socioeconomic and political factors. Although the study focuses on market-oriented extractive reserves, many of the issues discussed apply asmore » well to other land uses such as the collection of non-timber forest products for household consumption or small-scale timber extraction.« less

Towards ground-truthing of spaceborne estimates of above-ground biomass and leaf area index in tropical rain forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köhler, P.; Huth, A.

2010-05-01

The canopy height of forests is a key variable which can be obtained using air- or spaceborne remote sensing techniques such as radar interferometry or lidar. If new allometric relationships between canopy height and the biomass stored in the vegetation can be established this would offer the possibility for a global monitoring of the above-ground carbon content on land. In the absence of adequate field data we use simulation results of a tropical rain forest growth model to propose what degree of information might be generated from canopy height and thus to enable ground-truthing of potential future satellite observations. We here analyse the correlation between canopy height in a tropical rain forest with other structural characteristics, such as above-ground biomass (AGB) (and thus carbon content of vegetation) and leaf area index (LAI). The process-based forest growth model FORMIND2.0 was applied to simulate (a) undisturbed forest growth and (b) a wide range of possible disturbance regimes typically for local tree logging conditions for a tropical rain forest site on Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia) in South-East Asia. It is found that for undisturbed forest and a variety of disturbed forests situations AGB can be expressed as a power-law function of canopy height h (AGB=a·hb) with an r2~60% for a spatial resolution of 20 m×20 m (0.04 ha, also called plot size). The regression is becoming significant better for the hectare wide analysis of the disturbed forest sites (r2=91%). There seems to exist no functional dependency between LAI and canopy height, but there is also a linear correlation (r2~60%) between AGB and the area fraction in which the canopy is highly disturbed. A reasonable agreement of our results with observations is obtained from a comparison of the simulations with permanent sampling plot data from the same region and with the large-scale forest inventory in Lambir. We conclude that the spaceborne remote sensing techniques have the potential to quantify the carbon contained in the vegetation, although this calculation contains due to the heterogeneity of the forest landscape structural uncertainties which restrict future applications to spatial averages of about one hectare in size. The uncertainties in AGB for a given canopy height are here 20-40% (95% confidence level) corresponding to a standard deviation of less than ±10%. This uncertainty on the 1 ha-scale is much smaller than in the analysis of 0.04 ha-scale data. At this small scale (0.04 ha) AGB can only be calculated out of canopy height with an uncertainty which is at least of the magnitude of the signal itself due to the natural spatial heterogeneity of these forests.

How do Humans interact with the Biotic Pump of South America?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Ajar; Pande, Saket; Renata Cordeiro Ortigara, Angela; Uhlenbrook, Stefan

2017-04-01

The negative effects of the deforestation have been both advertised and down played. However, the effects are far more tangible than what they seem to be. It has been shown that the change in forest cover causes the rainfall patterns to change as the forests work as so-called Biotic Pumps. This changes the water availability in the area by modifying the water balance. Local water balances affect the changes that may take longer to be visible on the larger scales. The Amazon rain forest, one of the most bio-diverse areas worldwide, is an essential part of the biosphere of South America. However, there are clear links between deforestation carried out for agricultural purposes, specifically, Soybean and Sugarcane and the variability in global food prices. Here we analyse the anthropogenic actions that may influence the biotic pump. Variables such as volatility in commodity prices, risk taking capacities, land availability, government subsidies are used to drive the decision making of farmers. These variables are embedded in a lumped biotic pump model made for Brazil, utilizing data from different sources including MODIS, Centro de Previsão do Tempo e Estudos Climáticos (CPTEC), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The biotic pump model essentially transports atmospheric moisture downwind, part of which falls as rain. The atmospheric moisture 'upwind' accounts for evaporation, incorporating land cover changes in response to land use decisions made by farmers and rainfall. The model is run for scenarios to demonstrate how rain downwind is affected by upwind land cover and provides first insights in to how much rain and productivity (agriculture) downwind is caused by the Amazonian rain forest upwind We then discuss the value of environmental conservation based on marginal productivity analysis, i.e., finding harmony between the conservation of rainforest and the economic growth of the country.

A New Infrared Desert Dust Index over French Guyana Rain forest: First results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molinie, J.; Barnacin, E.; Henry, J. L.; Gobinddass, M. L.; Panechou-Pulcherie, K.; Feuillard, T.; Nagau, J.

2017-12-01

Recently a NASA researcher showed the role of desert dust contribution for the Amazonian rain forest. In another hand, desert dust impact population health when PM 10 level reached values around and upper the PM 10 threshold of the 50 µg m-3, established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Infrared Desert Dust Index (IDDI) developed by Legrand with Meteosat infrared images, allow the following of desert dust plumes over semi-arid land. In French Guiana the WHO threshold is currently overpass in measurements done by ORA air quality network, in the two main towns located close to the coast. For inland population, it is very difficult to have continuous dust measures due to the low infrastructure supplies. We need to develop a tools in order to follow the crossing of desert dust over the French Guyana rain forest, from the coast to inland villages. Following the IDDI concept and comparing with VIIRS AOT EDR result over the same area, a modified IDDI for Amazonian region (IDDI_A) has been proposed to identify the dusty pixels over the forest. Despite of high cloud presence, a good correlation between AOT EDR and IDDI_A was obtained. The IDDI_A calculation has been applied over French Guiana area for different PM 10 level at Cayenne, a town along the coast.

Long Term Discharge Estimation for Ogoué River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyler, F.; Linguet, L.; Calmant, S.

2014-12-01

Ogoué river basin is one the last preserved tropical rain forest basin in the world. The river basin covers about 75% of Gabon. Results of a study conducted on wall-to wall forest cover map using Landsat images (Fichet et al., 2014) gave a net forest loss of 0,38% from 1990 and 2000 and sensibly the same loss rate between 2000 and 2010. However, the country launched recently an ambitious development plan, with communication infrastructure, agriculture and forestry as well as mining projects. Hydrological cycle response to changes may be expected, in both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Unfortunately monitoring gauging stations have stopped functioning in the seventies, and Gabon will then be unable to evaluate, mitigate and adapt adequately to these environmental challenges. Historical data were registered during 42 years at Lambaréné (from 1929 to 1974) and during 10 to 20 years at 17 other ground stations. The quantile function approach (Tourian et al., 2013) has been tested to estimate discharge from J2 and ERS/Envisat/AltiKa virtual stations. This is an opportunity to assess long term discharge patterns in order to monitor land use change effects and eventual disturbance in runoff. Figure 1: Ogoué River basin: J2 (red) and ERS/ENVISAT/ALTIKa (purple) virtual stations Fichet, L. V., Sannier, C., Massard Makaga, E. K., Seyler, F. (2013) Assessing the accuracy of forest cover map for 1990, 2000 and 2010 at national scale in Gabon. In press IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote SensingTourian, M. J., Sneeuw, N., & Bárdossy, A. (2013). A quantile function approach to discharge estimation from satellite altimetry (ENVISAT). Water Resources Research, 49(7), 4174-4186. doi:10.1002/wrcr.20348

Modeling climate change impacts on the forest sector

Treesearch

John R. Mills; Ralph Alig; Richard W. Haynes; Darius M. Adams

2000-01-01

The forest sector has had a relatively long history of applying sectorial models to estimate the effects of atmospheric issues such as acid rain, climate change, and the forestry impacts of reduced atmospheric ozone. The models of the forest sector vary in scope and complexity but share a number of common features and databases.

Height-related changes in leaf photosynthetic traits in diverse Bornean tropical rain forest trees.

PubMed

Kenzo, Tanaka; Inoue, Yuta; Yoshimura, Mitsunori; Yamashita, Megumi; Tanaka-Oda, Ayumi; Ichie, Tomoaki

2015-01-01

Knowledge of variations in morphophysiological leaf traits with forest height is essential for quantifying carbon and water fluxes from forest ecosystems. Here, we examined changes in leaf traits with forest height in diverse tree species and their role in environmental acclimation in a tropical rain forest in Borneo that does not experience dry spells. Height-related changes in leaf physiological and morphological traits [e.g., maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax), stomatal conductance (gs), dark respiration rate (Rd), carbon isotope ratio (δ(13)C), nitrogen (N) content, and leaf mass per area (LMA)] from understory to emergent trees were investigated in 104 species in 29 families. We found that many leaf area-based physiological traits (e.g., A(max-area), Rd, gs), N, δ(13)C, and LMA increased linearly with tree height, while leaf mass-based physiological traits (e.g., A(max-mass)) only increased slightly. These patterns differed from other biomes such as temperate and tropical dry forests, where trees usually show decreased photosynthetic capacity (e.g., A(max-area), A(max-mass)) with height. Increases in photosynthetic capacity, LMA, and δ(13)C are favored under bright and dry upper canopy conditions with higher photosynthetic productivity and drought tolerance, whereas lower R d and LMA may improve shade tolerance in lower canopy trees. Rapid recovery of leaf midday water potential to theoretical gravity potential during the night supports the idea that the majority of trees do not suffer from strong drought stress. Overall, leaf area-based photosynthetic traits were associated with tree height and the degree of leaf drought stress, even in diverse tropical rain forest trees.

Multidecadal stability in tropical rain forest structure and dynamics across an old-growth landscape

PubMed Central

Clark, Deborah A.; Oberbauer, Steven F.; Kellner, James R.

2017-01-01

Have tropical rain forest landscapes changed directionally through recent decades? To answer this question requires tracking forest structure and dynamics through time and across within-forest environmental heterogeneity. While the impacts of major environmental gradients in soil nutrients, climate and topography on lowland tropical rain forest (TRF) structure and function have been extensively analyzed, the effects of the shorter environmental gradients typical of mesoscale TRF landscapes remain poorly understood. To evaluate multi-decadal performance of an old-growth TRF at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, we established 18 0.5-ha annually-censused forest inventory plots in a stratified-random design across major landscape edaphic gradients. Over the 17-year study period, there were moderate differences in stand dynamics and structure across these gradients but no detectable difference in woody productivity. We found large effects on forest structure and dynamics from the mega-Niño event at the outset of the study, with subdecadal recovery and subsequent stabilization. To extend the timeline to >40 years, we combined our findings with those from earlier studies at this site. While there were annual to multiannual variations in the structure and dynamics, particularly in relation to local disturbances and the mega-Niño event, at the longer temporal scale and broader spatial scale this landscape was remarkably stable. This stability contrasts notably with a current hypothesis of increasing biomass and dynamics of TRF, which we term the Bigger and Faster Hypothesis (B&FHo). We consider possible reasons for the contradiction and conclude that it is currently not possible to independently assess the vast majority of previously published B&FHo evidence due to restricted data access. PMID:28981502

Relationships among net primary productivity, nutrients and climate in tropical rain forest: A pan-tropical analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cleveland, Cory C.; Townsend, Alan R.; Taylor, Philip; Alvarez-Clare, Silvia; Bustamante, Mercedes M.C.; Chuyong, George; Dobrowski, Solomon Z.; Grierson, Pauline; Harms, Kyle E.; Houlton, Benjamin Z.; Marklein, Alison; Parton, William; Porder, Stephen; Reed, Sasha C.; Sierra, Carlos A.; Silver, Whendee L.; Tanner, Edmund V.J.; Wieder, William R.

2011-01-01

Tropical rain forests play a dominant role in global biosphere-atmosphere CO2 exchange. Although climate and nutrient availability regulate net primary production (NPP) and decomposition in all terrestrial ecosystems, the nature and extent of such controls in tropical forests remain poorly resolved. We conducted a meta-analysis of carbon-nutrient-climate relationships in 113 sites across the tropical forest biome. Our analyses showed that mean annual temperature was the strongest predictor of aboveground NPP (ANPP) across all tropical forests, but this relationship was driven by distinct temperature differences between upland and lowland forests. Within lowland forests (< 1000 m), a regression tree analysis revealed that foliar and soil-based measurements of phosphorus (P) were the only variables that explained a significant proportion of the variation in ANPP, although the relationships were weak. However, foliar P, foliar nitrogen (N), litter decomposition rate (k), soil N and soil respiration were all directly related with total surface (0–10 cm) soil P concentrations. Our analysis provides some evidence that P availability regulates NPP and other ecosystem processes in lowland tropical forests, but more importantly, underscores the need for a series of large-scale nutrient manipulations – especially in lowland forests – to elucidate the most important nutrient interactions and controls.

Rainfall thresholds and susceptibility mapping for shallow landslides and debris flows in Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Postance, Benjamin; Hillier, John; Dijkstra, Tom; Dixon, Neil

2017-04-01

Shallow translational slides and debris flows (hereafter 'landslides') pose a significant threat to life and cause significant annual economic impacts (e.g. by damage and disruption of infrastructure). The focus of this research is on the definition of objective rainfall thresholds using a weather radar system and landslide susceptibility mapping. In the study area Scotland, an inventory of 75 known landslides was used for the period 2003 to 2016. First, the effect of using different rain records (i.e. time series length) on two threshold selection techniques in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was evaluated. The results show that thresholds selected by 'Threat Score' (minimising false alarms) are sensitive to rain record length and which is not routinely considered, whereas thresholds selected using 'Optimal Point' (minimising failed alarms) are not; therefore these may be suited to establishing lower limit thresholds and be of interest to those developing early warning systems. Robust thresholds are found for combinations of normalised rain duration and accumulation at 1 and 12 day's antecedence respectively; these are normalised using the rainy-day normal and an equivalent measure for rain intensity. This research indicates that, in Scotland, rain accumulation provides a better indicator than rain intensity and that landslides may be generated by threshold conditions lower than previously thought. Second, a landslide susceptibility map is constructed using a cross-validated logistic regression model. A novel element of the approach is that landslide susceptibility is calculated for individual hillslope sections. The developed thresholds and susceptibility map are combined to assess potential hazards and impacts posed to the national highway network in Scotland.

Tropical rain forest biogeochemistry in a warmer world: initial results from a novel warming experiment in a Puerto Rico tropical forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, S.; Cavaleri, M. A.; Alonso-Rodríguez, A. M.; Kimball, B. A.; Wood, T. E.

2016-12-01

Tropical forests represent one of the planet's most active biogeochemical engines. They account for the dominant proportion of Earth's live terrestrial plant biomass, nearly one-third of all soil carbon, and exchange more CO2 with the atmosphere than any other biome. In the coming decades, the tropics will experience extraordinary changes in temperature, and our understanding of how this warming will affect biogeochemical cycling remains notably poor. Given the large amounts of carbon tropical forests store and cycle, it is no surprise that our limited ability to characterize tropical forest responses to climate change may represent the largest hurdle in accurately predicting Earth's future climate. Here we describe initial results from the world's first tropical forest field warming experiment, where forest understory plants and soils are being warmed 4 °C above ambient temperatures. This Tropical Responses to Altered Climate Experiment (TRACE) was established in a rain forest in Puerto Rico to investigate the effects of increased temperature on key biological processes that control tropical forest carbon cycling, and to establish the steps that need to be taken to resolve the uncertainties surrounding tropical forest responses to warming. In this talk we will describe the experimental design, as well as the wide range of measurements being conducted. We will also present results from the initial phase of warming, including data on how increased temperatures from infrared lamp warming affected soil moisture, soil respiration rates, a suite of carbon pools, soil microbial biomass, nutrient availability, and the exchange of elements between leaf litter and soil. These data represent a first look into tropical rain forest responses to an experimentally-warmed climate in the field, and provide exciting insight into the non-linear ways tropical biogeochemical cycles respond to change. Overall, we strive to improve Earth System Model parameterization of the pools and fluxes of water, carbon, and nutrients in tropical forested ecosystems and the data shown will highlight how these cycles are coupled and independently altered by warming.

Richness and Abundance of Ichneumonidae in a Fragmented Tropical Rain Forest.

PubMed

Ruiz-Guerra, B; Hanson, P; Guevara, R; Dirzo, R

2013-10-01

Because of the magnitude of land use currently occurring in tropical regions, the local loss of animal species due to habitat fragmentation has been widely studied, particularly in the case of vertebrates. Many invertebrate groups and the ichneumonid wasps in particular, however, have been poorly studied in this context, despite the fact that they are one of the most species-rich groups and play an important role as regulators of other insect populations. Here, we recorded the taxonomic composition of ichneumonid parasitoids and assessed their species richness, abundance, similarity, and dominance in the Los Tuxtlas tropical rain forest, Mexico. We compared two forest types: a continuous forest (640 ha) and a forest fragment (19 ha). We sampled ichneumonids using four malaise traps in both forest types during the dry (September-October) and rainy (March-April) seasons. A total of 104 individuals of Ichneumonidae belonging to 11 subfamilies, 18 genera, and 42 species were collected in the continuous forest and 11 subfamilies, 15 genera, and 24 species were collected in the forest fragment. Species richness, abundance, and diversity of ichneumonids were greater in the continuous forest than in the forest fragment. We did not detect differences between seasons. Species rank/abundance curves showed that the ichneumonid community between the forest types was different. Species similarity between forest types was low. The most dominant species in continuous forest was Neotheronia sp., whereas in the forest fragment, it was Orthocentrus sp. Changes in the ichneumonid wasp community may compromise important tropical ecosystem processes.

Nutrient allocation among plant organs across 13 tree species in three Bornean rain forests with contrasting nutrient availabilities.

PubMed

Aoyagi, Ryota; Kitayama, Kanehiro

2016-07-01

Allocation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) among plant organs is an important factor regulating growth rate, which is a key ecological process associated with plant life-history strategies. However, few studies have explored how N and P investment in photosynthetic (leaves) and non-photosynthetic (stems and roots) organs changes in relation to depletion of each element. We investigated nutrient concentrations of plant organs in relation to whole-plant nutrient concentration (total nutrient weight per total biomass) as an index of nutrient status of each individual using the saplings of the 13 species in three tropical rain forests with contrasting N and P availabilities (tropical evergreen forests and tropical heath forests). We found a steeper decrease in foliar N concentration than foliar P concentration with decreasing whole-plant nutrient concentration. Moreover, the steeper decrease in foliar N concentration was associated with relatively stable N concentration in stems, and vice versa for P. We suggest that the depletion of N is associated with a rapid dilution of foliar N because the cell walls in non-photosynthetic organs function as an N sink. On the other hand, these species can maintain foliar P concentration by decreasing stem P concentrations despites the depletion of P. Our results emphasize the significance of non-photosynthetic organs as an N sink for understanding the variation of foliar nutrient concentrations for the tree species in the three Bornean rain forests with different N and P availabilities.

A laboratory facility for research on wind-driven rain intrusion in building envelope assemblies

Treesearch

Samuel V. Glass

2010-01-01

Moisture management is critical for durable, energy-efficient buildings. To address the need for research on wind-driven rain intrusion in wall assemblies, the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory is developing a new facility. This paper describes the underlying principle of this facility and its capabilities.

A TRMM Microwave Radiometer Rain Rate Estimation Method with Convective and Stratiform Discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Iacovazzi, R., Jr.; Weinman, J. A.; Dalu, G.

1999-01-01

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer brightness temperature data in the 85 GHz channel (T85) reveal distinct local minima (T85min) in a regional map containing a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS). This is because of relatively small footprint size (approximately 5.5 km) and strong extinction properties in this channel of the TMI. A map of surface rain rate for that region, deduced from simultaneous measurements made by the Precipitation Radar (PR) on board the TRMM satellite, reveals that these T85(sub min), produced by scattering, correspond to local PR rain maxima. Utilizing the PR rain rate map as a guide, we infer empirically from TMI data the presence of three different kinds of thunderstorms or Cbs. These Cbs are classified as young, mature, and decaying types, and are assumed to have a scale of about 20 km on the average. Two parameters are used to classify these three kinds of Cbs based on the T85 data: a) the magnitude of scattering depression deduced from local T85(sub min) and b) the mean horizontal gradient of T85 around such minima. Knowing the category of a given Cb, we can estimate the rain rate associated with it. Such estimation is done with the help of relationships linking T85min to rain rate in each Cb type. Similarly, a weak background rain rate in all the areas where T85 is less than 260 K is deduced with another relationship linking T85 to rain rate. In our rain retrieval model, this background rain constitutes stratiform rain where the Cbs are absent. Initially, these relationships are optimized or tuned utilizing the PR and TMI data of a few MCS events. After such tuning, the model is applied to independent MCS cases. The areal distribution of light (1-10 mm/hr), moderate (10-20 mm/hr), and intense (>= 20 mm/hr) rain rates are retrieved satisfactorily. Accuracy in the estimates of the light, moderate, and intense rain areas and the mean rain rates associated with such areas in these independent MCS cases is on the average about 15 %. Taking advantage of this ability of our retrieval method, one could derive the latent heat input into the atmosphere over the 760 km wide swath of the TMI radiometer in the tropics.

TMI Rain Rate Estimation Over Land and Ocean Utilizing Convective and Stratiform Discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Iacovazzi, R., Jr.; Weinman, J. A.; Dalu, G.

1999-01-01

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer brightness temperature data in the 85 GHz channel (T85) reveal distinct local minima in a regional map containing a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS). This is because of relatively small footprint size (approximately 5.5 km) and strong extinction properties in this channel of the TMI. A map of rain rate for that region, deduced from simultaneous measurements made by the Precipitation Radar (PR) on board the TRMM satellite, reveals that these T85 minima, produced by scattering, correspond to local PR rain maxima. Utilizing the PR rain rate map as a guide, we infer from TMI data the presence of three different kinds of thunderstorms or Cbs. They are young, mature, and decaying Cbs that have a scale of about 20 km on the average. Two parameters enable us to infer these three kinds of Cbs objectively: a) the magnitude of scattering depression deduced from local T85 minima and b) the mean horizontal gradient of T85 around such minima. Knowing the category of a given Cb, we can estimate the rain rate associated with it. Such estimation is done with the help of relationships linking T85 minimum to rain rate in each Cb type. Similarly, a weak background rain rate in all the areas where T85 is less than 260 K is deduced with another relationship linking T85 to rain rate. In our rain retrieval model, this background rain constitutes the stratiform rain where the Cbs are absent. Initially, these relationships are optimized or tuned utilizing the PR and TMI data of a few MCS events. After such tuning, the model is applied to independent MCS cases. The areal distribution of light (1-10 mm/hr), moderate (10-20 mm/hr), and intense (> 20 mm/hr) rain rates are retrieved satisfactorally. Accuracy in the estimates of the light, moderate and intense rain areas and the mean rain rates associated with such areas in these independent MCS cases is on the average about 15%. Taking advantage of this ability of our retrieval method, one could derive the latent heat input into the atmosphere over the 760 km wide swath of the TMI radiometer in the tropics.

Kriging Direct and Indirect Estimates of Sulfate Deposition: A Comparison

Treesearch

Gregory A. Reams; Manuela M.P. Huso; Richard J. Vong; Joseph M. McCollum

1997-01-01

Due to logistical and cost constraints, acidic deposition is rarely measured at forest research or sampling locations. A crucial first step to assessing the effects of acid rain on forests is an accurate estimate of acidic deposition at forest sample sites. We examine two methods (direct and indirect) for estimating sulfate deposition at atmospherically unmonitored...

Air Pollution, Acid Rain, and the Future of Forests. Worldwatch Paper 58.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Postel, Sandra

This book traces centuries of human use and abuse of forest ecosystems by discussing past decades of intense burning, grazing, and timber cutting that added to the natural acidification of the soil. Air pollutants and acids generated by industrial activities worldwide are also considered. Many forests in Europe and North America now receive as…

Reduced-impact logging and temporal activity of understorey bats in lowland Amazonia

Treesearch

Ivan Castro Arellano; Steven J. Presley; Michael R. Willig; Joseph M. Wunderle; Luiz N. Saldanha

2009-01-01

Because global timber demands continue to threaten tropical rain forests, identification of sustainable use forest management protocols that meet human needs while preserving biodiversity is critical. Reduced-impact logging (RIL) protocols are increasingly common in the tropics and may be a viable option for sustainable forest use; however, few studies have documented...

TRMM Microwave Radiometer Rain Rate Estimation Method with Convective and Stratiform Discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, Cuddapah; Iacovazzi, R.; Weinman, J. A.; Dalu, G.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer brightness temperature data in the 85 GHz channel (T85) reveal distinct local minima (T85min) in a regional map containing a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS). A map of surface rain rate for that region, deduced from simultaneous measurements made by the Precipitation Radar (PR) on board the TRMM satellite, reveals that these T85min, produced by scattering, correspond to local PR rain maxima. Utilizing the PR rain rate map as a guide, we have developed a TMI algorithm to retrieve convective and stratiform rain. In this algorithm, two parameters are used to classify three kinds of thunderstorms (Cbs) based on the T85 data: a) the magnitude of scattering depression deduced from local T85mi, and b) the mean horizontal gradient of T85 around such minima. Initially, the algorithm is optimized or tuned utilizing the PR and TMI data of a few MCS events. The areal distribution of light (1-10 mm/hr), moderate (10-20 mm/hr), and intense (greater than or equal to 20 mm/hr) rain rates are retrieved on the average with an accuracy of about 15%. Taking advantage of this ability of our retrieval method, one could derive the latent heat input into the atmosphere over the 760 km wide swath of the TMI radiometer in the tropics.

Fagaceae tree species allocate higher fraction of nitrogen to photosynthetic apparatus than Leguminosae in Jianfengling tropical montane rain forest, China

PubMed Central

Cheng, Ruimei; Shi, Zuomin; Xu, Gexi; Liu, Shirong; Centritto, Mauro

2018-01-01

Variation in photosynthetic-nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) is generally affected by several factors such as leaf nitrogen allocation and leaf diffusional conductances to CO2, although it is still unclear which factors significantly affect PNUE in tropical montane rain forest trees. In this study, comparison of PNUE, photosynthetic capacity, leaf nitrogen allocation, and diffusional conductances to CO2 between five Fagaceae tree species and five Leguminosae tree species were analyzed in Jianfengling tropical montane rain forest, Hainan Island, China. The result showed that PNUE of Fagaceae was significantly higher than that of Leguminosae (+35.5%), attributed to lower leaf nitrogen content per area (Narea, –29.4%). The difference in nitrogen allocation was the main biochemical factor that influenced interspecific variation in PNUE of these tree species. Fagaceae species allocated a higher fraction of leaf nitrogen to the photosynthetic apparatus (PP, +43.8%), especially to Rubisco (PR, +50.0%) and bioenergetics (PB +33.3%) in comparison with Leguminosae species. Leaf mass per area (LMA) of Leguminosae species was lower than that of Fagaceae species (-15.4%). While there was no significant difference shown for mesophyll conductance (gm), Fagaceae tree species may have greater chloroplast to total leaf surface area ratios and that offset the action of thicker cell walls on gm. Furthermore, weak negative relationship between nitrogen allocation in cell walls and in Rubisco was found for Castanopsis hystrix, Cyclobalanopsis phanera and Cy. patelliformis, which might imply that nitrogen in the leaves was insufficient for both Rubisco and cell walls. In summary, our study concluded that higher PNUE might contribute to the dominance of most Fagaceae tree species in Jianfengling tropical montane rain forest. PMID:29390007

Chemical and isotopic signature of old groundwater and magmatic solutes in a Costa Rican rain forest: Evidence from carbon, helium, and chlorine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genereux, David P.; Webb, Mathew; Solomon, D. Kip

2009-08-01

C, He, and Cl concentrations and isotopes in groundwater and surface water in a lowland Costa Rican rain forest are consistent with the mixing of two distinct groundwaters: (1) high-solute bedrock groundwater representing interbasin groundwater flow (IGF) into the rain forest and (2) low-solute local groundwater recharged in the lowlands. In bedrock groundwater, high δ13C (-4.89‰), low 14C (7.98 pM), high R/RA for He (6.88), and low 36Cl/Cl (17 × 10-15) suggest that elevated tracer concentrations are derived from magmatic outgassing and/or weathering of volcanic rock beneath nearby Volcan Barva. In local groundwater, the magmatic signature is absent, and data suggest atmospheric sources for He and Cl and a biogenic soil gas CO2 source for dissolved inorganic carbon. Dating of 14C suggests that the age of bedrock groundwater is 2400-4000 years (most likely at the lower end of the range). Local groundwater has 14C > 100 pM, indicating the presence of "bomb carbon" and thus ages less than ˜55 years. Overall, data are consistent with a conceptual hydrologic model originally proposed on the basis of water budget and major ion data: (1) large variation in solute concentrations can be explained by mixing of the two distinct groundwaters, (2) bedrock groundwater is much older than local groundwater, (3) elevated solute concentrations in bedrock groundwater are derived from volcanic fluids and/or rock, and (4) local groundwater has not interacted with volcanic rock. Tracers with different capabilities converge on the same hydrologic interpretation. Also, transport of magmatic CO2 into the lowland rain forest via IGF seems to be significant relative to other large ecosystem-level carbon fluxes.

Late Holocene and modern pollen records from three sites in Shannon and Carter Counties, southeast Missouri Ozarks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huber, J.K.

Palynological investigations of a small sinkhole bog (Buttonbush Bog) and two archaeological sites (Round Spring Shelter, Round Spring Site 23SH19 and Gooseneck Site 23CT54) located in Shannon and Carter counties, Missouri provide a 3,100 year record of vegetational change. Bryophytic polsters and surface samples were also collected in Shannon and Carter counties in the southeast Missouri Ozarks to determine modern pollen rain. A 302-cm core retrieved from Buttonbush Bog has a basal data of 3,130 [+-] 100 yr B.P. and a date of 1,400 [+-] 100 yr B.P. at 52--56 cm. The Buttonbush Bog pollen sequence is divided into threemore » pollen-assemblage zones. The pollen spectra from Buttonbush Bog indicate that pine did not become well established in the southeast Missouri Ozarks until after 3,100 yr B.P. Zone 1 (the oldest) represents a mixed oak forest with minor components of pine and hickory. In Zone 2, pine values increase, indicating a shift to a pine-oak forest. The pollen sequence from Round Spring Shelter is divided into two pollen-assemblage zones. The lower zone (Zone 1) suggests the presence of a pine-oak forest in the vicinity of Round Spring prior to an Ambrosia rise at the top of the sequence in Zone 2. Regional pollen rain and variation in the local pollen rain are reflected by modern pollen spectra extracted from the bryophytic polsters surface samples. In this area the average regional pollen rain is dominated by pine, oak, hickory, and Ambrosia. The data are consistent with the mosaic of pine-oak and oak-hickory-pine forests characteristic of this region.« less

Fagaceae tree species allocate higher fraction of nitrogen to photosynthetic apparatus than Leguminosae in Jianfengling tropical montane rain forest, China.

PubMed

Tang, Jingchao; Cheng, Ruimei; Shi, Zuomin; Xu, Gexi; Liu, Shirong; Centritto, Mauro

2018-01-01

Variation in photosynthetic-nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) is generally affected by several factors such as leaf nitrogen allocation and leaf diffusional conductances to CO2, although it is still unclear which factors significantly affect PNUE in tropical montane rain forest trees. In this study, comparison of PNUE, photosynthetic capacity, leaf nitrogen allocation, and diffusional conductances to CO2 between five Fagaceae tree species and five Leguminosae tree species were analyzed in Jianfengling tropical montane rain forest, Hainan Island, China. The result showed that PNUE of Fagaceae was significantly higher than that of Leguminosae (+35.5%), attributed to lower leaf nitrogen content per area (Narea, -29.4%). The difference in nitrogen allocation was the main biochemical factor that influenced interspecific variation in PNUE of these tree species. Fagaceae species allocated a higher fraction of leaf nitrogen to the photosynthetic apparatus (PP, +43.8%), especially to Rubisco (PR, +50.0%) and bioenergetics (PB +33.3%) in comparison with Leguminosae species. Leaf mass per area (LMA) of Leguminosae species was lower than that of Fagaceae species (-15.4%). While there was no significant difference shown for mesophyll conductance (gm), Fagaceae tree species may have greater chloroplast to total leaf surface area ratios and that offset the action of thicker cell walls on gm. Furthermore, weak negative relationship between nitrogen allocation in cell walls and in Rubisco was found for Castanopsis hystrix, Cyclobalanopsis phanera and Cy. patelliformis, which might imply that nitrogen in the leaves was insufficient for both Rubisco and cell walls. In summary, our study concluded that higher PNUE might contribute to the dominance of most Fagaceae tree species in Jianfengling tropical montane rain forest.

One-year delayed effect of fog on malaria transmission: a time-series analysis in the rain forest area of Mengla County, south-west China

PubMed Central

Tian, Linwei; Bi, Yan; Ho, Suzanne C; Liu, Wenjie; Liang, Song; Goggins, William B; Chan, Emily YY; Zhou, Shuisen; Sung, Joseph JY

2008-01-01

Background Malaria is a major public health burden in the tropics with the potential to significantly increase in response to climate change. Analyses of data from the recent past can elucidate how short-term variations in weather factors affect malaria transmission. This study explored the impact of climate variability on the transmission of malaria in the tropical rain forest area of Mengla County, south-west China. Methods Ecological time-series analysis was performed on data collected between 1971 and 1999. Auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were used to evaluate the relationship between weather factors and malaria incidence. Results At the time scale of months, the predictors for malaria incidence included: minimum temperature, maximum temperature, and fog day frequency. The effect of minimum temperature on malaria incidence was greater in the cool months than in the hot months. The fog day frequency in October had a positive effect on malaria incidence in May of the following year. At the time scale of years, the annual fog day frequency was the only weather predictor of the annual incidence of malaria. Conclusion Fog day frequency was for the first time found to be a predictor of malaria incidence in a rain forest area. The one-year delayed effect of fog on malaria transmission may involve providing water input and maintaining aquatic breeding sites for mosquitoes in vulnerable times when there is little rainfall in the 6-month dry seasons. These findings should be considered in the prediction of future patterns of malaria for similar tropical rain forest areas worldwide. PMID:18565224

Throughfall Monitoring Of Old Growth, Second Growth, And Cleared Vegetation Plots On Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prussian, K. M.

2006-12-01

The density of forest canopy affects the amount of rain reaching the forest floor in forested environments of Southeast Alaska. Less throughfall occurs in the second growth sites than in the old growth site and greater throughfall occurs in the clear-cut sites. More specifically, preliminary data show that SG sites received between 38 and 87% of the OG throughfall and the clear-cut sites experienced between 145 and 248% of the OG throughfall. Precipitation gages were used to monitor throughfall in each of the forested vegetation sites on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, as an indicator of the amount of water reaching the forest floor in these different forest types. Data collected during 2004 and 2005 included 23 storms ranging from 0.2 to 10.6 inches of rain in the clear-cut forest. This monitoring is an effort to determine the affect, if any, that forest management could have on throughfall, and furthermore, lend information to forest management effects on the water balance within a watershed. Site selection focused on similarities in location, elevation, aspect, and accessibility while accounting for the three varying vegetation conditions. Data collected during 2004 and 2005 sampling seasons were in the same sampling plots, while data collected in 2006 is a duplicate set of sites. Twenty-three storms were used to determine the affect, if any, that forest management could have on throughfall, and furthermore, lend information to forest management effects on the water balance within a watershed. The second growth stand was harvested in 1979 and is currently in stem re-initiation phase with thick conifer regeneration. The clear-cut site was harvested in 1999 and contains conifer vegetation, blueberry, and salmonberry vegetation less than five feet in height. Storms were defined as events that were clearly delineated by lack of rainfall for a period of time, or similar antecedent conditions, and totaled at least .2 inches of rain at the CC site. Analysis of a storm event began prior to rainfall (in the CC site) and terminated post throughfall in the SG sites.

Off-nadir antenna bias correction using Amazon rain sigma(0) data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birrer, I. J.; Dome, G. J.; Sweet, J.; Berthold, G.; Moore, R. K.

1982-01-01

The radar response from the Amazon rain forest was studied to determine the suitability of this region for use as a standard target to calibrate a scatterometer like that proposed for the National Oceanic Satellite System (NOSS). Backscattering observations made by the SEASAT Scatterometer System (SASS) showed the Amazon rain forest to be a homogeneous, azimuthally-isotropic, radar target which was insensitive to polarization. The variation with angle of incidence was adequately modeled as scattering coefficient (dB) = a theta b with typical values for the incidence-angle coefficient from 0.07 to 0.15 dB/deg. A small diurnal effect occurs, with measurements at sunrise being 0.5 dB to 1 dB higher than the rest of the day. Maximum-likelihood estimation algorithms presented here permit determination of relative bias and true pointing angle for each beam. Specific implementation of these algorithms for the proposed NOSS scatterometer system is also discussed.

Understory plant development in artificial canopy gaps in an 81-year-old forest stand on Chichagof Island, southeast Alaska

Treesearch

Scott Harris; Jeffrey Barnard

2017-01-01

This study assesses the understory plant response and associated effects on forage resources available to Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis), to the creation of artificial canopy gaps in a young-growth forest stand in the coastal temperate rain forest of southeast Alaska. The forest stand was approximately 58 years old when gaps were created and...

Roosevelt elk selection of temperate rain forest seral stages in western Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schroer, Greg L.; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Moorhead, Bruce B.

1993-01-01

We studied habitat selection by Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) in a temperate rain forest in the lower Queets River Valley of the western Olympic Peninsula, Washington from June 1986-July 1987. Elk annual home ranges included predominantly unlogged forests protected within Olympic National Park and logged, regenerating forests adjacent to the park. Radio-collared elk selected valley floors during all seasons except winter, when elk frequently used an adjoining plateau 60 m above the floodplain. In winder, radio-collared elk selected 6-15 year-old clearcuts, which were available on the plateau. Elk selected mature deciduous forests of the valley floor during spring, summer, and autumn, and generally they selected old-age Sitka spruce forests during autumn and winter. Young clearcuts (1-5 years old) and even-aged, regenerating stands (16-150 years old) generally were avoided during all seasons. Management practices that retain preferred habitat of elk, such as deciduous forests, 6-15 yr-old coniferous stands, and old-age coniferous bottomland forests will benefit elk, particularly on elk ranges managed for short-rotation, even-aged stands. Silvicultural alternatives to typical even-aged stand management, such as uneven-aged management and commercial thinning, should also be considered for improving and maintaining interspersion of forage and cover.

Seed rain dynamics following disturbance exclusion in a secondary tropical dry forest in Morelos, Mexico.

PubMed

Ceccon, Eliane; Hernández, Patricia

2009-01-01

In most of the legally protected areas in Mexico local inhabitants use natural resources, such as fire wood or cattle grazing. These frequent but low-intensity disturbances have consequences at various levels of the tropical ecosystems and strongly impact forest structure and its regeneration capacity. Despite their importance, the effects of these perturbations in many aspects of tropical forest ecology and in the forest's capacity to recover after disturbance exclusion remain poorly understood. Understanding the impact of these processes on tropical forests is necessary for rehabilitating these forests and enhancing their productivity. In this study, we evaluate the impact of twelve years of exclusion (E) of cattle grazing and fire wood extraction in the composition and dynamics of seed rain, and compare this assessment to a similar analysis in an area where these perturbations continued (without exclusion, WE). We found a strong seasonality in seed rain (96% of seeds fell in the dry season) in both areas. There were no significant differences between E and WE sites in relation to overall seed density, species richness and diversity. However, the distribution along the year of seed species density was significantly different among the E and WE sites. The Jaccard's similarity index between E and WE sites was relatively low (0.57). Barochory was the most common dispersal mode observed among the 23 species in terms of seed species density (48%), followed by anemochory (39%) and zoochory (13%). In relation to seed density, anemochory was the most frequent dispersal mode (88%). Most species in the zone were categorized as small seeds (92%), and there were no significant differences in the distribution of seed size between E and WE. The spatial pattern of dispersal of the four species with the highest relative importance value index, in both areas, was aggregated. Twelve years of disturbance exclusion were not enough to fully restore the seed rain of the area; some differences were already perceptible after this lapse. On the other hand, zoochorous species were almost absent from both sites. The re-introduction of climax and animal-dispersed species may be, in addition to perturbation exclusion, a viable strategy to accelerate ecological restoration in this area.

Ge/Si Ratios Record the Impact of Forest Conversion to Cropland on Soil Chemical Weathering Processes and Solutes Export to Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ameijeiras-Marino, Y.; Opfergelt, S.; Derry, L. A.; Robinet, J.; Delmelle, P.

2016-12-01

Soil weathering processes influence solute fluxes to rivers, playing a major role in global biogeochemical cycles. Land use change such as forest conversion to cropland enhances soil erosion, which mobilizes solutes and exposes new mineral surfaces to weathering processes, changing soil weathering degree. However, the impact of forest conversion to cropland on soil weathering degree and solute fluxes exported from soils to rivers remain poorly quantified. This study assesses the soil weathering degree and uses a geochemical tracer of weathering, Ge/Si ratio, to provide new insights on the impact of soil weathering processes under anthropogenic forcing on the transfer of solutes to rivers. A subtropical site was studied in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). This area is characterized by mean annual rainfall of 1800 mm, with strong rain events mobilizing high sediment load. A forested catchment is considered as the reference and compared to a catchment cultivated for the past 100 years (similar lithology and climate). Bedrock, soil, soil pore water and stream water (during base flow and rain events) samples were analysed for their chemical and mineralogical compositions and Ge/Si ratios (combined isotope dilution, HR-ICP-MS and hydride generation). Chemical and mineralogical analyses highlight that forest conversion to cropland decreases the soil weathering degree on steep slopes. Ge/Si ratios (μmol/mol) are comparable in bulk soils between the forested (2.33 ± 0.50) and the cultivated catchment (2.61 ± 0.62), but differ in soil pore waters between forest (0.47 ± 0.16) and culture (0.73 ± 0.15) indicating differences on soil weathering processes. The response of Ge/Si ratios in stream waters to a rain event differs between forest and culture, highlighting a larger contribution from soil pore waters to stream waters under culture. Altogether, our data support that land use history has an impact on the present day soil weathering processes and on the solute export to rivers.

Movement trajectories and habitat partitioning of small mammals in logged and unlogged rain forests on Borneo.

PubMed

Wells, Konstans; Pfeiffer, Martin; Lakim, Maklarin B; Kalko, Elisabeth K V

2006-09-01

1. Non-volant animals in tropical rain forests differ in their ability to exploit the habitat above the forest floor and also in their response to habitat variability. It is predicted that specific movement trajectories are determined both by intrinsic factors such as ecological specialization, morphology and body size and by structural features of the surrounding habitat such as undergrowth and availability of supportive structures. 2. We applied spool-and-line tracking in order to describe movement trajectories and habitat segregation of eight species of small mammals from an assemblage of Muridae, Tupaiidae and Sciuridae in the rain forest of Borneo where we followed a total of 13,525 m path. We also analysed specific changes in the movement patterns of the small mammals in relation to habitat stratification between logged and unlogged forests. Variables related to climbing activity of the tracked species as well as the supportive structures of the vegetation and undergrowth density were measured along their tracks. 3. Movement patterns of the small mammals differed significantly between species. Most similarities were found in congeneric species that converged strongly in body size and morphology. All species were affected in their movement patterns by the altered forest structure in logged forests with most differences found in Leopoldamys sabanus. However, the large proportions of short step lengths found in all species for both forest types and similar path tortuosity suggest that the main movement strategies of the small mammals were not influenced by logging but comprised generally a response to the heterogeneous habitat as opposed to random movement strategies predicted for homogeneous environments. 4. Overall shifts in microhabitat use showed no coherent trend among species. Multivariate (principal component) analysis revealed contrasting trends for convergent species, in particular for Maxomys rajah and M. surifer as well as for Tupaia longipes and T. tana, suggesting that each species was uniquely affected in its movement trajectories by a multiple set of environmental and intrinsic features.

Data driven analysis of rain events: feature extraction, clustering, microphysical /macro physical relationship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djallel Dilmi, Mohamed; Mallet, Cécile; Barthes, Laurent; Chazottes, Aymeric

2017-04-01

The study of rain time series records is mainly carried out using rainfall rate or rain accumulation parameters estimated on a fixed integration time (typically 1 min, 1 hour or 1 day). In this study we used the concept of rain event. In fact, the discrete and intermittent natures of rain processes make the definition of some features inadequate when defined on a fixed duration. Long integration times (hour, day) lead to mix rainy and clear air periods in the same sample. Small integration time (seconds, minutes) will lead to noisy data with a great sensibility to detector characteristics. The analysis on the whole rain event instead of individual short duration samples of a fixed duration allows to clarify relationships between features, in particular between macro physical and microphysical ones. This approach allows suppressing the intra-event variability partly due to measurement uncertainties and allows focusing on physical processes. An algorithm based on Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Self Organising Maps (SOM) is developed to obtain a parsimonious characterisation of rain events using a minimal set of variables. The use of self-organizing map (SOM) is justified by the fact that it allows to map a high dimensional data space in a two-dimensional space while preserving as much as possible the initial space topology in an unsupervised way. The obtained SOM allows providing the dependencies between variables and consequently removing redundant variables leading to a minimal subset of only five features (the event duration, the rain rate peak, the rain event depth, the event rain rate standard deviation and the absolute rain rate variation of order 0.5). To confirm relevance of the five selected features the corresponding SOM is analyzed. This analysis shows clearly the existence of relationships between features. It also shows the independence of the inter-event time (IETp) feature or the weak dependence of the Dry percentage in event (Dd%e) feature. This confirms that a rain time series can be considered by an alternation of independent rain event and no rain period. The five selected feature are used to perform a hierarchical clustering of the events. The well-known division between stratiform and convective events appears clearly. This classification into two classes is then refined in 5 fairly homogeneous subclasses. The data driven analysis performed on whole rain events instead of fixed length samples allows identifying strong relationships between macrophysics (based on rain rate) and microphysics (based on raindrops) features. We show that among the 5 identified subclasses some of them have specific microphysics characteristics. Obtaining information on microphysical characteristics of rainfall events from rain gauges measurement suggests many implications in development of the quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE), for the improvement of rain rate retrieval algorithm in remote sensing context.

Global Variability of Mesoscale Convective System Anvil Structure from A-Train Satellite Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuan, Jian; Houze, Robert A.

2010-01-01

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) in the tropics produce extensive anvil clouds, which significantly affect the transfer of radiation. This study develops an objective method to identify MCSs and their anvils by combining data from three A-train satellite instruments: Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for cloud-top size and coldness, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) for rain area size and intensity, and CloudSat for horizontal and vertical dimensions of anvils. The authors distinguish three types of MCSs: small and large separated MCSs and connected MCSs. The latter are MCSs sharing a contiguous rain area. Mapping of the objectively identified MCSs shows patterns of MCSs that are consistent with previous studies of tropical convection, with separated MCSs dominant over Africa and the Amazon regions and connected MCSs favored over the warm pool of the Indian and west Pacific Oceans. By separating the anvil from the raining regions of MCSs, this study leads to quantitative global maps of anvil coverage. These maps are consistent with the MCS analysis, and they lay the foundation for estimating the global radiative effects of anvil clouds. CloudSat radar data show that the modal thickness of MCS anvils is about 4-5 km. Anvils are mostly confined to within 1.5-2 times the equivalent radii of the primary rain areas of the MCSs. Over the warm pool, they may extend out to about 5 times the rain area radii. The warm ocean MCSs tend to have thicker non-raining and lightly raining anvils near the edges

Millennial-Scale ITCZ Variability in the Tropical Atlantic and Dynamics of Amazonian Rain Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Auler, A. S.; Edwards, R. L.; Cheng, H.; Shen, C.; Smart, P. L.; Richards, D. A.

2003-12-01

Precipitation in the Amazon Basin is largely related to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) in the tropical Atlantic which undergoes a regular seasonal migration. We chose a site south of the present day rainforest in semiarid northeastern Brazil, in order to study the timing of pluvial periods when the southern extend of the ITCZ would have been much further south than today. Shifts in the ITCZ position may have influenced the dynamics of rain forest and species diversity. We collected speleothems from northern Bahia state, located southeast of Amazonia. Age determinations with U-series dating methods show that samples grew rapidly during relatively short intervals (several hundreds of years) of glacial periods in the last 210 kyr. In addition, paleopluvial phases delineated by speleothem growth intervals show millennial-scale variations. Pluvial phases coincide with the timing of weak East Asian summer monsoon intensities (Wang et al., 2001, Science 294: 2345-2348), which have been correlated to the timing of stadials in Greenland ice core records and Heinrich events (Bond and Lotti, 1995, Science 267: 1005-1010). Furthermore, these intervals correspond to the periods of light color reflectance of Cariaco Basin sediments from ODP Hole 1002C (Peterson et al., 2000, Science, 290: 1947-1951), which was suggested to be caused by a southward shift of the northernmost position of the ITCZ and decreased rainfall in this region. Abrupt precipitation changes in northeastern Brazil may be due to the southward displacement of the southernmost position of the ITCZ associated with atmosphere-ocean circulation changes caused by (1) an increase in northern high latitude-tropical temperature gradient (Chiang et al., 2003, Paleoceanography, in press), and/or (2) the bipolar seesaw mechanism (Broecker et al., 1998, Paleoceanography 13: 119-121) during these Heinrich events. Pluvial phases are also coincident with higher insolation at 10° S during austral autumn. This association implies that insolation may contribute to the southward shift of the ITCZ and enhanced precipitation in northeastern Brazil. The mean latitudinal migration of the ITCZ in the tropical Atlantic may force Amazon rain forest dynamics. Fossils and geomorphologic evidence found nearby indicate much wetter climates and possible tropical rainforest expansion to this locality in the past (Auler and Smart, 2001, Quaternary Research 55: 159-167). Furthermore, low δ 13C (around -11‰ ) values in speleothems suggest an extensive C3 forest coverage, different from current drought-resistant caatinga vegetation. During time of high rainfall, northeastern Brazil may act as a migration corridor between two species-rich communities, the Amazon Rain Forest and the Atlantic Rain Forest.

Feeding group responses of a Neotropical termite assemblage to rain forest fragmentation.

PubMed

Davies, Richard G

2002-10-01

Biomass collapse and its associated microclimatic stresses within recently isolated rain forest fragments may negatively affect species diversity of most resident taxa. However, for some decomposer organisms, increased resource availability via accompanying tree die-off may effect positive responses, at least for a time, with implications for rates of nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas release. This study investigates the early effects of forest fragmentation on a Neotropical termite assemblage. Numbers of encounters (surrogate for relative abundance) and species richness of wood and leaf-litter feeders, soil feeders, and the whole assemblage, were studied across true forest islands and mainland sites at a hydroelectric reservoir in French Guiana. Results showed no overall effect of fragmentation on either total termite encounters or species richness. However, numbers of encounters and species richness of wood and leaf-litter feeders showed positive responses to forest fragmentation. By contrast, soil feeders showed a negative response for numbers of encounters and no significant effect for species richness. Environmental data suggest that increased tree die-off, and other edge effects associated with biomass collapse, were underway at the time of sampling. Resulting increase in resource availability may therefore explain the positive influence on wood and leaf-litter feeders. A possible decrease in predation pressure from ants with decrease in island size was not tested for, but was a likely effect of the flooded matrix habitat. Fragmentation effects on soil feeder encounters may be due to the energetic and microclimatic constraints of feeding lower down the humification gradient of termite food substrates, but were not sufficient to affect species richness. The patterns revealed suggest that rates of wood decomposition following tree die-off, and of soil nutrient cycling, under different rain forest fragmentation scenarios, merit further study.

Short dry spells in the wet season increase mortality of tropical pioneer seedlings.

PubMed

Engelbrecht, Bettina M J; Dalling, James W; Pearson, Timothy R H; Wolf, Robert L; Gálvez, David A; Koehler, Tobias; Tyree, Melvin T; Kursar, Thomas A

2006-06-01

Variation in plant species performance in response to water availability offers a potential axis for temporal and spatial habitat partitioning and may therefore affect community composition in tropical forests. We hypothesized that short dry spells during the wet season are a significant source of mortality for the newly emerging seedlings of pioneer species that recruit in treefall gaps in tropical forests. An analysis of a 49-year rainfall record for three forests across a rainfall gradient in central Panama confirmed that dry spells of > or = 10 days during the wet season occur on average once a year in a deciduous forest, and once every other year in a semi-deciduous moist and an evergreen wet forest. The effect of wet season dry spells on the recruitment of pioneers was investigated by comparing seedling survival in rain-protected dry plots and irrigated control plots in four large artificially created treefall gaps in a semi-deciduous tropical forest. In rain-protected plots surface soil layers dried rapidly, leading to a strong gradient in water potential within the upper 10 cm of soil. Seedling survival for six pioneer species was significantly lower in rain-protected than in irrigated control plots after only 4 days. The strength of the irrigation effect differed among species, and first became apparent 3-10 days after treatments started. Root allocation patterns were significantly, or marginally significantly, different between species and between two groups of larger and smaller seeded species. However, they were not correlated with seedling drought sensitivity, suggesting allocation is not a key trait for drought sensitivity in pioneer seedlings. Our data provide strong evidence that short dry spells in the wet season differentially affect seedling survivorship of pioneer species, and may therefore have important implications to seedling demography and community dynamics.

The impact of land use change on the energy and water fluxes between atmosphere and tropical vegetation in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falk, U.; Ibrom, A.; Kreilein, H.; Oltchev, A.; Gravenhorst, G.

2003-12-01

The conversion of tropical rain forest to agriculturally used land is a widespread process throughout Indonesia. Besides the effects on the biological diversity and the hydrological functions of a forest, this also has an impact on the turbulent exchange processes between vegetation and atmosphere, the radiative properties of the surface and therefore on atmospheric boundary layer and local climate. Within the framework of the project STORMA "Stability of rain forest margins" (SFB 552, University Goettingen, financed by the German Research Foundation), the energy and water fluxes above one of the major land use types, a Cacao plantation, were investigated using the Eddy-Covariance method. Simultaneously meteorological measurements of the variables wind speed and velocity, temperature, humidity, rainfall, soil heat flux and the components of the radiation budget were performed, in order to complete the energy balance and investigate the dependencies of the turbulent exchange processes on the atmospheric boundary conditions. The measurements are being compared to a SVAT model, providing the heat flux into the vegetation. Energy balance closure is used as a means to check the quality of the measured fluxes. The comparison to measurements above undisturbed rain forest by means of the ratio of sensible to latent heat flux, the Bowen ratio, indicates a significantly different boundary layer regime of the atmosphere above the Cacao.

Production of Alkaline Cellulase by Fungi Isolated from an Undisturbed Rain Forest of Peru

PubMed Central

Vega, Karin; Villena, Gretty K.; Sarmiento, Victor H.; Ludeña, Yvette; Vera, Nadia; Gutiérrez-Correa, Marcel

2012-01-01

Alkaline cellulase producing fungi were isolated from soils of an undisturbed rain forest of Peru. The soil dilution plate method was used for the enumeration and isolation of fast growing cellulolytic fungi on an enriched selective medium. Eleven out of 50 different morphological colonies were finally selected by using the plate clearing assay with CMC as substrate at different pH values. All 11 strains produced cellulases in liquid culture with activities at alkaline pH values without an apparent decrease of them indicating that they are true alkaline cellulase producers. Aspergillus sp. LM-HP32, Penicillium sp. LM-HP33, and Penicillium sp. LM-HP37 were the best producers of FP cellulase (>3 U mL−1) with higher specific productivities (>30 U g−1 h−1). Three strains have been found suitable for developing processes for alkaline cellulase production. Soils from Amazonian rain forests are good sources of industrial fungi with particular characteristics. The results of the present study are of commercial and biological interest. Alkaline cellulases may be used in the polishing and washing of denim processing of the textile industry. PMID:23213539

Foreign petroleum companies developing new paradigm for operating in rain forest region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, B.

1997-04-21

Multinational petroleum companies working in South America are gradually sculpting a new paradigm of how to operate in a rain forest with utmost regard for its indigenous people and environmental resources. This new paradigm can serve as a litmus test for the future of oil and gas operations in the rain forest--not only for South America, but for other such jungle settings around the world. And the lessons learned here can readily be adopted as standard operating procedures for projects involving other environments and communities, from the natives of arctic deserts to the mean streets of the urban poor. Thismore » is more than a new wrinkle in public relations for an oil and gas company. What`s involved is a need for a company to recognize that it must move beyond compliance on laws and permits and regulations into the next stage: a top-to-bottom commitment to partnership with all the stakeholders in a project, not just the companies themselves and the respective government with ownership of hydrocarbon resources. The paper discusses the changing focus, industry`s traditional responses, new strategy, ARCO`s plan, self-sufficient, and what`s at stake.« less

Influence of understory cover on soil water and evaporation fluxes: a trial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Rodríguez, César; Magdalena Warter, Maria; Coenders-Gerrits, Miriam

2017-04-01

Within a forest ecosystem the litter layer is an important hydrological component and contributes towards the water and energy exchange between the sub-canopy and the soil. Evaporation within a forest is made up of different fractions coming from the dry soil, vegetation and litter layers. The quantification and partitioning of each fraction remains difficult as there is hard to estimate correctly the amount of water moved by evaporation or percolation at ecosystem level. With the aim to determine the influence of forest understory on the evaporation fluxes, four ground cover types were selected from the Speulderbos forest in the Netherlands. The mosses species of "Thamariskmoss" (Thuidium thamariscinum), "Rough Stalked Feathermoss" (Brachythecium rutabulum), and "Haircapmoss" (Polytrichum commune) were compared with a litter layer made up of Douglas-Fir needles (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Four PVC basins with 40cm x 60cm were filled with forest soil and sheltered with the selected ground covers. Each box was equipped with a soil moisture sensor, and a set Temperature and Relative Humidity sensors to determine the VPD during the study period. The study period lasts 4 weeks, while the percolation rates were measured in a daily basis. The rainfall events were simulated in the lab, applying the same rain event to each box at the same time. A total amount of 43.12 mm of rain were added to the boxes during the 4 weeks of the experiment, and distributed in 11 rain events which differ in amount and timing between events. The percolation in all the boxes was more than the 50% of the rain events due to the sandy condition of the soil, while the evaporation rates were affected not only by the room atmospheric conditions, but for the cover type present in each box. Except for the Polytrichum moss, a moss known for its water conducting abilities, all cover types showed a decline before and increase after a rain event. This species showed a steady increase in soil water content over the sampling period due to keeping the water longer in the surface. The evaporation was driven partly by the temperature in the room, while the structural characteristics of the mosses allow the differences in evaporation rates showed along the study period.

Tree seed rain and seed removal, but not the seed bank, impede forest recovery in bracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn)-dominated clearings in the African highlands.

PubMed

Ssali, Fredrick; Moe, Stein R; Sheil, Douglas

2018-04-01

Considerable areas dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn occur worldwide and are associated with arrested forest recovery. How forest recovery is impeded in these areas remains poorly understood, especially in the African highlands. The component processes that can lead to recruitment limitation-including low seed arrival, availability and persistence-are important determinants of plant communities and offer a potential explanation for bracken persistence. We investigated key processes that can contribute to recruitment limitation in bracken-dominated clearings in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. We examined if differences in seed rain (dispersal limitation), soil seed bank, or seed removal (seed viability and persistence) can, individually or in combination, explain the differences in tree regeneration found between bracken-dominated areas and the neighboring forest. These processes were assessed along ten 50-m transects crossing the forest-bracken boundary. When compared to the neighboring forest, bracken clearings had fewer seedlings (bracken 11,557 ± 5482 vs. forest 34,515 ± 6066 seedlings/ha), lower seed rain (949 ± 582 vs. 1605 ± 335 tree seeds m -2  year -1 ), comparable but sparse soil seed bank (304 ± 236 vs. 264 ± 99 viable tree seeds/m 2 ), higher seed removal (70.1% ± 2.4% vs. 40.6% ± 2.4% over a 3-day interval), and markedly higher rodent densities (25.7 ± 5.4 vs. 5.0 ± 1.6 rodents per 100 trapping sessions). Camera traps revealed that rodents were the dominant animals visiting the seeds in our seed removal study. Synthesis : Recruitment limitation contributes to both the slow recovery of forest in bracken-dominated areas, and to the composition of the tree species that occur. Low seed arrival and low persistence of unburied seeds can both explain the reduced density of seedlings found in bracken versus neighboring forest. Seed removal, likely due to rodents, in particular appears sufficient to constrain forest recovery and impacts some species more severely than others.

Soil-water relations of shallow forested soils during flash floods in West Virginia

Treesearch

James H. Patric

1981-01-01

On May 24, 1978, heavy rain caused flash flooding on densely forested land near Parsons, in Tucker County, West Virginia. Poststorm evidences of soil and water behavior were examined in detail on soils related to the Dekalb and Leetonia series. Other flash floods struck seven forested sections of the state in August. Less detailed observation after these storms...

H.T. Odum and the Luquillo Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Ariel E. Lugo

2004-01-01

How does the forest operate, develop its patterns, retain information in its memory sites, and transmit the great message to the future? (Odum, 1970a, p. x) The rain forest achieves complexity, high metabolism, and stability over geological time periods without surges and waste. Can we find in this example the clues for designing our own equally effective systems of...

1954 forest fire weather in western Oregon and Washington.

Treesearch

Owen P. Cramer

1954-01-01

For the second successive fire season forest fire weather in western Oregon and Washington was far below normal severity. The low danger is reflected in record low numbers of fires reported by forestry offices of both States and by the U. S. Forest Service for their respective protection areas. Although spring and fall fire weather was near normal, a rain-producing...

Basal area growth for 15 tropical tree species in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Bernard R. Parresol

1995-01-01

The tabonuco forests of Puerto Rico support a diverse population of tree species valued for timber, fuel, food, wildlife food and cover, and erosion control among other uses. Tree basal area growth data spanning 39 years are available on 15 species from eight permanent plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. The complexity of the rain forest challenges current...

Repelling invaders: Hawaiian foresters use ecology to counter invasive species

Treesearch

Jim Kling; Julie Featured: Denslow; Tracy Johnson; Susan Cordell

2008-01-01

The Hawaiian Islands are one of the United States' most treasured natural resources. Their natural beauty attracts legions of visitors every year, and they represent a unique set of ecosystems. Despite their limited geographic size, Hawai‘i hosts a remarkable range of habitats. On some islands, dry tropical forest, wet rain forest, and alpine ecosystems are found...

Aerosol emissions by tropical forest and savanna biomass burning: Characteristic trace elements and fluxes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Echalar, F.; Gaudichet, A.; Cachier, H.

1995-11-15

This report characterizes and compares trace element emissions from fires of three different types of savannas and from the southwestern amazonian rain forest. This study tries to verify a fingerprint that may characterize savanna fires or tropical biomass burning.

Identifying Priority Areas for Conservation: A Global Assessment for Forest-Dependent Birds

PubMed Central

Buchanan, Graeme M.; Donald, Paul F.; Butchart, Stuart H. M.

2011-01-01

Limited resources are available to address the world's growing environmental problems, requiring conservationists to identify priority sites for action. Using new distribution maps for all of the world's forest-dependent birds (60.6% of all bird species), we quantify the contribution of remaining forest to conserving global avian biodiversity. For each of the world's partly or wholly forested 5-km cells, we estimated an impact score of its contribution to the distribution of all the forest bird species estimated to occur within it, and so is proportional to the impact on the conservation status of the world's forest-dependent birds were the forest it contains lost. The distribution of scores was highly skewed, a very small proportion of cells having scores several orders of magnitude above the global mean. Ecoregions containing the highest values of this score included relatively species-poor islands such as Hawaii and Palau, the relatively species-rich islands of Indonesia and the Philippines, and the megadiverse Atlantic Forests and northern Andes of South America. Ecoregions with high impact scores and high deforestation rates (2000–2005) included montane forests in Cameroon and the Eastern Arc of Tanzania, although deforestation data were not available for all ecoregions. Ecoregions with high impact scores, high rates of recent deforestation and low coverage by the protected area network included Indonesia's Seram rain forests and the moist forests of Trinidad and Tobago. Key sites in these ecoregions represent some of the most urgent priorities for expansion of the global protected areas network to meet Convention on Biological Diversity targets to increase the proportion of land formally protected to 17% by 2020. Areas with high impact scores, rapid deforestation, low protection and high carbon storage values may represent significant opportunities for both biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, for example through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives. PMID:22205998

Avian studies and research opportunities in the Luquillo Experimental Forest: a tropical rain forest in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Joseph Wunderle, Jr; Wayne J. Arendt

2011-01-01

The Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) located on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has a rich history of ecological research, including a variety of avian studies, and is one of the most active ecological research sites in the Neotropics. The LEF spans an elevational range from 100 to 1075mover which five life zones and four forest types are found in a warm, humid...

Comparing the sustainability of different action policy possibilities: application to the issue of both household survival and forest preservation in the corridor of Fianarantsoa.

PubMed

Bernard, C; Martin, S

2013-10-01

A sustainability issue for the rain forest in the corridor of Fianarantsoa (Madagascar) is to preserve the forest while ensuring the development of the local population. The aim of this paper is to determine whether the current situation is sustainable or not according to different action policy possibilities. We propose a general procedure based on viability analysis: Translation of sustainability issues into constraints on the system state; elaboration of a mathematical model of system evolution rules in the form of controlled dynamical system; computations of the viability kernels according to different action policy possibilities. Among control variables, we focus on monetary transfer. Without monetary transfer, we show that the current situation of the rain forest corridor is not sustainable in our mathematical modeling framework. We then estimate the minimal maximal amount per year necessary to make the current situation sustainable. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Towards ground-truthing of spaceborne estimates of above-ground life biomass and leaf area index in tropical rain forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köhler, P.; Huth, A.

2010-08-01

The canopy height h of forests is a key variable which can be obtained using air- or spaceborne remote sensing techniques such as radar interferometry or LIDAR. If new allometric relationships between canopy height and the biomass stored in the vegetation can be established this would offer the possibility for a global monitoring of the above-ground carbon content on land. In the absence of adequate field data we use simulation results of a tropical rain forest growth model to propose what degree of information might be generated from canopy height and thus to enable ground-truthing of potential future satellite observations. We here analyse the correlation between canopy height in a tropical rain forest with other structural characteristics, such as above-ground life biomass (AGB) (and thus carbon content of vegetation) and leaf area index (LAI) and identify how correlation and uncertainty vary for two different spatial scales. The process-based forest growth model FORMIND2.0 was applied to simulate (a) undisturbed forest growth and (b) a wide range of possible disturbance regimes typically for local tree logging conditions for a tropical rain forest site on Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia) in South-East Asia. In both undisturbed and disturbed forests AGB can be expressed as a power-law function of canopy height h (AGB = a · hb) with an r2 ~ 60% if data are analysed in a spatial resolution of 20 m × 20 m (0.04 ha, also called plot size). The correlation coefficient of the regression is becoming significant better in the disturbed forest sites (r2 = 91%) if data are analysed hectare wide. There seems to exist no functional dependency between LAI and canopy height, but there is also a linear correlation (r2 ~ 60%) between AGB and the area fraction of gaps in which the canopy is highly disturbed. A reasonable agreement of our results with observations is obtained from a comparison of the simulations with permanent sampling plot (PSP) data from the same region and with the large-scale forest inventory in Lambir. We conclude that the spaceborne remote sensing techniques such as LIDAR and radar interferometry have the potential to quantify the carbon contained in the vegetation, although this calculation contains due to the heterogeneity of the forest landscape structural uncertainties which restrict future applications to spatial averages of about one hectare in size. The uncertainties in AGB for a given canopy height are here 20-40% (95% confidence level) corresponding to a standard deviation of less than ± 10%. This uncertainty on the 1 ha-scale is much smaller than in the analysis of 0.04 ha-scale data. At this small scale (0.04 ha) AGB can only be calculated out of canopy height with an uncertainty which is at least of the magnitude of the signal itself due to the natural spatial heterogeneity of these forests.

75 FR 16719 - Information Collection; Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National Forest...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... Collection; Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National Forest Planning AGENCY: Forest... on the new information collection, Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National... holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National...

Biogenic emissions and biomass burning influences on the chemistry of the fogwater and stratiform precipitations in the African equatorial forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacaux, J. P.; Loemba-Ndembi, J.; Lefeivre, B.; Cros, B.; Delmas, R.

An automatic wet-only precipitation collector and a fogwater collector were operated in the coastal forest of equatorial Congo (Dimonika), for a complete seasonal cycle (November 1986-September 1987). Inorganic (Na +, K +, NH 4+, Ca 2+, NO 3-, Cl -, SO 42-) and organic (HCOO -, CH 3COO -) ions were determined in 33 stratiform rain events and nine fog events. With the raindrop size distributions, measured over a 1 year period (June 1988-June 1989) at the site of Enyelé in the Equatorial forest of Congo, were established the relationship between the liquid water content ( LWC in gm -3) and the rate of rainfall ( R in mm h -1) for the stratiform rains: LWC = 0.055 × R0.871 with a correlation coefficient of 0.98. Taking into account the dilution effect due to LWC, ionic concentrations of fogwater and stratiform precipitation are enriched during the dry season. In particular, K +, NO 3-, SO 42- and Ca 2+ are considerably enriched indicating the seasonal influence of the biomass burning due to savanna fires and terrigenous source from deserts of the Southern Hemisphere. Comparison of the chemical contents of fogwater—which mainly represents the local emission of the forest—and stratiform precipitation—which represent the air chemical content of the planetary boundary layer—during the dry season enabled us to show the following. Fog and rain with comparable chemical contents in mineral elements indicate a generalized contamination of the boundary layer by marine (Na +, Cl -), terrigenous (Ca 2+) and above all by biomass burning (K +, NO 3-, SO 42-) sources. The organic content (HCOO -, CH 3COO -) higher for the fogs than for rains, unexplainable by the dilution effect, has its source at a local level in the forest ecosystem. The estimation, from the organic content of fog and rain, of the gaseous concentrations of formic and acetic acids confirm the production of carboxylic acids measured in Amazonia during ABLE (for HCOOH : 510 ppt at canopy level and 170 ppt in free troposphere and for CH 3COOH : 410 ppt and 210 ppt, respectively).

Peak discharges in steep mountain catchments in relation to rainfall variability, vegetation cover and geomorphology of the Rift Valley Escarpment of Northern Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebreyohannes, Tesfaalem; Frankl, Amaury; Haile, Mitiku; Abraha, Amanuel; Monsieurs, Elise; Nyssen, Jan

2015-04-01

The hydrological characteristics of steep mountain streams are often considered to be mainly influenced by rainfall distribution and topography. In this study, with the objective of analyzing the runoff response of mountain catchments, a total of 340 peak stage discharges were recorded in three rainy seasons (2012-2014) in 11 sloping (27-65%) mountain catchments (0.4 - 25 km²) of the marginal western Rift Valley escarpment of Northern Ethiopia. Daily rainfall data were collected using 7 rain gauges installed at different altitudes (1623 - 2851 m a.s.l) in and nearby the catchments, and used to calculate weighted average daily rain depths over the catchments. Event peak discharges were calculated from daily measurements by 11 crest stage gauges using the Manning's equation. Percentages of land use and cover classes were detected from high resolution (0.6 m) Google Earth imagery (February 1, 2014). Morphometric characteristics of the catchments were computed from ASTER digital elevation model and topographic maps. Correlation analysis between daily rainfall and peak discharge showed direct relationship (R² = 0.5-0.94, P<0.01) in all the catchments. The average specific peak discharge was negatively related to percentage of forest and grass cover (R² = 0.64, P<0.01), time of concentration (R² = 0.31, P<0.01), drainage texture (R² = 0.42, P<0.01), and catchment perimeter (R² = 0.36, P<0.01). The specific peak discharge was positively correlated with average slope gradient of the catchments (R² = 0.34, P<0.01) and with an index representing the spatial distribution of forest and grass cover (R² = 0.43, P<0.01). A stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that 84% (P<0.01) of the variability of the runoff response in the catchments can be predicted by the percentage of forest and grass cover and the relief ratio of the catchments. All in all, this study demonstrates that the magnitude of flash floods in mountain catchments is not only influenced by the morphometric characteristics of the catchments and by rainfall, but more importantly even by vegetation cover (forest and grasses).

Impacts of acid precipitation on coniferous forest ecosystems

Treesearch

Gunnar Abrahamsen; Richard Horntvedt; Bjorn Tveite

1976-01-01

This paper summarizes the results from current studies in Norway. One main approach is the application of artificial acid "rain" and of lime to field plots and lysimeters. Application during two growth seasons of 50 mm per month of "rain water" of pH 3 to a podzol soil increased the acidity of the humus and decreased the base saturation. The...

Multitrophic effects of calcium availability on invasive alien plants, birds, and bird prey items

Treesearch

Vince D' Amico; Greg Shriver; Jake Bowman; Meg Ballard; Whitney Wiest; Liz Tymkiw; Melissa Miller

2011-01-01

Acid rain alters forest soil calcium concentrations in two ways: (1) hydrogen ions displace exchangeable calcium adsorbed to soil surfaces, and (2) aluminum is released to soil water by acid rain and displaces adsorbed calcium. This increases the absorption of aluminum by plant roots, and decreases the absorption of calcium, causing calcium to be more readily leached...

Acid Rain Effects on Adirondack Streams - Results from the 2003-05 Western Adirondack Stream Survey (the WASS Project)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lawrence, Gregory B.; Roy, Karen M.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Simonin, Howard A.; Passy, Sophia I.; Bode, Robert W.; Capone, Susan B.

2009-01-01

Traditionally lakes have been the focus of acid rain assessments in the Adirondack region of New York. However, there is a growing recognition of the importance of streams as environmental indicators. Streams, like lakes, also provide important aquatic habitat, but streams more closely reflect acid rain effects on soils and forests and are more prone to acidification than lakes. Therefore, a large-scale assessment of streams was undertaken in the drainage basins of the Oswegatchie and Black Rivers; an area of 4,585 km2 in the western Adirondack region where acid rain levels tend to be highest in New York State.

Forest - water dynamics in a Mediterranean mountain environment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliades, Marinos; Bruggeman, Adriana; Lange, Manfred; Camera, Corrado; Christou, Andreas

2015-04-01

In semi-arid Mediterranean mountain environments, the soil layer is very shallow or even absent due to the steep slopes. Soil moisture in these environments is limited, but still vegetation thrives. There is limited knowledge about where the vegetation extracts the water from, how much water it uses, and how it interacts with other processes in the hydrological cycle. The main objective of this study is to quantify the water balance components of a Pinus brutia forest at tree level, by measuring the tree transpiration and the redistribution of the water from trees to the soil and the bedrock fractures. The study area is located on a forested hill slope on the outside edge of Peristerona watershed in Cyprus. The site was mapped with the use of a total station and a differentially-corrected GPS, in order to create a high resolution DEM and soil depth map of the area. Soil depth was measured at a 1-m grid around the trees. Biometric measurements were taken from a total of 45 trees. Four trees were selected for monitoring. Six sap flow sensors are installed in the selected trees for measuring transpiration and reverse flows. Two trees have two sensors each to assess the variability. Four volumetric soil moisture sensors are installed around each tree at distances 1 m and 2 m away from the tree trunk. An additional fifth soil moisture sensor is installed in soil depths exceeding 20-cm depth. Four throughfall rain gauges were installed randomly around each tree to compute interception losses. Stemflow is measured by connecting an opened surface plastic tube collar at 1.6 m height around each tree trunk. The trunk surface gaps were filled with silicon glue in order to avoid any stemflow losses. The plastic collar is connected to a sealed surface rain gauge. A weather station monitors all meteorological variables on an hourly basis. Results showed a maximum sap flow volume of 77.9 L/d, from November to January. The sensors also measured a maximum negative flow of 7.9 L/d, indicating reverse flow. Soil moisture ranged between 10 to 37 % at all sensors. Soil moisture contents showed an increase over 100% after rainfall events, but decreased quickly. Also individual sensor peak values were recorded when rainfall was not occurring, indicating soil moisture increase as a result of reverse flow. Interception losses revealed values, ranging from 10% to 50 % of the total rainfall. Stem flow was recorded after intense rain fall events. To our knowledge, this is the first water use quantification study for Pinus brutia trees. The negative sap flow implies that these trees have the ability to harvest water from the air moisture and redistribute it in the ground. Perhaps part of the intercepted water is captured by the tree and thus contributing to the negative sap flow. All the variables will be monitored for two more years to quantify the role of the trees in the water balance of the area.

Temperate rain forest species partition fine-scale gradients in light availability based on their leaf mass per area (LMA)

PubMed Central

Fajardo, Alex; Siefert, Andrew

2016-01-01

Background and Aims Ecologists are increasingly using plant functional traits to predict community assembly, but few studies have linked functional traits to species’ responses to fine-scale resource gradients. In this study, it was tested whether saplings of woody species partition fine-scale gradients in light availability based on their leaf mass per area (LMA) in three temperate rain forests and one Mediterranean forest in southern Chile. Methods LMA was measured under field conditions of all woody species contained in approx. 60 plots of 2 m2 in each site, and light availability, computed as the gap light index (GLI), was determined. For each site, species’ pairwise differences in mean LMA (Δ LMA) and abundance-weighted mean GLI (Δ light response) of 2 m2 plots were calculated and it was tested whether they were positively related using Mantel tests, i.e. if species with different LMA values differed in their response to light availability. Additionally linear models were fitted to the relationship between plot-level mean LMA and GLI across plots for each site. Key Results A positive and significant relationship was found between species’ pairwise differences in mean LMA and differences in light response across species for all temperate rain forests, but not for the Mediterranean forest. The results also indicated a significant positive interspecific link between LMA and light availability for all forests. This is in contrast to what is traditionally reported and to expectations from the leaf economics spectrum. Conclusions In environments subjected to light limitation, interspecific differences in a leaf trait (LMA) can explain the fine-scale partitioning of light availability gradients by woody plant species. This niche partitioning potentially facilitates species coexistence at the within-community level. The high frequency of evergreen shade-intolerant species in these forests may explain the positive correlation between light availability and LMA. PMID:27604280

Litterfall production along successional and altitudinal gradients of subtropical monsoon evergreen broadleaved forests in Guangdong, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, G.; Guan, L.; Wei, X.; Zhang, Dongxiao; Zhang, Q.; Yan, J.; Wen, D.; Liu, J.; Liu, S.; Huang, Z.; Kong, G.; Mo, J.; Yu, Q.

2007-01-01

Evaluation of litterfall production is important for understanding nutrient cycling, forest growth, successional pathways, and interactions with environmental variables in forest ecosystems. Litterfall was intensively studied during the period of 1982-2001 in two subtropical monsoon vegetation gradients in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, China. The two gradients include: (1) a successional gradient composed of pine forest (PF), mixed pine and broadleaved forest (MF) and monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest (BF), and (2) an altitudinal gradient composed of Baiyunci ravine rain forest (BRF), Qingyunci ravine rain forest (QRF), BF and mountainous evergreen broadleaved forest (MMF). Mean annual litterfall production was 356, 861 and 849 g m-2 for PF, MF and BF of the successional gradient, and 1016, 1061, 849 and 489 g m-2 for BRF, QRF, BF and MMF of the altitudinal gradient, respectively. As expected, mean annual litterfall of the pioneer forest PF was the lowest, but rapidly increased over the observation period while those in other forests were relatively stable, confirming that forest litterfall production is closely related to successional stages and growth patterns. Leaf proportions of total litterfall in PF, MF, BF, BRF, QRF and MMF were 76.4%, 68.4%, 56.8%, 55.7%, 57.6% and 69.2%, respectively, which were consistent with the results from studies in other evergreen broadleaved forests. Our analysis on litterfall monthly distributions indicated that litterfall production was much higher during the period of April to September compared to other months for all studied forest types. Although there were significant impacts of some climate variables (maximum and effective temperatures) on litterfall production in some of the studied forests, the mechanisms of how climate factors (temperature and rainfall) interactively affect litterfall await further study. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Ecological setting of the Wind River old-growth forest.

Treesearch

David C. Shaw; Jerry F. Franklin; Ken Bible; Jeffrey Klopatek; Elizabeth Freeman; Sarah Greene; Geoffrey G. Parker

2004-01-01

The Wind River old-growth forest, in the southern Cascade Range of Washington State, is a cool (average annual temperature, 8.7°C), moist (average annual precipitation, 2223 mm), 500-year-old Douglas-fir-western hemlock forest of moderate to low productivity at 371-m elevation on a less than 10% slope. There is a seasonal snowpack (November-March), and rain-on-snow and...

Community level analysis of opportunistically-breeding anurans in western Mexico

Treesearch

Paulette. L. Ford; J. Scott Norman

2006-01-01

Tropical dry forests are among the most seasonal habitats in the world. They are most common in hot lowlands outside the equatorial rain forest zone, where rainfall is more seasonal and the dry season is most pronounced, lasting for several weeks or months (Brown and Lomolino 1998). They are also some of the most threatened of the major tropical forest types, largely...

Come Rain or Shine: A Whole School Approach to Forest School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandewalle, Martyn

2010-01-01

This article begins by describing a typical Forest School session that takes place in every class every week at The Wroxham School in Potters Bar. It goes on to outline a brief history of Forest School from its inception, its aims and ethos, and how it has been adapted for the ethos and needs of the children at Wroxham. The article also looks at…

Fog and soil weathering as sources of nutrients in a California redwood forest

Treesearch

Holly A. Ewing; Kathleen C. Weathers; Amanda M. Lindsey; Pamela H. Templer; Todd E. Dawson; Damon C. Bradbury; Mary K. Firestone; Vanessa K.S. Boukili

2012-01-01

Fog water deposition is thought to influence the ecological function of many coastal ecosystems, including coast redwood forests. We examined cation and anion inputs from fog and rain, as well as the fate of these inputs, within a Sonoma County, California, coast redwood forest to elucidate the availability of these ions and some of the biotic and abiotic processes...

Seedling and Sapling Dynamics of Treefall Pits in Puerto Rico1

Treesearch

Lawrence R. Walker

2000-01-01

Seedling and sapling dynamics in a Puerto Rican rain forest were compared between forest understory and soil pits created by the uprooting of 27 trees during Hurricane Hugo. Soil N and P, organic matter, and soil moisture were lower and bulk densities were higher in the disturbed mineral soils of the pits than in undisturbed forest soils ten months after the hurricane...

[Ecological regulation services of Hainan Island ecosystem and their valuation].

PubMed

Ouyang, Zhiyun; Zhao, Tongqian; Zhao, Jingzhu; Xiao, Han; Wang, Xiaoke

2004-08-01

Ecosystem services imply the natural environmental conditions on which human life relies for existence, and their effectiveness formed and sustained by ecosystem and its ecological processes. In newly research reports, they were divided into four groups, i. e., provisioning services, regulation services, cultural services, and supporting services. To assess and valuate ecosystem services is the foundation of regional environmental reserve and development. Taking Hainan Island as an example and based on the structure and processes of natural ecosystem, this paper discussed the proper methods for regulation services assessment. The ecosystems were classified into 13 types including valley rain forest, mountainous rain forest, tropical monsoon forest, mountainous coppice forest, mountainous evergreen forest, tropical coniferous forest, shrubs, plantation, timber forest, windbreak forest, mangrove, savanna, and cropland, and then, the regulation services and their economic values of Hainan Island ecosystem were assessed and evaluated by terms of water-holding, soil conservancy, nutrient cycle, C fixation, and windbreak function. The economic value of the regulation services of Hainan Island ecosystem was estimated as 2035.88 x 10(8)-2153.39 x 10(8) RMB yuan, 8 times higher to its provisioning services (wood and agricultural products) which were estimated as only 254.06 x 10(8) RMB yuan. The result implied that ecosystem regulation services played an even more important role in the sustainable development of society and economy in Hainan Island.

Multicriteria evaluation of simulated logging scenarios in a tropical rain forest.

PubMed

Huth, Andreas; Drechsler, Martin; Köhler, Peter

2004-07-01

Forest growth models are useful tools for investigating the long-term impacts of logging. In this paper, the results of the rain forest growth model FORMIND were assessed by a multicriteria decision analysis. The main processes covered by FORMIND include tree growth, mortality, regeneration and competition. Tree growth is calculated based on a carbon balance approach. Trees compete for light and space; dying large trees fall down and create gaps in the forest. Sixty-four different logging scenarios for an initially undisturbed forest stand at Deramakot (Malaysia) were simulated. The scenarios differ regarding the logging cycle, logging method, cutting limit and logging intensity. We characterise the impacts with four criteria describing the yield, canopy opening and changes in species composition. Multicriteria decision analysis was used for the first time to evaluate the scenarios and identify the efficient ones. Our results plainly show that reduced-impact logging scenarios are more 'efficient' than the others, since in these scenarios forest damage is minimised without significantly reducing yield. Nevertheless, there is a trade-off between yield and achieving a desired ecological state of logged forest; the ecological state of the logged forests can only be improved by reducing yields and enlarging the logging cycles. Our study also demonstrates that high cutting limits or low logging intensities cannot compensate for the high level of damage caused by conventional logging techniques.

Hyperparasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Trigonalidae) reared from dry forest and rain forest caterpillars of Area de Conservacion, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Five species of Trigonalidae, hyperparasites of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) and Tachinidae (Diptera) that parasitize caterpillars (Lepidoptera), have been reared during the ongoing caterpillar inventory of Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), Guanacaste Province, northwestern Costa Rica: Lycogaste...

[Epiphytic communities of arboreal formations in Southern Vietnam: an analysis of species composition and synusias structure in dependence on the extent of anthropogenic impact].

PubMed

Es'kov, A K

2013-01-01

Species composition of epiphytic communities within different formations of Phú Quôc Island (Southern Vietnam) is studied. The dependence of species composition and structural complexity of epiphytic communities on formation quality is demonstrated. Representatives of different families differ notably in their sensitivity to disturbances. Most vulnerable are Orchidaceae which represent the dominant group in epiphytic community of rain forest and which drop out almost completely under anthropogenic impacts. In less disturbed forests, epiphyte species diversity increases mainly at the expense of "lower" synusias and directly depends on the formation layering. Diminishing of layering numbers leads to dropping out of species belonging to "lower" synusias. Among epiphytes, the indicators of disturbed communities can be detected, namely species of ruderal strategy (explerents). In primal rain forest, they are absent or barely noticeable. An index is proposed for estimation of epiphytic communitiy complexity.

Carbon monoxide and the burning earth

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Newell, R.E.; Reichle, H.G. Jr.; Seiler, W.

1989-10-01

Carbon monoxide is one of many gases whose presence in the atmosphere is blamed largely on industrial activity in the Northern Hemisphere. Data collected by the authors show that the gas is also abundant in the Southern Hemisphere, where it comes mainly from the burning of tropical rain forests and savannas. The high levels of carbon monoxide confirm other evidence that the rain forests are being diminished rapidly, which may affect the climates of these regions as well as globally. Increases in carbon monoxide could also encourage the accumulation of pollutant gases such as ozone and methane. The first ismore » highly toxic to plants and the second would add to the greenhouse effect.« less

Geologic Map of the Middle East Rift Geothermal Subzone, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trusdell, Frank A.; Moore, Richard B.

2006-01-01

K'lauea is an active shield volcano in the southeastern part of the Island of Hawai'i. The middle east rift zone (MERZ) map includes about 27 square kilometers of the MERZ and shows the distribution of the products of 37 separate eruptions during late Holocene time. Lava flows erupted during 1983-96 have reached the mapped area. The subaerial part of the MERZ is 3-4 km wide and about 18 km long. It is a constructional ridge, 50-150 m above the adjoining terrain, marked by low spatter ramparts and cones as high as 60 m. Lava typically flowed either northeast or southeast, depending on vent location relative to the topographic crest of the rift zone. The MERZ receives more than 100 in. of rainfall annually and is covered by tropical rain forest. Vegetation begins to grow on lava a few months after its eruption. Relative heights of trees can be a guide to relative ages of underlying lava flows, but proximity to faults, presence of easily weathered cinders, and human activity also affect the rate of growth. The rocks have been grouped into five basic age groups. The framework for the ages assigned is provided by eight radiocarbon ages from previous mapping by the authors and a single date from the current mapping effort. The numerical ages are supplemented by observations of stratigraphic relations, degree of weathering, soil development, and vegetative cover.

Spatial distribution by Canistropsis microps (E. Morren ex Mez) Leme (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) in the Atlantic rain forest in Ilha Grande, Southeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Nunes-Freitas, A F; Rocha, C F D

2007-08-01

Canistropsis microps (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) is an endemic species of Atlantic rain forest areas in Rio de Janeiro State, which are very abundant in not very disturbed forests in Ilha Grande, on the southern coast of the State. In this study, we analyzed the vertical and horizontal distribution patterns of the species in an area of rain forest with little evidence of disturbance at Vila Dois Rios, Ilha Grande, relating the patterns to sunlight in the microhabitat. We also identified the types of substrate used by the species and the rate of asexual reproduction. Canistropsis microps had high densities (estimated at 84,425 rosettes/ha), and has an aggregated distribution (Id = 2.86). About 80% of the rosettes were generated by clonal growth, whereas less than 20% were produced from seedlings. Most of the rosettes were found on straight tree trunks (DBH > 50 cm). There was a significant inverse correlation between the incidence of sunlight in the habitat and the abundance of individuals. Rosettes were found up to a maximum height of 9.5 m, but most occured between 1.5 and 5.5 m, where light varied from 25 to 50 micromol x s(-1) x m(-2). We conclude that vertical and horizontal distribution patterns in C. microps may be partially explained by the occurrence of appropriate substrate, an intensity of sunlight favorable to the development of the species and to a high rate of vegetative reproduction.

Mapping Geohazards in the Churia Region of Nepal: An Application of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannister, Terri

The Churia region of Nepal is experiencing serious environmental degradation due to landslides, monsoon flooding, land use changes, and gravel excavation. The objectives of this study were to quantify the temporal change of landslides as related to changes in land use/deforestation/urbanization, to quantify the temporal change and extent of river inundation in the Terai, to quantify the extent to which stone quarrying exacerbates the degradation process, and to generate a landslide hazard risk map. Gravel extraction and precipitation data, along with field work and geospatial methods, were used to map degradation by focusing on the centrally located districts of Bara, Rautahat, and Makwanpur. Landsat land use classifications were conducted on imagery from 1976, 1988, 1999, and 2015. A modified Normalized Difference Mid-Infrared (NDMIDIR) algorithm was created by incorporating slope, elevation, and land use types to identify landslide scars. A GIS model using weighted landslide variables derived from remote sensing and GIS methods to predict landslide susceptibility was created. These variables include hydrology, settlement, lithology, geology, precipitation, infrastructure, elevation, slope, aspect, land use, and previous landslides. Gravel excavation in 2007/2008 was nearly 700% higher than in 2001/2002. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) results showed that the study area is losing 1.03% forest cover annually; in 1977, there was 70% forest cover, but only 32% forest cover remained in 2016. The accuracy assessment of the 2015 Landsat 8 land use classification was 79%. NDMIDIR results showed that from 1988 to 2016, the total area representing landslide scars increased from 7.26km2 to 8.73 km2. The weighted variable GIS model output map indicated that 70% of the Siwalik zone and southern Lesser Himalayan zone in the three study districts have significant risk of landslides. Landslides and flooding from heavy monsoon rain, deforestation to develop agriculture and urbanization, and gravel extraction have caused rapid and ongoing environmental degradation in the Churia region of Nepal. Results provide information for disaster management and assist policy planners in landslide prone areas decrease loss of lives and property.

Simultaneous comparison and assessment of eight remotely sensed maps of Philippine forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estoque, Ronald C.; Pontius, Robert G.; Murayama, Yuji; Hou, Hao; Thapa, Rajesh B.; Lasco, Rodel D.; Villar, Merlito A.

2018-05-01

This article compares and assesses eight remotely sensed maps of Philippine forest cover in the year 2010. We examined eight Forest versus Non-Forest maps reclassified from eight land cover products: the Philippine Land Cover, the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Land Cover, the Landsat Vegetation Continuous Fields (VCF), the MODIS VCF, the MODIS Land Cover Type product (MCD12Q1), the Global Tree Canopy Cover, the ALOS-PALSAR Forest/Non-Forest Map, and the GlobeLand30. The reference data consisted of 9852 randomly distributed sample points interpreted from Google Earth. We created methods to assess the maps and their combinations. Results show that the percentage of the Philippines covered by forest ranges among the maps from a low of 23% for the Philippine Land Cover to a high of 67% for GlobeLand30. Landsat VCF estimates 36% forest cover, which is closest to the 37% estimate based on the reference data. The eight maps plus the reference data agree unanimously on 30% of the sample points, of which 11% are attributable to forest and 19% to non-forest. The overall disagreement between the reference data and Philippine Land Cover is 21%, which is the least among the eight Forest versus Non-Forest maps. About half of the 9852 points have a nested structure such that the forest in a given dataset is a subset of the forest in the datasets that have more forest than the given dataset. The variation among the maps regarding forest quantity and allocation relates to the combined effects of the various definitions of forest and classification errors. Scientists and policy makers must consider these insights when producing future forest cover maps and when establishing benchmarks for forest cover monitoring.

Effects of rainfall exclusion on leaf gas exchange traits and osmotic adjustment in mature canopy trees of Dryobalanops aromatica (Dipterocarpaceae) in a Malaysian tropical rain forest.

PubMed

Inoue, Yuta; Ichie, Tomoaki; Kenzo, Tanaka; Yoneyama, Aogu; Kumagai, Tomo'omi; Nakashizuka, Tohru

2017-10-01

Climate change exposes vegetation to unusual levels of drought, risking a decline in productivity and an increase in mortality. It still remains unclear how trees and forests respond to such unusual drought, particularly Southeast Asian tropical rain forests. To understand leaf ecophysiological responses of tropical rain forest trees to soil drying, a rainfall exclusion experiment was conducted on mature canopy trees of Dryobalanops aromatica Gaertn.f. (Dipterocarpaceae) for 4 months in an aseasonal tropical rain forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. The rainfall was intercepted by using a soft vinyl chloride sheet. We compared the three control and three treatment trees with respect to leaf water use at the top of the crown, including stomatal conductance (gsmax), photosynthesis (Amax), leaf water potential (predawn: Ψpre; midday: Ψmid), leaf water potential at turgor loss point (πtlp), osmotic potential at full turgor (π100) and a bulk modulus of elasticity (ε). Measurements were taken using tree-tower and canopy-crane systems. During the experiment, the treatment trees suffered drought stress without evidence of canopy dieback in comparison with the control trees; e.g., Ψpre and Ψmid decreased with soil drying. Minimum values of Ψmid in the treatment trees decreased during the experiment, and were lower than πtlp in the control trees. However, the treatment trees also decreased their πtlp by osmotic adjustment, and the values were lower than the minimum values of their Ψmid. In addition, the treatment trees maintained gs and Amax especially in the morning, though at midday, values decreased to half those of the control trees. Decreasing leaf water potential by osmotic adjustment to maintain gs and Amax under soil drying in treatment trees was considered to represent anisohydric behavior. These results suggest that D. aromatica may have high leaf adaptability to drought by regulating leaf water consumption and maintaining turgor pressure to improve its leaf water relations. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Lichen Persistence and Recovery in Response to Varied Volcanic Disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, P.; Wheeler, T. B.

2015-12-01

Volcanic eruptions produce many ecological disturbances that structure vegetation. While lichens are sensitive to disturbances, little is known about their responses to volcanic disturbances, except for colonization of lava. We examined lichen community responses through time to different disturbances produced by the May 1, 2008 eruption of Volcan Chaiten in south-central Chile. Pre-eruption vegetation near the volcano was old-growth Valdivian temperate rainforest dominated by closed-canopy Nothofagus sp... In 2012, we installed thirteen 1-acre plots across volcanic disturbance zones on which a time-constrained search was done for all macrolichen species, each of which was assigned an approximate log10 categorical abundance. We also installed a 0.2 m2 quadrat on two representative trees per plot for repeat photography of lichen cover. We remeasured at least one plot per disturbance zone in 2014 and re-photographed tree quadrats in 2013 and 2014. We then analyzed species composition and abundance differences among disturbance zones. In 2012, the blast (pyroclastic density flow), scorch (standing scorched forest at the edge of the blast) and deep tephra (>10 cm) zones had the lowest lichen species richness (5-13 species), followed by reference (unimpacted) and shallow (<10 cm) tephra (17-20 species). Gravel rain (preexisting rock ejected by eruption initiation), gravel rain + pumice and flooded forests (fluvially reworked volcanic material entrained by heavy rains) were species-rich (25-42 species). In 2014, the blast and deep tephra had regained 2-3 times the number of lichen species since 2012 while the light tephra and reference were essentially unchanged. Gravel rain, gravel rain + pumice and flooded forest plots all had about the same number of species in 2014 as 2012. Lichen colonization and growth in tree quadrats varied widely, from very little colonization in the blast to prolific colonization in the gravel rain + pumice zone. Lichen's varied responses to different volcanic disturbances were attributable to varying degrees of mortality and subsequent availability of substrate, quantity of light and removal of competitors. While sensitive to disturbance, lichens are apparently resilient to and can quickly recolonize after a variety of large, violent volcanic disturbances.

Impact of logging on aboveground biomass stocks in lowland rain forest, Papua New Guinea.

PubMed

Bryan, Jane; Shearman, Phil; Ash, Julian; Kirkpatrick, J B

2010-12-01

Greenhouse-gas emissions resulting from logging are poorly quantified across the tropics. There is a need for robust measurement of rain forest biomass and the impacts of logging from which carbon losses can be reliably estimated at regional and global scales. We used a modified Bitterlich plotless technique to measure aboveground live biomass at six unlogged and six logged rain forest areas (coupes) across two approximately 3000-ha regions at the Makapa concession in lowland Papua New Guinea. "Reduced-impact logging" is practiced at Makapa. We found the mean unlogged aboveground biomass in the two regions to be 192.96 +/- 4.44 Mg/ha and 252.92 +/- 7.00 Mg/ha (mean +/- SE), which was reduced by logging to 146.92 +/- 4.58 Mg/ha and 158.84 +/- 4.16, respectively. Killed biomass was not a fixed proportion, but varied with unlogged biomass, with 24% killed in the lower-biomass region, and 37% in the higher-biomass region. Across the two regions logging resulted in a mean aboveground carbon loss of 35 +/- 2.8 Mg/ha. The plotless technique proved efficient at estimating mean aboveground biomass and logging damage. We conclude that substantial bias is likely to occur within biomass estimates derived from single unreplicated plots.

A butterfly photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-04

A butterfly photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining ground research done in several areas in Central America with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to do. NASA's AIRSAR technolgy provides two essential elements to the ground-based scientists. First, it tests and provides accurate measurements of the forest structure. Secondly, AirSAR can study a larger area of the forest versus the smaller area that can be tested and plotted by the ground scientists. It also provides a unique one-of-a-kind system of measurement that obtains important information for the scientists, such as where forests are located and what exactly is in them.

A lizard photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-04

A lizard photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining ground research done in several areas in Central America with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to do. NASA's AIRSAR technolgy provides two essential elements to the ground-based scientists. First, it tests and provides accurate measurements of the forest structure. Secondly, AirSAR can study a larger area of the forest versus the smaller area that can be tested and plotted by the ground scientists. It also provides a unique one-of-a-kind system of measurement that obtains important information for the scientists, such as where forests are located and what exactly is in them.

A plant photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-04

A plant photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining ground research done in several areas in Central America with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to do. NASA's AIRSAR technolgy provides two essential elements to the ground-based scientists. First, it tests and provides accurate measurements of the forest structure. Secondly, AirSAR can study a larger area of the forest versus the smaller area that can be tested and plotted by the ground scientists. It also provides a unique one-of-a-kind system of measurement that obtains important information for the scientists, such as where forests are located and what exactly is in them.

A tree trunk structure photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-04

A tree trunk structure photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining ground research done in several areas in Central America with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to do. NASA's AIRSAR technolgy provides two essential elements to the ground-based scientists. First, it tests and provides accurate measurements of the forest structure. Secondly, AirSAR can study a larger area of the forest versus the smaller area that can be tested and plotted by the ground scientists. It also provides a unique one-of-a-kind system of measurement that obtains important information for the scientists, such as where forests are located and what exactly is in them.

A unique tree trunk photographed in La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-04

A unique tree trunk photographed in La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining ground research done in several areas in Central America with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to do. NASA's AIRSAR technolgy provides two essential elements to the ground-based scientists. First, it tests and provides accurate measurements of the forest structure. Secondly, AirSAR can study a larger area of the forest versus the smaller area that can be tested and plotted by the ground scientists. It also provides a unique one-of-a-kind system of measurement that obtains important information for the scientists, such as where forests are located and what exactly is in them.

A tree frog photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-04

A tree frog photographed in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest as part of NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining ground research done in several areas in Central America with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to do. NASA's AIRSAR technolgy provides two essential elements to the ground-based scientists. First, it tests and provides accurate measurements of the forest structure. Secondly, AirSAR can study a larger area of the forest versus the smaller area that can be tested and plotted by the ground scientists. It also provides a unique one-of-a-kind system of measurement that obtains important information for the scientists, such as where forests are located and what exactly is in them.

This photograph shows a stream in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest, taken during NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-04

This photograph shows a stream in the La Selva region of the Costa Rican rain forest, taken during NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that will use an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. Scientists from many parts of the world including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining ground research done in several areas in Central America with NASA's AirSAR technology to improve and expand on the quality of research they are able to do. NASA's AIRSAR technolgy provides two essential elements to the ground-based scientists. First, it tests and provides accurate measurements of the forest structure. Secondly, AirSAR can study a larger area of the forest versus the smaller area that can be tested and plotted by the ground scientists. It also provides a unique one-of-a-kind system of measurement that obtains important information for the scientists, such as where forests are located and what exactly is in them.

Modelling rainfall interception by a lowland tropical rain forest in northeastern Puerto Rico

Treesearch

J. Schellekensa; F.N. Scatenab; L.A. Bruijnzeela; A.J. \\t Wickela

1999-01-01

Recent surveys of tropical forest water use suggest that rainfall interception by the canopy is largest in wet maritime locations. To investigate the underlying processes at one such location—the Luquillo Experimental Forest in eastern Puerto Rico—66 days of detailed throughfall and above-canopy climatic data were collected in 1996 and analysed using the Rutter and...

Sensitivity of snow process simulations to precipitation-phase transition method in forested and open areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundberg, A.; Gustafsson, D.

2009-04-01

Modeling of forest snow processes is complicated and especially problematic seems to be the separation of precipitation phase in climates where a large part of the precipitation falls at temperatures near zero degrees Celsius. When the precipitation is classified as snow, the tree crowns can carry an order of magnitude more canopy storage as compared to when the precipitation is classified as rain, and snow in the trees also alters the albedo of the forest while rain does not. Many different schemes for the precipitation phase separation are used by various snow models. Some models use just one air temperature threshold (TR/S) below which all precipitation is assumed to be snow and above which all precipitation is classified as rain. A more common approach for forest snow models is to use two temperature thresholds. The snow fraction (SF) is then set to one below the snow threshold (TS) and to zero above the rain threshold (TR) and SF is assumed to decrease linearly between these two thresholds. Also more sophisticated schemes exist, but three seems to be a lack of agreement on how the precipitation phase separations should be performed. The aim with this study is to use a hydrological model including canopy snow processes to illustrate the sensitivity for different formulations of the precipitation phase separation on a) the simulated maximum snow pack storage b) the interception evaporation loss and c) snow melt runoff. In other words, to investigate of the choice of precipitation phase separation has an impact on the simulated wintertime water balance. Simulations are made for sites in different climates and for both open fields and forest sites in different regions of Sweden from north to south. In general, precipitation phase separation methods that classified snowfall at higher temperatures resulted in a larger proportion of the precipitation lost by interception evaporation as a result of the increased interception capacity. However, the maximum snow accumulation was also increased in some cases due to the overall increased snowfall, depending on canopy density and precipitation and temperature regimes. Results show that the choice of precipitation phase separation method can have an significant impact on the simulated wintertime water balance, especially in forested regions.

Soil emissions of nitric oxide in a seasonally dry tropical forest of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Eric A.; Vitousek, Peter M.; Riley, Ralph; Matson, Pamela A.; Garcia-Mendez, Georgina; Maass, J. M.

1991-01-01

Soil emissions of NO were measured at the Chamela Biological Station, Mexico, using soil covers and a field apparatus of NO detection based on CrO3 conversion of NO to NO2 and detection of NO2 by chemiluminescence with Luminol. Mean NO fluxes from forest soils ranged from 0.14 to 0.52 ng NO-N/sq cm/hr during the dry season and from 0.73 to 1.27 ng NO-N/sq cm/hr during the wet season. A fertilized floodplain pasture exhibited higher fluxes, but an unfertilized upland pasture, which represents the fastest growing land use in the region, had flux rates similar to the forest sites. Wetting experiments at the end of the dry season caused large pulses of NO flux, equaling 10 percent to 20 percent of the estimated annual NO emissions of 0.5-1.0 kg N/ha from the forest sites. Absence of a forest canopy during the dry season and the first wet season rain probably results in substantial NO(x) export from the forest system that may be important to regional atmospheric chemical processes. Wetting experiments during the wet season and a natural rain event had little or no stimulatory effect on NO flux rates.

Random Forest Application for NEXRAD Radar Data Quality Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keem, M.; Seo, B. C.; Krajewski, W. F.

2017-12-01

Identification and elimination of non-meteorological radar echoes (e.g., returns from ground, wind turbines, and biological targets) are the basic data quality control steps before radar data use in quantitative applications (e.g., precipitation estimation). Although WSR-88Ds' recent upgrade to dual-polarization has enhanced this quality control and echo classification, there are still challenges to detect some non-meteorological echoes that show precipitation-like characteristics (e.g., wind turbine or anomalous propagation clutter embedded in rain). With this in mind, a new quality control method using Random Forest is proposed in this study. This classification algorithm is known to produce reliable results with less uncertainty. The method introduces randomness into sampling and feature selections and integrates consequent multiple decision trees. The multidimensional structure of the trees can characterize the statistical interactions of involved multiple features in complex situations. The authors explore the performance of Random Forest method for NEXRAD radar data quality control. Training datasets are selected using several clear cases of precipitation and non-precipitation (but with some non-meteorological echoes). The model is structured using available candidate features (from the NEXRAD data) such as horizontal reflectivity, differential reflectivity, differential phase shift, copolar correlation coefficient, and their horizontal textures (e.g., local standard deviation). The influence of each feature on classification results are quantified by variable importance measures that are automatically estimated by the Random Forest algorithm. Therefore, the number and types of features in the final forest can be examined based on the classification accuracy. The authors demonstrate the capability of the proposed approach using several cases ranging from distinct to complex rain/no-rain events and compare the performance with the existing algorithms (e.g., MRMS). They also discuss operational feasibility based on the observed strength and weakness of the method.

Natural or anthropogenic? On the origin of atmospheric sulfate deposition in the Andes of southeastern Ecuador

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makowski Giannoni, S.; Rollenbeck, R.; Trachte, K.; Bendix, J.

2014-10-01

Atmospheric sulfur deposition above certain limits can represent a threat to tropical forests, causing nutrient imbalances and mobilizing toxic elements that impact biodiversity and forest productivity. Atmospheric sources of sulfur deposited by precipitation have been roughly identified in only a few lowland tropical forests. Even scarcer are studies of this type in tropical mountain forests, many of them mega-diversity hotspots and especially vulnerable to acidic deposition. In these places, the topographic complexity and related streamflow conditions affect the origin, type, and intensity of deposition. Furthermore, in regions with a variety of natural and anthropogenic sulfur sources, like active volcanoes and biomass burning, no source emission data has been used for determining the contribution of each source to the deposition. The main goal of the current study is to evaluate sulfate (SO4- deposition by rain and occult precipitation at two topographic locations in a tropical mountain forest of southern Ecuador, and to trace back the deposition to possible emission sources applying back-trajectory modeling. To link upwind natural (volcanic) and anthropogenic (urban/industrial and biomass-burning) sulfur emissions and observed sulfate deposition, we employed state-of-the-art inventory and satellite data, including volcanic passive degassing as well. We conclude that biomass-burning sources generally dominate sulfate deposition at the evaluated sites. Minor sulfate transport occurs during the shifting of the predominant winds to the north and west. Occult precipitation sulfate deposition and likely rain sulfate deposition are mainly linked to biomass-burning emissions from the Amazon lowlands. Volcanic and anthropogenic emissions from the north and west contribute to occult precipitation sulfate deposition at the mountain crest Cerro del Consuelo meteorological station and to rain-deposited sulfate at the upriver mountain pass El Tiro meteorological station.

Natural or anthropogenic? On the origin of atmospheric sulfate deposition in the Andes of southeastern Ecuador

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makowski Giannoni, S.; Rollenbeck, R.; Trachte, K.; Bendix, J.

2014-05-01

Atmospheric sulfur deposition above certain limits can represent a threat to tropical forests, causing nutrient imbalances and mobilizing toxic elements that impact biodiversity and forest productivity. Atmospheric sources of sulfur deposited by precipitation have being roughly identified in only a few lowland tropical forests. Even scarcer are these type of studies in tropical mountain forests, many of them megadiversity hotspots and especially vulnerable to acidic deposition. Here, the topographic complexity and related streamflow condition the origin, type, and intensity of deposition. Furthermore, in regions with a variety of natural and anthropogenic sulfur sources, like active volcanoes and biomass-burning, no source-emission data has been used for determining the contribution of each of them to the deposition. The main goal of the current study is to evaluate sulfate (SO4-) deposition by rain and occult precipitation at two topographic locations in a tropical mountain forest of southern Ecuador, and to trace back the deposition to possible emission sources applying back trajectory modeling. To link upwind natural (volcanic) and anthropogenic (urban/industrial and biomass-burning) sulfur emissions and observed sulfate deposition, we employed state of the art inventory and satellite data, including volcanic passive degassing as well. We conclude that biomass-burning sources generally dominate sulfate deposition at the evaluated sites. Minor sulfate transport occurs during the shifting of the predominant winds to the north and west. Occult precipitation sulfate deposition and likely rain sulfate deposition are mainly linked to biomass-burning emissions from the Amazon lowlands. Volcanic and anthropogenic emissions from the north and west contribute to occult precipitation sulfate deposition at the mountain crest Cerro del Consuelo meteorological station and to rain-deposited sulfate at the upriver mountain-pass El Tiro meteorological station.

Tree Circumference Dynamics in Four Forests Characterized Using Automated Dendrometer Bands

PubMed Central

McMahon, Sean M.; Detto, Matteo; Lutz, James A.; Davies, Stuart J.; Chang-Yang, Chia-Hao; Anderson-Teixeira, Kristina J.

2016-01-01

Stem diameter is one of the most commonly measured attributes of trees, forming the foundation of forest censuses and monitoring. Changes in tree stem circumference include both irreversible woody stem growth and reversible circumference changes related to water status, yet these fine-scale dynamics are rarely leveraged to understand forest ecophysiology and typically ignored in plot- or stand-scale estimates of tree growth and forest productivity. Here, we deployed automated dendrometer bands on 12–40 trees at four different forested sites—two temperate broadleaf deciduous, one temperate conifer, and one tropical broadleaf semi-deciduous—to understand how tree circumference varies on time scales of hours to months, how these dynamics relate to environmental conditions, and whether the structure of these variations might introduce substantive error into estimates of woody growth. Diurnal stem circumference dynamics measured over the bark commonly—but not consistently—exhibited daytime shrinkage attributable to transpiration-driven changes in stem water storage. The amplitude of this shrinkage was significantly correlated with climatic variables (daily temperature range, vapor pressure deficit, and radiation), sap flow and evapotranspiration. Diurnal variations were typically <0.5 mm circumference in amplitude and unlikely to be of concern to most studies of tree growth. Over time scales of multiple days, the bands captured circumference increases in response to rain events, likely driven by combinations of increased stem water storage and bark hydration. Particularly at the tropical site, these rain responses could be quite substantial, ranging up to 1.5 mm circumference expansion within 48 hours following a rain event. We conclude that over-bark measurements of stem circumference change sometimes correlate with but have limited potential for directly estimating daily transpiration, but that they can be valuable on time scales of days to weeks for characterizing changes in stem growth and hydration. PMID:28030646

The intensity of segregation of the OH-Isoprene reaction -measurements above the amazon rain forest-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sörgel, Matthias; Berger, Martina; Dlugi, Ralph; Harder, Hartwig; Kesselmeier, Jürgen; Mallik, Chinmay; Marno, Daniel; Tsokankunku, Anywhere; Wolff, Stefan; Yanez-Serrano, Ana-Maria; Zelger, Michael

2017-04-01

Incomplete mixing (segregation) causes reduced reaction rates compared to laboratory values derived for well mixed conditions. The dominant contribution to atmospheric chemistry is given by the most important oxidizing agent, the OH-radical, which is regarded as the detergent of the atmosphere as it reacts with the majority of atmospheric pollutants and therefore accelerates their removal from the atmosphere. Hence, to understand atmospheric self-cleansing, we need to quantify and understand the budgets (sources and sinks) of OH. Budgets are generally derived by measuring mixing ratios of known source molecules (either primary or recycling) and the total sink for OH of which isoprene is an important part in the pristine rain forest. The production and loss terms are calculated by using the measured mixing ratios and the laboratory derived kinetic values. If reactants are not well mixed their actual reaction rates are lower in the atmosphere than in the laboratory. Therefore, segregation might play a substantial role in quantifying and understanding the derived budgets. We measured OH-radicals, isoprene and other species (O3, NOx, HO2, H2O) with high time resolution (1-10 Hz) shortly above a rain forest canopy (41 m above ground level) at the ATTO (Amazon Tall Tower Observatory) site (02°08'38.8''S, 58°59'59.5''W). The site is characterized by high isoprene (up to 20 ppb) and low NO (50 ppt - 500 ppt). Simultaneous measurements of OH and isoprene with high time resolution (necessary to directly calculate the intensity of segregation) are sparse. To our knowledge this is now the third dataset for OH-isoprene segregation but the first from a tropical rain forest. The results will be compared to modeling results from different environments and the effect of trace gas exchange driven by coherent structures on the intensity of segregation will be evaluated as well.

Effects of simulated acid rain on soil respiration and its components in a subtropical mixed conifer and broadleaf forest in southern China.

PubMed

Liang, Guohua; Hui, Dafeng; Wu, Xiaoying; Wu, Jianping; Liu, Juxiu; Zhou, Guoyi; Zhang, Deqiang

2016-02-01

Soil respiration is a major pathway in the global carbon cycle and its response to environmental changes is an increasing concern. Here we explored how total soil respiration (RT) and its components respond to elevated acid rain in a mixed conifer and broadleaf forest, one of the major forest types in southern China. RT was measured twice a month in the first year under four treatment levels of simulated acid rain (SAR: CK, the local lake water, pH 4.7; T1, water pH 4.0; T2, water pH 3.25; and T3, water pH 2.5), and in the second year, RT, litter-free soil respiration (RS), and litter respiration (RL) were measured simultaneously. The results indicated that the mean rate of RT was 2.84 ± 0.20 μmol CO2 m(-2) s(-1) in the CK plots, and RS and RL contributed 60.7% and 39.3% to RT, respectively. SAR marginally reduced (P = 0.08) RT in the first year, but significantly reduced RT and its two components in the second year (P < 0.05). The negative effects were correlated with the decrease in soil microbial biomass and fine root biomass due to soil acidification under the SAR. The temperature coefficients (Q10) of RT and its two components generally decreased with increasing levels of the SAR, but only the decrease of RT and RL was significant (P < 0.05). In addition, the contribution of RL to RT decreased significantly under the SAR, indicating that RL was more sensitive to the SAR than RS. In the context of elevated acid rain, the decline trend of RT in the forests in southern China appears to be attributable to the decline of soil respiration in the litter layer.

Detailed maps of tropical forest types are within reach: forest tree communities for Trinidad and Tobago mapped with multiseason Landsat and multiseason fine-resolution imagery

Treesearch

Eileen H. Helmer; Thomas S. Ruzycki; Jay Benner; Shannon M. Voggesser; Barbara P. Scobie; Courtenay Park; David W. Fanning; Seepersad Ramnarine

2012-01-01

Tropical forest managers need detailed maps of forest types for REDD+, but spectral similarity among forest types; cloud and scan-line gaps; and scarce vegetation ground plots make producing such maps with satellite imagery difficult. How can managers map tropical forest tree communities with satellite imagery given these challenges? Here we describe a case study of...

The emergence of modern type rain forests and mangroves and their traces in the palaeobotanical record during the Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohr, Barbara; Coiffard, Clément

2014-05-01

The origin of modern rain forests is still very poorly known. This ecosystem could have potentially fully evolved only after the development of relatively high numbers of flowering plant families adapted to rain forest conditions. During the early phase of angiosperm evolution in the early Cretaceous the palaeo-equatorial region was located in a seasonally dry climatic belt, so that during this phase, flowering plants often show adaptations to drought, rather than to continuously wet climate conditions. Therefore it is not surprising that except for the Nymphaeales, the most basal members of extant angiosperm families have members that do not necessarily occur in the continuously wet tropics today. However, during the late Early Cretaceous several clades emerged that later would give rise to families that are typically found today mostly in (shady) moist places in warmer regions. This is especially seen among the monocotyledons, a group of the mesangiosperms, that developed in many cases large leaves often with very specific venation patterns that make these leaves very unique and well recognizable. Especially members of three groups are here of interest: the arum family (Araceae), the palms (Arecaceae) and the Ginger and allies (Zingiberales). The earliest fossil of Araceae are restricted to low latitudes during the lower Cretaceous. Arecaceae and Zingiberales do not appear in the fossil record before the early late Cretaceous and occur at mid latitudes. During the Late Cretaceous, Araceae are represented at mid latitudes by non-tropical early diverging members and at low latitudes by derived rainforest members. Palms became widespread during the Late Cretataceous and also Nypa, a typical element of tropical to subtropical mangrove environments evolved during this time period. During the Paleocene Arecaceae appear to be restricted to lower latitudes as well as Zingiberales. All three groups are again widespread during the Eocene, reaching higher latitudes and probably diversifying at mid latitudes. Later on, they slowly became restricted to lower latitudes as seen today. This fluctuation appears to be linked to climate change and are still reflected by the regional diversity of these groups, which reflect rather well rain forest evolution. When tracing the fossil record of rain forest plants we clearly see a pattern that suggests the onset of this type of environment during the late Late Cretaceous and spread during the early Tertiary with phases of retreat during the Oligocene and from the mid-Miocene onwards.

Chemical properties of forest soils

Treesearch

Charles H. Perry; Michael C. Amacher

2007-01-01

Why Is Soil Chemistry Important? The soil quality indicator was initially developed as a tool for assessing the current status of forest soil resources and predicting potential changes in soil properties. Soil chemistry data can be used to diagnose tree vigor and document the deposition of atmospheric pollutants (e.g., acid rain). This chapter focuses on two chemical...

Flood disturbance in a forested mountain landscape: interactions of land use and floods.

Treesearch

F.J. Swanson; S.L. Johnson; S.V. Gregory; S.A. Acker

1998-01-01

Recent flooding in the Pacific Northwest vividly illustrates the complexity of watershed and ecosystem responses to floods, especially in steep forest landscapes. Flooding involves a sequence of interactions that begins with climatic drivers. These drivers, generally rain and snowmelt, interact with landscape conditions, such as vegetation pattern and topography, to...

Evaluation of soil quality in areas of cocoa cabruca, forest and multicropping in southern Bahia, Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Atlantic Rain Forest is one of the most complex natural environments of the earth and, linked with this ecosystem, the cacao-cabruca system is agroforestry cultivation with an arrangement including a range of environmental, social and economical benefits and can protect many features of the biod...

Trees of Life: Saving Tropical Forests and Their Biological Wealth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Kenton; Tangley, Laura

Staggering statistics and dramatic headlines about the destruction of rain forests, the world's richest ecosystems, are only a small part of the devastating story of global deforestation. This volume provides comprehensive coverage of this complex scientific and political catastrophe-in-the-making and examines the costs and the consequences, in…

Tropical rain forest tree growth and atmospheric carbon dynamics linked to interannual temperature variation during 1984–2000

PubMed Central

Clark, D. A.; Piper, S. C.; Keeling, C. D.; Clark, D. B.

2003-01-01

During 1984–2000, canopy tree growth in old-growth tropical rain forest at La Selva, Costa Rica, varied >2-fold among years. The trees' annual diameter increments in this 16-yr period were negatively correlated with annual means of daily minimum temperatures. The tree growth variations also negatively covaried with the net carbon exchange of the terrestrial tropics as a whole, as inferred from nearly pole-to-pole measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) interpreted by an inverse tracer–transport model. Strong reductions in tree growth and large inferred tropical releases of CO2 to the atmosphere occurred during the record-hot 1997–1998 El Niño. These and other recent findings are consistent with decreased net primary production in tropical forests in the warmer years of the last two decades. As has been projected by recent process model studies, such a sensitivity of tropical forest productivity to on-going climate change would accelerate the rate of atmospheric CO2 accumulation. PMID:12719545

An evaluation of nitrogen and phosphorus responses to rain events in a forested watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steadman, C.; Argerich, A.; Bladon, K. D.; Johnson, S. L.

2017-12-01

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) exhibit differential responses to storm events which reflect complex, hydrologically-driven biogeochemical activity in a watershed. However, the magnitude of the responses change throughout the year indicating that they may be strongly influenced by antecedent precipitation conditions. To evaluate N and P responses to storms, we collected storm samples from four subwatersheds in a small forested watershed over a 12-month period as well as climate and hydrologic data. We quantified dissolved nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) concentrations and exports in 300 samples and examined responses across subwatersheds and storms. To assess the influence of potential drivers, we generated a series of models with discharge, instantaneous rain, and cumulative rain as explanatory variables for analyte concentrations. We also constructed models with cumulative rain as the explanatory variable for analyte exports. There was strong evidence (p < .05) that cumulative rain or the cumulative rain-subwatershed interaction were important for all analyte exports and concentrations. In contrast, evidence was weak for the significance of instantaneous rain for any analyte concentrations while discharge or the discharge-subwatershed interaction was significant for NO3- and NH4+, respectively. Of all factors, cumulative rain was the most relevant to explain analyte concentrations (i.e., showed the highest pseudo-R2), except for NH4+, for which discharge was more relevant. There was significant spatial and temporal variability for all analyte concentrations with the exception of NH4+, which showed little variability storm-to-storm. Maximum NO3- concentration occurred at the onset of the wet season while SRP had the lowest concentration during the same time period. Differential responses of analytes evidence distinct influences of hydrologically-driven biogeochemical activity on individual analytes. However, strong correlations with cumulative rain suggest that insight may be gained through consideration of coarser factors such as antecedent precipitation conditions which may serve to integrate complexities of the hillslope, improving understanding of N and P variability.

Removal rates of native and exotic dung by dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in a fragmented tropical rain forest.

PubMed

Amézquita, Sandra; Favila, Mario E

2010-04-01

Many studies have evaluated the effect of forest fragmentation on dung beetle assemblage structure. However, few have analyzed how forest fragmentation affects the processes carried out by these insects in tropical forests where their food sources consist mainly of dung produced by native herbivore mammals. With the conversion of forests to pastures, cattle dung has become an exotic alternative and abundant food for dung beetles. This study compares dung removal rates of native (monkey) and exotic (cow) dung in different-sized fragments of tropical rain forests, during the dry and rainy seasons at the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve. Dung removal rates were affected by season, dung type, and the interaction between resource type and season. During the dry season, the removal rates of monkey dung were somewhat similar than during the rainy season, whereas the removal rates of cow dung were much higher during the rainy season. Dung beetle biomass and species richness were almost three times greater in monkey dung than in cow dung. Monkey dung attracted species belonging to the dweller, roller, and tunneler guilds; cow dung attracted mostly tunnelers. Therefore, the use of exotic dung may result in a biased misconception of the rates of dung removal in tropical forest and an underestimation of dung beetle diversity. This study highlights the importance of working with natural tropical forest resources when attempting to identify realistic tendencies concerning processes in natural habitats and those modified by fragmentation and by other human activities.

Short-term effects of a simulated acid rain upon the growth and nutrient relations of Pinus strobus, L.

Treesearch

Tim Wood; F. H. Bormann

1976-01-01

Acidified precipitation may affect the productivity of forests by altering the availability of plant nutrients of by affecting the ability of trees to absorb and assimilate those nutrients. In this study, the short-term effects of simulated acid rain (pH range 5.6 - 2.3) upon the growth and nutrient relations of Eastern White Pine seedlings (Pinus strobus...

Interception of rainfall in a young loblolly pine plantation

Treesearch

Marvin D. Hoover

1953-01-01

Those who have sought refuge during a storm have found a tree to be an effective umbrella for a light shower but leaky in a heavy rain. Even so, it is usually possible to stay slightly more dry under forest canopy than in the open. That is because a portion of the rain is stored on leaves and branches and eventually evaporated back to the air. The term interception is...

Gap formation and carbon cycling in the Brazilian Amazon: measurement using high-resolution optical remote sensing and studies in large forest plots

Treesearch

F. D. B. Espirito-Santo; M. M. Keller; E. Linder; R. C. Oliveira Junior; C. Pereira; C. G. Oliveira

2013-01-01

Background: The dynamics of gaps plays a role in the regimes of tree mortality, production of coarse woody debris (CWD) and the variability of light in the forest understory. Aims: To quantify the area affected by, and the carbon fluxes associated with, natural gap-phase disturbances in a tropical lowland evergreen rain forest by use of ground measurements and high-...

Application of mapped plots for single-owner forest surveys

Treesearch

Paul C. Van Deusen; Francis Roesch

2009-01-01

Mapped plots are used for the nation forest inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service. Mapped plots are also useful foro single ownership inventoires. Mapped plots can handle boundary overlap and can aprovide less variable estimates for specified forest conditions. Mapping is a good fit for fixed plot inventories where the fixed area plot is used for both mapping...

Rain observations in tropical storm Cora

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilheit, T. T.; Chang, A. T. C.; King, J. L.; Rodgers, E. B.; Nieman, R. A.; Krupp, B. M.; Siddalingaiah, H.; Diesen, B. C.; Stratigos, J.

1979-01-01

Passive microwave observations were made in tropical storm Cora at 19.35 and 94GHz. These observations suggest that 94GHz is appropriate for mapping the extent of rain over either land or ocean backgrounds and that some rainfall intensity measurement is also possible.

Rain use efficiency across a precipitation gradient on the Tibetan Plateau

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rain use efficiency (RUE), commonly described as the ratio of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) to mean annual precipitation (MAP), is a critical indicator for predicting potential responses of grassland ecosystems to changing precipitation regimes. However, current understanding on patterns...

Mapping forest structure, species gradients and growth in an urban area using lidar and hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Huan

Urban forests play an important role in the urban ecosystem by providing a range of ecosystem services. Characterization of forest structure, species variation and growth in urban forests is critical for understanding the status, function and process of urban ecosystems, and helping maximize the benefits of urban ecosystems through management. The development of methods and applications to quantify urban forests using remote sensing data has lagged the study of natural forests due to the heterogeneity and complexity of urban ecosystems. In this dissertation, I quantify and map forest structure, species gradients and forest growth in an urban area using discrete-return lidar, airborne imaging spectroscopy and thermal infrared data. Specific objectives are: (1) to demonstrate the utility of leaf-off lidar originally collected for topographic mapping to characterize and map forest structure and associated uncertainties, including aboveground biomass, basal area, diameter, height and crown size; (2) to map species gradients using forest structural variables estimated from lidar and foliar functional traits, vegetation indices derived from AVIRIS hyperspectral imagery in conjunction with field-measured species data; and (3) to identify factors related to relative growth rates in aboveground biomass in the urban forests, and assess forest growth patterns across areas with varying degree of human interactions. The findings from this dissertation are: (1) leaf-off lidar originally acquired for topographic mapping provides a robust, potentially low-cost approach to quantify spatial patterns of forest structure and carbon stock in urban areas; (2) foliar functional traits and vegetation indices from hyperspectral data capture gradients of species distributions in the heterogeneous urban landscape; (3) species gradients, stand structure, foliar functional traits and temperature are strongly related to forest growth in the urban forests; and (4) high uncertainties in our ability to map forest structure, species gradient and growth rate occur in residential neighborhoods and along forest edges. Maps generated from this dissertation provide estimates of broad-scale spatial variations in forest structure, species distributions and growth to the city forest managers. The associated maps of uncertainty help managers understand the limitations of the maps and identify locations where the maps are more reliable and where more data are needed.

Predictive Mapping of Forest Attributes on the Fishlake National Forest

Treesearch

Tracey S. Frescino; Gretchen G. Moisen

2005-01-01

Forest land managers increasingly need maps of forest characteristics to aid in planning and management. A set of 30-m resolution maps was prepared for the Fishlake National Forest by modeling FIA plot variables as nonparametric functions of ancillary digital data. The set includes maps of volume, biomass, growth, stand age, size, crown cover, and various aspen...

Evolution in African tropical trees displaying ploidy-habitat association: The genus Afzelia (Leguminosae).

PubMed

Donkpegan, Armel S L; Doucet, Jean-Louis; Migliore, Jérémy; Duminil, Jérôme; Dainou, Kasso; Piñeiro, Rosalía; Wieringa, Jan J; Champluvier, Dominique; Hardy, Olivier J

2017-02-01

Polyploidy has rarely been documented in rain forest trees but it has recently been found in African species of the genus Afzelia (Leguminosae), which is composed of four tetraploid rain forest species and two diploid dry forest species. The genus Afzelia thus provides an opportunity to examine how and when polyploidy and habitat shift occurred in Africa, and whether they are associated. In this study, we combined three plastid markers (psbA, trnL, ndhF), two nuclear markers (ribosomal ITS and the single-copy PEPC E7 gene), plastomes (obtained by High Throughput Sequencing) and morphological traits, with an extensive taxonomic and geographic sampling to explore the evolutionary history of Afzelia. Both nuclear DNA and morphological vegetative characters separated diploid from tetraploid lineages. Although the two African diploid species were well differentiated genetically and morphologically, the relationships among the tetraploid species were not resolved. In contrast to the nuclear markers, plastid markers revealed that one of the diploid species forms a well-supported clade with the tetraploids, suggesting historical hybridisation, possibly in relation with genome duplication (polyploidization) and habitat shift from dry to rain forests. Molecular dating based on fossil-anchored gene phylogenies indicates that extant Afzelia started diverging c. 14.5 or 20Ma while extant tetraploid species started diverging c. 7.0 or 9.4Ma according to plastid and nuclear DNA, respectively. Additional studies of tropical polyploid plants are needed to assess whether the ploidy-habitat association observed in African Afzelia would reflect a role of polyploidization in niche divergence in the tropics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tropical Ecosystems and Ecological Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osborne, Patrick L.

2000-09-01

Over one third of the earth's terrestrial surface is situated in the tropics, with environments ranging from hot deserts to tropical rain forests. This introductory textbook, aimed at students studying tropical ecology, provides a comprehensive guide to the major tropical biomes and is unique in its balanced coverage of both aquatic and terrestrial systems. The volume considers the human ecological dimension, covering issues such as population growth, urbanization, agriculture and fisheries, natural resource use, and pollution. It is international in scope and addresses global issues such as conservation of biodiversity, climate change, and the concept of ecological sustainability. The text is supported throughout by boxes containing supplementary material on a range of topics and organisms, mathematical concepts and calculations, and is enlivened with clear line diagrams, maps, and photographs. A cross-referenced glossary, extensive bibliography, and comprehensive index are included as further aids to study.

Forest/non-forest mapping using inventory data and satellite imagery

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts

2002-01-01

For two study areas in Minnesota, USA, one heavily forested and one sparsely forested, maps of predicted proportion forest area were created using Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, forest inventory plot data, and two prediction techniques, logistic regression and a k-Nearest Neighbours technique. The maps were used to increase the precision of forest area estimates by...

Fallout Radioactivity and Epiphytes.

Treesearch

H. T. Odum; George Ann Briscoe; C. B. Briscoe

1970-01-01

After relatively high levels of fallout retention were dicovered in the epiphytic mossy forest of the Luquillo Mountains durin 1962, a survey of the distribution of radioactivity in the rain forest system was made with beta counting of 1500 samples supplemented with gamma spectra. High levels, up to 4138 counts per minute per gram, were found mainly in or on green...

Effects of dispersal, shrubs, and density-dependent morality on seed and seedling distributions in temperate forests

Treesearch

Janneke Hille Ris Lambers; James S. Clark

2003-01-01

Processes limiting recruitment of trees may have large impacts on forest dynamics. In this paper, we determined the effects of dispersal, shrubs (Rhododendron maximum), and density-dependent mortality on seed and seedling distributions of Southern Appalachian trees. We quantified the spatial distribution of seed rain, seed bank densities, first-year...

Species-specific Seedling Responses to Hurricane Disturbance in a Puerto Rican Rain Forest.

Treesearch

Lawrence R. Walker; D. Jean Lodge; Sandra M. Guzman-Grajales; Ned \\t Fetcher

2003-01-01

Seedling dynamics were followed in a Puerto Rican forest for 20 months following a severe hurricane to study the interactive effects of hurricane debris, nutrients, and light on seedling diversity, density, growth, and mortality. Three treatments (debris removal, an unaltered control with hurricane debris, and chemical fertilization added to hurricane debris) altered...

The Effect of Response Time on Conjoint Analysis Estimates of Rainforest Protection Values

Treesearch

Thomas Holmes; Keith Alger; Christian Zinkhan; D. Evan Mercer

1998-01-01

This paper reports the first estimutes of willingness to pay (WTP) for rain forest protection in the threatened Atlantic Coastal Forest ecosystem in northeastern Brazil. Conjoint analysis data were collected from Brazilian tourists for recreational bundles with complex prices. An ordered probit model with time-varying parameters and heteroskedastic errors was...

Climate variability, snow, and physiographic controls on storm hydro graphs in small forested basins, western Cascades, Oregon

Treesearch

Reed M. Perkins; Julia A. Jones

2008-01-01

Large floods are often attributed to the melting of snow during a rain event. This study tested how climate variability, snowpack presence, and basin physiography were related to storm hydrograph shape in three small (2) basins with old-growth forest in western Oregon. Relationships between hydrograph characteristics and precipitation...

Breeding for disease resistance in Hevea spp. - status, potential threats, and possible strategies.

Treesearch

Chaendaekattu Narayanan; Kavitha K. Mydin

2012-01-01

Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A. Juss.) Müll. Arg., a forest tree native to the tropical rain forests of Central and South America, has only been recently domesticated outside its natural range of distribution. Almost all of the commercially cultivated clones of H. brasiliensis represent a very narrow genetic base...

Mass and nutrient dynamics of decaying litter from Passiflora mollissima and selected native species in a Hawaiian montane rain forest

Treesearch

Paul G. Scowcroft

1997-01-01

The structure and functioning of Acacia koa-Metrosideros polymorpha forests between 1200 and 1800 m elevation on the island of Hawaii are being threatened by Passiflora mollissima, an aggressive introduced liana from South America. This study was done to evaluate the short-term decomposition dynamics of...

Wood CO2 efflux in a primary tropical rain forest

Treesearch

Molly A. Cavaleri; Steven F. Oberbauer; Michael G. Ryan

2006-01-01

The balance between photosynthesis and plant respiration in tropical forests may substantially affect the global carbon cycle. Woody tissue CO2 efflux is a major component of total plant respiration, but estimates of ecosystem-scale rates are uncertain because of poor sampling in the upper canopy and across landscapes. To overcome these problems, we used a portable...

Monitoring Global Precipitation through UCI CHRS's RainMapper App on Mobile Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, P.; Huynh, P.; Braithwaite, D.; Hsu, K. L.; Sorooshian, S.

2014-12-01

The Water and Development Information for Arid Lands-a Global Network (G-WADI) Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks—Cloud Classification System (PERSIANN-CCS) GeoServer has been developed through a collaboration between the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the UNESCO's International Hydrological Program (IHP). G-WADI PERSIANN-CCS GeoServer provides near real-time high resolution (0.04o, approx 4km) global (60oN - 60oS) satellite precipitation estimated by the PERSIANN-CCS algorithm developed by the scientists at CHRS. The G-WADI PERSIANN-CCS GeoServer utilizes the open-source MapServer software from the University of Minnesota to provide a user-friendly web-based mapping and visualization of satellite precipitation data. Recent efforts have been made by the scientists at CHRS to provide free on-the-go access to the PERSIANN-CCS precipitation data through an application named RainMapper for mobile devices. RainMapper provides visualization of global satellite precipitation of the most recent 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72-hour periods overlaid with various basemaps. RainMapper uses the Google maps application programing interface (API) and embedded global positioning system (GPS) access to better monitor the global precipitation data on mobile devices. Functionalities include using geographical searching with voice recognition technologies make it easy for the user to explore near real-time precipitation in a certain location. RainMapper also allows for conveniently sharing the precipitation information and visualizations with the public through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. RainMapper is available for iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded (free) from the App Store and Google Play. The usefulness of RainMapper was demonstrated through an application in tracking the evolution of the recent Rammasun Typhoon over the Philippines in mid July 2014.

Emerging climate-driven disturbance processes: widespread mortality associated with snow-to-rain transitions across 10° of latitude and half the range of a climate-threatened conifer.

PubMed

Buma, Brian; Hennon, Paul E; Harrington, Constance A; Popkin, Jamie R; Krapek, John; Lamb, Melinda S; Oakes, Lauren E; Saunders, Sari; Zeglen, Stefan

2017-07-01

Climate change is causing rapid changes to forest disturbance regimes worldwide. While the consequences of climate change for existing disturbance processes, like fires, are relatively well studied, emerging drivers of disturbance such as snow loss and subsequent mortality are much less documented. As the climate warms, a transition from winter snow to rain in high latitudes will cause significant changes in environmental conditions such as soil temperatures, historically buffered by snow cover. The Pacific coast of North America is an excellent test case, as mean winter temperatures are currently at the snow-rain threshold and have been warming for approximately 100 years post-Little Ice Age. Increased mortality in a widespread tree species in the region has been linked to warmer winters and snow loss. Here, we present the first high-resolution range map of this climate-sensitive species, Callitropsis nootkatensis (yellow-cedar), and document the magnitude and location of observed mortality across Canada and the United States. Snow cover loss related mortality spans approximately 10° latitude (half the native range of the species) and 7% of the overall species range and appears linked to this snow-rain transition across its range. Mortality is commonly >70% of basal area in affected areas, and more common where mean winter temperatures is at or above the snow-rain threshold (>0 °C mean winter temperature). Approximately 50% of areas with a currently suitable climate for the species (<-2 °C) are expected to warm beyond that threshold by the late 21st century. Regardless of climate change scenario, little of the range which is expected to remain suitable in the future (e.g., a climatic refugia) is in currently protected landscapes (<1-9%). These results are the first documentation of this type of emerging climate disturbance and highlight the difficulties of anticipating novel disturbance processes when planning for conservation and management. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Palaeohydrological and palaeoecological studies on South Cameroonian alluvial sedimentary basins - New evidence on the palaeoenvironmental evolution of western Central Africa since the Late Pleistocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangen, M.

2009-04-01

A new valuable and innovative contribution will be presented to ascertain the timing and extension of climatic and ecological changes in western equatorial Africa. Main focus is laid on the dynamics of climate, fluvial systems and the high sensitive tropical ecosystems (dense evergreen and semi-deciduous rain forest and savanna-rain forest margin) since the Late Pleistocene (~50 kyrs. BP). For this purpose extended fieldworks were carried out in South Cameroon (2004-2008) by the ReSaKo-Project (sub-project of DFG-Project 510) with abundant investigations on alluvial sedimentary basins of equatorial tropical fluvial systems. Suitable alluvial sediment-archives for palaeoenvironmental research were uncovered along selected braiding, meandering and anabranching/anastomosing reaches of major southwestern, into the Gulf of Guinea (Ntem, Nyong and Sanaga) and southeastern, into the Congo basin (Boumba, Dja and Ngoko) draining rivers (RUNGE et al. 2006, SANGEN 2008). Among geomorphological investigations and cross section discussions, 150 corings (Edelman, 20 cm layers) reaching maximum depths of 550 cm were carried out on river benches, levees, cut-off and periodical branches, islands and terraces as well as in seasonal inundated floodplains and backswamps. Corresponding sedimentary profiles and catenae recovered multilayered, sandy to clayey alluvia containing sedimentary form-units and palaeosurfaces which contribute to the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions in western equatorial Africa. Several (59) radiocarbon (AMS) dated samples (Erlangen and Lecce) from fossil organic layers and macro-rests embedded in these units yielded Late Pleistocene to recent ages (14C-ages around 48 to 0.2 kyrs. BP), spanning also the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Holocene record. Abrupt grain-size modifications and alternating form-units (sandy and clayey layers, palaeosurfaces) in the stratigraphic records display fluctuations in the fluvial-morphological response of the fluvial systems to climatic variability and other extrinsic and intrinsic impacts. Although the sedimentary record varies among the studied river reaches, fossil organic sediment layers (palaeosurfaces) containing valuable proxy data were found in almost all alluvia basins of examined southern Cameroonian rivers. Around 56 ^13C-values corresponding to the dated samples (-31.4 to -18.0 ) evidence that despite major disturbances of the African rain forest over geological times (MALEY 2001) mainly rain forest ecosystems have prevailed during the corresponding time periods, presumably as gallery forests, which were able to persist in this fluvial habitat ("fluvial refuge"), even during arid periods (e.g. LGM). The results are consistent with earlier findings from lacustrine (SERVANT & SERVANT-VILDARY 2000), marine (WELDEAB et al. 2007) and additional sediment archives (GASSE et al. 2008) and will add additional insights and information to the unravelling of the complex respond of the African monsoon, the Central African ecosystems and fluvial systems to Late Quaternary climatic and environmental fluctuations within a globally teleconnected system. References: GASSE, F., CHALIé, F., VINCENS, A., WILLIAMS, M.A.J. & WILLIAMSON, D. (2008): Climatic patterns in equatorial and southern Africa from 30,000 to 10,000 years ago reconstructed from terrestrial and near-shore proxy data. Quaternary Science Reviews, 27 (25-26), 2316-2340. MALEY, J. (2001): The impact of arid phases on the African rain forest through geological history. In: WEBER, W., WHITE, L., VEDDER, A., NAUGHTON-TREVES, L. (Eds.): African rain forest ecology and conservation - An interdisciplinary perspective. Yale University Press, New Haven, 68-87. RUNGE, J., EISENBERG, J., SANGEN, M. (2006): Geomorphic evolution of the Ntem alluvial basin and physiogeographic evidence for Holocene environmental changes in the rain forest of SW Cameroon (Central Africa) - preliminary results. Z. Geomorph. N.F., Suppl. Bd. 145, 63-79. SERVANT, M. & SERVANT-VILDARY, S. (2000): Dynamique à long terme des écosystèmes forestiers intertropicaux. Publications issues du Symposium international « Dynamique à long terme des écosystèmes forestiers intertropicaux », Paris, 20-22 mars 1996. Paris, UNESCO, 1-434. WELDEAB, S., LEA, D.W., SCHNEIDER, R.R. & ANDERSEN, N. (2007): 155,000 years of West African monsoon ocean thermal evolution. Science, 316, 1303-1307.

Estimation of Throughfall and Stemflow Bacterial Flux in a Subtropical Oak-Cedar Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bittar, Thais B.; Pound, Preston; Whitetree, Ansley; Moore, L. Dean; Van Stan, John T.

2018-02-01

Transport pathways of microbes between ecosystem spheres (atmosphere, phyllosphere, and pedosphere) represent major fluxes in nutrient cycles and have the potential to affect microbially mediated biogeochemical processes. Novel data on bacterial fluxes from the phyllosphere to the pedosphere during rainfall via throughfall (rain dripping from/through the canopy) and stemflow (rain funneled down tree stems) are reported. Bacterial concentrations were quantified using flow cytometry and validated with quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays in rainfall samples from an oak-cedar forest in coastal Georgia (southeastern U.S.). Bacteria concentrations (cells mL-1) and storm-normalized fluxes (cells m-2 h-1, cells m-2 mm-1) were greater for cedar versus oak. Total bacterial flux was 1.5 × 1016 cells ha-1 yr-1. These previously unexamined bacterial fluxes are interpreted in the context of major elemental pools and fluxes in forests and could represent inoculum-level sources of bacteria (if alive), and organic matter and inorganic solute inputs (if lysed) to soils.

Brazil-USA Collaborative Research: Modifications by Anthropogenic Pollution of the Natural Atmospheric Chemistry and Particle Microphysics of the Tropical Rain Forest During the GoAmazon Intensive Operating Periods (IOPs)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Saewung

Manaus, a city of nearly two million people, represents an isolated urban area having a distinct urban pollution plume within the otherwise pristine Amazon Basin. The plume has high concentrations of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, carbon monoxide, particle concentrations, and soot, among other pollutants. Critically, the distinct plume in the setting of the surrounding tropical rain forest serves as a natural laboratory to allow direct comparisons between periods of pollution influence to those of pristine conditions. The funded activity of this report is related to the Brazil-USA collaborative project during the two Intensive Operating Periods (wet season, 1 Febmore » - 31 Mar 2014; dry season, 15 Aug - 15 Oct 2014) of GoAmazon2014/5. The project addresses key science questions regarding the modification of the natural atmospheric chemistry and particle microphysics of the forest by present and future anthropogenic pollution.« less

The effect of water on the ground nesting habits of the giant tropical ant, Paraponera clavata.

PubMed

Elahi, Robin

2005-11-18

The large predatory ant, Paraponera clavata, exerts measurable top-down effects in wet and moist Neotropical forests, and therefore its distribution has potential ecological implications. To determine how water affects the presence of this important predator, the ground nesting ecology of P. clavata was examined with respect to various habitat characteristics. Four hectares of disturbed Costa Rican lowland rain forest were surveyed for ant colonies to determine nest distribution patterns in wet and dry habitat; significantly more colonies were found in dry habitat. Seventeen of 19 nests built on slopes of > 5 degrees inclination were positioned on the downward side of the tree, possibly using the trunk as a shield against runoff during rain showers. Moisture and pH inside nests were significantly different from adjacent soil. These results suggest that water influences the ground nesting habits of P. clavata, thus ecological differences between comparatively wet and dry portions of tropical forests may arise from the relative abundance of this ant species.

Erosion on very stony forest soil during phenomenal rain in Webster County, West Virginia

Treesearch

J. H. Patric; W. E., Jr. Kidd

1982-01-01

On July 15 and 16, 1979, at least 6 inches of rain fell in central West Virginia during 3 hours, a storm of return period longer than 1,000 years. More than 6 miles of logging roads were examined for evidences of soil erosion and sediment delivery to streams. Erosion was negligible on very stony soils where (a) logging roads were litter covered, (b) road grades were...

Assessing the controls of the snow energy balance and water available for runoff in a rain-an-snow environment

Treesearch

Adam B. Mazurkiewicz; David G. Callery; Jeffrey J. McDonnell

2008-01-01

Rain-on-snow (ROS) melt production and its contribution to water available for runoff is poorly understood. In the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the USA, ROS drives many runoff events with turbulent energy exchanges dominating the snow energy balance (EB). While previous experimental work in the PNW (most notably the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA» has quantified...

Persistent after-effects of heavy rain on concentrations of ice nuclei and rainfall suggest a biological cause

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigg, E. K.; Soubeyrand, S.; Morris, C. E.

2015-03-01

Rainfall is one of the most important aspects of climate, but the extent to which atmospheric ice nuclei (IN) influence its formation, quantity, frequency, and location is not clear. Microorganisms and other biological particles are released following rainfall and have been shown to serve as efficient IN, in turn impacting cloud and precipitation formation. Here we investigated potential long-term effects of IN on rainfall frequency and quantity. Differences in IN concentrations and rainfall after and before days of large rainfall accumulation (i.e., key days) were calculated for measurements made over the past century in southeastern and southwestern Australia. Cumulative differences in IN concentrations and daily rainfall quantity and frequency as a function of days from a key day demonstrated statistically significant increasing logarithmic trends (R2 > 0.97). Based on observations that cumulative effects of rainfall persisted for about 20 days, we calculated cumulative differences for the entire sequence of key days at each site to create a historical record of how the differences changed with time. Comparison of pre-1960 and post-1960 sequences most commonly showed smaller rainfall totals in the post-1960 sequences, particularly in regions downwind from coal-fired power stations. This led us to explore the hypothesis that the increased leaf surface populations of IN-active bacteria due to rain led to a sustained but slowly diminishing increase in atmospheric concentrations of IN that could potentially initiate or augment rainfall. This hypothesis is supported by previous research showing that leaf surface populations of the ice-nucleating bacterium Pseudomonas syringae increased by orders of magnitude after heavy rain and that microorganisms become airborne during and after rain in a forest ecosystem. At the sites studied in this work, aerosols that could have initiated rain from sources unrelated to previous rainfall events (such as power stations) would automatically have reduced the influences on rainfall of those whose concentrations were related to previous rain, thereby leading to inhibition of feedback. The analytical methods described here provide means to map and delimit regions where rainfall feedback mediated by microorganisms is suspected to occur or has occurred historically, thereby providing rational means to establish experimental set-ups for verification.

Isolation, diversity, and antimicrobial activity of rare actinobacteria from medicinal plants of tropical rain forests in Xishuangbanna, China.

PubMed

Qin, Sheng; Li, Jie; Chen, Hua-Hong; Zhao, Guo-Zhen; Zhu, Wen-Yong; Jiang, Cheng-Lin; Xu, Li-Hua; Li, Wen-Jun

2009-10-01

Endophytic actinobacteria are relatively unexplored as potential sources of novel species and novel natural products for medical and commercial exploitation. Xishuangbanna is recognized throughout the world for its diverse flora, especially the rain forest plants, many of which have indigenous pharmaceutical histories. However, little is known about the endophytic actinobacteria of this tropical area. In this work, we studied the diversity of actinobacteria isolated from medicinal plants collected from tropical rain forests in Xishuangbanna. By the use of different selective isolation media and methods, a total of 2,174 actinobacteria were isolated. Forty-six isolates were selected on the basis of their morphologies on different media and were further characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed an unexpected level of diversity, with 32 different genera. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the isolation of Saccharopolyspora, Dietzia, Blastococcus, Dactylosporangium, Promicromonospora, Oerskovia, Actinocorallia, and Jiangella species from endophytic environments. At least 19 isolates are considered novel taxa by our current research. In addition, all 46 isolates were tested for antimicrobial activity and were screened for the presence of genes encoding polyketide synthetases and nonribosomal peptide synthetases. The results confirm that the medicinal plants of Xishuangbanna represent an extremely rich reservoir for the isolation of a significant diversity of actinobacteria, including novel species, that are potential sources for the discovery of biologically active compounds.

Stem and leaf hydraulic properties are finely coordinated in three tropical rain forest tree species.

PubMed

Nolf, Markus; Creek, Danielle; Duursma, Remko; Holtum, Joseph; Mayr, Stefan; Choat, Brendan

2015-12-01

Coordination of stem and leaf hydraulic traits allows terrestrial plants to maintain safe water status under limited water supply. Tropical rain forests, one of the world's most productive biomes, are vulnerable to drought and potentially threatened by increased aridity due to global climate change. However, the relationship of stem and leaf traits within the plant hydraulic continuum remains understudied, particularly in tropical species. We studied within-plant hydraulic coordination between stems and leaves in three tropical lowland rain forest tree species by analyses of hydraulic vulnerability [hydraulic methods and ultrasonic emission (UE) analysis], pressure-volume relations and in situ pre-dawn and midday water potentials (Ψ). We found finely coordinated stem and leaf hydraulic features, with a strategy of sacrificing leaves in favour of stems. Fifty percent of hydraulic conductivity (P50 ) was lost at -2.1 to -3.1 MPa in stems and at -1.7 to -2.2 MPa in leaves. UE analysis corresponded to hydraulic measurements. Safety margins (leaf P50 - stem P50 ) were very narrow at -0.4 to -1.4 MPa. Pressure-volume analysis and in situ Ψ indicated safe water status in stems but risk of hydraulic failure in leaves. Our study shows that stem and leaf hydraulics were finely tuned to avoid embolism formation in the xylem. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The environmental and economic impact of acid rain is documented for the eastern United States (New York, Wisconsin) and Canada and Scandinavia. Damage to lakes and other water resources, fisheries, forests and agriculture is emphasized.

Taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod assemblages across contrasting Amazonian forests.

PubMed

Lamarre, Greg P A; Hérault, Bruno; Fine, Paul V A; Vedel, Vincent; Lupoli, Roland; Mesones, Italo; Baraloto, Christopher

2016-01-01

Arthropods represent most of global biodiversity, with the highest diversity found in tropical rain forests. Nevertheless, we have a very incomplete understanding of how tropical arthropod communities are assembled. We conducted a comprehensive mass sampling of arthropod communities within three major habitat types of lowland Amazonian rain forest, including terra firme clay, white-sand and seasonally flooded forests in Peru and French Guiana. We examined how taxonomic and functional composition (at the family level) differed across these habitat types in the two regions. The overall arthropod community composition exhibited strong turnover among habitats and between regions. In particular, seasonally flooded forest habitats of both regions comprised unique assemblages. Overall, 17·7% (26 of 147) of arthropod families showed significant preferences for a particular habitat type. We present a first reproducible arthropod functional classification among the 147 taxa based on similarity among 21 functional traits describing feeding source, major mouthparts and microhabitats inhabited by each taxon. We identified seven distinct functional groups whose relative abundance contrasted strongly across the three habitats, with sap and leaf feeders showing higher abundances in terra firme clay forest. Our novel arthropod functional classification provides an important complement to link these contrasting patterns of composition to differences in forest functioning across geographical and environmental gradients. This study underlines that both environment and biogeographical processes are responsible for driving arthropod taxonomic composition while environmental filtering is the main driver of the variance in functional composition. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

Spatio-temporal Change Patterns of Tropical Forests from 2000 to 2014 Using MOD09A1 Dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Y.; Xiao, X.; Dong, J.

2016-12-01

Large-scale deforestation and forest degradation in the tropical region have resulted in extensive carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. However, restricted by the availability of good-quality observations, large uncertainty exists in mapping the spatial distribution of forests and their spatio-temporal changes. In this study, we proposed a pixel- and phenology-based algorithm to identify and map annual tropical forests from 2000 to 2014, using the 8-day, 500-m MOD09A1 (v005) product, under the support of Google cloud computing (Google Earth Engine). A temporal filter was applied to reduce the random noises and to identify the spatio-temporal changes of forests. We then built up a confusion matrix and assessed the accuracy of the annual forest maps based on the ground reference interpreted from high spatial resolution images in Google Earth. The resultant forest maps showed the consistent forest/non-forest, forest loss, and forest gain in the pan-tropical zone during 2000 - 2014. The proposed algorithm showed the potential for tropical forest mapping and the resultant forest maps are important for the estimation of carbon emission and biodiversity loss.

Researching the Rain Forest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chazdon, Robin L.

1995-01-01

An autobiography of a female ecologist working in the Costa Rican rainforest is provided as an inspiration for girls. The scientist briefly tells her life story and describes her research activities. (LZ)

Acid rain mitigation experiment shifts a forested watershed from a net sink to a net source of nitrogen

PubMed Central

Rosi-Marshall, Emma J.; Bernhardt, Emily S.; Buso, Donald C.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Likens, Gene E.

2016-01-01

Decades of acid rain have acidified forest soils and freshwaters throughout montane forests of the northeastern United States; the resulting loss of soil base cations is hypothesized to be responsible for limiting rates of forest growth throughout the region. In 1999, an experiment was conducted that reversed the long-term trend of soil base cation depletion and tested the hypothesis that calcium limits forest growth in acidified soils. Researchers added 1,189 kg Ca2+ ha−1 as the pelletized mineral wollastonite (CaSiO3) to a 12-ha forested watershed within the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Significant increases in the pH and acid-neutralizing capacity of soils and streamwater resulted, and the predicted increase in forest growth occurred. An unanticipated consequence of this acidification mitigation experiment began to emerge a decade later, with marked increases in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) exports in streamwater from the treated watershed. By 2013, 30-times greater DIN was exported from this base-treated watershed than from adjacent reference watersheds, and DIN exports resulting from this experiment match or exceed earlier reports of inorganic N losses after severe ice-storm damage within the study watershed. The discovery that CaSiO3 enrichment can convert a watershed from a sink to a source of N suggests that numerous potential mechanisms drive watershed N dynamics and provides new insights into the influence of acid deposition mitigation strategies for both carbon cycling and watershed N export. PMID:27335456

Acid rain mitigation experiment shifts a forested watershed from a net sink to a net source of nitrogen.

PubMed

Rosi-Marshall, Emma J; Bernhardt, Emily S; Buso, Donald C; Driscoll, Charles T; Likens, Gene E

2016-07-05

Decades of acid rain have acidified forest soils and freshwaters throughout montane forests of the northeastern United States; the resulting loss of soil base cations is hypothesized to be responsible for limiting rates of forest growth throughout the region. In 1999, an experiment was conducted that reversed the long-term trend of soil base cation depletion and tested the hypothesis that calcium limits forest growth in acidified soils. Researchers added 1,189 kg Ca(2+) ha(-1) as the pelletized mineral wollastonite (CaSiO3) to a 12-ha forested watershed within the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Significant increases in the pH and acid-neutralizing capacity of soils and streamwater resulted, and the predicted increase in forest growth occurred. An unanticipated consequence of this acidification mitigation experiment began to emerge a decade later, with marked increases in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) exports in streamwater from the treated watershed. By 2013, 30-times greater DIN was exported from this base-treated watershed than from adjacent reference watersheds, and DIN exports resulting from this experiment match or exceed earlier reports of inorganic N losses after severe ice-storm damage within the study watershed. The discovery that CaSiO3 enrichment can convert a watershed from a sink to a source of N suggests that numerous potential mechanisms drive watershed N dynamics and provides new insights into the influence of acid deposition mitigation strategies for both carbon cycling and watershed N export.

Climate effects on vegetation vitality at the treeline of boreal forests of Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klinge, Michael; Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Erasmi, Stefan; Nikolaus Karger, Dirk; Hauck, Markus

2018-03-01

In northern Mongolia, at the southern boundary of the Siberian boreal forest belt, the distribution of steppe and forest is generally linked to climate and topography, making this region highly sensitive to climate change and human impact. Detailed investigations on the limiting parameters of forest and steppe in different biomes provide necessary information for paleoenvironmental reconstruction and prognosis of potential landscape change. In this study, remote sensing data and gridded climate data were analyzed in order to identify main distribution patterns of forest and steppe in Mongolia and to detect environmental factors driving forest development. Forest distribution and vegetation vitality derived from the normalized differentiated vegetation index (NDVI) were investigated for the three types of boreal forest present in Mongolia (taiga, subtaiga and forest-steppe), which cover a total area of 73 818 km2. In addition to the forest type areas, the analysis focused on subunits of forest and nonforested areas at the upper and lower treeline, which represent ecological borders between vegetation types. Climate and NDVI data were analyzed for a reference period of 15 years from 1999 to 2013. The presented approach for treeline delineation by identifying representative sites mostly bridges local forest disturbances like fire or tree cutting. Moreover, this procedure provides a valuable tool to distinguish the potential forested area. The upper treeline generally rises from 1800 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in the northeast to 2700 m a.s.l. in the south. The lower treeline locally emerges at 1000 m a.s.l. in the northern taiga and rises southward to 2500 m a.s.l. The latitudinal gradient of both treelines turns into a longitudinal one on the eastern flank of mountain ranges due to higher aridity caused by rain-shadow effects. Less productive trees in terms of NDVI were identified at both the upper and lower treeline in relation to the respective total boreal forest type area. The mean growing season temperature (MGST) of 7.9-8.9 °C and a minimum MGST of 6 °C are limiting parameters at the upper treeline but are negligible for the lower treeline. The minimum of the mean annual precipitation (MAP) of 230-290 mm yr-1 is a limiting parameter at the lower treeline but also at the upper treeline in the forest-steppe ecotone. In general, NDVI and MAP are lower in grassland, and MGST is higher compared to the corresponding boreal forest. One exception occurs at the upper treeline of the subtaiga and taiga, where the alpine vegetation consists of mountain meadow mixed with shrubs. The relation between NDVI and climate data corroborates that more precipitation and higher temperatures generally lead to higher greenness in all ecological subunits. MGST is positively correlated with MAP of the total area of forest-steppe, but this correlation turns negative in the taiga. The limiting factor in the forest-steppe is the relative humidity and in the taiga it is the snow cover distribution. The subtaiga represents an ecological transition zone of approximately 300 mm yr-1 precipitation, which occurs independently from the MGST. Since the treelines are mainly determined by climatic parameters, the rapid climate change in inner Asia will lead to a spatial relocation of tree communities, treelines and boreal forest types. However, a direct deduction of future tree vitality, forest composition and biomass trends from the recent relationships between NDVI and climate parameters is challenging. Besides human impact, it must consider bio- and geoecological issues like, for example, tree rejuvenation, temporal lag of climate adaptation and disappearing permafrost.

Experiment of Rain Retrieval over Land Using Surface Emissivity Map Derived from TRMM TMI and JRA25

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuzawa, Fumie; Masunaga, Hirohiko; Nakamura, Kenji

2010-05-01

We are developing a data-set of global land surface emissivity calculated from TRMM TMI brightness temperature (TB) and atmospheric profile data of Japanese 25-year Reanalysis Project (JRA-25) for the region identified as no-rain by TRMM PR, assuming zero cloud liquid water beyond 0-C level. For the evaluation, some characteristics of global monthly emissivity maps, for example, dependency of emissivity on each TMI frequency or each local time or seasonal/annual variation are checked. Moreover, these data are classified based on JRA25 land type or soilwetness and compared. Histogram of polarization difference of emissivity is similar to that of TB and mostly reflects the variability of land type or soil wetness, while histogram of vertical emissivity show a small difference. Next, by interpolating this instantaneous dataset with Gaussian function weighting, we derive an emissivity over neighboring rainy region and assess the interpolated emissivity by running radiative transfer model using PR rain profile and comparing with observed TB. Preliminary rain retrieval from the emissivities for some frequencies and TBs is evaluated based on PR rain profile and TMI rain rate. Moreover, another method is tested to estimate surface temperature from two emissivities, based on their statistical relation for each land type. We will show the results for vertical and horizontal emissivities of each frequency.

Use of an Upland Pine Forest by the Star-Nosed Mole, Condylura Cristata

Treesearch

Timothy S. McCay; Mark J. Komoraoski; William M. Ford

1999-01-01

The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a semi-aquatic insectivore, commonly found near marshy areas and streams. We report two captures of star-nosed moles from a xeric, upland pine forest more than 500 m from the nearest persistent source of water. Both captures occurred during rainy nights, suggesting that star-nosed moles use rain events as...

The effects of wind disturbance on temperate rain forest structure and dynamics of southeast Alaska.

Treesearch

Gregory J. Nowacki; Marc G. Kramer

1998-01-01

Wind disturbance plays a fundamental role in shaping forest dynamics in southeast Alaska. Recent studies have increased our appreciation for the effects of wind at both large and small scales. Current thinking is that wind disturbance characteristics change over a continuum dependent on landscape features (e.g., exposure, landscape position, topography). Data modeling...

Relative effects of human and feral hog disturbance on a wet forest in Hawaii

Treesearch

C. John Ralph; Bruce D. Maxwell

1984-01-01

The effects of 20 months of intensive disturbance by humans, as well as the presence of feral hogs Sus scrofa, was measured on vegetation. Both forms of disturbance have been thought severely to affect Hawaiian rain forests by reduction of plant cover and allowing the proliferation of exotic plants. Despite much human use throughout the stud), area,...

Can we manage tropical landscapes? – an answer from the Caribbean perspective.

Treesearch

Ariel E. Lugo

2002-01-01

Humans have used Caribbean island landscapes for millennia. The conversion of wild lands to built-up lands or to agricultural lands in these tropical countries follows predictable patterns. Conversion of moist forest life zones and fertile flatlands is faster than conversion of wet and rain forest life zones and low fertility steep lands. In Puerto Rico, these trends...

Forest fire risk zonation mapping using remote sensing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, Sunil; Arora, M. K.

2006-12-01

Forest fires cause major losses to forest cover and disturb the ecological balance in our region. Rise in temperature during summer season causing increased dryness, increased activity of human beings in the forest areas, and the type of forest cover in the Garhwal Himalayas are some of the reasons that lead to forest fires. Therefore, generation of forest fire risk maps becomes necessary so that preventive measures can be taken at appropriate time. These risk maps shall indicate the zonation of the areas which are in very high, high, medium and low risk zones with regard to forest fire in the region. In this paper, an attempt has been made to generate the forest fire risk maps based on remote sensing data and other geographical variables responsible for the occurrence of fire. These include altitude, temperature and soil variations. Key thematic data layers pertaining to these variables have been generated using various techniques. A rule-based approach has been used and implemented in GIS environment to estimate fuel load and fuel index leading to the derivation of fire risk zonation index and subsequently to fire risk zonation maps. The fire risk maps thus generated have been validated on the ground for forest types as well as for forest fire risk areas. These maps would help the state forest departments in prioritizing their strategy for combating forest fires particularly during the fire seasons.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohnen, V.A.; Aneja, V.; Bailey, B.

The report summarizes the results of the four year field measurement and data analysis program of MCCP. The MCCP is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the joint U.S. Forest Service-EPA Spruce-Fir Research Cooperative. The objectives of the project have been met and the result is an assessment of principal atmospheric constituents as they impact the high elevation forests of the Eastern U.S. Deposition of SO4(-2), NO3(-), H(+), and NH(4+) in cloud water represents a significant input to forest canopies with elevations greater than 1000m. Cloud water deposition can exceed wet (rain) deposition and may bemore » the dominant process for input of sulfate and nitrate compounds during the growing season in high elevation forests frequently exposed to clouds. Cloud water pH concentrations may be as much as 0.6pH units lower than pH in rain. SO(4+) and NO3(-) concentrations are also higher in cloud water than in precipitation. Ozone data reveals that significant differences exist between ozone concentrations at high elevation and low elevation sites. The primary effect of the difference is to produce higher mean ozone concentrations and longer episodes at the higher elevation sites.« less

Acid rain and its ecological consequences.

PubMed

Singh, Anita; Agrawal, Madhoolika

2008-01-01

Acidification of rain-water is identified as one of the most serious environmental problems of transboundary nature. Acid rain is mainly a mixture of sulphuric and nitric acids depending upon the relative quantities of oxides of sulphur and nitrogen emissions. Due to the interaction of these acids with other constituents of the atmosphere, protons are released causing increase in the soil acidity Lowering of soil pH mobilizes and leaches away nutrient cations and increases availability of toxic heavy metals. Such changes in the soil chemical characteristics reduce the soil fertility which ultimately causes the negative impact on growth and productivity of forest trees and crop plants. Acidification of water bodies causes large scale negative impact on aquatic organisms including fishes. Acidification has some indirect effects on human health also. Acid rain affects each and every components of ecosystem. Acid rain also damages man-made materials and structures. By reducing the emission of the precursors of acid rain and to some extent by liming, the problem of acidification of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem has been reduced during last two decades.

Stable isotopes in nitrous oxide emitted from tropical rain forest soils and agricultural fields: Implications for the global atmospheric nitrous oxide budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Tibisay Josefina

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas and is the primary source of NOx in the stratosphere. Large uncertainties exist in the global N2O budget, mainly due to the high uncertainty associated with source estimates. Recently, stable isotopes of 15N and 18O have been proposed as a tool to better constrain the N2O global budget. This thesis develops analytical methods for constraining and measuring stable isotopes in N2O emitted from soils and reports initial investigations of N2O isotopes from the largest sources in the global N2O budget: tropical rain forest soils and agricultural fields. We found significant differences in the isotopic composition of N 2O emitted from tropical rain forest soils and fertilized agricultural fields. Differences were largest for 15N. Emission-weighted δ 15N-N2O were -26 +/- 2.5‰ s.d., n = 3 (Costa Rican forest), -6.6 +/- 11.3‰ s.d. n = 14 (Brazilian forest) and -36.7 +/- 9.2‰ s.d. n = 19 (Mexican agricultural field and Costa Rican Papaya plantation). We attribute the large range in δ 15N from tropical rain forests, where denitrification is the main source of N2O, to differences in the degree of N2O to N2 reduction. We attribute the very light δ15N values in fertilized agricultural fields to the enhanced nitrogen availability in the soils which facilitates higher fractionation between substrates and products. Similarly, in the Brazilian tropical forest lighter δ 15N-N2O from a local area of enhanced emission is attributed to locally more abundant N- substrate in that particular soil site. If the increase of N2O in the troposphere over the past 100 years is attributable to increased use of N fertilizer, and assuming that light δ 15N- N2O isotopic values are associated with agricultural practices, we expect the δ15N-N2O in the troposphere to have decreased since pre-industrial times. Theoretically, comparison of 15N and 18O signature of emitted N2O with precursors species (NO3 -, NH4+, H2O and O 2) should uniquely determine (a)the fraction of N2O produced by nitrification versus denitrification and (b)the fractionation of N2O reduced to N2. However, for this approach to be useful, in situ determinations of fractionation factors associated with nitrification and denitrification in soils are required.

Combining forest inventory, satellite remote sensing, and geospatial data for mapping forest attributes of the conterminous United States

Treesearch

Mark Nelson; Greg Liknes; Charles H. Perry

2009-01-01

Analysis and display of forest composition, structure, and pattern provides information for a variety of assessments and management decision support. The objective of this study was to produce geospatial datasets and maps of conterminous United States forest land ownership, forest site productivity, timberland, and reserved forest land. Satellite image-based maps of...

Hydrology of flooded and wetland forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, T.M.; Krauss, Ken W.; Okruszko, T.; Amatya, D.; Williams, T.M.; Bren, L.; de Jong, C.

2016-01-01

In this chapter we will examine the hydrology of forested areas that are subject to soil saturation by rain, groundwater, or surface flooding. They include mangroves and other tidal forests, the forested portions of peatlands, and tree dominated wetlands defined by the Ramsar Convention (Mathews 1993). They also include estuarine tidal forests, palustrine forested wetlands, and the portion of palustrine scrub-shrub which are made up of immature tree species of the Cowardin et al. (1985) classification. A broad outline of ecology of all wetlands are described in Mitsch and Gosselink (2015), wetlands specifically with tidal influence are described by Tiner (2013), while descriptions of northern and southern forested wetlands can be found in Trettin et al. (1996) and Messina and Conner (1998) respectively.

Seed rain, soil seed bank, seed loss and regeneration of Castanopsis fargesii (Fagaceae) in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Du, X.; Guo, Q.; Gao, X.; Ma, K.

2007-01-01

Understanding the seed rain and seed loss dynamics in the natural condition has important significance for revealing the natural regeneration mechanisms. We conducted a 3-year field observation on seed rain, seed loss and natural regeneration of Castanopsis fargesii Franch., a dominant tree species in evergreen broad-leaved forests in Dujiangyan, southwestern China. The results showed that: (1) there were marked differences in (mature) seed production between mast (733,700 seeds in 2001) and regular (51,200 and 195,600 seeds in 2002 and 2003, respectively) years for C. fargesii. (2) Most seeds were dispersed in leaf litter, humus and 0-2 cm depth soil in seed bank. (3) Frequency distributions of both DBH and height indicated that C. fargesii had a relatively stable population. (4) Seed rain, seed ground density, seed loss, and leaf fall were highly dynamic and certain quantity of seeds were preserved on the ground for a prolonged time due to predator satiation in both the mast and regular years so that the continuous presence of seed bank and seedling recruitments in situ became possible. Both longer time observations and manipulative experiments should be carried out to better understand the roles of seed dispersal and regeneration process in the ecosystem performance. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in β-aminobutyric acid enhanced Arabidopsis thaliana tolerance to simulated acid rain.

PubMed

Liu, Tingwu; Jiang, Xinwu; Shi, Wuliang; Chen, Juan; Pei, Zhenming; Zheng, Hailei

2011-05-01

Acid rain is a worldwide environmental issue that has seriously destroyed forest ecosystems. As a highly effective and broad-spectrum plant resistance-inducing agent, β-aminobutyric acid could elevate the tolerance of Arabidopsis when subjected to simulated acid rain. Using comparative proteomic strategies, we analyzed 203 significantly varied proteins of which 175 proteins were identified responding to β-aminobutyric acid in the absence and presence of simulated acid rain. They could be divided into ten groups according to their biological functions. Among them, the majority was cell rescue, development and defense-related proteins, followed by transcription, protein synthesis, folding, modification and destination-associated proteins. Our conclusion is β-aminobutyric acid can lead to a large-scale primary metabolism change and simultaneously activate antioxidant system and salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid signaling pathways. In addition, β-aminobutyric acid can reinforce physical barriers to defend simulated acid rain stress. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterizing the phylogenetic tree community structure of a protected tropical rain forest area in Cameroon.

PubMed

Manel, Stéphanie; Couvreur, Thomas L P; Munoz, François; Couteron, Pierre; Hardy, Olivier J; Sonké, Bonaventure

2014-01-01

Tropical rain forests, the richest terrestrial ecosystems in biodiversity on Earth are highly threatened by global changes. This paper aims to infer the mechanisms governing species tree assemblages by characterizing the phylogenetic structure of a tropical rain forest in a protected area of the Congo Basin, the Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon). We re-analyzed a dataset of 11538 individuals belonging to 372 taxa found along nine transects spanning five habitat types. We generated a dated phylogenetic tree including all sampled taxa to partition the phylogenetic diversity of the nine transects into alpha and beta components at the level of the transects and of the habitat types. The variation in phylogenetic composition among transects did not deviate from a random pattern at the scale of the Dja Faunal Reserve, probably due to a common history and weak environmental variation across the park. This lack of phylogenetic structure combined with an isolation-by-distance pattern of taxonomic diversity suggests that neutral dispersal limitation is a major driver of community assembly in the Dja. To assess any lack of sensitivity to the variation in habitat types, we restricted the analyses of transects to the terra firme primary forest and found results consistent with those of the whole dataset at the level of the transects. Additionally to previous analyses, we detected a weak but significant phylogenetic turnover among habitat types, suggesting that species sort in varying environments, even though it is not predominating on the overall phylogenetic structure. Finer analyses of clades indicated a signal of clustering for species from the Annonaceae family, while species from the Apocynaceae family indicated overdispersion. These results can contribute to the conservation of the park by improving our understanding of the processes dictating community assembly in these hyperdiverse but threatened regions of the world.

Use of isotopic and hydrometric monitoring methods to partition hydrologic contributions to forested wetlands in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Grinsven, M. J.; Pypker, T. G.; Kolka, R. K.

2012-12-01

As a result of their landscape position and physical soil properties, northern forested wetlands are capable of retaining springtime snowmelt, rain and near surface groundwater inputs into the growing season. Hydrological conditions such as source water chemistry, duration of inundation, and magnitude of water table fluctuations are affected by the relative contribution of snow, rain, and groundwater sources, and in turn these hydrological conditions strongly influence the structure and function of northern forested wetlands. Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) is a facultative wet tree species, and is known to occur in 23 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces in northeastern North America. Black ash trees have ecological, economic, and cultural significance, and are currently threatened by the rapid expansion of the exotic emerald ash borer (Burprestidae: Agrilus planipennis). Since its initial detection in 2002 near Detroit, MI, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in 15 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces. There is very little known about black ash wetland hydrology and ecology, and as a result of the looming infestation, there is a critical need to gain a better understanding of the hydrology in undisturbed ecosystems. The main objective of this study is to partition source water contributions in black ash wetlands in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We hypothesize that snowmelt and near surface groundwater supply the majority of water to these wetlands annually, and summer rain is readily removed from the system through the evapotranspiration pathway. Hydrometric monitoring methods were used in conjunction with isotopic analysis using a linear mixing model to characterize source water contributions in nine black ash wetlands. The results suggest a connection with near surface groundwater during spring and early summer, and a short residence time for rain water following summer storm events. The outcome of this research aims to inform land managers in northeastern North America about the natural hydrologic condition of black ash wetlands, and provide baseline data that underscores potential water and forest resource impacts of current and future emerald ash borer infestations.

Climatology of contribution-weighted tropical rain rates based on TRMM 3B42

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venugopal, V.; Wallace, J. M.

2016-10-01

The climatology of annual mean tropical rain rate is investigated based on merged Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42 data. At 0.25° × 0.25° spatial resolution, and 3-hourly temporal resolution, half the rain is concentrated within only ˜1% of the area of the tropics at any given instant. When plotted as a function of logarithm of rain rate, the cumulative contribution of rate-ranked rain occurrences to the annual mean rainfall in each grid box is S shaped and its derivative, the contribution-weighted rain rate spectrum, is Gaussian shaped. The 50% intercept of the cumulative contribution R50 is almost equivalent to the contribution-weighted mean logarithmic rain rate RL¯ based on all significant rain occurrences. The spatial patterns of R50 and RL¯ are similar to those obtained by mapping the fraction of the annual accumulation explained by rain occurrences with rates above various specified thresholds. The geographical distribution of R50 confirms the existence of patterns noted in prior analyses based on TRMM precipitation radar data and reveals several previously unnoticed features.

Remote analysis of biological invasion and biogeochemical change

PubMed Central

Asner, Gregory P.; Vitousek, Peter M.

2005-01-01

We used airborne imaging spectroscopy and photon transport modeling to determine how biological invasion altered the chemistry of forest canopies across a Hawaiian montane rain forest landscape. The nitrogen-fixing tree Myrica faya doubled canopy nitrogen concentrations and water content as it replaced native forest, whereas the understory herb Hedychium gardnerianum reduced nitrogen concentrations in the forest overstory and substantially increased aboveground water content. This remote sensing approach indicates the geographic extent, intensity, and biogeochemical impacts of two distinct invaders; its wider application could enhance the role of remote sensing in ecosystem analysis and management. PMID:15761055

Revealing Forest Harvesting Effects on Large Peakflows in Rain-On-Snow Environment with a New Stochastic Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, W. N.; Alila, Y.

2017-12-01

Using nine pairs of control-treatment watersheds with varying climate, physiography, and harvesting practices in the Rain-On-Snow (ROS) environment of the Pacific Northwest region, we explore the linkage between environmental control and the sensitivity of peakflow response to harvesting effects. Compared to previous paired watershed studies in ROS environment, we employed an experimental design of Frequency Pairing to isolate the effects of disturbances on systems' response. In contrary, the aspect of changing frequency distributions is not commonly invoked in previous literatures on the topic of forests and floods. Our results show how harvesting can dramatically increase the magnitude of all peakflows on record and how such effects can increase with increasing return periods, as a consequence of substantial increases to the mean and variance of the peakflow frequency distribution. Most critically, peakflows with return period larger than 10 years can increase in frequency, where the larger the peakflow event the more frequent it may become. The sensitivity of the upper tail of the frequency distribution of peakflows was found to be linked to the physiographic and climatic characteristics via a unifying synchronization / desynchronization spatial scaling mechanism that controls the generation of rain-on-snow runoff. This new physically-based stochastic hydrology understanding on the response of watersheds in ROS environments runs counter the deterministic prevailing wisdom of forest hydrology, which presumes a limited and diminishing role of forest cover as the magnitude of the peakflow event increases. By demonstrating the need for invoking the dimension of frequency in the understanding and prediction of the effects of harvesting on peakflows, findings from this study suggested that pure deterministic hypotheses and experimental designs that solely focusing on the changing magnitude of peakflows have been misguiding forest hydrology research for over a century on this topic.

A 50-m forest cover map in Southeast Asia from ALOS/PALSAR and its application on forest fragmentation assessment.

PubMed

Dong, Jinwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Sheldon, Sage; Biradar, Chandrashekhar; Zhang, Geli; Duong, Nguyen Dinh; Hazarika, Manzul; Wikantika, Ketut; Takeuhci, Wataru; Moore, Berrien

2014-01-01

Southeast Asia experienced higher rates of deforestation than other continents in the 1990s and still was a hotspot of forest change in the 2000s. Biodiversity conservation planning and accurate estimation of forest carbon fluxes and pools need more accurate information about forest area, spatial distribution and fragmentation. However, the recent forest maps of Southeast Asia were generated from optical images at spatial resolutions of several hundreds of meters, and they do not capture well the exceptionally complex and dynamic environments in Southeast Asia. The forest area estimates from those maps vary substantially, ranging from 1.73×10(6) km(2) (GlobCover) to 2.69×10(6) km(2) (MCD12Q1) in 2009; and their uncertainty is constrained by frequent cloud cover and coarse spatial resolution. Recently, cloud-free imagery from the Phased Array Type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) onboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) became available. We used the PALSAR 50-m orthorectified mosaic imagery in 2009 to generate a forest cover map of Southeast Asia at 50-m spatial resolution. The validation, using ground-reference data collected from the Geo-Referenced Field Photo Library and high-resolution images in Google Earth, showed that our forest map has a reasonably high accuracy (producer's accuracy 86% and user's accuracy 93%). The PALSAR-based forest area estimates in 2009 are significantly correlated with those from GlobCover and MCD12Q1 at national and subnational scales but differ in some regions at the pixel scale due to different spatial resolutions, forest definitions, and algorithms. The resultant 50-m forest map was used to quantify forest fragmentation and it revealed substantial details of forest fragmentation. This new 50-m map of tropical forests could serve as a baseline map for forest resource inventory, deforestation monitoring, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) implementation, and biodiversity.

A 50-m Forest Cover Map in Southeast Asia from ALOS/PALSAR and Its Application on Forest Fragmentation Assessment

PubMed Central

Dong, Jinwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Sheldon, Sage; Biradar, Chandrashekhar; Zhang, Geli; Dinh Duong, Nguyen; Hazarika, Manzul; Wikantika, Ketut; Takeuhci, Wataru; Moore, Berrien

2014-01-01

Southeast Asia experienced higher rates of deforestation than other continents in the 1990s and still was a hotspot of forest change in the 2000s. Biodiversity conservation planning and accurate estimation of forest carbon fluxes and pools need more accurate information about forest area, spatial distribution and fragmentation. However, the recent forest maps of Southeast Asia were generated from optical images at spatial resolutions of several hundreds of meters, and they do not capture well the exceptionally complex and dynamic environments in Southeast Asia. The forest area estimates from those maps vary substantially, ranging from 1.73×106 km2 (GlobCover) to 2.69×106 km2 (MCD12Q1) in 2009; and their uncertainty is constrained by frequent cloud cover and coarse spatial resolution. Recently, cloud-free imagery from the Phased Array Type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) onboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) became available. We used the PALSAR 50-m orthorectified mosaic imagery in 2009 to generate a forest cover map of Southeast Asia at 50-m spatial resolution. The validation, using ground-reference data collected from the Geo-Referenced Field Photo Library and high-resolution images in Google Earth, showed that our forest map has a reasonably high accuracy (producer's accuracy 86% and user's accuracy 93%). The PALSAR-based forest area estimates in 2009 are significantly correlated with those from GlobCover and MCD12Q1 at national and subnational scales but differ in some regions at the pixel scale due to different spatial resolutions, forest definitions, and algorithms. The resultant 50-m forest map was used to quantify forest fragmentation and it revealed substantial details of forest fragmentation. This new 50-m map of tropical forests could serve as a baseline map for forest resource inventory, deforestation monitoring, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) implementation, and biodiversity. PMID:24465714

A satellite technique for quantitatively mapping rainfall rates over the oceans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilheit, T. T.; Roa, M. S. V.; Chang, T. C.; Rodgers, E. B.; Theon, J. S.

1975-01-01

A theoretical model for calculating microwave radiative transfer in raining atmospheres is developed. These calculations are compared with microwave brightness temperatures at a wavelength of 1.55 cm measured on the Nimbus-5 satellite and rain rates derived from WSR-57 meteorological radar measurements. A specially designed ground based verification experiment was also performed wherein upward viewing microwave brightness temperature measurements at wavelengths of 1.55 cm and 0.81 cm were compared with directly measured rain rates.

Modeling forest site productivity using mapped geospatial attributes within a South Carolina landscape, USA

Treesearch

B.R. Parresol; D.A. Scott; S.J. Zarnoch; L.A. Edwards; J.I. Blake

2017-01-01

Spatially explicit mapping of forest productivity is important to assess many forest management alternatives. We assessed the relationship between mapped variables and site index of forests ranging from southern pine plantations to natural hardwoods on a 74,000-ha landscape in South Carolina, USA. Mapped features used in the analysis were soil association, land use...

Single-edition quadrangle maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1998-01-01

In August 1993, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Mapping Division and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service signed an Interagency Agreement to begin a single-edition joint mapping program. This agreement established the coordination for producing and maintaining single-edition primary series topographic maps for quadrangles containing National Forest System lands. The joint mapping program saves money by eliminating duplication of effort by the agencies and results in a more frequent revision cycle for quadrangles containing national forests. Maps are revised on the basis of jointly developed standards and contain normal features mapped by the USGS, as well as additional features required for efficient management of National Forest System lands. Single-edition maps look slightly different but meet the content, accuracy, and quality criteria of other USGS products. The Forest Service is responsible for the land management of more than 191 million acres of land throughout the continental United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, including 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands. These areas make up the National Forest System lands and comprise more than 10,600 of the 56,000 primary series 7.5-minute quadrangle maps (15-minute in Alaska) covering the United States. The Forest Service has assumed responsibility for maintaining these maps, and the USGS remains responsible for printing and distributing them. Before the agreement, both agencies published similar maps of the same areas. The maps were used for different purposes, but had comparable types of features that were revised at different times. Now, the two products have been combined into one so that the revision cycle is stabilized and only one agency revises the maps, thus increasing the number of current maps available for National Forest System lands. This agreement has improved service to the public by requiring that the agencies share the same maps and that the maps meet a common standard, as well as by significantly reducing duplication of effort.

A technique for conducting point pattern analysis of cluster plot stem-maps

Treesearch

C.W. Woodall; J.M. Graham

2004-01-01

Point pattern analysis of forest inventory stem-maps may aid interpretation and inventory estimation of forest attributes. To evaluate the techniques and benefits of conducting point pattern analysis of forest inventory stem-maps, Ripley`s K(t) was calculated for simulated tree spatial distributions and for over 600 USDA Forest Service Forest...

Evaluating kriging as a tool to improve moderate resolution maps of forest biomass

Treesearch

Elizabeth A. Freeman; Gretchen G. Moisen

2007-01-01

The USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA) recently produced a nationwide map of forest biomass by modeling biomass collected on forest inventory plots as nonparametric functions of moderate resolution satellite data and other environmental variables using Cubist software. Efforts are underway to develop methods to enhance this initial map. We...

Simple models for complex natural surfaces - A strategy for the hyperspectral era of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, John B.; Smith, Milton O.; Gillespie, Alan R.

1989-01-01

A two-step strategy for analyzing multispectral images is described. In the first step, the analyst decomposes the signal from each pixel (as expressed by the radiance or reflectance values in each channel) into components that are contributed by spectrally distinct materials on the ground, and those that are due to atmospheric effects, instrumental effects, and other factors, such as illumination. In the second step, the isolated signals from the materials on the ground are selectively edited, and recombined to form various unit maps that are interpretable within the framework of field units. The approach has been tested on multispectral images of a variety of natural land surfaces ranging from hyperarid deserts to tropical rain forests. Data were analyzed from Landsat MSS (multispectral scanner) and TM (Thematic Mapper), the airborne NS001 TM simulator, Viking Lander and Orbiter, AIS, and AVRIS (Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer).

Statewide LANDSAT inventory of California forests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Likens, W.; Peterson, D. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

Six forest cover categories were mapped, along with 10 general land cover classes. To map the state's 100 million acres, 1.6 acre mapping units were utilized. Map products were created. Standing forest acreage for the state was computed to be 26.8 million acres.

Nutrient additions to a tropical rain forest drive substantial soil carbon dioxide losses to the atmosphere.

PubMed

Cleveland, Cory C; Townsend, Alan R

2006-07-05

Terrestrial biosphere-atmosphere carbon dioxide (CO(2)) exchange is dominated by tropical forests, where photosynthetic carbon (C) uptake is thought to be phosphorus (P)-limited. In P-poor tropical forests, P may also limit organic matter decomposition and soil C losses. We conducted a field-fertilization experiment to show that P fertilization stimulates soil respiration in a lowland tropical rain forest in Costa Rica. In the early wet season, when soluble organic matter inputs to soil are high, P fertilization drove large increases in soil respiration. Although the P-stimulated increase in soil respiration was largely confined to the dry-to-wet season transition, the seasonal increase was sufficient to drive an 18% annual increase in CO(2) efflux from the P-fertilized plots. Nitrogen (N) fertilization caused similar responses, and the net increases in soil respiration in response to the additions of N and P approached annual soil C fluxes in mid-latitude forests. Human activities are altering natural patterns of tropical soil N and P availability by land conversion and enhanced atmospheric deposition. Although our data suggest that the mechanisms driving the observed respiratory responses to increased N and P may be different, the large CO(2) losses stimulated by N and P fertilization suggest that knowledge of such patterns and their effects on soil CO(2) efflux is critical for understanding the role of tropical forests in a rapidly changing global C cycle.

Soil Phosphorus Fractionation during Forest Development on Landslide Scars in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico.

Treesearch

Jacqueline Frizano; Arthur H. Johnson; David R. Vann; Frederick N. Scatena

2002-01-01

Mineral soils from a chronosequence of landslide scars ranging in age from 1 to more than 55 years in a subtropical montane rain forest of eastern Puerto Rico were used to determine the rate at which labile P capital recovers during primary succession. Nine organic and inorganic soil P fractions were measured using the Hedley sequential extraction procedure. Deep soil...

Nature and extent of macropores in forest soils and their influence on subsurface water movement

Treesearch

Gerald M. Aubertin; Gerald M. Aubertin

1971-01-01

Rain, falling on a sloping forested soil, may enter the soil quickly and move considerable distances through the soil by way of macropores. A macropore is a large pore, cavity, passageway, channel, tunnel, or void in the soil, through which water usually drains by gravity. Large quantities of water can move through the soil by way of these macropores-without...

Distribution, ecology and behavior of Anochetus kempfi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and description of the sexual forms

Treesearch

J.A. Torres; R.R. Snelling; T.H. Jones

2000-01-01

The ponerine, Anochetus kempft Brown, is a cryptic nocturnal ant, widely distributed in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is found in various habitats ranging from dry forest to rain forest. Males and the ergatoid queens are here described and illustrated for the first time. Mature colonies contain about 100 workers and may include several queens. We have observed...

Whole tree xylem sap flow responses to multiple environmental variables in a wet tropical forest

Treesearch

J.J. O' Brien; S.F. Oberbauer; D.B. Clark

2004-01-01

In order to quantify and characterize the variance in rain-forest tree physiology, whole tree sap flow responses to local environmental conditions were investigated in 10 species of trees with diverse traits at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. A simple model was developed to predict tree sap flow responses to a synthetic environmental variable generated by a...

Lake and bulk sampling chemistry, NADP, and IMPROVE air quality data analysis on the Bridger-Teton National Forest (USFS Region 4)

Treesearch

Jill Grenon; Terry Svalberg; Ted Porwoll; Mark Story

2010-01-01

Air quality monitoring data from several programs in and around the Bridger-Teton (B-T) National Forest - National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP), longterm lake monitoring, long-term bulk precipitation monitoring (both snow and rain), and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) - were analyzed in this report. Trends were analyzed using...

Hydrologic and forest management controls on DOC dynamics in the small watersheds of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, OR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajtha, K.; Jones, J. A.

2016-12-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export from hillslopes to streams is an important component of the carbon cycle of a catchment and may be a critical source of energy for the aquatic food web in receiving waters. Using a long-term record of DOC and other dissolved nutrients and elements from paired watersheds from the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon, we explored hydrologic, climatic, and land-use controls on seasonal and inter-annual patterns of DOC flux in a seasonally dry ecosystem. Seasonal patterns of DOC flux demonstrated source limitations to DOC export, with DOC concentrations highest immediately following the first rains after a dry summer, and lowest after winter rains. In contrast, more geochemically-controlled elements showed simple dilution-concentration patterns with no seasonal hysteresis. Inter-annual patterns of DOC flux, however, did not provide evidence of source limitation, with DOC flux within a watershed tightly correlated to total discharge but not temperature. Among watersheds, forest harvest, even over 50 years ago, significantly reduced DOC flux but not fluxes of other elements including N; this response was linked to the loading of coarse woody debris to the forest floor. Chemical fingerprinting of DOC revealed that old-growth watersheds had higher fluxes of DOC characteristic of forest floor organic materials, likely delivered to streams through more surficial preferential flow pathways not subject to microbial alteration, respiration, or sorption losses. Taken together these results suggest that the biogeochemical composition of forested streams reflects both current hydrologic patterns and also processes that occurred many decades ago within the catchment.

Nutrient fluxes in litterfall of a secondary successional alluvial rain forest in Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Scheer, Maurício Bergamini; Gatti, Gustavo; Wisniewski, Celina

2011-12-01

During forest succession, litterfall nutrient fluxes increase significantly. The higher inputs of organic matter and nutrients through litterfall affects positively soil fertility and the species composition, which are essential components in forest restoration and management programs. In the present study, the input of nutrients to the forest soil via litterfall components was estimated for two sites of different development stages, in an early successional alluvial rain forest in Brazil. Litterfall returned to the soil, in kg/ha, ca. 93 N, 79 Ca, 24 K, 15 Mg, 6 P, 1.7 Mn, 0.94 Fe, 0.18 Zn, 0.09 Cu and 11.2 Al, in the site where trees were more abundant and had higher values of basal area. In the other area, where trees where less abundant and values of basal area were comparatively low, litterfall returned < 50% of those amounts to the forest soil, except for Al. The amount of Al that returned to the soil was similar in both areas due to the high contribution of Tibouchina pulchra (82% of Al returned). Comparatively, high proportion of three dominant native tree species (Myrsine coriacea, T. pulchra and Cecropia pachystachya) explained better litter nutrient use efficiency (mainly N and P) in the site with the least advanced successional stage. Although litterfall of these species show lower nutrient concentrations than the other tree species, their nutrient fluxes were high in both sites, indicating a certain independence from soil essential nutrients. Such feature of the native species is very advantageous and should be considered in forest restoration programs.

Spatial characterization of acid rain stress in Canadian Shield lakes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanis, Fred J.

1986-01-01

A major concern of the acid rain problem is the cumulative ecosystem damage to lakes and forests. The number of lakes affected in northeastern United States and on the Canadian Shield is thought to be enormous. Seasonal changes in lake transparency are examined relative to annual acidic load. The relationship between variations in lake acidification and ecophysical units is being examined. Finally, the utility of Thematic Mapper (TM) based observations is being used to measure seasonal changes in the optical transparency in acid lakes.

Georeferenced historical forest maps of Bukovina (Northern Romania) - important tool for paleoenvironmental analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popa, Ionel; Crǎciunescu, Vasile; Candrea, Bogdan; Timár, Gábor

2010-05-01

The historical region of Bukovina is one of the most forested areas of Romania. The name itself, beech land, suggest the high wood resources located here. The systematic wood exploitation started in Bukovina during the Austrian rule (1775 - 1918). To fully asses the region's wood potential and to make the exploitation and replantation processes more efficient, the Austrian engineers developed a dedicated mapping system. The result was a series of maps, surveyed for each forest district. In the first editions, we can find maps crafted at different scales (e.g. 1:50 000, 1: 20 000, 1: 25 000). Later on (after 1900), the map sheets scale was standardized to 1: 25 000. Each sheet was accompanied by a register with information regarding the forest parcels. The system was kept after 1918, when Bukovina become a part of Romania. For another 20 years, the forest districts were periodically surveyed and the maps updated. The basemap content also changed during time. For most of the maps, the background was compiled from the Austrian Third Military Survey maps. After the Second World War, the Romanian military maps ("planurile directoare de tragere") were also used. The forest surveys were positioned using the Austrian triangulation network with the closest baseline at Rădăuţi. Considered lost after WWII, an important part of this maps were recently recovered by a fortunate and accidental finding. Such informations are highly valuable for the today forest planners. By careful studying this kind of documents, a modern forest manager can better understand the way forests were managed in the past and the implications of that management in today's forest reality. In order to do that, the maps should be first georeferenced into a known coordinate system of the Third Survey and integrated with recent geospatial datasets using a GIS environment. The paper presents the challenges of finding and applying the right informations regarding the datum and projection used by the Austrian and Romanian forest surveyors, to correctly georeference the maps. A case study, demonstrating the usefulness of such old cartographic informations in understanding the forest landscape evolution is also included. The georeferenced map sheets provide an excellent basis of the paleo-environmental researches. Assessing the changes of the forest cover ratio is important for the analysis of the recent flash flood events at the eastern slopes of the Carpathian Mts.

Epidemiology today: Mitigating threats to an ecosystem.

PubMed

Kreiger, Nancy

2016-06-27

Ecosystems comprise all the living and non-living things in a particular area (e.g., rain forest, desert), which interact and maintain equilibrium. Loss of equilibrium (e.g., clear-cutting trees in a rain forest) can mean the decline of the ecosystem, unless it is able to adapt to the new circumstances. The term "knowledge ecosystem" describes an approach to managing knowledge in a particular field; the components of this system include the people, the technological skills and resources, and information or data. Epidemiology can be thought of as a knowledge ecosystem and, like ecological systems, its existence can be threatened, from both internal and external forces that may alter its equilibrium. This paper describes some threats to the epidemiology knowledge ecosystem, how these threats came about, and what responses we can make that may serve to mitigate those threats.

Isolation, Diversity, and Antimicrobial Activity of Rare Actinobacteria from Medicinal Plants of Tropical Rain Forests in Xishuangbanna, China▿ †

PubMed Central

Qin, Sheng; Li, Jie; Chen, Hua-Hong; Zhao, Guo-Zhen; Zhu, Wen-Yong; Jiang, Cheng-Lin; Xu, Li-Hua; Li, Wen-Jun

2009-01-01

Endophytic actinobacteria are relatively unexplored as potential sources of novel species and novel natural products for medical and commercial exploitation. Xishuangbanna is recognized throughout the world for its diverse flora, especially the rain forest plants, many of which have indigenous pharmaceutical histories. However, little is known about the endophytic actinobacteria of this tropical area. In this work, we studied the diversity of actinobacteria isolated from medicinal plants collected from tropical rain forests in Xishuangbanna. By the use of different selective isolation media and methods, a total of 2,174 actinobacteria were isolated. Forty-six isolates were selected on the basis of their morphologies on different media and were further characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed an unexpected level of diversity, with 32 different genera. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the isolation of Saccharopolyspora, Dietzia, Blastococcus, Dactylosporangium, Promicromonospora, Oerskovia, Actinocorallia, and Jiangella species from endophytic environments. At least 19 isolates are considered novel taxa by our current research. In addition, all 46 isolates were tested for antimicrobial activity and were screened for the presence of genes encoding polyketide synthetases and nonribosomal peptide synthetases. The results confirm that the medicinal plants of Xishuangbanna represent an extremely rich reservoir for the isolation of a significant diversity of actinobacteria, including novel species, that are potential sources for the discovery of biologically active compounds. PMID:19648362

Map of forest ownership in the conterminous United States. [Scale 1:7,500,000].

Treesearch

Mark D. Nelson; Greg C. Liknes; Brett J. Butler

2010-01-01

This map depicts the spatial distribution of forest land across the conterminous United States, in 2007, differentiated into public vs. private forest land, and the percentage of corporate ownership of private forest land. Notable differences between eastern and western United States are evident on the map. Over two-thirds of western forest land is publicly owned, the...

Mapping forest vegetation for the western United States using modified random forests imputation of FIA forest plots

Treesearch

Karin Riley; Isaac C. Grenfell; Mark A. Finney

2016-01-01

Maps of the number, size, and species of trees in forests across the western United States are desirable for many applications such as estimating terrestrial carbon resources, predicting tree mortality following wildfires, and for forest inventory. However, detailed mapping of trees for large areas is not feasible with current technologies, but statistical...

Physiological characteristics of tropical rain forest tree species: a basis for the development of silvicultural technology.

PubMed

Sasaki, Satohiko

2008-01-01

The physiological characteristics of the dominant tree species in the tropical rain forest mainly belonging to dipterocarps as well as the environmental conditions especially for the light in the forest were studied to establish the silvicultural system for the forest regeneration in the tropical South Asia. The flowering patterns of the dipterocarp trees are usually irregular and unpredictable, which make difficult to collect sufficient seeds for raising the seedlings. The field survey revealed the diverged features of the so-called gregarious or simultaneous flowering of various species of this group. Appropriate conditions and methods for the storage of the seeds were established according to the detailed analyses of the morphological and physiological characteristics of the seeds such as the low temperature tolerance and the moisture contents. The intensity and spectra of the light in the forest primarily determine the growth and the morphological development of the seedlings under the canopy. Based on the measurements of the diffused light at the sites in the tropical forest in the varying sunlight, the parameters such as "the steady state of the diffuse light" and "the turning point" were defined, which were useful to evaluate the light conditions in the forest. To improve the survival of the transplanted seedlings, a planting method of "the bare-root seedlings", the seedlings easy to be handled by removal of all leaves, soil and pots, was developed. Its marked efficiency was proved with various dipterocarps and other tropical trees by the field trial in the practical scale. Tolerance of the various species to the extreme environmental conditions such as fires, acid soils and drought were examined by the experiments and the field survey, which revealed marked adaptability of Shorea roxburghii as a potential species for regeneration of the tropical forests.

The influence of vegetation cover and soil physical properties on deflagration of shallow landslides - Nova Friburgo, RJ / Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira Marques, Maria Clara; Silva, Roberta; Fraga, Joana; Luiza Coelho Netto, Ana; Mululo Sato, Anderson

2017-04-01

In 2011, the mountainous region of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) suffered enormous social and economic losses due to thousands of landslides caused by an extreme rainfall event. The mapping of the scars of these landslides in an area of 421 km2 in the municipality of Nova Friburgo, RJ - Brazil resulted in a total of 3622, and 89% of these scars were located in areas covered by grasses and forests. Despite the unexpected result (64% of scars in forest areas), field evidence has shown that most of the forest fragments in the municipality are in the initial stages of succession and in different states of degradation, evidencing the need for a better understanding of the role of these forests in the detonation and propagation of landslides. Two slope forest areas with different ages (20 and 50 years) were evaluated in relation to the vegetative aspects that influence the stability of the slopes in each area. Hydrological monitoring, including precipitation, interception by manual and automatic method, soil moisture and subsurface flows were performed in two different areas: forest and grass. Soil moisture was monitored by granular matrix sensors and flows by collecting troughs in trenches at depths of 0 cm, 20 cm, 50 cm, 100 cm, 150 cm and 220 cm, which were also analyzed for biomass and length of thick roots (> 2 mm diameter) and thin roots (< 2 mm diameter) and for the soil physical properties (particle size, aggregate stability, porosity and hydraulic conductivity in situ). In the grass area, the lower soil structure in relation to the forest areas makes it difficult to transmit the water through the soil matrix. During the monitoring period, that area preserved the moisture in depths of 100 cm, 150 cm and 220 cm. The fasciculate root system of the grasses increased the infiltration of water at the top of the soil, favouring the formation of more superficial saturation zones in the heavy rains, due to the hydraulic discontinuities. In forest areas, infiltration by preferential paths allows the concentration of water in the depths in which they are terminal increasing the pore water pressure. Soil saturation in this area also occurred in heavy rains, but more deeply due to the rapid movement and redirection of water in depth by tree roots. This process was also responsible for the higher subsurface flows found in the forest, that is, the greater aggregation of the soil, the existence of interconnected macropores, ducts and roots facilitate the transmission of water in depth. Associated with the high rainfall and high relative humidity, these vegetation favoured the formation of saturation zones and increased pore pressures of the water, causing landslides on lands between 0.5 m and 2.0 m. The results of hydraulic conductivity show that the difference (lateritic = 10-4 cm/s; saprolitic = 10-5 cm/s) between the layers of the soil can generate zones of hydraulic discontinuity in extreme rainfall events, which would justify the predominance of shallow translational landslides at these same depths.

Landscape scale mapping of forest inventory data by nearest neighbor classification

Treesearch

Andrew Lister

2009-01-01

One of the goals of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program is large-area mapping. FIA scientists have tried many methods in the past, including geostatistical methods, linear modeling, nonlinear modeling, and simple choropleth and dot maps. Mapping methods that require individual model-based maps to be...

Mapping Forest Inventory and Analysis forest land use: timberland, reserved forest land, and other forest land

Treesearch

Mark D. Nelson; John Vissage

2007-01-01

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program produces area estimates of forest land use within three subcategories: timberland, reserved forest land, and other forest land. Mapping these subcategories of forest land requires the ability to spatially distinguish productive from unproductive land, and reserved from nonreserved land. FIA field data were spatially...

Rain Hampers Tsunami Relief Efforts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The cleanup and relief efforts from the recent tsunamis continue in coastal communities that were ravaged by the waves all across the Indian Ocean. Heavy rains have further complicated the matter and added to the misery in parts of eastern Sri Lanka. Between December 28, 2004, and January 5, 2005, up to 10 to 15 inches of rain may have fallen along the southeast coast of the island, and as much as 20 inches (red areas) fell just offshore. This rainfall map was created by the TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, which monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The map shows that many other regions around the Indian Ocean were also affected by the rains, including Malaysia and parts of Sumatra. The heaviest rains fell on December 31 and January 4. The rains were likely the result of a combination of the northeast monsoon interacting with the topography and an active phase of what is known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) (or 30-60 day oscillation). The MJO is a large-scale disturbance that propagates eastward from the Indian Ocean into the West Pacific Ocean, bringing extended periods of unsettled weather with it. Individual convective complexes within the MJO can last on the order of a day. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. NASA image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC).

Rainfall estimation over oceans from scanning multichannel microwave radiometer and special sensor microwave/imager microwave data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Dalu, G.; Liberti, G. L.; Nucciarone, J. J.; Suhasini, R.

1991-01-01

The brightness temperature (T sub b) measured at 37 GHz shows fairly strong emission from rain, and only slight effects caused by scattering by ice above the rain clouds. At frequencies below 37 GHz, were the fov is larger and the volume extinction coefficient is weaker, it is found that the observations do not yield appreciable additional information about rain. At 85 GHz (fov = 15 km), where the volume extinction is considerably larger, direct information about rain below the clouds is usually masked. Based on the above ideas, 37 GHz observations with a 30 km fov from SMMR and SSM/I are selected to develop an empirical method for the estimation of rain rate. In this method, the statistics of the observed T sub b's at 37 GHz in a rain storm are related to the rain rate statistics in that storm. The underestimation of rain rate, arising from the inability of the radiometer to respond sensitively to rain rate above a given threshold, is rectified in this technique with the aid of two parameters that depend on the total water vapor content in the atmosphere. The retrieved rain rates compare favorably with radar observations and monthly mean global maps of rain derived from this technique over the oceans.

Rainfall estimation over oceans from SMMR and SSM/I microwave data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Dalu, G.; Liberti, G. L.; Nucciarone, J. J.; Suhasini, R.

1992-01-01

The brightness temperature (T sub b) measured at 37 GHz shows fairly strong emission from rain, and only slight effects caused by scattering by ice above the rain clouds. At frequencies below 37 GHz, where the FOV is larger and the volume extinction coefficient is weaker, it is found that the observations do not yield appreciable additional information about rain. At 85 GHz (FOV = 15 km), where the volume extinction is considerably larger, direct information about rain below the clouds is usually masked. Based on the above idea, 37 GHz observations with a 30 km FOV from SMMR and SSM/I are selected to develop an empirical method for the estimation of rain rate. In this method, the statistics of the observed T sub b's at 37 GHz in a rain storm are related to the rain rate statistics in that storm. The underestimation of rain rate, arising from the inability of the radiometer to respond sensitively to rain rate above a given threshold is rectified in this technique with the aid of two parameters that depend on the total water vapor content in the atmosphere. The retrieved rain rates compare favorably with radar observations and monthly mean global maps of rain derived from this technique over the oceans.

Harmonization of forest disturbance datasets of the conterminous USA from 1986 to 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soulard, Christopher E.; Acevedo, William; Cohen, Warren B.; Yang, Zhiqiang; Stehman, Stephen V.; Taylor, Janis L.

2017-01-01

Several spatial forest disturbance datasets exist for the conterminous USA. The major problem with forest disturbance mapping is that variability between map products leads to uncertainty regarding the actual rate of disturbance. In this article, harmonized maps were produced from multiple data sources (i.e., Global Forest Change, LANDFIRE Vegetation Disturbance, National Land Cover Database, Vegetation Change Tracker, and Web-Enabled Landsat Data). The harmonization process involved fitting common class ontologies and determining spatial congruency to produce forest disturbance maps for four time intervals (1986–1992, 1992–2001, 2001–2006, and 2006–2011). Pixels mapped as disturbed for two or more datasets were labeled as disturbed in the harmonized maps. The primary advantage gained by harmonization was improvement in commission error rates relative to the individual disturbance products. Disturbance omission errors were high for both harmonized and individual forest disturbance maps due to underlying limitations in mapping subtle disturbances with Landsat classification algorithms. To enhance the value of the harmonized disturbance products, we used fire perimeter maps to add information on the cause of disturbance.

Harmonization of forest disturbance datasets of the conterminous USA from 1986 to 2011.

PubMed

Soulard, Christopher E; Acevedo, William; Cohen, Warren B; Yang, Zhiqiang; Stehman, Stephen V; Taylor, Janis L

2017-04-01

Several spatial forest disturbance datasets exist for the conterminous USA. The major problem with forest disturbance mapping is that variability between map products leads to uncertainty regarding the actual rate of disturbance. In this article, harmonized maps were produced from multiple data sources (i.e., Global Forest Change, LANDFIRE Vegetation Disturbance, National Land Cover Database, Vegetation Change Tracker, and Web-Enabled Landsat Data). The harmonization process involved fitting common class ontologies and determining spatial congruency to produce forest disturbance maps for four time intervals (1986-1992, 1992-2001, 2001-2006, and 2006-2011). Pixels mapped as disturbed for two or more datasets were labeled as disturbed in the harmonized maps. The primary advantage gained by harmonization was improvement in commission error rates relative to the individual disturbance products. Disturbance omission errors were high for both harmonized and individual forest disturbance maps due to underlying limitations in mapping subtle disturbances with Landsat classification algorithms. To enhance the value of the harmonized disturbance products, we used fire perimeter maps to add information on the cause of disturbance.

Cocoa Intensification Scenarios and Their Predicted Impact on CO2 Emissions, Biodiversity Conservation, and Rural Livelihoods in the Guinea Rain Forest of West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gockowski, Jim; Sonwa, Denis

2011-08-01

The Guinean rain forest (GRF) of West Africa, identified over 20 years ago as a global biodiversity hotspot, had reduced to 113,000 km2 at the start of the new millennium which was 18% of its original area. The principal driver of this environmental change has been the expansion of extensive smallholder agriculture. From 1988 to 2007, the area harvested in the GRF by smallholders of cocoa, cassava, and oil palm increased by 68,000 km2. Field results suggest a high potential for significantly increasing crop yields through increased application of seed-fertilizer technologies. Analyzing land-use change scenarios, it was estimated that had intensified cocoa technology, already developed in the 1960s, been pursued in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon that over 21,000 km2 of deforestation and forest degradation could have been avoided along with the emission of nearly 1.4 billion t of CO2. Addressing the low productivity of agriculture in the GRF should be one of the principal objectives of REDD climate mitigation programs.

Identification of stress biomarkers for drought and increased soil temperature in seedlings of European beech ( Fagus sylvatica )

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popović, Milica; Gregori, Marco; Vodnik, Dominik

Drought is an environmental stress that impacts plant productivity. Projections show both an increase in intense rain events and a reduction in the number of rain days, conditions that leads to increased risk of drought. Consequently, the identification of molecular biomarkers suitable for evaluating the impact of water deprivation conditions on forest plant seedlings is of significant value for monitoring purposes and forest management. In this study, we evaluated a biochemical methodology for the assessment of drought stress coupled with variable soil temperature in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings by analyzing a set of metabolites and enzymes involved inmore » free radical scavenging and cell wall synthesis. The results indicate that the specific activities and isoform profile of superoxide dismutases and glutathione peroxidases together with the variation of phenolic compounds enable discrimination between seedlings with different degrees of photosynthetic activity. This approach represents a promising platform for the assessment of drought stress in forest trees and could serve for enhancing selection and breeding practices, allowing for plants that are more tolerant of abiotic stress.« less

Pre-Columbian archaeological ruins are revealed through Costa Rican rain forest in this photo taken during NASA's AirSAR 2004 campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-05

Pre-Columbian archaeological ruins are revealed through Costa Rican rain forest in this photo taken during NASA's AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica campaign. AirSAR 2004 Mesoamerica is a three-week expedition by an international team of scientists that uses an all-weather imaging tool, called the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR) which is located onboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory. The radar, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, can penetrate clouds and also collect data at night. Its high-resolution sensors operate at multiple wavelengths and modes, allowing AirSAR to see beneath treetops, through thin sand, and dry snow pack. Much of the archaeological evidence needed to understand Pre-Columbian societies in Central America comes from features on the landscape. Difficult terrain and logistics have limited ground data collection. AirSAR helped to detect signs of ancient civilizations hidden beneath the forest. Its images will shed insights into the way modern humans interact with their landscape, and how ancient peoples lived and what became of their civilizations.

Seedling mortality in Hawaiian rain forest: The role of small-scale physical disturbance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drake, D.R.; Pratt, L.W.

2001-01-01

Most montane rain forests on the island of Hawaii consist of a closed canopy formed by Cibotium spp. tree ferns beneath an open canopy of emergent Metrosideros polymorpha trees. We used artificial seedlings to assess the extent to which physical disturbance caused by the senescing fronds of tree ferns and the activities of feral pigs might limit tree regeneration. Artificial seedlings were established terrestrially (N = 300) or epiphytically (N = 300) on tree fern stems. Half of the seedlings on each substrate were in an exclosure lacking feral pigs and half were in forest with pigs present. After one year, the percentage of seedlings damaged was significantly greater among terrestrial seedlings (25.7%) than epiphytic seedlings (11.3%). Significantly more terrestrial seedlings were damaged in the presence of pigs (31.3%) than in the absence of pigs (20.0%). Senescing fronds of tree ferns were responsible for 60.3 percent of the damaged seedlings. Physical disturbance is potentially a major cause of seedling mortality and may reduce the expected half-life of a seedling cohort to less than two years.

Global Forest Canopy Height Maps Validation and Calibration for The Potential of Forest Biomass Estimation in The Southern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, N. W.; Popescu, S. C.

2015-12-01

In the past few years, three global forest canopy height maps have been released. Lefsky (2010) first utilized the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data to generate a global forest canopy height map in 2010. Simard et al. (2011) integrated GLAS data and other ancillary variables, such as MODIS, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (STRM), and climatic data, to generate another global forest canopy height map in 2011. Los et al. (2012) also used GLAS data to create a vegetation height map in 2012.Several studies attempted to compare these global height maps to other sources of data., Bolton et al. (2013) concluded that Simard's forest canopy height map has strong agreement with airborne lidar derived heights. Los map is a coarse spatial resolution vegetation height map with a 0.5 decimal degrees horizontal resolution, around 50 km in the US, which is not feasible for the purpose of our research. Thus, Simard's global forest canopy height map is the primary map for this research study. The main objectives of this research were to validate and calibrate Simard's map with airborne lidar data and other ancillary variables in the southern United States. The airborne lidar data was collected between 2010 and 2012 from: (1) NASA LiDAR, Hyperspectral & Thermal Image (G-LiHT) program; (2) National Ecological Observatory Network's (NEON) prototype data sharing program; (3) NSF Open Topography Facility; and (4) the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Texas A&M University. The airborne lidar study areas also cover a wide variety of vegetation types across the southern US. The airborne lidar data is post-processed to generate lidar-derived metrics and assigned to four different classes of point cloud data. The four classes of point cloud data are the data with ground points, above 1 m, above 3 m, and above 5 m. The root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2) are used for examining the discrepancies of the canopy heights between the airborne lidar-derived metrics and global forest canopy height map, and the regression and random forest approaches are used to calibrate the global forest canopy height map. In summary, the research shows a calibrated forest canopy height map of the southern US.

USE OF ROAD MAPS IN NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS OF FOREST FRAGMENTATION IN THE UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Including road-mediated forest fragmentation is a contentious issue in United States national assessments. We compared fragmentation as calculated from national land-cover maps alone, and from land-cover maps in combination with road maps. The increment of forest edge from roads ...

Discovering Diversity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manner, Barbara M.; Hattler, Jean Anne

2000-01-01

Introduces a preservice teacher field trip to the rain forests and coastal areas. This experience develops an awareness for different cultures among preservice teachers by experiencing biological and cultural diversity in Costa Rica. Presents students' own ideas on this experience. (YDS)

Why are Wetlands Important?

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. An immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals can be part of a wetland ecosystem.

Singapore

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-26

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft is of the Republic of Singapore, a city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. An island country made up of 63 islands, the country is largely urbanized with very little rain forest left.

Cave Conservation Priority Index to Adopt a Rapid Protection Strategy: A Case Study in Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souza Silva, Marconi; Martins, Rogério Parentoni; Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes

2015-02-01

Cave environments are characterized by possessing specialized fauna living in high environmental stability with limited food conditions. These fauna are highly vulnerable to impacts, because this condition can frequently be easily altered. Moreover, environmental determinants of the biodiversity patterns of caves remain poorly understood and protected. Therefore, the main goal of this work is to propose a cave conservation priority index (CCPi) for a rapid assessment for troglobiotic and troglophile protection. Furthermore, the troglobiotic diversity, distribution and threats have been mapped in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. To propose the CCPi, the human impacts and richness of troglobiotic and troglophile species of 100 caves were associated. Data related to troglomorphic/troglobiotic fauna from another 200 caves were used to map the troglobiotic diversity and distribution. The CCPi reveals extremely high conservation priority for 15 % of the caves, high for 36 % and average for 46 % of the caves. Fourteen caves with extremely high priorities should have urgent conservation and management actions. The geographical distribution of the 221 known troglobiotic/troglomorphic species allowed us to select 19 karst areas that need conservation actions. Seven areas were considered to have urgent priority for conservation actions. The two richest areas correspond to the "iron quadrangle" with iron ore caves (67 spp.) and the "Açungui limestone group" (56 spp.). Both areas have several caves and are important aquifers. The use of the CCPi can prevent future losses because it helps assessors to select caves with priorities for conservation which should receive emergency attention in relation to protection, management and conservation actions.

[Relationship between simulated acid rain stress and leaf reflectance].

PubMed

Song, Xiao-dong; Jiang, Hong; Yu, Shu-quan; Zhou, Guo-mo; Jiang, Zi-shan

2010-01-01

Acid rain is a worldwide environmental problem. Serious acid rain pollution in subtropical China has constituted a potential threat to the health of the local forest. In the present paper, the changing properties of the chlorophyll concentration and spectral reflectance at the visible wavelengths for the six subtropical broad-leaved tree species leaves under simulated acid rain (SAR) treatment with different pH levels were studied. With the increasing strength of the SAR, the chlorophyll concentrations of the experimental species under pH 2.5 and pH 4.0 treatment were higher than that under pH 5.6; the spectral reflectance at the visible wavelengths for pH 2.5 and pH 4.0 were lower than that for pH 5.6 in general; while there weren't significant differences between pH 2.5 and pH 4.0. After the treatment with different levels of SAR, the differences in spectral reflectance at the visible wavelengths mainly focused around the green peak and red edge on the reflectance curve. The subtropical broad-leaved tree species studied were relatively not sensitive to acid rain stresses; some stronger acid rain may accelerate the growth of the tree species used here to some extent.

Northern Forest Ecosystem Dynamics Using Coupled Models and Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. J.; Sun, G.; Knox, R. G.; Levine, E. R.; Weishampel, J. F.; Fifer, S. T.

1999-01-01

Forest ecosystem dynamics modeling, remote sensing data analysis, and a geographical information system (GIS) were used together to determine the possible growth and development of a northern forest in Maine, USA. Field measurements and airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data were used to produce maps of forest cover type and above ground biomass. These forest attribute maps, along with a conventional soils map, were used to identify the initial conditions for forest ecosystem model simulations. Using this information along with ecosystem model results enabled the development of predictive maps of forest development. The results obtained were consistent with observed forest conditions and expected successional trajectories. The study demonstrated that ecosystem models might be used in a spatial context when parameterized and used with georeferenced data sets.

Effects of forest practices on peak flows and consequent channel response: a state-of-science report for western Oregon and Washington.

Treesearch

Gordon E. Grant; Sarah L. Lewis; Frederick J. Swanson; John H. Cissel; Jeffrey J. McDonnell

2008-01-01

This is a state-of-the-science synthesis of the effects of forest harvest activities on peak flows and channel morphology in the Pacific Northwest, with a specific focus on western Oregon and Washington. We develop a database of relevant studies reporting peak flow data across rain-, transient-, and snow-dominated hydrologic zones, and provide a quantitative comparison...

Forests in decline: yellow-cedar research yields prototype for climate change adaptation planning

Treesearch

Marie Oliver; Paul Hennon; David D' Amore

2013-01-01

Yellow-cedar has been dying across 600 miles of North Pacific coastal rain forest—from Alaska to British Columbia—since about 1880. Thirty years ago, a small group of pathologists began investigating possible biotic causes of the decline. When no biotic cause could be found, the scope broadened into a research program that eventually encompassed the fields of ecology,...

[Seasonal variation of soil respiration and its components in tropical rain forest and rubber plantation in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan].

PubMed

Lu, Hua-Zheng; Sha, Li-Qing; Wang, Jun; Hu, Wen-Yan; Wu, Bing-Xia

2009-10-01

By using trenching method and infrared gas analyzer, this paper studied the seasonal variation of soil respiration (SR), including root respiration (RR) and heterotrophic respiration (HR), in tropical seasonal rain forest (RF) and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantation (RP) in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan, China. The results showed that the SR and HR rates were significantly higher in RF than in RP (P < 0.01), while the RR rate had less difference between the two forests. Soil temperature and moisture were the key factors affecting the SR, RR and HR. The SR and HR rates in the two forests were rainy season > dry-hot season > foggy season, but the RR rate was rainy season > foggy season > dry-hot season in RF, and foggy season > rainy season > dry-hot season in RP. The contribution of RR to SR in RF (29%) was much lower than that in RP (42%, P < 0.01), while the contribution of HR to SR was 71% in RF and 58% in RP. When the soil temperature at 5 cm depth varied from 12 degrees C to 32 degrees C, the Q10 values for SR, HR, and RR rates were higher in RF than in RP. HR had the highest Q10 value, while RR had the lowest one.

Degraded tropical rain forests possess valuable carbon storage opportunities in a complex, forested landscape.

PubMed

Alamgir, Mohammed; Campbell, Mason J; Turton, Stephen M; Pert, Petina L; Edwards, Will; Laurance, William F

2016-07-20

Tropical forests are major contributors to the terrestrial global carbon pool, but this pool is being reduced via deforestation and forest degradation. Relatively few studies have assessed carbon storage in degraded tropical forests. We sampled 37,000 m(2) of intact rainforest, degraded rainforest and sclerophyll forest across the greater Wet Tropics bioregion of northeast Australia. We compared aboveground biomass and carbon storage of the three forest types, and the effects of forest structural attributes and environmental factors that influence carbon storage. Some degraded forests were found to store much less aboveground carbon than intact rainforests, whereas others sites had similar carbon storage to primary forest. Sclerophyll forests had lower carbon storage, comparable to the most heavily degraded rainforests. Our findings indicate that under certain situations, degraded forest may store as much carbon as intact rainforests. Strategic rehabilitation of degraded forests could enhance regional carbon storage and have positive benefits for tropical biodiversity.

Degraded tropical rain forests possess valuable carbon storage opportunities in a complex, forested landscape

PubMed Central

Alamgir, Mohammed; Campbell, Mason J.; Turton, Stephen M.; Pert, Petina L.; Edwards, Will; Laurance, William F.

2016-01-01

Tropical forests are major contributors to the terrestrial global carbon pool, but this pool is being reduced via deforestation and forest degradation. Relatively few studies have assessed carbon storage in degraded tropical forests. We sampled 37,000 m2 of intact rainforest, degraded rainforest and sclerophyll forest across the greater Wet Tropics bioregion of northeast Australia. We compared aboveground biomass and carbon storage of the three forest types, and the effects of forest structural attributes and environmental factors that influence carbon storage. Some degraded forests were found to store much less aboveground carbon than intact rainforests, whereas others sites had similar carbon storage to primary forest. Sclerophyll forests had lower carbon storage, comparable to the most heavily degraded rainforests. Our findings indicate that under certain situations, degraded forest may store as much carbon as intact rainforests. Strategic rehabilitation of degraded forests could enhance regional carbon storage and have positive benefits for tropical biodiversity. PMID:27435389

Degraded tropical rain forests possess valuable carbon storage opportunities in a complex, forested landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alamgir, Mohammed; Campbell, Mason J.; Turton, Stephen M.; Pert, Petina L.; Edwards, Will; Laurance, William F.

2016-07-01

Tropical forests are major contributors to the terrestrial global carbon pool, but this pool is being reduced via deforestation and forest degradation. Relatively few studies have assessed carbon storage in degraded tropical forests. We sampled 37,000 m2 of intact rainforest, degraded rainforest and sclerophyll forest across the greater Wet Tropics bioregion of northeast Australia. We compared aboveground biomass and carbon storage of the three forest types, and the effects of forest structural attributes and environmental factors that influence carbon storage. Some degraded forests were found to store much less aboveground carbon than intact rainforests, whereas others sites had similar carbon storage to primary forest. Sclerophyll forests had lower carbon storage, comparable to the most heavily degraded rainforests. Our findings indicate that under certain situations, degraded forest may store as much carbon as intact rainforests. Strategic rehabilitation of degraded forests could enhance regional carbon storage and have positive benefits for tropical biodiversity.

RAINE Public Communities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The file geodatabase (fgdb) contains the New England Town Boundaries and information related specifically to the Resilience and Adaptation in New England (RAINE) web application. This includes data tables relating to particular aspects of towns notably features, funding, impacts, partners, plans, and programs (refer to V_MAP_STATIC tables). New England Town Boundary coverage is a compilation of coverages received from the six New England State GIS Offices. The EPA New England GIS Center appended the coverages together into a single file and generated attrributes to link to the Facility Identification Online system. These feature class points represent the communities (Communities in gdb) and featured RAINE communities (RAINE_Communities_201609), which contain more detailed information that is contained within the included data tables.

Global forest cover mapping for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization forest resources assessment 2000 program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, Z.; Waller, E.

2003-01-01

Many countries periodically produce national reports on the status and changes of forest resources, using statistical surveys and spatial mapping of remotely sensed data. At the global level, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has conducted a Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) program every 10 yr since 1980, producing statistics and analysis that give a global synopsis of forest resources in the world. For the year 2000 of the FRA program (FRA2000), a global forest cover map was produced to provide spatial context to the extensive survey. The forest cover map, produced at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC), has five classes: closed forest, open or fragmented forest, other wooded land, other land cover, and water. The first two forested classes at the global scale were delineated using combinations of temporal compositing, modified mixture analysis, geographic stratification, and other classification techniques. The remaining three FAO classes were derived primarily from the USGS global land cover characteristics database (Loveland et al. 1999). Validated on the basis of existing reference data sets, the map is estimated to be 77% accurate for the first four classes (no reference data were available for water), and 86% accurate for the forest and nonforest classification. The final map will be published as an insert to the FAO FRA2000 report.

Mapping forests in monsoon Asia with ALOS PALSAR 50-m mosaic images and MODIS imagery in 2010

PubMed Central

Qin, Yuanwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Dong, Jinwei; Zhang, Geli; Roy, Partha Sarathi; Joshi, Pawan Kumar; Gilani, Hammad; Murthy, Manchiraju Sri Ramachandra; Jin, Cui; Wang, Jie; Zhang, Yao; Chen, Bangqian; Menarguez, Michael Angelo; Biradar, Chandrashekhar M.; Bajgain, Rajen; Li, Xiangping; Dai, Shengqi; Hou, Ying; Xin, Fengfei; Moore III, Berrien

2016-01-01

Extensive forest changes have occurred in monsoon Asia, substantially affecting climate, carbon cycle and biodiversity. Accurate forest cover maps at fine spatial resolutions are required to qualify and quantify these effects. In this study, an algorithm was developed to map forests in 2010, with the use of structure and biomass information from the Advanced Land Observation System (ALOS) Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) mosaic dataset and the phenological information from MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MOD13Q1 and MOD09A1) products. Our forest map (PALSARMOD50 m F/NF) was assessed through randomly selected ground truth samples from high spatial resolution images and had an overall accuracy of 95%. Total area of forests in monsoon Asia in 2010 was estimated to be ~6.3 × 106 km2. The distribution of evergreen and deciduous forests agreed reasonably well with the median Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in winter. PALSARMOD50 m F/NF map showed good spatial and areal agreements with selected forest maps generated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA F/NF), European Space Agency (ESA F/NF), Boston University (MCD12Q1 F/NF), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO FRA), and University of Maryland (Landsat forests), but relatively large differences and uncertainties in tropical forests and evergreen and deciduous forests. PMID:26864143

Mapping forests in monsoon Asia with ALOS PALSAR 50-m mosaic images and MODIS imagery in 2010.

PubMed

Qin, Yuanwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Dong, Jinwei; Zhang, Geli; Roy, Partha Sarathi; Joshi, Pawan Kumar; Gilani, Hammad; Murthy, Manchiraju Sri Ramachandra; Jin, Cui; Wang, Jie; Zhang, Yao; Chen, Bangqian; Menarguez, Michael Angelo; Biradar, Chandrashekhar M; Bajgain, Rajen; Li, Xiangping; Dai, Shengqi; Hou, Ying; Xin, Fengfei; Moore, Berrien

2016-02-11

Extensive forest changes have occurred in monsoon Asia, substantially affecting climate, carbon cycle and biodiversity. Accurate forest cover maps at fine spatial resolutions are required to qualify and quantify these effects. In this study, an algorithm was developed to map forests in 2010, with the use of structure and biomass information from the Advanced Land Observation System (ALOS) Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) mosaic dataset and the phenological information from MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MOD13Q1 and MOD09A1) products. Our forest map (PALSARMOD50 m F/NF) was assessed through randomly selected ground truth samples from high spatial resolution images and had an overall accuracy of 95%. Total area of forests in monsoon Asia in 2010 was estimated to be ~6.3 × 10(6 )km(2). The distribution of evergreen and deciduous forests agreed reasonably well with the median Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in winter. PALSARMOD50 m F/NF map showed good spatial and areal agreements with selected forest maps generated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA F/NF), European Space Agency (ESA F/NF), Boston University (MCD12Q1 F/NF), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO FRA), and University of Maryland (Landsat forests), but relatively large differences and uncertainties in tropical forests and evergreen and deciduous forests.

Estimating mapped-plot forest attributes with ratios of means

Treesearch

S.J. Zarnoch; W.A. Bechtold

2000-01-01

The mapped-plot design utilized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Inventory and Analysis and the National Forest Health Monitoring Programs is described. Data from 2458 forested mapped plots systematically spread across 25 States reveal that 35 percent straddle multiple conditions. The ratio-of-means estimator is developed as a method to obtain...

How similar are forest disturbance maps derived from different Landsat time series algorithms?

Treesearch

Warren B. Cohen; Sean P. Healey; Zhiqiang Yang; Stephen V. Stehman; C. Kenneth Brewer; Evan B. Brooks; Noel Gorelick; Chengqaun Huang; M. Joseph Hughes; Robert E. Kennedy; Thomas R. Loveland; Gretchen G. Moisen; Todd A. Schroeder; James E. Vogelmann; Curtis E. Woodcock; Limin Yang; Zhe Zhu

2017-01-01

Disturbance is a critical ecological process in forested systems, and disturbance maps are important for understanding forest dynamics. Landsat data are a key remote sensing dataset for monitoring forest disturbance and there recently has been major growth in the development of disturbance mapping algorithms. Many of these algorithms take advantage of the high temporal...

Biomass Burning:Significant Source of Nitrate and Sulfate for the Andean Rain Forest in Ecuador

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabian, P.; Rollenbeck, R.; Spichtinger, N.

2009-04-01

Forest fires are significant sources of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen compounds which, along with their photochemically generated reaction products, can be transported over very long distances, even traversing oceans. Chemical analyses of rain and fogwater samples collected on the wet eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes show frequent episodes of high sulfate and nitrate concentration, from which annual deposition rates of about14 kg/ha and 7 kg/ha ,respectively, are derived. These are comparable to those observed in polluted central Europe. Regular rain and fogwater sampling along an altitude profile between 1800 and 3185 m, has been carried out since 2002.The research area located at 30 58'S ,790 5' W is dominated by trade winds from easterly directions. The samples, generally accumulated over 1-week intervals, were analysed for pH, conductivity and major ions(K+,Na+,NH4+,Ca2+,Mg 2+,SO42-,NO3-,PO43-).For all components a strong seasonal variation is observed, while the altitudinal gradient is less pronounced. About 65 % of the weekly samples were significantly loaded with cations and anions, with pH often as low 3.5 to 4.0 and conductivity up to 50 uS/cm. Back trajectories (FLEXTRA) showed that respective air masses had passed over areas of intense biomass burning, sometimes influenced by volcanoes, ocean spray, or even episodic Sahara and/or Namib desert dust interference not discussed here. Enhanced SO4 2-and NO3- were identified, by combining satellite-based fire pixels with back trajectories, as predominantly resulting from biomass burning. For most cases, by using emission inventories, anthropogenic precursor sources other than forest fires play a minor role, thus leaving biomass burning as the main source of nitrate and sulphate in rain and fogwater. Some SO4 2- , about 10 % of the total input, could be identified to originate from active volcanoes, whose plumes were sometimes encountered by the respective back trajectories. While volcanic, oceanic and desert sources are natural, large scale biomass burning is an anthropogenic source which adds about 7 kg/ha of NO3- and 14 kg/ha of SO4 2- per year to the forest which has developed on poor acidic soil conditions. Controlled fertilizing experiments within an interdisciplinary research consortium are presently carried out to investigate the impact of this disturbance on the forest ecosystem and its biodiversity.

Multiple antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli from a tropical rain forest stream

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carrasco, C.E.; Alvarez, H.J.; Ortiz, N.

1988-12-31

High densities of fecal coliforms were obtained from a pristine site and sewage contaminated site in a tropical rain forest watershed in Puerto Rico. Confirmation of fecal coliform isolates as Escherichia coli was significantly lower than for temperate waters. Antibiotic resistance and multiple antibiotic resistance were common for isolates at both sites; however, the site receiving sewage effluent had a greater proportion of multiple antibiotic resistant isolates. R. plasmids were recovered from 4 MAR isolates, 2 from each site. All recovered plasmids were approximately 1 kilobase. The recovered plasmid were also capable of transforming E. coli HB101 in vitro. Themore » high concentrations of enterobacteriaceae, small R-plasmid size, R-plasmid transformability, and long term survival of fecal origin bacteria in tropical freshwater environments give increasing importance to adequate sewage treatment, and better indicator monitoring methods for tropical areas.« less

Dispersal assembly of rain forest tree communities across the Amazon basin

PubMed Central

Lavin, Mathew; Torke, Benjamin M.; Twyford, Alex D.; Kursar, Thomas A.; Coley, Phyllis D.; Drake, Camila; Hollands, Ruth; Pennington, R. Toby

2017-01-01

We investigate patterns of historical assembly of tree communities across Amazonia using a newly developed phylogeny for the species-rich neotropical tree genus Inga. We compare our results with those for three other ecologically important, diverse, and abundant Amazonian tree lineages, Swartzia, Protieae, and Guatteria. Our analyses using phylogenetic diversity metrics demonstrate a clear lack of geographic phylogenetic structure, and show that local communities of Inga and regional communities of all four lineages are assembled by dispersal across Amazonia. The importance of dispersal in the biogeography of Inga and other tree genera in Amazonian and Guianan rain forests suggests that speciation is not driven by vicariance, and that allopatric isolation following dispersal may be involved in the speciation process. A clear implication of these results is that over evolutionary timescales, the metacommunity for any local or regional tree community in the Amazon is the entire Amazon basin. PMID:28213498

Dispersal assembly of rain forest tree communities across the Amazon basin.

PubMed

Dexter, Kyle G; Lavin, Mathew; Torke, Benjamin M; Twyford, Alex D; Kursar, Thomas A; Coley, Phyllis D; Drake, Camila; Hollands, Ruth; Pennington, R Toby

2017-03-07

We investigate patterns of historical assembly of tree communities across Amazonia using a newly developed phylogeny for the species-rich neotropical tree genus Inga We compare our results with those for three other ecologically important, diverse, and abundant Amazonian tree lineages, Swartzia , Protieae, and Guatteria Our analyses using phylogenetic diversity metrics demonstrate a clear lack of geographic phylogenetic structure, and show that local communities of Inga and regional communities of all four lineages are assembled by dispersal across Amazonia. The importance of dispersal in the biogeography of Inga and other tree genera in Amazonian and Guianan rain forests suggests that speciation is not driven by vicariance, and that allopatric isolation following dispersal may be involved in the speciation process. A clear implication of these results is that over evolutionary timescales, the metacommunity for any local or regional tree community in the Amazon is the entire Amazon basin.

Long-term treatment of onchocerciasis patients from the Liberian rain-forest with low doses of diethylcarbamazine citrate after complete nodulectomy.

PubMed

Albiez, E J

1983-12-01

60 completely nodulectomized volunteers from the Liberian rain-forest were given an initial treatment with diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC-C) for one week with gradually increasing doses up to a total of 1.1 g per patient. A long-term treatment followed with 50 mg DEC-C per week for 12 months. Immediately after the initial treatment the mean microfilarial density decreased to 4% to 6% of the pre-treatment level. After one year the microfilarial density had again increased to 12% to 29% of the pre-treatment level. Although the intake of the weekly 50 mg DEC-C was in no case regular, the microfilarial densities could be kept at a low level throughout the trial. However, even with the combined treatment--preceding nodulectomy and long-term trial with DEC-C--it was not possible to get the patients free from microfilariae.

Wound botulism acquired in the Amazonian rain forest of Ecuador.

PubMed

Reller, Megan E; Douce, Richard W; Maslanka, Susan E; Torres, Darwin S; Manock, Stephen R; Sobel, Jeremy

2006-04-01

Wound botulism results from colonization of a contaminated wound by Clostridium botulinum and the anaerobic in situ production of a potent neurotoxin. Between 1943, when wound botulism was first recognized, and 1990, 47 laboratory-confirmed cases, mostly trauma-associated, were reported in the United States. Since 1990, wound botulism associated with injection drug use emerged as the leading cause of wound botulism in the United States; 210 of 217 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1990 and 2002 were associated with drug injection. Despite the worldwide distribution of Clostridium botulinum spores, wound botulism has been reported only twice outside the United States, Europe, and Australia. However, wound botulism may go undiagnosed and untreated in many countries. We report two cases, both with type A toxin, from the Ecuadorian rain forest. Prompt clinical recognition, supportive care, and administration of trivalent equine botulinum antitoxin were life-saving.

A paired-watershed budget study to quantify interbasin groundwater flow in a lowland rain forest, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genereux, David P.; Jordan, Michael T.; Carbonell, David

2005-04-01

A paired-watershed budget study was used to quantify the annual water and major ion (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and sulfate) budgets of two adjacent lowland rain forest watersheds in Costa Rica. Interbasin groundwater flow (IGF) accounted for about two thirds of the water input and about 97% of the solute input (an average over the six major ions) to one watershed but little or none of the inputs to the adjacent watershed in which IGF was at most marginally distinguishable from zero. Results underscore the significance of IGF as a potential control on the hydrology and water quality of lowland watersheds, the spatial complexity of its occurrence in lowlands (where its influence may range from dominating to negligible on adjacent watersheds), and the importance of accounting for IGF in the design and execution of watershed studies and in water management.

The effects of forest fragmentation on forest stand attributes

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; Greg C. Liknes

2002-01-01

For two study areas in Minnesota, USA, one heavily forested and one sparsely forested, maps of predicted proportion forest area were created using Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, forest inventory plot data, and a logistic regression model. The maps were used to estimate quantitative indices of forest fragmentation. Correlations between the values of the indices and...

An application of quantile random forests for predictive mapping of forest attributes

Treesearch

E.A. Freeman; G.G. Moisen

2015-01-01

Increasingly, random forest models are used in predictive mapping of forest attributes. Traditional random forests output the mean prediction from the random trees. Quantile regression forests (QRF) is an extension of random forests developed by Nicolai Meinshausen that provides non-parametric estimates of the median predicted value as well as prediction quantiles. It...

Forest Cover Estimation in Ireland Using Radar Remote Sensing: A Comparative Analysis of Forest Cover Assessment Methodologies.

PubMed

Devaney, John; Barrett, Brian; Barrett, Frank; Redmond, John; O Halloran, John

2015-01-01

Quantification of spatial and temporal changes in forest cover is an essential component of forest monitoring programs. Due to its cloud free capability, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an ideal source of information on forest dynamics in countries with near-constant cloud-cover. However, few studies have investigated the use of SAR for forest cover estimation in landscapes with highly sparse and fragmented forest cover. In this study, the potential use of L-band SAR for forest cover estimation in two regions (Longford and Sligo) in Ireland is investigated and compared to forest cover estimates derived from three national (Forestry2010, Prime2, National Forest Inventory), one pan-European (Forest Map 2006) and one global forest cover (Global Forest Change) product. Two machine-learning approaches (Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees) are evaluated. Both Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees classification accuracies were high (98.1-98.5%), with differences between the two classifiers being minimal (<0.5%). Increasing levels of post classification filtering led to a decrease in estimated forest area and an increase in overall accuracy of SAR-derived forest cover maps. All forest cover products were evaluated using an independent validation dataset. For the Longford region, the highest overall accuracy was recorded with the Forestry2010 dataset (97.42%) whereas in Sligo, highest overall accuracy was obtained for the Prime2 dataset (97.43%), although accuracies of SAR-derived forest maps were comparable. Our findings indicate that spaceborne radar could aid inventories in regions with low levels of forest cover in fragmented landscapes. The reduced accuracies observed for the global and pan-continental forest cover maps in comparison to national and SAR-derived forest maps indicate that caution should be exercised when applying these datasets for national reporting.

Forest Cover Estimation in Ireland Using Radar Remote Sensing: A Comparative Analysis of Forest Cover Assessment Methodologies

PubMed Central

Devaney, John; Barrett, Brian; Barrett, Frank; Redmond, John; O`Halloran, John

2015-01-01

Quantification of spatial and temporal changes in forest cover is an essential component of forest monitoring programs. Due to its cloud free capability, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an ideal source of information on forest dynamics in countries with near-constant cloud-cover. However, few studies have investigated the use of SAR for forest cover estimation in landscapes with highly sparse and fragmented forest cover. In this study, the potential use of L-band SAR for forest cover estimation in two regions (Longford and Sligo) in Ireland is investigated and compared to forest cover estimates derived from three national (Forestry2010, Prime2, National Forest Inventory), one pan-European (Forest Map 2006) and one global forest cover (Global Forest Change) product. Two machine-learning approaches (Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees) are evaluated. Both Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees classification accuracies were high (98.1–98.5%), with differences between the two classifiers being minimal (<0.5%). Increasing levels of post classification filtering led to a decrease in estimated forest area and an increase in overall accuracy of SAR-derived forest cover maps. All forest cover products were evaluated using an independent validation dataset. For the Longford region, the highest overall accuracy was recorded with the Forestry2010 dataset (97.42%) whereas in Sligo, highest overall accuracy was obtained for the Prime2 dataset (97.43%), although accuracies of SAR-derived forest maps were comparable. Our findings indicate that spaceborne radar could aid inventories in regions with low levels of forest cover in fragmented landscapes. The reduced accuracies observed for the global and pan-continental forest cover maps in comparison to national and SAR-derived forest maps indicate that caution should be exercised when applying these datasets for national reporting. PMID:26262681

[Relative abundance, population structure, habitat preferences and activity patterns of Tapirus bairdii (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae), in Chimalapas forest, Oaxaca, Mexico].

PubMed

Lira-Torres, Iván; Briones-Salas, Miguel; Sánchez-Rojas, Gerardo

2014-12-01

Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is endangered primarily because of habitat loss and fragmentation, and overhunting throughout its distribution range. One of the priority land areas for the conservation of this species is the Northern part of its range in the Chimalapas forest, Oaxaca. The aim of this research was to determine the relative abundance, population struc- ture, habitat preferences and activity patterns of Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) in the Chimalapas forest, Oaxaca, Mexico, through the non-invasive technique of camera-trap sampling. A total of five sampling sessions were undertaken among 2009-2013, and used a total of 30 camera-traps in each period. The determinant factor of the sampling design was the hunting between two study areas. A total sampling effort of 9000 trap-days allowed to estimate an index of relative abundance (IRA) of 6.77 tapir photographs/1,000 trap-days (n = 61). IRA varied significantly between sampling stations (Mann-Whitney, p < 0.01). The frequency of Baird's tapir photos was higher in the dry season in tropical rain forest without hunting (χ2, p < 0.5). In the rainy season, the tropical rain forest and secondary vegetation habitats showed higher photo frequency than expected from random (χ2, p < 0.5). Considering population structure, a 95.08% of adult animals was obtained in photographic records (n = 58). Three types of activity pattern were observed, with more nocturnal records (88.33%; Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05). The Chimalapas forest appears to be the second most important terrestrial priority ecoregion, just after the Mayan Forest (Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo), for the conservation of tapir populations, not only for Mexico but also for Central America.

Case study: Rainfall partitioning across a natural-to-urban forest gradient during an extreme rain event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akin, B. H.; Van Stan, J. T., II; Cote, J. F.; Jarvis, M. T.; Underwood, J.; Friesen, J.; Hildebrandt, A.; Maldonado, G.

2017-12-01

Trees' partitioning of rainfall is an important first process along the rainfall-to-runoff pathway that has economically significant influences on urban stormwater management. However, important knowledge gaps exist regarding (1) its role during extreme storms and (2) how this role changes as forest structure is altered by urbanization. Little research has been conducted on canopy rainfall partitioning during large, intense storms, likely because canopy water storage is rapidly overwhelmed (i.e., 1-3 mm) by short duration events exceeding, for example, 80 mm of rainfall. However, canopy structure controls more than just storage; it also affects the time for rain to drain to the surface (becoming throughfall) and the micrometeorological conditions that drive wet canopy evaporation. In fact, observations from an example extreme ( 100 mm with maximum 5-minute intensities exceeding 55 mm/h) storm across a urban-to-natural gradient in pine forests in southeast Georgia (USA), show that storm intensities were differentially dampened by 33% (tree row), 28% (forest fragment), and 17% (natural forests). In addition, maximum wet canopy evaporation rates were higher for the exposed tree row (0.18 mm/h) than for the partially-enclosed fragment canopy (0.14 mm/h) and the closed canopy natural forest site (0.11). This resulted in interception percentages decreasing from urban-to-natural stand structures (25% to 16%). A synoptic analysis of the extreme storm in this case study also shows that the mesoscale meteorological conditions that developed the heavy rainfall is expected to occur more often with projected climate changes.

Natural and anthropogenic drivers of calcium depletion in a northern forest during the last millennium.

PubMed

Leys, Bérangère A; Likens, Gene E; Johnson, Chris E; Craine, Joseph M; Lacroix, Brice; McLauchlan, Kendra K

2016-06-21

The pace and degree of nutrient limitation are among the most critical uncertainties in predicting terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change. In the northeastern United States, forest growth has recently declined along with decreased soil calcium (Ca) availability, suggesting that acid rain has depleted soil Ca to the point where it may be a limiting nutrient. However, it is unknown whether the past 60 y of changes in Ca availability are strictly anthropogenic or partly a natural consequence of long-term ecosystem development. Here, we report a high-resolution millennial-scale record of Ca and 16 other elements from the sediments of Mirror Lake, a 15-ha lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire surrounded by northern hardwood forest. We found that sedimentary Ca concentrations had been declining steadily for 900 y before regional Euro-American settlement. This Ca decline was not a result of serial episodic disturbances but instead the gradual weathering of soils and soil Ca availability. As Ca availability was declining, nitrogen availability concurrently was increasing. These data indicate that nutrient availability on base-poor, parent materials is sensitive to acidifying processes on millennial timescales. Forest harvesting and acid rain in the postsettlement period mobilized significant amounts of Ca from watershed soils, but these effects were exacerbated by the long-term pattern. Shifting nutrient limitation can potentially occur within 10,000 y of ecosystem development, which alters our assessments of the speed and trajectory of nutrient limitation in forests, and could require reformulation of global models of forest productivity.

Natural and anthropogenic drivers of calcium depletion in a northern forest during the last millennium

PubMed Central

Leys, Bérangère A.; Likens, Gene E.; Craine, Joseph M.; Lacroix, Brice; McLauchlan, Kendra K.

2016-01-01

The pace and degree of nutrient limitation are among the most critical uncertainties in predicting terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change. In the northeastern United States, forest growth has recently declined along with decreased soil calcium (Ca) availability, suggesting that acid rain has depleted soil Ca to the point where it may be a limiting nutrient. However, it is unknown whether the past 60 y of changes in Ca availability are strictly anthropogenic or partly a natural consequence of long-term ecosystem development. Here, we report a high-resolution millennial-scale record of Ca and 16 other elements from the sediments of Mirror Lake, a 15-ha lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire surrounded by northern hardwood forest. We found that sedimentary Ca concentrations had been declining steadily for 900 y before regional Euro-American settlement. This Ca decline was not a result of serial episodic disturbances but instead the gradual weathering of soils and soil Ca availability. As Ca availability was declining, nitrogen availability concurrently was increasing. These data indicate that nutrient availability on base-poor, parent materials is sensitive to acidifying processes on millennial timescales. Forest harvesting and acid rain in the postsettlement period mobilized significant amounts of Ca from watershed soils, but these effects were exacerbated by the long-term pattern. Shifting nutrient limitation can potentially occur within 10,000 y of ecosystem development, which alters our assessments of the speed and trajectory of nutrient limitation in forests, and could require reformulation of global models of forest productivity. PMID:27298361

Bridging scale gaps between regional maps of forest aboveground biomass and field sampling plots using TanDEM-X data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, W.; Zhang, Z.; Sun, G.

2017-12-01

Several large-scale maps of forest AGB have been released [1] [2] [3]. However, these existing global or regional datasets were only approximations based on combining land cover type and representative values instead of measurements of actual forest aboveground biomass or forest heights [4]. Rodríguez-Veiga et al[5] reported obvious discrepancies of existing forest biomass stock maps with in-situ observations in Mexico. One of the biggest challenges to the credibility of these maps comes from the scale gaps between the size of field sampling plots used to develop(or validate) estimation models and the pixel size of these maps and the availability of field sampling plots with sufficient size for the verification of these products [6]. It is time-consuming and labor-intensive to collect sufficient number of field sampling data over the plot size of the same as resolutions of regional maps. The smaller field sampling plots cannot fully represent the spatial heterogeneity of forest stands as shown in Figure 1. Forest AGB is directly determined by forest heights, diameter at breast height (DBH) of each tree, forest density and tree species. What measured in the field sampling are the geometrical characteristics of forest stands including the DBH, tree heights and forest densities. The LiDAR data is considered as the best dataset for the estimation of forest AGB. The main reason is that LiDAR can directly capture geometrical features of forest stands by its range detection capabilities.The remotely sensed dataset, which is capable of direct measurements of forest spatial structures, may serve as a ladder to bridge the scale gaps between the pixel size of regional maps of forest AGB and field sampling plots. Several researches report that TanDEM-X data can be used to characterize the forest spatial structures [7, 8]. In this study, the forest AGB map of northeast China were produced using ALOS/PALSAR data taking TanDEM-X data as a bridges. The TanDEM-X InSAR data used in this study and forest AGB map was shown in Figure 2. The technique details and further analysis will be given in the final report. AcknowledgmentThis work was supported in part by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB733401, 2013CB733404), and in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41471311, 41371357, 41301395).

Mapping of Rill Erosion of Arable Soils Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashtanov, A. N.; Vernyuk, Yu. I.; Savin, I. Yu.; Shchepot'ev, V. V.; Dokukin, P. A.; Sharychev, D. V.; Li, K. A.

2018-04-01

Possibilities of using data obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles for detection and mapping of rill erosion on arable lands are analyzed. Identification and mapping of rill erosion was performed on a key plot with a predominance of arable gray forest soils (Greyzemic Phaeozems) under winter wheat in Tula oblast. This plot was surveyed from different heights and in different periods to determine the reliability of identification of rill erosion on the basis of automated procedures in a GIS. It was found that, despite changes in the pattern of rills during the warm season, only one survey during this season is sufficient for adequate assessment of the area of eroded soils. According to our data, the most reliable identification of rill erosion is based on the aerial survey from the height of 50 m above the soil surface. When the height of the flight is more than 200 m, erosional rills virtually escape identification. The efficiency of identification depends on the type of crops, their status, and time of the survey. The surveys of bare soil surface in periods with maximum possible interval from the previous rain or snowmelt season are most efficient. The results of our study can be used in the systems of remote sensing monitoring of erosional processes on arable fields. Application of multiand hyperspectral cameras can improve the efficiency of monitoring.

An imputed forest composition map for New England screened by species range boundaries

Treesearch

Matthew J. Duveneck; Jonathan R. Thompson; B. Tyler Wilson

2015-01-01

Initializing forest landscape models (FLMs) to simulate changes in tree species composition requires accurate fine-scale forest attribute information mapped continuously over large areas. Nearest-neighbor imputation maps, maps developed from multivariate imputation of field plots, have high potential for use as the initial condition within FLMs, but the tendency for...

Annual Dynamics of Forest Areas in South America during 2007-2010 at 50-m Spatial Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Y.; Xiao, X.; Dong, J.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, J.; Doughty, R.; Chen, Y.; Zou, Z.; Moore, B., III

2017-12-01

The user community has an urgent need for high accuracy tropical forest distribution and spatio-temporal changes since tropical forests are facing defragmentation and persistent clouds. In this study, we selected South America as a hotspot and presented a robust approach to map annual forests during 2007-2010 based on the coupled greenness-relevant MOD13Q1 NDVI and structure/biomass-relevant ALOS PALSAR time series data. We analyzed the consistency and uncertainty among eight major forest maps at continental, country, and pixel scales. The 50-m PALSAR/MODIS forest area in South America was about 8.63×106 km2 in 2010. Large differences in total forest area (8.2×106 km2-12.7×106 km2) existed among these forest products. Forest products generated under a similar forest definition had similar or even larger variation than those generated under differing forest definitions. One needs to consider leaf area index as an adjusting factor and use much higher threshold values in the VCF datasets to estimate forest cover. Analyses of PALSAR/MODIS forest maps showed a relatively small and equivalent rate of loss (3.2×104 km2 year-1) in net forest cover to that of FAO FRA (3.3×104 km2 year-1). PALSAR/MODIS forest maps showed that more and more deforestation occurred in the intact forest areas. The rate of forest loss (1.95×105 km2 year-1) was higher than that of Global Forest Watch (0.81×105 km2 year-1). Caution should be used when using the different forest maps to analyze forest loss and make policies regarding forest ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation.

Ecological gradients within a Pennsylvanian mire forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

DiMichele, W.A.; Falcon-Lang, H. J.; Nelson, W.J.; Elrick, S.D.; Ames, P.R.

2007-01-01

Pennsylvanian coals represent remains of the earliest peat-forming rain forests, but there is no current consensus on forest ecology. Localized studies of fossil forests suggest intermixture of taxa (heterogeneity), while, in contrast, coal ball and palynological analyses imply the existence of pronounced ecological gradients. Here, we report the discovery of a spectacular fossil forest preserved over ???1000 ha on top of the Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Herrin (No. 6) Coal of Illinois, United States. The forest was abruptly drowned when fault movement dropped a segment of coastal mire below sea level. In the largest study of its kind to date, forest composition is statistically analyzed within a well-constrained paleogeographic context. Findings resolve apparent conflicts in models of Pennsylvanian mire ecology by confirming the existence of forest heterogeneity at the local scale, while additionally demonstrating the emergence of ecological gradients at landscape scale. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America.

Production of high-resolution forest-ecosite maps based on model predictions of soil moisture and nutrient regimes over a large forested area.

PubMed

Yang, Qi; Meng, Fan-Rui; Bourque, Charles P-A; Zhao, Zhengyong

2017-09-08

Forest ecosite reflects the local site conditions that are meaningful to forest productivity as well as basic ecological functions. Field assessments of vegetation and soil types are often used to identify forest ecosites. However, the production of high-resolution ecosite maps for large areas from interpolating field data is difficult because of high spatial variation and associated costs and time requirements. Indices of soil moisture and nutrient regimes (i.e., SMR and SNR) introduced in this study reflect the combined effects of biogeochemical and topographic factors on forest growth. The objective of this research is to present a method for creating high-resolution forest ecosite maps based on computer-generated predictions of SMR and SNR for an area in Atlantic Canada covering about 4.3 × 10 6 hectares (ha) of forestland. Field data from 1,507 forest ecosystem classification plots were used to assess the accuracy of the ecosite maps produced. Using model predictions of SMR and SNR alone, ecosite maps were 61 and 59% correct in identifying 10 Acadian- and Maritime-Boreal-region ecosite types, respectively. This method provides an operational framework for the production of high-resolution maps of forest ecosites over large areas without the need for data from expensive, supplementary field surveys.

Capability of Integrated MODIS Imagery and ALOS for Oil Palm, Rubber and Forest Areas Mapping in Tropical Forest Regions

PubMed Central

Razali, Sheriza Mohd; Marin, Arnaldo; Nuruddin, Ahmad Ainuddin; Shafri, Helmi Zulhaidi Mohd; Hamid, Hazandy Abdul

2014-01-01

Various classification methods have been applied for low resolution of the entire Earth's surface from recorded satellite images, but insufficient study has determined which method, for which satellite data, is economically viable for tropical forest land use mapping. This study employed Iterative Self Organizing Data Analysis Techniques (ISODATA) and K-Means classification techniques to classified Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Surface Reflectance satellite image into forests, oil palm groves, rubber plantations, mixed horticulture, mixed oil palm and rubber and mixed forest and rubber. Even though frequent cloud cover has been a challenge for mapping tropical forests, our MODIS land use classification map found that 2008 ISODATA-1 performed well with overall accuracy of 94%, with the highest Producer's Accuracy of Forest with 86%, and were consistent with MODIS Land Cover 2008 (MOD12Q1), respectively. The MODIS land use classification was able to distinguish young oil palm groves from open areas, rubber and mature oil palm plantations, on the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) map, whereas rubber was more easily distinguished from an open area than from mixed rubber and forest. This study provides insight on the potential for integrating regional databases and temporal MODIS data, in order to map land use in tropical forest regions. PMID:24811079

Capability of integrated MODIS imagery and ALOS for oil palm, rubber and forest areas mapping in tropical forest regions.

PubMed

Razali, Sheriza Mohd; Marin, Arnaldo; Nuruddin, Ahmad Ainuddin; Shafri, Helmi Zulhaidi Mohd; Hamid, Hazandy Abdul

2014-05-07

Various classification methods have been applied for low resolution of the entire Earth's surface from recorded satellite images, but insufficient study has determined which method, for which satellite data, is economically viable for tropical forest land use mapping. This study employed Iterative Self Organizing Data Analysis Techniques (ISODATA) and K-Means classification techniques to classified Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Surface Reflectance satellite image into forests, oil palm groves, rubber plantations, mixed horticulture, mixed oil palm and rubber and mixed forest and rubber. Even though frequent cloud cover has been a challenge for mapping tropical forests, our MODIS land use classification map found that 2008 ISODATA-1 performed well with overall accuracy of 94%, with the highest Producer's Accuracy of Forest with 86%, and were consistent with MODIS Land Cover 2008 (MOD12Q1), respectively. The MODIS land use classification was able to distinguish young oil palm groves from open areas, rubber and mature oil palm plantations, on the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) map, whereas rubber was more easily distinguished from an open area than from mixed rubber and forest. This study provides insight on the potential for integrating regional databases and temporal MODIS data, in order to map land use in tropical forest regions.

Sampling Errors of SSM/I and TRMM Rainfall Averages: Comparison with Error Estimates from Surface Data and a Sample Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Thomas L.; Kundu, Prasun K.; Kummerow, Christian D.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Quantitative use of satellite-derived maps of monthly rainfall requires some measure of the accuracy of the satellite estimates. The rainfall estimate for a given map grid box is subject to both remote-sensing error and, in the case of low-orbiting satellites, sampling error due to the limited number of observations of the grid box provided by the satellite. A simple model of rain behavior predicts that Root-mean-square (RMS) random error in grid-box averages should depend in a simple way on the local average rain rate, and the predicted behavior has been seen in simulations using surface rain-gauge and radar data. This relationship was examined using satellite SSM/I data obtained over the western equatorial Pacific during TOGA COARE. RMS error inferred directly from SSM/I rainfall estimates was found to be larger than predicted from surface data, and to depend less on local rain rate than was predicted. Preliminary examination of TRMM microwave estimates shows better agreement with surface data. A simple method of estimating rms error in satellite rainfall estimates is suggested, based on quantities that can be directly computed from the satellite data.

Assistant for Analyzing Tropical-Rain-Mapping Radar Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, Mark

2006-01-01

A document is defined that describes an approach for a Tropical Rain Mapping Radar Data System (TDS). TDS is composed of software and hardware elements incorporating a two-frequency spaceborne radar system for measuring tropical precipitation. The TDS would be used primarily in generating data products for scientific investigations. The most novel part of the TDS would be expert-system software to aid in the selection of algorithms for converting raw radar-return data into such primary observables as rain rate, path-integrated rain rate, and surface backscatter. The expert-system approach would address the issue that selection of algorithms for processing the data requires a significant amount of preprocessing, non-intuitive reasoning, and heuristic application, making it infeasible, in many cases, to select the proper algorithm in real time. In the TDS, tentative selections would be made to enable conversions in real time. The expert system would remove straightforwardly convertible data from further consideration, and would examine ambiguous data, performing analysis in depth to determine which algorithms to select. Conversions performed by these algorithms, presumed to be correct, would be compared with the corresponding real-time conversions. Incorrect real-time conversions would be updated using the correct conversions.

Detecting tree-fall gap disturbances in tropical rain forests with airborne lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espirito-Santo, F. D. B.; Saatchi, S.; Keller, M.

2017-12-01

Forest inventory studies in the Amazon indicate a large terrestrial carbon sink. However, field plots may fail to represent forest mortality processes at landscape-scales of tropical forests. Here we characterize the frequency distribution of tree-fall gap disturbances in natural forests of tropical forests using a novel combination of forest inventory and airborne lidar data. We quantify gap size frequency distribution along vertical and horizontal dimensions in ten Neotropical forest canopies distributed across gradients of climate and landscapes using airborne lidar measurements. We assessed all canopy openings related to each class of tree height which yields a three dimensional structure of the distribution of canopy gaps. Gap frequency distributions from lidar CHM data vary markedly with minimum gap size thresholds, but we found that natural forest disturbances (tree-fall gaps) follow a power-law distribution with narrow range of power-law exponents (-1.2 to -1.3). These power-law exponents from gap frequency distributions provide insights into how natural forest disturbances are distributed over tropical forest landscape.

Non-indigenous bamboo along headwater streams of the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: leaf fall, aquatic leaf decay and patterns of invasion

Treesearch

PAUL J. O' CONNOR; ALAN P. COVICH; F. N. SCATENA; LLOYD L. LOOPE

2000-01-01

The introduction of bamboo to montane rain forests of the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico in the 1930s and 1940s has led to present-day bamboo monocultures in numerous riparian areas. When a non-native species invades a riparian ecosystem, in-stream detritivores can be affected. Bamboo dynamics expected to in¯uence stream communities in the Luquillo Experimental Forest...

An improved method of chemical analysis for low levels of nitrogen in forest streams or in rainwater.

Treesearch

Elly E. Holcombe; Duane G. Moore; Richard L. Fredriksen

1986-01-01

A modification of the macro-Kjeldahl method that provides increased sensitivity was developed for determining very low levels of nitrogen in forest streams and in rain-water. The method is suitable as a routine laboratory procedure. Analytical range of the method is 0.02 to 1.5 mg/L with high recovery and excellent precision and ac-curacy. The range can be increased to...

Compensation of thermal constraints along a natural environmental gradient in a Malagasy iguanid lizard (Oplurus quadrimaculatus).

PubMed

Theisinger, Ole; Berg, W; Dausmann, K H

2017-08-01

Physiological or behavioural adjustments are a prerequisite for ectotherms to cope with different thermal environments. One of the world's steepest environmental gradients in temperature and precipitation can be found in southeastern Madagascar. This unique gradient allowed us to study the compensation of thermal constraints in the heliothermic lizard Oplurus quadrimaculatus on a very small geographic scale. The lizard occurs from hot spiny forest to intermediate gallery and transitional forest to cooler rain forest and we investigated whether these habitat differences are compensated behaviourally or physiologically. To study activity skin temperature (as proxy for body temperature) and the activity time of lizards, we attached temperature loggers to individuals in three different habitats. In addition, we calculated field resting costs from field resting metabolic rate to compare energy expenditure along the environmental gradient. We found no variation in activity skin temperature, despite significant differences in operative environmental temperature among habitats. However, daily activity time and field resting costs were reduced by 35% and 28% in the cool rain forest compared to the hot spiny forest. Our study shows that O. quadrimaculatus relies on behavioural mechanisms rather than physiological adjustments to compensate thermal differences between habitats. Furthermore, its foraging activity in open, sun exposed habitats facilitates such a highly effective thermoregulation that cold operative temperature, not energetically expensive heat, presents a greater challenge for these lizards despite living in a hot environment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nitrogen and phosphorus resorption in a neotropical rain forest of a nutrient-rich soil.

PubMed

Martínez-Sánchez, José Luis

2005-01-01

In tropical forests with nutrient-rich soil tree's nutrient resorption from senesced leaves has not always been observed to be low. Perhaps this lack of consistence is partly owing to the nutrient resorption methods used. The aim of the study was to analyse N and P resorption proficiency from tropical rain forest trees in a nutrient-rich soil. It was hypothesised that trees would exhibit low nutrient resorption in a nutrient-rich soil. The soil concentrations of total N and extractable P, among other physical and chemical characteristics, were analysed in 30 samples in the soil surface (10 cm) of three undisturbed forest plots at 'Estaci6n de Biologia Los Tuxtlas' on the east coast of Mexico (18 degrees 34' - 18 degrees 36' N, 95 degrees 04' - 95 degrees 09' W). N and P resorption proficiency were determined from senescing leaves in 11 dominant tree species. Nitrogen was analysed by microkjeldahl digestion with sulphuric acid and distilled with boric acid, and phosphorus was analysed by digestion with nitric acid and perchloric acid. Soil was rich in total N (0.50%, n = 30) and extractable P (4.11 microg g(-1) n = 30). As expected, trees showed incomplete N (1.13%, n = 11) and P (0.11%, n = 1) resorption. With a more accurate method of nutrient resorption assessment, it is possible to prove that a forest community with a nutrient-rich soil can have low levels of N and P resorption.

Current and Future Carbon Budgets of Tropical Rain Forest: A Cross Scale Analysis. Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oberbauer, S. F.

2004-01-16

The goal of this project was to make a first assessment of the major carbon stocks and fluxes and their climatic determinants in a lowland neotropical rain forest, the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Our research design was based on the concurrent use of several of the best available approaches, so that data could be cross-validated. A major focus of our effort was to combine meteorological studies of whole-forest carbon exchange (eddy flux), with parallel independent measurements of key components of the forest carbon budget. The eddy flux system operated from February 1998 to February 2001. To obtain fieldmore » data that could be scaled up to the landscape level, we monitored carbon stocks, net primary productivity components including tree growth and mortality, litterfall, woody debris production, root biomass, and soil respiration in a series of replicated plots stratified across the major environmental gradients of the forest. A second major focus of this project was on the stocks and changes of carbon in the soil. We used isotope studies and intensive monitoring to investigate soil organic stocks and the climate-driven variation of soil respiration down the soil profile, in a set of six 4m deep soil shafts stratified across the landscape. We measured short term tree growth, climate responses of sap flow, and phenology in a suite of ten canopy trees to develop individual models of tree growth to daytime weather variables.« less

Modeled effects of soil acidification on long-term ecological and economic outcomes for managed forests in the Adirondack region (USA).

PubMed

Caputo, Jesse; Beier, Colin M; Sullivan, Timothy J; Lawrence, Gregory B

2016-09-15

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is among the most ecologically and economically important tree species in North America, and its growth and regeneration is often the focus of silvicultural practices in northern hardwood forests. A key stressor for sugar maple (SM) is acid rain, which depletes base cations from poorly-buffered forest soils and has been associated with much lower SM vigor, growth, and recruitment. However, the potential interactions between forest management and soil acidification - and their implications for the sustainability of SM and its economic and cultural benefits - have not been investigated. In this study, we simulated the development of 50 extant SM stands in the western Adirondack region of NY (USA) for 100years under different soil chemical conditions and silvicultural prescriptions. We found that interactions between management prescription and soil base saturation will strongly shape the ability to maintain SM in managed forests. Below 12% base saturation, SM did not regenerate sufficiently after harvest and was replaced mainly by red maple (Acer rubrum) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia). Loss of SM on acid-impaired sites was predicted regardless of whether the shelterwood or diameter-limit prescriptions were used. On soils with sufficient base saturation, models predicted that SM will regenerate after harvest and be sustained for future rotations. We then estimated how these different post-harvest outcomes, mediated by acid impairment of forest soils, would affect the potential monetary value of ecosystem services provided by SM forests. Model simulations indicated that a management strategy focused on syrup production - although not feasible across the vast areas where acid impairment has occurred - may generate the greatest economic return. Although pollution from acid rain is declining, its long-term legacy in forest soils will shape future options for sustainable forestry and ecosystem stewardship in the northern hardwood forests of North America. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeled effects of soil acidification on long-term ecological and economic outcomes for managed forests in the Adirondack region (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caputo, Jesse PhD.; Beier, Colin M.; Sullivan, Timothy J.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2016-01-01

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is among the most ecologically and economically important tree species in North America, and its growth and regeneration is often the focus of silvicultural practices in northern hardwood forests. A key stressor for sugar maple (SM) is acid rain, which depletes base cations from poorly-buffered forest soils and has been associated with much lower SM vigor, growth, and recruitment. However, the potential interactions between forest management and soil acidification – and their implications for the sustainability of SM and its economic and cultural benefits – have not been investigated. In this study, we simulated the development of 50 extant SM stands in the western Adirondack region of NY (USA) for 100 years under different soil chemical conditions and silvicultural prescriptions. We found that interactions between management prescription and soil base saturation will strongly shape the ability to maintain SM in managed forests. Below 12% base saturation, SM did not regenerate sufficiently after harvest and was replaced mainly by red maple (Acer rubrum) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia). Loss of SM on acid-impaired sites was predicted regardless of whether the shelterwood or diameter-limit prescriptions were used. On soils with sufficient base saturation, models predicted that SM will regenerate after harvest and be sustained for future rotations. We then estimated how these different post-harvest outcomes, mediated by acid impairment of forest soils, would affect the potential monetary value of ecosystem services provided by SM forests. Model simulations indicated that a management strategy focused on syrup production – although not feasible across the vast areas where acid impairment has occurred – may generate the greatest economic return. Although pollution from acid rain is declining, its long-term legacy in forest soils will shape future options for sustainable forestry and ecosystem stewardship in the northern hardwood forests of North America.

A multicriteria framework for producing local, regional, and national insect and disease risk maps

Treesearch

Frank J. Jr. Krist; Frank J. Sapio

2010-01-01

The construction of the 2006 National Insect and Disease Risk Map, compiled by the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry Area, Forest Health Protection Unit, resulted in the development of a GIS-based, multicriteria approach for insect and disease risk mapping that can account for regional variations in forest health concerns and threats. This risk mapping...

Techniques for spatio-temporal analysis of vegetation fires in the topical belt of Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brivio, P.A.; Ober, G.; Koffi, B.

1995-12-31

Biomass burning of forests and savannas is a phenomenon of continental or even global proportions, capable of causing large scale environmental changes. Satellite space observations, in particular from NOAA-AVHRR GAC data, are the only source of information allowing one to document burning patterns at regional and continental scale and over long periods of time. This paper presents some techniques, such as clustering and rose-diagram, useful in the spatial-temporal analysis of satellite derived fires maps to characterize the evolution of spatial patterns of vegetation fires at regional scale. An automatic clustering approach is presented which enables one to describe and parameterizemore » spatial distribution of fire patterns at different scales. The problem of geographical distribution of vegetation fires with respect to some location of interest, point or line, is also considered and presented. In particular rose-diagrams are used to relate fires patterns to some reference point, as experimental sites of tropospheric chemistry measurements. Different temporal data-sets in the tropical belt of Africa, covering both Northern and Southern Hemisphere dry seasons, using these techniques were analyzed and showed very promising results when compared with data from rain chemistry studies at different sampling sites in the equatorial forest.« less

Climate change mitigation by carbon stock - the case of semi-arid West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lykke, A. M.; Barfod, A. S.; Tinggaard Svendsen, G.; Greve, M.; Svenning, J.-C.

2009-11-01

Semi-arid West Africa has not been integrated into the afforestation/reforestation (AR) carbon market. Most projects implemented under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) have focused on carbon emission reductions from industry and energy consumption, whereas only few (only one in West Africa) have been certified for AR carbon sequestration. A proposed mechanism, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) to be discussed under COP15 aims to reduce emissions by conserving already existing forests. REDD has high potential for carbon stocking at low costs, but focuses primarily on rain forest countries and excludes semi-arid West Africa from the preliminary setup. African savannas have potential to store carbon in the present situation with degrading ecosystems and relatively low revenues from crops and cattle, especially if it is possible to combine carbon stocking with promotion of secondary crops such as food resources and traditional medicines harvested on a sustainable basis. Methods for modelling and mapping of potential carbon biomass are being developed, but are still in a preliminary state. Although economic benefits from the sale of carbon credits are likely to be limited, carbon stocking is an interesting option if additional benefits are considered such as improved food security and protection of biodiversity.

Landsat for practical forest type mapping - A test case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryant, E.; Dodge, A. G., Jr.; Warren, S. D.

1980-01-01

Computer classified Landsat maps are compared with a recent conventional inventory of forest lands in northern Maine. Over the 196,000 hectare area mapped, estimates of the areas of softwood, mixed wood and hardwood forest obtained by a supervised classification of the Landsat data and a standard inventory based on aerial photointerpretation, probability proportional to prediction, field sampling and a standard forest measurement program are found to agree to within 5%. The cost of the Landsat maps is estimated to be $0.065/hectare. It is concluded that satellite techniques are worth developing for forest inventories, although they are not yet refined enough to be incorporated into current practical inventories.

Paleoecological Calibration In Central Guatemala: Modern Pollen Rain From Bryophyte Polsters And Surface Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, S. A.; Avendano, C. E.; Cowling, S. A.

2009-05-01

Paleoecology requires understanding the correspondences between modern pollen rain and local-regional vegetation, in order to develop accurate paleovegetation reconstructions. Paleoecology in Guatemala has been developed largely over decades in the northern lowlands in close relationship with Classic Maya archaeology, where paleoenvironmental reconstructions have been made mainly through the use of fossil pollen. Scarcity of calibration studies in the Mesoamerican region however remains evident; nevertheless, they are necessary to produce reliable reconstructions. We present calibration pollen data from two locations in Central Guatemala: Lachua Lowlands and Purulha Highlands. Pollen spectra were analyzed from surface sediments samples (SS) from a lake and a small pond in Lachua, a river floodplain and a lake shore in Purulha. Bryophyte polsters samples (BP) were collected from the interior of minimally disturbed forests in both Lachua (rain forest) and Purulha (cloud forest). Pollen spectra between SS and BP differed in both locations. Analysis per location indicates that SS were more similar for Purulha, as compared to Lachua. Combined analysis of locations indicates that SS from both locations were related to anemophilous taxa - great production of pollen quantities that has high dispersion capacities-. This provides evidence that the pollen signal from SS is probably more regional than local. BP from Lachua and Purulha differed notably in their pollen signal, each location containing local taxa, tropical and temperate respectively. Some temperate anemophilous taxa were better represented in Lachua than in Purulha. Purulha SS were similar, and contained more taxa related to disturbance and anemophilous taxa. The arboreal pollen (AP) to non-arboreal (NAP) ratio (AP/NAP) of both SS and BP corresponded with the tree- prevalent landscape in Lachua. The SS AP/NAP ratio represented the deforested landscape of the river floodplain and lake environments in Purulha, while for BP the extensive forest cover from the cloud forest was represented. Comparison of SS with BP provides foundation to understand better the pollen signal recorded in the sedimentary record, since BP pollen signal bring information about what is not represented. The calibration analysis that we present brings in-depth exploration of pollen-vegetation relationships and represents an important contribution for paleoecological research in Guatemala.

Deuterium excess reveals diurnal sources of water vapor in forest air.

PubMed

Lai, Chun-Ta; Ehleringer, James R

2011-01-01

An understanding of atmospheric water vapor content and its isotopic composition is important if we are to be able to model future water vapor dynamics and their potential feedback on future climate change. Here we present diurnal and vertical patterns of water isotope ratios in forest air (δ(2)H(v) and δ(18)O(v)) not observed previously. Water vapor observed at three heights over 3 consecutive days in a coniferous forest in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, shows a stratified nocturnal structure of δ(2)H(v) and δ(18)O(v), with the most positive values consistently observed above the canopy (60 m). Differences between 0.5 m and 60 m range between 2-6‰ for δ(18)O and 20-40‰ for δ(2)H at night. Using a box model, we simulated H(2)O isotope fluxes and showed that the low to high δ(2)H(v) and δ(18)O(v) profiles can be explained by the vapor flux associated with evaporation from the forest floor and canopy transpiration. We used d-excess as a diagnostic tracer to identify processes that contribute to the diurnal variation in atmospheric moisture. Values of d-excess derived from water vapor measurements showed a repeated diel pattern, with the lowest values occurring in the early morning and the highest values occurring at midday. The isotopic composition of rain water, collected during a light rain event in the first morning of our experiment, suggested that considerable below-cloud secondary evaporation occurred during the descent of raindrops. We conclude that atmospheric entrainment appears to drive the isotopic variation of water vapor in the early morning when the convective boundary layer rapidly develops, while evapotranspiration becomes more important in the mid-afternoon as a primary moisture source of water vapor in this forest. Our results demonstrate the interplay between the effects of vegetation and boundary layer mixing under the influence of rain evaporation, which has implications for larger-scale predictions of precipitation across the terrestrial landscape.

A Stochastic Model of Space-Time Variability of Tropical Rainfall: I. Statistics of Spatial Averages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundu, Prasun K.; Bell, Thomas L.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Global maps of rainfall are of great importance in connection with modeling of the earth s climate. Comparison between the maps of rainfall predicted by computer-generated climate models with observation provides a sensitive test for these models. To make such a comparison, one typically needs the total precipitation amount over a large area, which could be hundreds of kilometers in size over extended periods of time of order days or months. This presents a difficult problem since rain varies greatly from place to place as well as in time. Remote sensing methods using ground radar or satellites detect rain over a large area by essentially taking a series of snapshots at infrequent intervals and indirectly deriving the average rain intensity within a collection of pixels , usually several kilometers in size. They measure area average of rain at a particular instant. Rain gauges, on the other hand, record rain accumulation continuously in time but only over a very small area tens of centimeters across, say, the size of a dinner plate. They measure only a time average at a single location. In making use of either method one needs to fill in the gaps in the observation - either the gaps in the area covered or the gaps in time of observation. This involves using statistical models to obtain information about the rain that is missed from what is actually detected. This paper investigates such a statistical model and validates it with rain data collected over the tropical Western Pacific from ship borne radars during TOGA COARE (Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment). The model incorporates a number of commonly observed features of rain. While rain varies rapidly with location and time, the variability diminishes when averaged over larger areas or longer periods of time. Moreover, rain is patchy in nature - at any instant on the average only a certain fraction of the observed pixels contain rain. The fraction of area covered by rain decreases, as the size of a pixel becomes smaller. This means that within what looks like a patch of rainy area in a coarse resolution view with larger pixel size, one finds clusters of rainy and dry patches when viewed on a finer scale. The model makes definite predictions about how these and other related statistics depend on the pixel size. These predictions were found to agree well with data. In a subsequent second part of the work we plan to test the model with rain gauge data collected during the TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) ground validation campaign.

CDF and PDF Comparison Between Humacao, Puerto Rico and Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Rosana

2004-01-01

The knowledge of the atmospherics phenomenon is an important part in the communication system. The principal factor that contributes to the attenuation in a Ka band communication system is the rain attenuation. We have four years of tropical region observations. The data in the tropical region was taken in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Previous data had been collected at various climate regions such as desserts, template area and sub-tropical regions. Figure 1 shows the ITU-R rain zone map for North America. Rain rates are important to the rain attenuation prediction models. The models that predict attenuation generally are of two different kinds. The first one is the regression models. By using a data set these models provide an idea of the observed attenuation and rain rates distribution in the present, past and future. The second kinds of models are physical models which use the probability density functions (PDF).

Characterizing the Phylogenetic Tree Community Structure of a Protected Tropical Rain Forest Area in Cameroon

PubMed Central

Munoz, François; Couteron, Pierre; Hardy, Olivier J.; Sonké, Bonaventure

2014-01-01

Tropical rain forests, the richest terrestrial ecosystems in biodiversity on Earth are highly threatened by global changes. This paper aims to infer the mechanisms governing species tree assemblages by characterizing the phylogenetic structure of a tropical rain forest in a protected area of the Congo Basin, the Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon). We re-analyzed a dataset of 11538 individuals belonging to 372 taxa found along nine transects spanning five habitat types. We generated a dated phylogenetic tree including all sampled taxa to partition the phylogenetic diversity of the nine transects into alpha and beta components at the level of the transects and of the habitat types. The variation in phylogenetic composition among transects did not deviate from a random pattern at the scale of the Dja Faunal Reserve, probably due to a common history and weak environmental variation across the park. This lack of phylogenetic structure combined with an isolation-by-distance pattern of taxonomic diversity suggests that neutral dispersal limitation is a major driver of community assembly in the Dja. To assess any lack of sensitivity to the variation in habitat types, we restricted the analyses of transects to the terra firme primary forest and found results consistent with those of the whole dataset at the level of the transects. Additionally to previous analyses, we detected a weak but significant phylogenetic turnover among habitat types, suggesting that species sort in varying environments, even though it is not predominating on the overall phylogenetic structure. Finer analyses of clades indicated a signal of clustering for species from the Annonaceae family, while species from the Apocynaceae family indicated overdispersion. These results can contribute to the conservation of the park by improving our understanding of the processes dictating community assembly in these hyperdiverse but threatened regions of the world. PMID:24936786

Soil Type Has a Stronger Role than Dipterocarp Host Species in Shaping the Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Community in a Bornean Lowland Tropical Rain Forest

PubMed Central

Essene, Adam L.; Shek, Katherine L.; Lewis, J. D.; Peay, Kabir G.; McGuire, Krista L.

2017-01-01

The role that mycorrhizal fungal associations play in the assembly of long-lived tree communities is poorly understood, especially in tropical forests, which have the highest tree diversity of any ecosystem. The lowland tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia are characterized by high levels of species richness within the family Dipterocarpaceae, the entirety of which has been shown to form obligate ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal associations. Differences in ECM assembly between co-occurring species of dipterocarp have been suggested, but never tested in adult trees, as a mechanism for maintaining the coexistence of closely related tree species in this family. Testing this hypothesis has proven difficult because the assembly of both dipterocarps and their ECM associates co-varies with the same edaphic variables. In this study, we used high-throughput DNA sequencing of soils and Sanger sequencing of root tips to evaluate how ECM fungi were structured within and across a clay–sand soil nutrient ecotone in a mixed-dipterocarp rain forest in Malaysian Borneo. We compared assembly patterns of ECM fungi in bulk soil to ECM root tips collected from three ecologically distinct species of dipterocarp. This design allowed us to test whether ECM fungi are more strongly structured by soil type or host specificity. As with previous studies of ECM fungi on this plot, we observed that clay vs. sand soil type strongly structured both the bulk soil and root tip ECM fungal communities. However, we also observed significantly different ECM communities associated with two of the three dipterocarp species evaluated on this plot. These results suggest that ECM fungal assembly on these species is shaped by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors, and that the soil edaphic niche occupied by different dipterocarp species may be mediated by distinct ECM fungal assemblages. PMID:29163567

Advancing the quantification of humid tropical forest cover loss with multi-resolution optical remote sensing data: Sampling & wall-to-wall mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broich, Mark

Humid tropical forest cover loss is threatening the sustainability of ecosystem goods and services as vast forest areas are rapidly cleared for industrial scale agriculture and tree plantations. Despite the importance of humid tropical forest in the provision of ecosystem services and economic development opportunities, the spatial and temporal distribution of forest cover loss across large areas is not well quantified. Here I improve the quantification of humid tropical forest cover loss using two remote sensing-based methods: sampling and wall-to-wall mapping. In all of the presented studies, the integration of coarse spatial, high temporal resolution data with moderate spatial, low temporal resolution data enable advances in quantifying forest cover loss in the humid tropics. Imagery from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used as the source of coarse spatial resolution, high temporal resolution data and imagery from the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor are used as the source of moderate spatial, low temporal resolution data. In a first study, I compare the precision of different sampling designs for the Brazilian Amazon using the annual deforestation maps derived by the Brazilian Space Agency for reference. I show that sampling designs can provide reliable deforestation estimates; furthermore, sampling designs guided by MODIS data can provide more efficient estimates than the systematic design used for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization Forest Resource Assessment 2010. Sampling approaches, such as the one demonstrated, are viable in regions where data limitations, such as cloud contamination, limit exhaustive mapping methods. Cloud-contaminated regions experiencing high rates of change include Insular Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia and Malaysia. Due to persistent cloud cover, forest cover loss in Indonesia has only been mapped at a 5-10 year interval using photo interpretation of single best Landsat images. Such an approach does not provide timely results, and cloud cover reduces the utility of map outputs. In a second study, I develop a method to exhaustively mine the recently opened Landsat archive for cloud-free observations and automatically map forest cover loss for Sumatra and Kalimantan for the 2000-2005 interval. In a comparison with a reference dataset consisting of 64 Landsat sample blocks, I show that my method, using per pixel time-series, provides more accurate forest cover loss maps for multiyear intervals than approaches using image composites. In a third study, I disaggregate Landsat-mapped forest cover loss, mapped over a multiyear interval, by year using annual forest cover loss maps generated from coarse spatial, high temporal resolution MODIS imagery. I further disaggregate and analyze forest cover loss by forest land use, and provinces. Forest cover loss trends show high spatial and temporal variability. These results underline the importance of annual mapping for the quantification of forest cover loss in Indonesia, specifically in the light of the developing Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries policy framework (REDD). All three studies highlight the advances in quantifying forest cover loss in the humid tropics made by integrating coarse spatial, high temporal resolution data with moderate spatial, low temporal resolution data. The three methods presented can be combined into an integrated monitoring strategy.

N2O Source Strength of Tropical Rain Forests: From the Site to the Global Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiese, R.; Werner, C.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.

2006-12-01

In contrast to the significant importance of tropical rain forest ecosystems as one of the major single sources within the global atmospheric N2O budget (2.2 3.7 Tg N y-1, regional and global estimates of their N2O source strength are still limited and highly uncertain. However, accurate quantification of sources and sinks of greenhouse gases like CO2, N2O and CH4 for natural, agricultural and forest ecosystems is crucial to our understanding of land use change effects on global climate change. At present, up-scaling approaches which link detailed geographic information systems (GIS) to mechanistic biochemical models are seen as a promising tool to contribute towards more reliable estimates of biogenic sources of N2O, e.g. tropical rain forest ecosystems. In our study we further developed and tested the PnET-N-DNDC model using Bayesian calibration techniques based on detailed N2O emission data of two recently conducted field campaigns in African (Kenya) and Asian (SE-China) tropical forest ecosystems and additional datasets from earlier own field campaigns or the literature. For global upscaling of N2O emissions an extensive GIS database was constructed holding all necessary parameters (climate ECWMF ERA 40; soil: FAO, vegetation: LPJ-DGVM simulation) in spatial and temporal resolution for initializing and driving the further developed biogeochemical model at a grid size of 0.25°x0.25°. We calculated global N2O emissions inventories for the years 1991 to 2001, and found a general agreement of the simulated flux ranges with reported N2O emissions from tropical forest ecosystems worldwide. According to our simulations, tropical rainforest soils are indeed a significant source of atmospheric N2O ranging from 1.1 2.2 Tg in dependence from the simulated year. Notably, related to differences in environmental conditions, N2O emissions varied considerably within the tropical belt. Furthermore, our simulations revealed a pronounced inter-annual variability of N2O emissions mainly driven by differences in weather conditions (e.g. distribution and total amount of rainfall) across years, which may be mirrored in atmospheric N2O concentrations.

Chemical characterization of fog and rain water collected at the eastern Andes cordillera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beiderwieden, E.; Wrzesinsky, T.; Klemm, O.

2005-09-01

During a three month period in 2003 and 2004, the chemistry of fog and rainwater were studied at the "El Tiro" site in a tropical mountain forest ecosystem in Ecuador, South America. The fogwater samples were collected using a passive fog collector, and for the rain water, a standard rain sampler was employed. For all samples, electric conductivity, pH, and the concentrations of NH4+, K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, NO3-, PO43-, and SO42- were measured. For each fog sample, a 5 day back trajectory was calculated by the use of the HYSPLIT model. Two types of trajectories occurred. One type was characterized by advection of air masses from the East over the Amazonian basin, the other trajectory arrived one from the West after significant travel time over the Pacific Ocean. We found considerably higher ion concentrations in fogwater samples than in rain samples. Median pH values are 4.58 for fog water, and 5.26 for the rain samples, respectively. The median electric conductivity was 23 μS cm-1 for the fog and 6 μS cm-1 for the rain. The continent samples exhibit higher concentrations of most ions as compared to the pacific samples, but these differences could not be detected statistically.

Clearcut mapping and forest type mapping in eastern forests with LANDSAT data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutherland, K.

1981-01-01

The development and use of signature packages which provide a forest type map and which identify clearcut areas is discussed. The type map divides the forest land into three categories: softwood, mixed wood, and hardwood. The user defines each of these categories and adjusts the signature package to fit his needs. Success in identifying clearcuts and their stage of regrowth was demonstrated in New Hampshire where clearcuts range in size from 5 to 100 acres with between 30 and 40 acres being the most common.

Strategy for the forest sector in sub Saharan Africa. World Bank technical paper; Strategie pour le secteur forestier en afrique subsaharienne

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharma, N.P.; Rietbergen, S.; Heimo, C.R.

1995-12-31

Forest resources in Sub-Saharan Africa are disappearing at an alarming rate--the region witnessed a seven percent loss of its forest cover during the 1980s. The deforestation of tropical rain forests in West and Central Africa is occurring at a rate of two million hectares each year. The poor usually suffer the most in the short run--but it is the entire world community that suffers in the long run from the ensuing ecological damage. This strategy paper is one element of the World Bank`s process of addressing environmental issues and challenges. The paper adheres to the Bank`s forest policy adopted inmore » 1991, which reaffirms the Bank`s support for conservation and sustainable development of forest resources. The authors emphasize the importance of the symbiosis of forest resource management and socioeconomic development for the region.« less

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis applies to tropical forests, but disturbance contributes little to tree diversity.

PubMed

Bongers, Frans; Poorter, Lourens; Hawthorne, William D; Sheil, Douglas

2009-08-01

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts local species diversity to be maximal at an intermediate level of disturbance. Developed to explain species maintenance and diversity patterns in species-rich ecosystems such as tropical forests, tests of IDH in tropical forest remain scarce, small-scale and contentious. We use an unprecedented large-scale dataset (2504 one-hectare plots and 331,567 trees) to examine whether IDH explains tree diversity variation within wet, moist and dry tropical forests, and we analyse the underlying mechanism by determining responses within functional species groups. We find that disturbance explains more variation in diversity of dry than wet tropical forests. Pioneer species numbers increase with disturbance, shade-tolerant species decrease and intermediate species are indifferent. While diversity indeed peaks at intermediate disturbance levels little variation is explained outside dry forests, and disturbance is less important for species richness patterns in wet tropical rain forests than previously thought.

Fogwater Inputs to a Cloud Forest in Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eugster, W.; Burkard, R.; Holwerda, F.; Bruijnzeel, S.; Scatena, F. N.; Siegwolf, R.

2002-12-01

Fog is highly persistent at upper elevations of humid tropical mountains and is an important pathway for water and nutrient inputs to mountain forest ecosystems. Measurements of fogwater fluxes were performed in the Luquillo mountains of Puerto Rico using the eddy covariance approach and a Caltech-type active strand cloudwater collector. Rainfall and throughfall were collected between 25 June--7 August 2002. Samples of fog, rain, stemflow and throughfall were analyzed for inorganic ion and stable isotope concentrations (δ18O and δD). Initial results indicate that fog inputs can occur during periods without rain and last for up to several days. The isotope ratios in rainwater and fogwater are rather similar, indicative of the proximity of the Carribbean Sea and the close interrelation between the origins of fog and rain at our experimental site. Largest differences in isotope ratios for fog were found between daytime convective and nighttime stable conditions. Throughfall was always exceeding rainfall, indicating (a) the relevance of fogwater inputs and (b) the potentially significant undersampling of rainfall due to relatively high wind speeds (5.7 m/s mean) and the exposition of our field site close to a mountain ridge. Our size-resolved measurements of cloud droplets (40 size bins between 2 and 50 μm aerodynamic diameter) indicate that the liquid water content of fog in the Luquillo mountains is 5 times higher than previously assumed, and thus does not differ from the values reported from other mountain ranges in other climate zones. Average deposition rates are 0.88 mm and 6.5 mm per day for fog and rain, respectively.

The Ancient Art of Silk Painting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yonker, Kim

2010-01-01

In this article, the author describes a silk-painting project with a sea-creature theme for eighth-grade students. Other themes can be used such as geometric quilt designs, tropical rain forest, large flowers, Art Nouveau motifs, portraits and more. (Contains 2 resources.)

Analysis of Interferometric Radar Data in a Queensland, Australia Tropical Rain Forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hensley, Scott; Rodriquez, Ernesto; Chapin, Elaine; Accad, Arnon

1999-01-01

The radar flies at 8000 m (24000 ft) above the ground and collects data in swath about 10 km wide. The radar simultaneously collects data from multiple frequencies and is capable of making interferometric radar measurements.

[Acumen function in leaves and its vertical distribution in a tropical rain forest of Costa Rica].

PubMed

Farji-Brener, Alejandro G; Valverde, Oscar; Paolini, Leonardo; de los Angeles La Torre, María; Quintero, Estela; Bonaccorso, Elisa; Arnedo, Luisa; Villalobos, Richard

2002-06-01

Water retention on the leaf surface can be maladaptive to the plant because it increases the colonization of epiphylls and interferes with the physiologic processes of the leaf, diminishing the photosynthetic capacity. To test if leaf driptips facilitate leaf drying after rainfall in a tropical rain forest of Costa Rica, we (1) experimentally measured the capacity to retain water on leaf surfaces of 30 plant species before and after driptip removal, and (2) analyzed the development of driptips along forest strata. We expected leaf driptips to be less developed in the upper strata due to the environmental conditions of the canopy (i.e., high solar radiation, strong winds and low relative humidity), which favor the natural drying of leaves. The presence of driptips increased 100% the water run off capacity of leaves in all the analyzed species. Also, the development of leaf driptips was smaller in canopy species than in understory species. Additionally, they became less developed in canopy species as trees increased in height. These results support the hypothesis that the adaptive role of driptips is to facilitate the drying of leaf surfaces.

Mapping forest height in Alaska using GLAS, Landsat composites, and airborne LiDAR

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, Birgit; Nelson, Kurtis

2014-01-01

Vegetation structure, including forest canopy height, is an important input variable to fire behavior modeling systems for simulating wildfire behavior. As such, forest canopy height is one of a nationwide suite of products generated by the LANDFIRE program. In the past, LANDFIRE has relied on a combination of field observations and Landsat imagery to develop existing vegetation structure products. The paucity of field data in the remote Alaskan forests has led to a very simple forest canopy height classification for the original LANDFIRE forest height map. To better meet the needs of data users and refine the map legend, LANDFIRE incorporated ICESat Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) data into the updating process when developing the LANDFIRE 2010 product. The high latitude of this region enabled dense coverage of discrete GLAS samples, from which forest height was calculated. Different methods for deriving height from the GLAS waveform data were applied, including an attempt to correct for slope. These methods were then evaluated and integrated into the final map according to predefined criteria. The resulting map of forest canopy height includes more height classes than the original map, thereby better depicting the heterogeneity of the landscape, and provides seamless data for fire behavior analysts and other users of LANDFIRE data.

Assessing the Effects of Forest Fragmentation Using Satellite Imagery and Forest Inventory Data

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; Greg C. Liknes

2005-01-01

For a study area in the North Central region of the USA, maps of predicted proportion forest area were created using Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, forest inventory plot data, and a logistic regression model. The maps were used to estimate quantitative indices of forest fragmentation. Correlations between the values of the indices and forest attributes observed on...

Mapping change of older forest with nearest-neighbor imputation and Landsat time-series

Treesearch

Janet L. Ohmann; Matthew J. Gregory; Heather M. Roberts; Warren B. Cohen; Robert E. Kennedy; Zhiqiang Yang

2012-01-01

The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), which aims to conserve late-successional and old-growth forests (older forests) and associated species, established new policies on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest USA. As part of monitoring for the NWFP, we tested nearest-neighbor imputation for mapping change in older forest, defined by threshold values for forest attributes...

Construction of Polarimetric Radar-Based Reference Rain Maps for the Iowa Flood Studies Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, Walter; Wolff, David; Krajewski, Witek; Gatlin, Patrick

2015-01-01

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Iowa Flood Studies (IFloodS) campaign was conducted in central and northeastern Iowa during the months of April-June, 2013. Specific science objectives for IFloodS included quantification of uncertainties in satellite and ground-based estimates of precipitation, 4-D characterization of precipitation physical processes and associated parameters (e.g., size distributions, water contents, types, structure etc.), assessment of the impact of precipitation estimation uncertainty and physical processes on hydrologic predictive skill, and refinement of field observations and data analysis approaches as they pertain to future GPM integrated hydrologic validation and related field studies. In addition to field campaign archival of raw and processed satellite data (including precipitation products), key ground-based platforms such as the NASA NPOL S-band and D3R Ka/Ku-band dual-polarimetric radars, University of Iowa X-band dual-polarimetric radars, a large network of paired rain gauge platforms, and a large network of 2D Video and Parsivel disdrometers were deployed. In something of a canonical approach, the radar (NPOL in particular), gauge and disdrometer observational assets were deployed to create a consistent high-quality distributed (time and space sampling) radar-based ground "reference" rainfall dataset, with known uncertainties, that could be used for assessing the satellite-based precipitation products at a range of space/time scales. Subsequently, the impact of uncertainties in the satellite products could be evaluated relative to the ground-benchmark in coupled weather, land-surface and distributed hydrologic modeling frameworks as related to flood prediction. Relative to establishing the ground-based "benchmark", numerous avenues were pursued in the making and verification of IFloodS "reference" dual-polarimetric radar-based rain maps, and this study documents the process and results as they pertain specifically to efforts using the NPOL radar dataset. The initial portions of the "process" involved dual-polarimetric quality control procedures which employed standard phase and correlation-based approaches to removal of clutter and non-meteorological echo. Calculation of a scale-adaptive KDP was accomplished using the method of Wang and Chandrasekar (2009; J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech.). A dual-polarimetric blockage algorithm based on Lang et al. (2009; J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech.) was then implemented to correct radar reflectivity and differential reflectivity at low elevation angles. Next, hydrometeor identification algorithms were run to identify liquid and ice hydrometeors. After the quality control and data preparation steps were completed several different dual-polarimetric rain estimation algorithms were employed to estimate rainfall rates using rainfall scans collected approximately every two to three minutes throughout the campaign. These algorithms included a polarimetrically-tuned Z-R algorithm that adjusts for drop oscillations (via Bringi et al., 2004, J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech.), and several different hybrid polarimetric variable approaches, including one that made use of parameters tuned to IFloodS 2D Video Disdrometer measurements. Finally, a hybrid scan algorithm was designed to merge the rain rate estimates from multiple low level elevation angle scans (where blockages could not be appropriately corrected) in order to create individual low-level rain maps. Individual rain maps at each time step were subsequently accumulated over multiple time scales for comparison to gauge network data. The comparison results and overall error character depended strongly on rain event type, polarimetric estimator applied, and range from the radar. We will present the outcome of these comparisons and their impact on constructing composited "reference" rainfall maps at select time and space scales.

Non-supervised method for early forest fire detection and rapid mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artés, Tomás; Boca, Roberto; Liberta, Giorgio; San-Miguel, Jesús

2017-09-01

Natural hazards are a challenge for the society. Scientific community efforts have been severely increased assessing tasks about prevention and damage mitigation. The most important points to minimize natural hazard damages are monitoring and prevention. This work focuses particularly on forest fires. This phenomenon depends on small-scale factors and fire behavior is strongly related to the local weather. Forest fire spread forecast is a complex task because of the scale of the phenomena, the input data uncertainty and time constraints in forest fire monitoring. Forest fire simulators have been improved, including some calibration techniques avoiding data uncertainty and taking into account complex factors as the atmosphere. Such techniques increase dramatically the computational cost in a context where the available time to provide a forecast is a hard constraint. Furthermore, an early mapping of the fire becomes crucial to assess it. In this work, a non-supervised method for forest fire early detection and mapping is proposed. As main sources, the method uses daily thermal anomalies from MODIS and VIIRS combined with land cover map to identify and monitor forest fires with very few resources. This method relies on a clustering technique (DBSCAN algorithm) and on filtering thermal anomalies to detect the forest fires. In addition, a concave hull (alpha shape algorithm) is applied to obtain rapid mapping of the fire area (very coarse accuracy mapping). Therefore, the method leads to a potential use for high-resolution forest fire rapid mapping based on satellite imagery using the extent of each early fire detection. It shows the way to an automatic rapid mapping of the fire at high resolution processing as few data as possible.

Comparing five modelling techniques for predicting forest characteristics

Treesearch

Gretchen G. Moisen; Tracey S. Frescino

2002-01-01

Broad-scale maps of forest characteristics are needed throughout the United States for a wide variety of forest land management applications. Inexpensive maps can be produced by modelling forest class and structure variables collected in nationwide forest inventories as functions of satellite-based information. But little work has been directed at comparing modelling...

Wet canopy evaporation from a Puerto Rican lower montane rain forest: the importance of realistically estimated aerodynamic conductance

Treesearch

F. Holwerda; L.A. Bruijnzeel; F.N. Scatena; H.F. Vugts; A.G.C.A. Meesters

2012-01-01

Rainfall interception (I) was measured in 20 m tall Puerto Rican tropical forest with complex topography for a 1-year period using totalizing throughfall (TF) and stemflow (SF) gauges that were measured every 2–3 days. Measured values were then compared to evaporation under saturated canopy conditions (E) determined with the Penman–Monteith (P–M) equation, using (i)...

Temperate pine barrens and tropical rain forests are both rich in undescribed fungi.

PubMed

Luo, Jing; Walsh, Emily; Naik, Abhishek; Zhuang, Wenying; Zhang, Keqin; Cai, Lei; Zhang, Ning

2014-01-01

Most of fungal biodiversity on Earth remains unknown especially in the unexplored habitats. In this study, we compared fungi associated with grass (Poaceae) roots from two ecosystems: the temperate pine barrens in New Jersey, USA and tropical rain forests in Yunnan, China, using the same sampling, isolation and species identification methods. A total of 426 fungal isolates were obtained from 1600 root segments from 80 grass samples. Based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and morphological characteristics, a total of 85 fungal species (OTUs) belonging in 45 genera, 23 families, 16 orders, and 6 classes were identified, among which the pine barrens had 38 and Yunnan had 56 species, with only 9 species in common. The finding that grass roots in the tropical forests harbor higher fungal species diversity supports that tropical forests are fungal biodiversity hotspots. Sordariomycetes was dominant in both places but more Leotiomycetes were found in the pine barrens than Yunnan, which may play a role in the acidic and oligotrophic pine barrens ecosystem. Equal number of undescribed fungal species were discovered from the two sampled ecosystems, although the tropical Yunnan had more known fungal species. Pine barrens is a unique, unexplored ecosystem. Our finding suggests that sampling plants in such unexplored habitats will uncover novel fungi and that grass roots in pine barrens are one of the major reservoirs of novel fungi with about 47% being undescribed species.

An analysis of modern pollen rain from the Maya lowlands of northern Belize

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bhattacharya, T.; Beach, T.; Wahl, D.

2011-01-01

In the lowland Maya area, pollen records provide important insights into the impact of past human populations and climate change on tropical ecosystems. Despite a long history of regional paleoecological research, few studies have characterized the palynological signatures of lowland ecosystems, a fact which lowers confidence in ecological inferences made from palynological data. We sought to verify whether we could use pollen spectra to reliably distinguish modern ecosystem types in the Maya lowlands of Central America. We collected 23 soil and sediment samples from eight ecosystem types, including upland, riparian, secondary, and swamp (bajo) forests; pine savanna; and three distinct wetland communities. We analyzed pollen spectra with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and found significant compositional differences in ecosystem types' pollen spectra. Forested sites had spectra dominated by Moraceae/Urticaceae pollen, while non-forested sites had significant portions of Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Amaranthaceae pollen. Upland, bajo, and riparian forest differed in representation of Cyperaceae, Bactris-type, and Combretaceae/Melastomataceae pollen. High percentages of pine (Pinus), oak (Quercus), and the presence of Byrsonima characterized pine savanna. Despite its limited sample size, this study provides one of the first statistical analyses of modern pollen rain in the Maya lowlands. Our results show that pollen assemblages can accurately reflect differences between ecosystem types, which may help refine interpretations of pollen records from the Maya area. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

The relationship between Anopheles gambiae density and rice cultivation in the savannah zone and forest zone of Côte d'Ivoire.

PubMed

Briët, Olivier J T; Dossou-Yovo, Joel; Akodo, Elena; van de Giesen, Nick; Teuscher, Thomas M

2003-05-01

In 13 villages in the savannah zone and 21 villages in the forest zone of Côte d'Ivoire, the biting density of the principal malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae, was studied as a function of rice cultivation in the inland valleys in a 2-km radius around each village. In the savannah villages, during the main season cropping period, surface water on rice-cultivated and to a lesser extent on uncultivated inland valleys seems to contribute strongly to the A. gambiae population density. For the off-season cropping period (which starts after the first light rains in the savannah zone), correlations were weaker. Breeding sites other than in inland valleys may play an important role in the savannah zone. In the forest zone, however, the A. gambiae population density was strongly correlated with the surface water availability (SWA) in the rice-cultivated inland valleys, whereas the correlation with the SWA in other (uncultivated) inland valleys was weak. The requirement of sunlit breeding sites for A. gambiae might explain this difference between zones. In the forest zone, only inland valleys cleared for rice cultivation meet this requirement, whereas all other inland valleys are covered with dense vegetation. In the savannah zone, however, most undergrowth is burnt during the dry season, which permits sunlight to reach puddles resulting from the first rains.

Ion fluxes from fog and rain to an agricultural and a forest ecosystem in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thalmann, E.; Burkard, R.; Wrzesinsky, T.; Eugster, W.; Klemm, O.

The deposition fluxes of inorganic compounds dissolved in fog and rain were quantified for two different ecosystems in Europe. The fogwater deposition fluxes were measured by employing the eddy covariance method. The site in Switzerland that lies within an agricultural area surrounded by the Jura mountains and the Alps is often exposed to radiation fog. At the German mountain forest ecosystem, on the other hand, advection fog occurs most frequently. At the Swiss site, fogwater deposition fluxes of the dominant components SO 42- (0.027 mg S m -2 day -1), NO 3- (0.030 mg N m -2 day -1) and NH 4+ (0.060 mg N m -2 day -1) were estimated to be <5% of the measured wet deposition (0.85, 0.70 and 1.34 mg m -2 day -1, respectively). The corresponding fluxes at the forest site (0.62, 0.82 and 1.16 mg m -2 day -1, respectively) were of the same order of magnitude as wet deposition (1.04, 1.01 and 1.36 mg m -2 day -1), illustrating the importance of fog (or occult) deposition. Trajectory analyses at the forest site indicate significantly higher fogwater concentrations of all major ions if air originated from the east (i.e. the Czech Republic), which is in close agreement with earlier studies.

Spatial Digital Database for the Geologic Map of Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, George W.; MacLeod, Norman S.; Miller, Robert J.; Raines, Gary L.; Connors, Katherine A.

2003-01-01

Introduction This report describes and makes available a geologic digital spatial database (orgeo) representing the geologic map of Oregon (Walker and MacLeod, 1991). The original paper publication was printed as a single map sheet at a scale of 1:500,000, accompanied by a second sheet containing map unit descriptions and ancillary data. A digital version of the Walker and MacLeod (1991) map was included in Raines and others (1996). The dataset provided by this open-file report supersedes the earlier published digital version (Raines and others, 1996). This digital spatial database is one of many being created by the U.S. Geological Survey as an ongoing effort to provide geologic information for use in spatial analysis in a geographic information system (GIS). This database can be queried in many ways to produce a variety of geologic maps. This database is not meant to be used or displayed at any scale larger than 1:500,000 (for example, 1:100,000). This report describes the methods used to convert the geologic map data into a digital format, describes the ArcInfo GIS file structures and relationships, and explains how to download the digital files from the U.S. Geological Survey public access World Wide Web site on the Internet. Scanned images of the printed map (Walker and MacLeod, 1991), their correlation of map units, and their explanation of map symbols are also available for download.

An enhanced forest classification scheme for modeling vegetation-climate interactions based on national forest inventory data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majasalmi, Titta; Eisner, Stephanie; Astrup, Rasmus; Fridman, Jonas; Bright, Ryan M.

2018-01-01

Forest management affects the distribution of tree species and the age class of a forest, shaping its overall structure and functioning and in turn the surface-atmosphere exchanges of mass, energy, and momentum. In order to attribute climate effects to anthropogenic activities like forest management, good accounts of forest structure are necessary. Here, using Fennoscandia as a case study, we make use of Fennoscandic National Forest Inventory (NFI) data to systematically classify forest cover into groups of similar aboveground forest structure. An enhanced forest classification scheme and related lookup table (LUT) of key forest structural attributes (i.e., maximum growing season leaf area index (LAImax), basal-area-weighted mean tree height, tree crown length, and total stem volume) was developed, and the classification was applied for multisource NFI (MS-NFI) maps from Norway, Sweden, and Finland. To provide a complete surface representation, our product was integrated with the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative Land Cover (ESA CCI LC) map of present day land cover (v.2.0.7). Comparison of the ESA LC and our enhanced LC products (https://doi.org/10.21350/7zZEy5w3) showed that forest extent notably (κ = 0.55, accuracy 0.64) differed between the two products. To demonstrate the potential of our enhanced LC product to improve the description of the maximum growing season LAI (LAImax) of managed forests in Fennoscandia, we compared our LAImax map with reference LAImax maps created using the ESA LC product (and related cross-walking table) and PFT-dependent LAImax values used in three leading land models. Comparison of the LAImax maps showed that our product provides a spatially more realistic description of LAImax in managed Fennoscandian forests compared to reference maps. This study presents an approach to account for the transient nature of forest structural attributes due to human intervention in different land models.

Markedly divergent estimates of Amazon forest carbon density from ground plots and satellites.

PubMed

Mitchard, Edward T A; Feldpausch, Ted R; Brienen, Roel J W; Lopez-Gonzalez, Gabriela; Monteagudo, Abel; Baker, Timothy R; Lewis, Simon L; Lloyd, Jon; Quesada, Carlos A; Gloor, Manuel; Ter Steege, Hans; Meir, Patrick; Alvarez, Esteban; Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro; Aragão, Luiz E O C; Arroyo, Luzmila; Aymard, Gerardo; Banki, Olaf; Bonal, Damien; Brown, Sandra; Brown, Foster I; Cerón, Carlos E; Chama Moscoso, Victor; Chave, Jerome; Comiskey, James A; Cornejo, Fernando; Corrales Medina, Massiel; Da Costa, Lola; Costa, Flavia R C; Di Fiore, Anthony; Domingues, Tomas F; Erwin, Terry L; Frederickson, Todd; Higuchi, Niro; Honorio Coronado, Euridice N; Killeen, Tim J; Laurance, William F; Levis, Carolina; Magnusson, William E; Marimon, Beatriz S; Marimon Junior, Ben Hur; Mendoza Polo, Irina; Mishra, Piyush; Nascimento, Marcelo T; Neill, David; Núñez Vargas, Mario P; Palacios, Walter A; Parada, Alexander; Pardo Molina, Guido; Peña-Claros, Marielos; Pitman, Nigel; Peres, Carlos A; Poorter, Lourens; Prieto, Adriana; Ramirez-Angulo, Hirma; Restrepo Correa, Zorayda; Roopsind, Anand; Roucoux, Katherine H; Rudas, Agustin; Salomão, Rafael P; Schietti, Juliana; Silveira, Marcos; de Souza, Priscila F; Steininger, Marc K; Stropp, Juliana; Terborgh, John; Thomas, Raquel; Toledo, Marisol; Torres-Lezama, Armando; van Andel, Tinde R; van der Heijden, Geertje M F; Vieira, Ima C G; Vieira, Simone; Vilanova-Torre, Emilio; Vos, Vincent A; Wang, Ophelia; Zartman, Charles E; Malhi, Yadvinder; Phillips, Oliver L

2014-08-01

The accurate mapping of forest carbon stocks is essential for understanding the global carbon cycle, for assessing emissions from deforestation, and for rational land-use planning. Remote sensing (RS) is currently the key tool for this purpose, but RS does not estimate vegetation biomass directly, and thus may miss significant spatial variations in forest structure. We test the stated accuracy of pantropical carbon maps using a large independent field dataset. Tropical forests of the Amazon basin. The permanent archive of the field plot data can be accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5521/FORESTPLOTS.NET/2014_1. Two recent pantropical RS maps of vegetation carbon are compared to a unique ground-plot dataset, involving tree measurements in 413 large inventory plots located in nine countries. The RS maps were compared directly to field plots, and kriging of the field data was used to allow area-based comparisons. The two RS carbon maps fail to capture the main gradient in Amazon forest carbon detected using 413 ground plots, from the densely wooded tall forests of the north-east, to the light-wooded, shorter forests of the south-west. The differences between plots and RS maps far exceed the uncertainties given in these studies, with whole regions over- or under-estimated by > 25%, whereas regional uncertainties for the maps were reported to be < 5%. Pantropical biomass maps are widely used by governments and by projects aiming to reduce deforestation using carbon offsets, but may have significant regional biases. Carbon-mapping techniques must be revised to account for the known ecological variation in tree wood density and allometry to create maps suitable for carbon accounting. The use of single relationships between tree canopy height and above-ground biomass inevitably yields large, spatially correlated errors. This presents a significant challenge to both the forest conservation and remote sensing communities, because neither wood density nor species assemblages can be reliably mapped from space.

Markedly divergent estimates of Amazon forest carbon density from ground plots and satellites

PubMed Central

Mitchard, Edward T A; Feldpausch, Ted R; Brienen, Roel J W; Lopez-Gonzalez, Gabriela; Monteagudo, Abel; Baker, Timothy R; Lewis, Simon L; Lloyd, Jon; Quesada, Carlos A; Gloor, Manuel; ter Steege, Hans; Meir, Patrick; Alvarez, Esteban; Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro; Aragão, Luiz E O C; Arroyo, Luzmila; Aymard, Gerardo; Banki, Olaf; Bonal, Damien; Brown, Sandra; Brown, Foster I; Cerón, Carlos E; Chama Moscoso, Victor; Chave, Jerome; Comiskey, James A; Cornejo, Fernando; Corrales Medina, Massiel; Da Costa, Lola; Costa, Flavia R C; Di Fiore, Anthony; Domingues, Tomas F; Erwin, Terry L; Frederickson, Todd; Higuchi, Niro; Honorio Coronado, Euridice N; Killeen, Tim J; Laurance, William F; Levis, Carolina; Magnusson, William E; Marimon, Beatriz S; Marimon Junior, Ben Hur; Mendoza Polo, Irina; Mishra, Piyush; Nascimento, Marcelo T; Neill, David; Núñez Vargas, Mario P; Palacios, Walter A; Parada, Alexander; Pardo Molina, Guido; Peña-Claros, Marielos; Pitman, Nigel; Peres, Carlos A; Poorter, Lourens; Prieto, Adriana; Ramirez-Angulo, Hirma; Restrepo Correa, Zorayda; Roopsind, Anand; Roucoux, Katherine H; Rudas, Agustin; Salomão, Rafael P; Schietti, Juliana; Silveira, Marcos; de Souza, Priscila F; Steininger, Marc K; Stropp, Juliana; Terborgh, John; Thomas, Raquel; Toledo, Marisol; Torres-Lezama, Armando; van Andel, Tinde R; van der Heijden, Geertje M F; Vieira, Ima C G; Vieira, Simone; Vilanova-Torre, Emilio; Vos, Vincent A; Wang, Ophelia; Zartman, Charles E; Malhi, Yadvinder; Phillips, Oliver L

2014-01-01

Aim The accurate mapping of forest carbon stocks is essential for understanding the global carbon cycle, for assessing emissions from deforestation, and for rational land-use planning. Remote sensing (RS) is currently the key tool for this purpose, but RS does not estimate vegetation biomass directly, and thus may miss significant spatial variations in forest structure. We test the stated accuracy of pantropical carbon maps using a large independent field dataset. Location Tropical forests of the Amazon basin. The permanent archive of the field plot data can be accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5521/FORESTPLOTS.NET/2014_1 Methods Two recent pantropical RS maps of vegetation carbon are compared to a unique ground-plot dataset, involving tree measurements in 413 large inventory plots located in nine countries. The RS maps were compared directly to field plots, and kriging of the field data was used to allow area-based comparisons. Results The two RS carbon maps fail to capture the main gradient in Amazon forest carbon detected using 413 ground plots, from the densely wooded tall forests of the north-east, to the light-wooded, shorter forests of the south-west. The differences between plots and RS maps far exceed the uncertainties given in these studies, with whole regions over- or under-estimated by > 25%, whereas regional uncertainties for the maps were reported to be < 5%. Main conclusions Pantropical biomass maps are widely used by governments and by projects aiming to reduce deforestation using carbon offsets, but may have significant regional biases. Carbon-mapping techniques must be revised to account for the known ecological variation in tree wood density and allometry to create maps suitable for carbon accounting. The use of single relationships between tree canopy height and above-ground biomass inevitably yields large, spatially correlated errors. This presents a significant challenge to both the forest conservation and remote sensing communities, because neither wood density nor species assemblages can be reliably mapped from space. PMID:26430387

An Effort to Map and Monitor Baldcypress Forest Areas in Coastal Louisiana, Using Landsat, MODIS, and ASTER Satellite Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spruce, Joseph P.; Sader, Steve; Smoot, James

2012-01-01

This presentation discusses a collaborative project to develop, test, and demonstrate baldcypress forest mapping and monitoring products for aiding forest conservation and restoration in coastal Louisiana. Low lying coastal forests in the region are being negatively impacted by multiple factors, including subsidence, salt water intrusion, sea level rise, persistent flooding, hydrologic modification, annual insect-induced forest defoliation, timber harvesting, and conversion to urban land uses. Coastal baldcypress forests provide invaluable ecological services in terms of wildlife habitat, forest products, storm buffers, and water quality benefits. Before this project, current maps of baldcypress forest concentrations and change did not exist or were out of date. In response, this project was initiated to produce: 1) current maps showing the extent and location of baldcypress dominated forests; and 2) wetland forest change maps showing temporary and persistent disturbance and loss since the early 1970s. Project products are being developed collaboratively with multiple state and federal agencies. Products are being validated using available reference data from aerial, satellite, and field survey data. Results include Landsat TM- based classifications of baldcypress in terms of cover type and percent canopy cover. Landsat MSS data was employed to compute a circa 1972 classification of swamp and bottomland hardwood forest types. Landsat data for 1972-2010 was used to compute wetland forest change products. MODIS-based change products were applied to view and assess insect-induced swamp forest defoliation. MODIS, Landsat, and ASTER satellite data products were used to help assess hurricane and flood impacts to coastal wetland forests in the region.

Physiological characteristics of tropical rain forest tree species: A basis for the development of silvicultural technology

PubMed Central

SASAKI, Satohiko

2008-01-01

The physiological characteristics of the dominant tree species in the tropical rain forest mainly belonging to dipterocarps as well as the environmental conditions especially for the light in the forest were studied to establish the silvicultural system for the forest regeneration in the tropical South Asia. The flowering patterns of the dipterocarp trees are usually irregular and unpredictable, which make difficult to collect sufficient seeds for raising the seedlings. The field survey revealed the diverged features of the so-called gregarious or simultaneous flowering of various species of this group. Appropriate conditions and methods for the storage of the seeds were established according to the detailed analyses of the morphological and physiological characteristics of the seeds such as the low temperature tolerance and the moisture contents. The intensity and spectra of the light in the forest primarily determine the growth and the morphological development of the seedlings under the canopy. Based on the measurements of the diffused light at the sites in the tropical forest in the varying sunlight, the parameters such as “the steady state of the diffuse light” and “the turning point” were defined, which were useful to evaluate the light conditions in the forest. To improve the survival of the transplanted seedlings, a planting method of “the bare-root seedlings”, the seedlings easy to be handled by removal of all leaves, soil and pots, was developed. Its marked efficiency was proved with various dipterocarps and other tropical trees by the field trial in the practical scale. Tolerance of the various species to the extreme environmental conditions such as fires, acid soils and drought were examined by the experiments and the field survey, which revealed marked adaptability of Shorea roxburghii as a potential species for regeneration of the tropical forests. PMID:18941286

Area change reporting using the desktop FIADB

Treesearch

Patrick D. Miles; Mark H. Hansen

2012-01-01

The estimation of area change between two FIA inventories is complicated by the "mapping" of subplots. Subplots can be subdivided or mapped into forest and nonforest conditions, and forest conditions can be further mapped based on distinct changes in reserved status, owner group, forest type, stand-size class, regeneration status, and stand density. The...

Evaporation from cultivated and semi-wild Sudanian Savanna in west Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceperley, Natalie C.; Mande, Theophile; van de Giesen, Nick; Tyler, Scott; Yacouba, Hamma; Parlange, Marc B.

2017-08-01

Rain-fed farming is the primary livelihood of semi-arid west Africa. Changes in land cover have the potential to affect precipitation, the critical resource for production. Turbulent flux measurements from two eddy-covariance towers and additional observations from a dense network of small, wireless meteorological stations combine to relate land cover (savanna forest and agriculture) to evaporation in a small (3.5 km2) catchment in Burkina Faso, west Africa. We observe larger sensible and latent heat fluxes over the savanna forest in the headwater area relative to the agricultural section of the watershed all year. Higher fluxes above the savanna forest are attributed to the greater number of exposed rocks and trees and the higher productivity of the forest compared to rain-fed, hand-farmed agricultural fields. Vegetation cover and soil moisture are found to be primary controls of the evaporative fraction. Satellite-derived vegetation index (NDVI) and soil moisture are determined to be good predictors of evaporative fraction, as indicators of the physical basis of evaporation. Our measurements provide an estimator that can be used to derive evaporative fraction when only NDVI is available. Such large-scale estimates of evaporative fraction from remotely sensed data are valuable where ground-based measurements are lacking, which is the case across the African continent and many other semi-arid areas. Evaporative fraction estimates can be combined, for example, with sensible heat from measurements of temperature variance, to provide an estimate of evaporation when only minimal meteorological measurements are available in remote regions of the world. These findings reinforce local cultural beliefs of the importance of forest fragments for climate regulation and may provide support to local decision makers and rural farmers in the maintenance of the forest areas.

Fungal community composition in neotropical rain forests: the influence of tree diversity and precipitation.

PubMed

McGuire, Krista L; Fierer, Noah; Bateman, Carling; Treseder, Kathleen K; Turner, Benjamin L

2012-05-01

Plant diversity is considered one factor structuring soil fungal communities because the diversity of compounds in leaf litter might determine the extent of resource heterogeneity for decomposer communities. Lowland tropical rain forests have the highest plant diversity per area of any biome. Since fungi are responsible for much of the decomposition occurring in forest soils, understanding the factors that structure fungi in tropical forests may provide valuable insight for predicting changes in global carbon and nitrogen fluxes. To test the role of plant diversity in shaping fungal community structure and function, soil (0-20 cm) and leaf litter (O horizons) were collected from six established 1-ha forest census plots across a natural plant diversity gradient on the Isthmus of Panama. We used 454 pyrosequencing and phospholipid fatty acid analysis to evaluate correlations between microbial community composition, precipitation, soil nutrients, and plant richness. In soil, the number of fungal taxa increased significantly with increasing mean annual precipitation, but not with plant richness. There were no correlations between fungal communities in leaf litter and plant diversity or precipitation, and fungal communities were found to be compositionally distinct between soil and leaf litter. To directly test for effects of plant species richness on fungal diversity and function, we experimentally re-created litter diversity gradients in litter bags with 1, 25, and 50 species of litter. After 6 months, we found a significant effect of litter diversity on decomposition rate between one and 25 species of leaf litter. However, fungal richness did not track plant species richness. Although studies in a broader range of sites is required, these results suggest that precipitation may be a more important factor than plant diversity or soil nutrient status in structuring tropical forest soil fungal communities.

Comparison of microclimate in various land-use systems in Sumatra, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhar Badu, Chandra; Meijide, Ana; Gunawan, Dodo; Knohl, Alexander

2017-04-01

Deforestation and land-use changes are ongoing problems for rain forests in Indonesia. The conversion of forests to monocultures of rubber and oil palm plantations reduces not only biodiversity and carbon pools but also affects canopy structure, which is an important determinant of microclimate. There is, however, a lack of quantitative information characterizing the effect of land transformation on microclimate with a systematic experimental design. Here, we report observations microclimatic conditions (air temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture and soil temperature) on a daily, weekly and seasonal basis across four land-use systems (rain forest, jungle rubber, rubber plantation, oil palm plantation) in two near-by landscapes. The data set covers a period of approximately three years from April 2013 to March 2016 and includes one of the strongest El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) of the last decades. Mean air temperature, soil temperature, relative humidity, and vapour pressure deficit differed significantly between the four land-use systems whereas the mean soil moisture differed significantly between two landscapes. Air temperature, vapour pressure deficit and soil temperature were highest in oil palm and rubber plantations whereas lowest in forest and jungle rubber. Canopy openness was the most dominant control of microclimatic differences across the land-use systems. During the ENSO 2015, a significant increase in mean air temperature, soil temperature and vapour pressure deficit but a decrease in relative air humidity and soil moisture in all four land-use systems was found. The relative effect of ENSO was highest in forest and jungle rubber compared to rubber and oil palm plantations. In conclusion, conversion of forest to rubber and oil palm plantations has led to substantially warmer and drier microclimatic conditions than before.

Emissions Of Forest Fires In The Amazon: Impact On The Tropical Mountain Forest In Ecuador

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabian, P.; Rollenbeck, R.; Thiemens, M. H.; Brothers, L.

2006-12-01

Biomass burning is a source of carbon, sulphur, and nitrogen compounds which, along with their photochemically generated reaction products, can be transported over very large distances, even traversing oceans. Four years of regular rain and fog-water measurements in the tropical mountain forest at the eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes, along an altitude profile between 1800 m and 3185 m, have been carried out. The ion composition of rain and fog-water samples shows frequent episodes of significantly enhanced nitrogen and sulphur, resulting in annual deposition rates of about 5 kg N/ha and 10 kg S/ha into this ecosystem, which are comparable to those of polluted central Europe. By relating back trajectories calculated by means of the FLEXTRA model to the distributions of satellite derived forest fire pixels, it can be shown that most episodes of enhanced ion concentration, with pH values as low as 4.0, can be attributed to biomass burning in the Amazon. First analyses of oxygen isotopes 16O, 17O, and 18O of nitrate in fogwater samples show mass independent fractionation values ranging between 15 and 20 per mille, clearly indicating that nitrate in the samples is a product of atmospheric conversion of precursors, while the isotope data of river samples taken downstream of the research area are grouped in the region of microbial nitrate. This strongly supports the aforementioned trajectory results and shows that the tropical mountain forest in Ecuador, with local pollution sources missing,is "fertilized" by long-range transport of substances originating from forest fires in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, and Peru, far upwind of the research site.

Tree fern trunks facilitate seedling regeneration in a productive lowland temperate rain forest.

PubMed

Gaxiola, Aurora; Burrows, Larry E; Coomes, David A

2008-03-01

Seedling regeneration on forest floors is often impaired by competition with established plants. In some lowland temperate rain forests, tree fern trunks provide safe sites on which tree species establish, and grow large enough to take root in the ground and persist. Here we explore the competitive and facilitative effects of two tree fern species, Cyathea smithii and Dicksonia squarrosa, on the epiphytic regeneration of tree species in nutrient-rich alluvial forests in New Zealand. The difficulties that seedlings have in establishing on vertical tree fern trunks were indicated by the following observations. First, seedling abundance was greatest on the oldest sections of tree fern trunks, near the base, suggesting that trunks gradually recruited more and more seedlings over time, but many sections of trunk were devoid of seedlings, indicating the difficulty of establishment on a vertical surface. Second, most seedlings were from small-seeded species, presumably because smaller seeds can easily lodge on tree fern trunks. Deer browsing damage was observed on 73% of epiphytic seedlings growing within 2 m of the ground, whereas few seedlings above that height were browsed. This suggests that tree ferns provide refugia from introduced deer, and may slow the decline in population size of deer-preferred species. We reasoned that tree ferns would compete with epiphytic seedlings for light, because below the tree fern canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was about 1% of above-canopy PAR. Frond removal almost tripled %PAR on the forest floor, leading to a significant increase in the height growth rate (HGR) of seedlings planted on the forest floor, but having no effects on the HGRs of epiphytic seedlings. Our study shows evidence of direct facilitative interactions by tree ferns during seedling establishment in plant communities associated with nutrient-rich soils.

Some Precipitation Studies over Andhra Pradesh and the Bay of Bengal using TRMM and SSMI data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, S. Ramalingeswara; Krishna, K. Muni; Kumar, Bhanu

2007-07-01

One of the most difficult issues in modeling the global atmosphere and climate by General Circulation Models is the simulation and initialization of precipitation processes and at the same time rainfall is most important meteorological parameter that effects India's economy. An attempt is made in the present study to evaluate diurnal variation of rain rates over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) for the months June through December during 1999-2002. TMI rainfall product of Wentz and Spencer and SSMI data sets were used in this study. Mean hourly rain rates were calculated over the BoB (10°-15° N and 85°-95°E) and discussed; this study highlights that maximum rain rates are observed in the afternoons during summer monsoon seasons. Secondly mean monthly annual cycle of rainfall is prepared using 3B42RT merged rain product and compared with mean monthly India Meteorological Department (IMD) data for the study period over Andhra Pradesh (A.P). Time series of daily variations of 3B42RT precipitation and observed real time rainfall data over A.P. for the study period is validated and the relationship between them is statistically significant at 1% level. Similarly mean monthly data prepared from the daily analysis and compared with the IMD mean monthly rainfall maps. The comparison suggests that even with only available real time data from 3B42RT and rain gauge, it is possible to construct usable large-scale rainfall maps on regular latitude-longitude grids. This analysis, which uses a high resolution and more local rain gauge data, is able to produce realistic details of Indian summer monsoon rainfall over the study period.

Terrain Analysis Procedural Guide for Climate,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

such as the Amazon Tropical Rain Forest Basin and the Congo Basin, the air is IN Singapore F always hot and damp, there are fre-30...to protect certain mele-annual evaporation rate. These lands are orological instruments from exposure tocharacterized by rainforest , jungle, and

Effects of application of sulphuric acid to poor pine forests

Treesearch

C. O. Tamm; G. Wiklander; B. Popovic

1976-01-01

The department of plant ecology and soils of the College of Forestry has been interested in the problem of the acid rain as an environmental factor since the discussion of this problem started in the late 1960's (0den 1968).

Mapping forest functional type in a forest-shrubland ecotone using SPOT imagery and predictive habitat distribution modelling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Assal, Timothy J.; Anderson, Patrick J.; Sibold, Jason

2015-01-01

The availability of land cover data at local scales is an important component in forest management and monitoring efforts. Regional land cover data seldom provide detailed information needed to support local management needs. Here we present a transferable framework to model forest cover by major plant functional type using aerial photos, multi-date Système Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) imagery, and topographic variables. We developed probability of occurrence models for deciduous broad-leaved forest and needle-leaved evergreen forest using logistic regression in the southern portion of the Wyoming Basin Ecoregion. The model outputs were combined into a synthesis map depicting deciduous and coniferous forest cover type. We evaluated the models and synthesis map using a field-validated, independent data source. Results showed strong relationships between forest cover and model variables, and the synthesis map was accurate with an overall correct classification rate of 0.87 and Cohen’s kappa value of 0.81. The results suggest our method adequately captures the functional type, size, and distribution pattern of forest cover in a spatially heterogeneous landscape.

Expression pattern of four storage xyloglucan mobilization-related genes during seedling development of the rain forest tree Hymenaea courbaril L.

PubMed

Brandão, A D; Del Bem, L E V; Vincentz, M; Buckeridge, M S

2009-01-01

During seedling establishment, cotyledons of the rain forest tree Hymenaea courbaril mobilize storage cell wall xyloglucan to sustain growth. The polysaccharide is degraded and its products are transported to growing sink tissues. Auxin from the shoot controls the level of xyloglucan hydrolytic enzymes. It is not yet known how important the expression of these genes is for the control of storage xyloglucan degradation. In this work, partial cDNAs of the genes xyloglucan transglycosylase hydrolase (HcXTH1) and beta-galactosidase (HcBGAL1), both related to xyloglucan degradation, and two other genes related to sucrose metabolism [alkaline invertase (HcAlkIN1) and sucrose synthase (HcSUS1)], were isolated. The partial sequences were characterized by comparison with sequences available in the literature, and phylogenetic trees were assembled. Gene expression was evaluated at intervals of 6 h during 24 h in cotyledons, hypocotyl, roots, and leaves, using 45-d-old plantlets. HcXTH1 and HcBGAL1 were correlated to xyloglucan degradation and responded to auxin and light, being down-regulated when transport of auxin was prevented by N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and stimulated by constant light. Genes related to sucrose metabolism, HcAlkIN1 and HcSUS1, responded to inhibition of auxin transport in consonance with storage mobilization in the cotyledons. A model is proposed suggesting that auxin and light are involved in the control of the expression of genes related to storage xyloglucan mobilization in seedlings of H. courbaril. It is concluded that gene expression plays a role in the control of the intercommunication system of the source-sink relationship during seeding growth, favouring its establishment in the shaded environment of the rain forest understorey.

Expression pattern of four storage xyloglucan mobilization-related genes during seedling development of the rain forest tree Hymenaea courbaril L.

PubMed Central

Brandão, A. D.; Del Bem, L. E. V.; Vincentz, M.; Buckeridge, M. S.

2009-01-01

During seedling establishment, cotyledons of the rain forest tree Hymenaea courbaril mobilize storage cell wall xyloglucan to sustain growth. The polysaccharide is degraded and its products are transported to growing sink tissues. Auxin from the shoot controls the level of xyloglucan hydrolytic enzymes. It is not yet known how important the expression of these genes is for the control of storage xyloglucan degradation. In this work, partial cDNAs of the genes xyloglucan transglycosylase hydrolase (HcXTH1) and β-galactosidase (HcBGAL1), both related to xyloglucan degradation, and two other genes related to sucrose metabolism [alkaline invertase (HcAlkIN1) and sucrose synthase (HcSUS1)], were isolated. The partial sequences were characterized by comparison with sequences available in the literature, and phylogenetic trees were assembled. Gene expression was evaluated at intervals of 6 h during 24 h in cotyledons, hypocotyl, roots, and leaves, using 45-d-old plantlets. HcXTH1 and HcBGAL1 were correlated to xyloglucan degradation and responded to auxin and light, being down-regulated when transport of auxin was prevented by N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and stimulated by constant light. Genes related to sucrose metabolism, HcAlkIN1 and HcSUS1, responded to inhibition of auxin transport in consonance with storage mobilization in the cotyledons. A model is proposed suggesting that auxin and light are involved in the control of the expression of genes related to storage xyloglucan mobilization in seedlings of H. courbaril. It is concluded that gene expression plays a role in the control of the intercommunication system of the source–sink relationship during seeding growth, favouring its establishment in the shaded environment of the rain forest understorey. PMID:19221141

Single-image-based Rain Detection and Removal via CNN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tianyi; Fu, Chengzhou

2018-04-01

The quality of the image is degraded by rain streaks, which have negative impact when we extract image features for many visual tasks, such as feature extraction for classification and recognition, tracking, surveillance and autonomous navigation. Hence, it is necessary to detect and remove rain streaks from single images, which is a challenging problem since we have no spatial-temporal information of rain streaks compared to the dynamic video stream. Inspired by the priori that the rain streaks have almost the same feature, such as the direction or the thickness, although they are in different types of real-world images. The paper aims at proposing an effective convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect and remove rain streaks from single image. Two models of synthesized rainy image, linear additive composite model (LACM model) and screen blend model (SCM model), are considered in this paper. The main idea is that it is easier for our CNN network to find the mapping between the rainy image and rain streaks than between the rainy image and clean image. The reason is that rain streaks have fixed features, but clean images have various features. The experiments show that the designed CNN network outperforms state-of-the-art approaches on both synthesized and real-world images, which indicates the effectiveness of our proposed framework.