Ecological restoration programs (ERPs) can lead to dramatic land use change, thereby affecting ecosystem services and their interaction. Determining the optimal ERPs is a crucial issue for ecological restoration in ecologically fragile regions. This study analyzed the impacts of land use change on four water-related ecosystem services (WESs), namely water yield, soil retention, water purification, and food production in the Ganjiang River basin, China during the past two decades. Then, trade-off and synergy between WESs were detected based on correlation analysis. Finally, to quantify the effect of ERPs on WESs, we comprehensively considered the types and intensity of ERPs and designed four categories of scenarios: returning farmland to forest (RFF) scenarios; planting forest (PF) scenarios; riparian forestland buffer (RFB) scenarios; and riparian grassland buffer (RGB) scenarios. Each category contains five scenarios of different intensities. The results showed that water yield, soil retention, and food production increased while water purification decreased from 2000 to 2020. The deterioration of water quality was mainly due to transitions from forestland to farmland and built-up land. Trade-offs only occurred between regulating services and provisioning services. Among all ecological restoration scenarios, only the RFF scenarios can significantly improve soil retention and water purification at the same time, although food production will decrease. Considering food security, returning farmland with a slope greater than 10 degrees to forestland was the optimal scenario in the study area. This study highlighted that both the type and intensity of ERPs should be considered in ecological restoration. This study can contribute to ecological restoration in the Ganjiang River basin and other subtropical mountainous regions.
{"title":"Impact of Land Use Change on Water-Related Ecosystem Services under Multiple Ecological Restoration Scenarios in the Ganjiang River Basin, China","authors":"Yiming Wang, Zengxin Zhang, Xi Chen","doi":"10.3390/f15071225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071225","url":null,"abstract":"Ecological restoration programs (ERPs) can lead to dramatic land use change, thereby affecting ecosystem services and their interaction. Determining the optimal ERPs is a crucial issue for ecological restoration in ecologically fragile regions. This study analyzed the impacts of land use change on four water-related ecosystem services (WESs), namely water yield, soil retention, water purification, and food production in the Ganjiang River basin, China during the past two decades. Then, trade-off and synergy between WESs were detected based on correlation analysis. Finally, to quantify the effect of ERPs on WESs, we comprehensively considered the types and intensity of ERPs and designed four categories of scenarios: returning farmland to forest (RFF) scenarios; planting forest (PF) scenarios; riparian forestland buffer (RFB) scenarios; and riparian grassland buffer (RGB) scenarios. Each category contains five scenarios of different intensities. The results showed that water yield, soil retention, and food production increased while water purification decreased from 2000 to 2020. The deterioration of water quality was mainly due to transitions from forestland to farmland and built-up land. Trade-offs only occurred between regulating services and provisioning services. Among all ecological restoration scenarios, only the RFF scenarios can significantly improve soil retention and water purification at the same time, although food production will decrease. Considering food security, returning farmland with a slope greater than 10 degrees to forestland was the optimal scenario in the study area. This study highlighted that both the type and intensity of ERPs should be considered in ecological restoration. This study can contribute to ecological restoration in the Ganjiang River basin and other subtropical mountainous regions.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"8 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141648180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
European beech is an ecologically and commercially important species, which is expected to decline in several regions because of heat and drought stress associated with climate change. Knowledge of the genetic basis of the adaptation to climate is needed to guide assisted migration. Genetic variation at 1704 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) resulting from ddRAD sequencing, primarily located in gene exons, was studied in 181 specimens representing 123 populations distributed over most of the whole range. Bayesian analysis of population structure yielded two clusters exhibiting a clear longitudinal cline and correlated with indicators of low temperatures and temperature fluctuation. Five SNPs were significantly associated with climatic variables related primarily to heat and temperature ranges. Two alternative explanations are offered for the observed response patterns: (i) differential sensitivity to heat and (ii) response mediated by vegetative phenology.
{"title":"Exon-Enriched Set of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Shows Associations with Climate in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)","authors":"D. Krajmerová, Matúš Hrivnák, Dušan Gömöry","doi":"10.3390/f15071229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071229","url":null,"abstract":"European beech is an ecologically and commercially important species, which is expected to decline in several regions because of heat and drought stress associated with climate change. Knowledge of the genetic basis of the adaptation to climate is needed to guide assisted migration. Genetic variation at 1704 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) resulting from ddRAD sequencing, primarily located in gene exons, was studied in 181 specimens representing 123 populations distributed over most of the whole range. Bayesian analysis of population structure yielded two clusters exhibiting a clear longitudinal cline and correlated with indicators of low temperatures and temperature fluctuation. Five SNPs were significantly associated with climatic variables related primarily to heat and temperature ranges. Two alternative explanations are offered for the observed response patterns: (i) differential sensitivity to heat and (ii) response mediated by vegetative phenology.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"20 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141645739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hao Dou, Huijuan Sun, Xi Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yilin Wang, Jin’e Quan, Xitian Yang
Platycladus orientalis (P. orientalis) is a common tree used for vegetation restoration in northern China, and its large area propagation helps to improve site conditions. However, under harsh conditions such as poor land, the survival rate of P. orientalis is very low. Numerous studies have shown that root pruning can promote the formation of lateral roots in seedlings, enhancing the roots’ capacity to absorb soil nutrients and water, and thereby improving the survival rate of seedlings. In this study, a one-third root pruning treatment was applied to P. orientalis seedlings, and the whole transcriptome of seedlings subjected to both control (CK) and root pruning treatments was sequenced to analyze their gene expression profiles. This study investigated the regulatory mechanisms of lateral root development in response to root pruning damage at the molecular level. Using nine cells, 15.28 Gb of clean data were obtained, which yielded 101,688 high-quality full-length transcript sequences and 22,955 low-quality full-length transcript sequences after clustering. Redundancy was then removed using CD-HIT, and Illumina RNA-seq sequencing produced 139.26 Gb of clean data. A total of 2025 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at three time points following root pruning treatment. Enrichment analysis revealed that the peroxidase gene family plays a significant role in lateral root proliferation. Furthermore, the expression levels of the peroxidase gene family were notably upregulated in comparison to the control group. Pathway enrichment analysis identified 22 relevant genes, which appeared to be highly associated with root growth and resilience to stress. Through examining the expression patterns and correlations of these genes, five central genes emerged as key players. The findings of this research suggest that the peroxidase gene family plays a crucial role in the stress response and root development of P. orientalis, providing reference and guidance for root development in other plant species.
{"title":"Full-Length Transcriptome Assembly of Platycladus orientalis Root Integrated with RNA-Seq to Identify Genes in Response to Root Pruning","authors":"Hao Dou, Huijuan Sun, Xi Feng, Tiantian Wang, Yilin Wang, Jin’e Quan, Xitian Yang","doi":"10.3390/f15071232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071232","url":null,"abstract":"Platycladus orientalis (P. orientalis) is a common tree used for vegetation restoration in northern China, and its large area propagation helps to improve site conditions. However, under harsh conditions such as poor land, the survival rate of P. orientalis is very low. Numerous studies have shown that root pruning can promote the formation of lateral roots in seedlings, enhancing the roots’ capacity to absorb soil nutrients and water, and thereby improving the survival rate of seedlings. In this study, a one-third root pruning treatment was applied to P. orientalis seedlings, and the whole transcriptome of seedlings subjected to both control (CK) and root pruning treatments was sequenced to analyze their gene expression profiles. This study investigated the regulatory mechanisms of lateral root development in response to root pruning damage at the molecular level. Using nine cells, 15.28 Gb of clean data were obtained, which yielded 101,688 high-quality full-length transcript sequences and 22,955 low-quality full-length transcript sequences after clustering. Redundancy was then removed using CD-HIT, and Illumina RNA-seq sequencing produced 139.26 Gb of clean data. A total of 2025 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at three time points following root pruning treatment. Enrichment analysis revealed that the peroxidase gene family plays a significant role in lateral root proliferation. Furthermore, the expression levels of the peroxidase gene family were notably upregulated in comparison to the control group. Pathway enrichment analysis identified 22 relevant genes, which appeared to be highly associated with root growth and resilience to stress. Through examining the expression patterns and correlations of these genes, five central genes emerged as key players. The findings of this research suggest that the peroxidase gene family plays a crucial role in the stress response and root development of P. orientalis, providing reference and guidance for root development in other plant species.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"10 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141646596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Fodor, Lukas Emmerich, Norbert Horváth, Róbert Németh, Tamás Hofmann
The application of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) is constrained by its poor durability and dimensional stability. Despite exhibiting promising physical and mechanical properties comparable to ash wood (Fraxinus excelsior L.), it is regarded as an invasive species and receives limited attention in wood property enhancement research. This study subjected tree of heaven to heat treatment at 180 °C and 200 °C to investigate its sorption characteristics using dynamic vapor sorption tests. The results revealed a 13% reduction in equilibrium moisture content at 95% relative humidity and 25 °C after thermal modification at 180 °C and a 25% reduction after thermal modification at 200 °C. Increasing the treatment temperature lowered the moisture content ratio to 0.76 and shortened the conditioning time by up to 10%. The highest hysteresis, ranging from 3.39% to 3.88%, was observed at 70% relative humidity.
天堂树(Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle)的应用因其耐久性和尺寸稳定性差而受到限制。尽管它的物理和机械性能有望与白蜡木(Fraxinus excelsior L.)相媲美,但它被视为入侵物种,在木材性能增强研究中受到的关注有限。本研究对天堂木进行了 180 °C 和 200 °C 的热处理,利用动态蒸汽吸附测试研究其吸附特性。结果表明,在相对湿度为 95% 和温度为 25 °C 的条件下,经过 180 °C 的热处理后,平衡含水率降低了 13%;经过 200 °C 的热处理后,平衡含水率降低了 25%。提高处理温度可将含水率降至 0.76,并将调节时间缩短 10%。在相对湿度为 70% 时,滞后性最高,从 3.39% 到 3.88%。
{"title":"Studying the Impact of Heat Treatments and Distance from Pith on the Sorption Behavior of Tree of Heaven Wood (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle)","authors":"F. Fodor, Lukas Emmerich, Norbert Horváth, Róbert Németh, Tamás Hofmann","doi":"10.3390/f15071223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071223","url":null,"abstract":"The application of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) is constrained by its poor durability and dimensional stability. Despite exhibiting promising physical and mechanical properties comparable to ash wood (Fraxinus excelsior L.), it is regarded as an invasive species and receives limited attention in wood property enhancement research. This study subjected tree of heaven to heat treatment at 180 °C and 200 °C to investigate its sorption characteristics using dynamic vapor sorption tests. The results revealed a 13% reduction in equilibrium moisture content at 95% relative humidity and 25 °C after thermal modification at 180 °C and a 25% reduction after thermal modification at 200 °C. Increasing the treatment temperature lowered the moisture content ratio to 0.76 and shortened the conditioning time by up to 10%. The highest hysteresis, ranging from 3.39% to 3.88%, was observed at 70% relative humidity.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"12 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141646711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhun Tian, Rui Wang, Zihan Sun, Yang Peng, Mingfeng Jiang, Shiqi Wu, Ziqiang Yuan, Xin Song, Chao Fang, J. Sardans
As a key soil carbon process, changes in plant root growth may have a dramatic impact on the global ecosystem’s carbon cycle. Fine root functional traits and fine root biomass can be used as important indexes of plant root growth. Compared with the much better understood relationships between aboveground plant functional traits and aboveground biomass, knowledge on the relationships between fine root functional traits and belowground biomass still remains limited. In this study, plant fine roots in 30 abandoned lands, 9 woodlands, 29 alfalfa grasslands, 30 Caragana shrublands and 29 croplands were sampled at 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths in Zhonglianchuan, Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, China (36°02′ N, 104°24′ E), to clarify the characteristics of the relationships between fine root functional traits (e.g., diameter, specific root area (SRA) and specific root length (SRL)) and fine root biomass at 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths. The results showed that the relationships between the fine root functional traits and fine root biomass in these ecosystems were robust, allowing for the use of an allometric growth model at both 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths (p < 0.05). Specifically, the relationship between root diameter and fine root biomass was consistent with highly significant positive power, while highly significant negative power relationships of SRA and SRL with fine root biomass were observed (p < 0.01, except the root diameter–biomass models in the woodlands in the 0–20 cm soil layer (p = 0.017) and 20–40 cm soil layer (p = 0.025)). The results can provide some parameters for these terrestrial ecosystem process models. From this perspective, our study is beneficial in the construction of suitable strategies to increase plant biomass, which will help with the restoration of the semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau of China.
{"title":"Non-Linear Relationships between Fine Root Functional Traits and Biomass in Different Semi-Arid Ecosystems on the Loess Plateau of China","authors":"Zhun Tian, Rui Wang, Zihan Sun, Yang Peng, Mingfeng Jiang, Shiqi Wu, Ziqiang Yuan, Xin Song, Chao Fang, J. Sardans","doi":"10.3390/f15071226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071226","url":null,"abstract":"As a key soil carbon process, changes in plant root growth may have a dramatic impact on the global ecosystem’s carbon cycle. Fine root functional traits and fine root biomass can be used as important indexes of plant root growth. Compared with the much better understood relationships between aboveground plant functional traits and aboveground biomass, knowledge on the relationships between fine root functional traits and belowground biomass still remains limited. In this study, plant fine roots in 30 abandoned lands, 9 woodlands, 29 alfalfa grasslands, 30 Caragana shrublands and 29 croplands were sampled at 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths in Zhonglianchuan, Yuzhong County, Gansu Province, China (36°02′ N, 104°24′ E), to clarify the characteristics of the relationships between fine root functional traits (e.g., diameter, specific root area (SRA) and specific root length (SRL)) and fine root biomass at 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths. The results showed that the relationships between the fine root functional traits and fine root biomass in these ecosystems were robust, allowing for the use of an allometric growth model at both 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths (p < 0.05). Specifically, the relationship between root diameter and fine root biomass was consistent with highly significant positive power, while highly significant negative power relationships of SRA and SRL with fine root biomass were observed (p < 0.01, except the root diameter–biomass models in the woodlands in the 0–20 cm soil layer (p = 0.017) and 20–40 cm soil layer (p = 0.025)). The results can provide some parameters for these terrestrial ecosystem process models. From this perspective, our study is beneficial in the construction of suitable strategies to increase plant biomass, which will help with the restoration of the semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau of China.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"40 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Harley Quinto Mosquera, Jhon Jerley Torres-Torres, David Pérez-Abadía
Nutrient recycling is a fundamental process for the functioning of tropical forests; however, anthropogenic activities such as mining could affect this process in tropical ecosystems. Given that little is known about the effects of mining on nutrient recycling in tropical forests, the objective was set to evaluate the influence of mining on nutrient cycling in tropical rainforests of the Colombian Pacific. Additionally, the hypothesis that nutrient cycling could be lower in post-mining areas was evaluated. To evaluate the effect of mining on nutrient cycling, permanent plots were established in mature and post-mining forests. In both forests, soil acidity, aluminum (Al), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) were considered. Likewise, the litter production, decomposition, and accumulation on the ground were determined; additionally, nutrient content and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) were determined. It was observed that mining influenced the nutrient contents of the soil in a different way. It was evident that total N and soil OM were similar in both forests, while the contents of P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, and ECEC available were higher in post-mining. The litterfall production and litter mass accumulation on the ground were greater in post-mining, while litter decomposition was greater in mature forests. In mature forests, there was higher foliar content of N, Ca, and B and, in addition, higher NUE of Ca. However, in post-mining, there was higher leaf content of K, Mg, P, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn and, in addition, greater NUE of N, P and K. In conclusion, an increase in post-mining nutrient cycling was noted as a strategy for nutrient conservation, and recovery of the functioning and maintenance of productivity in degraded Pacific ecosystems. Consequently, it is expected that in the future, if mining continues in the region, productivity and nutrient recycling will be altered.
养分循环是热带雨林运作的基本过程;然而,采矿等人为活动可能会影响热带生态系统的这一过程。鉴于人们对采矿对热带雨林养分循环的影响知之甚少,因此我们的目标是评估采矿对哥伦比亚太平洋热带雨林养分循环的影响。此外,还对采矿后地区养分循环可能较低的假设进行了评估。为了评估采矿对养分循环的影响,在成熟森林和采矿后森林中建立了永久性地块。在这两片森林中,考虑了土壤酸度、铝(Al)、有机质(OM)、全氮(N)、可利用磷(P)、镁(Mg)、钾(K)、钙(Ca)和有效阳离子交换容量(ECEC)。同样,还测定了枯落物的产生、分解和在地面上的积累情况;此外,还测定了养分含量和养分利用效率(NUE)。研究发现,采矿对土壤养分含量的影响各不相同。很明显,两片森林的总氮和土壤 OM 相似,而采矿后土壤中的磷、钾、钙、镁、铝和可利用的 ECEC 含量较高。采后森林的落叶产生量和落叶在地面上的累积量更大,而成熟森林的落叶分解量更大。在成熟森林中,叶片的氮、钙和硼含量较高,此外,钙的氮利用效率也较高。总之,采矿后养分循环的增加被认为是太平洋退化生态系统养分保护、恢复功能和维持生产力的一种策略。因此,如果今后继续在该地区采矿,预计生产力和养分循环将发生变化。
{"title":"Influence of Mining on Nutrient Cycling in the Tropical Rain Forests of the Colombian Pacific","authors":"Harley Quinto Mosquera, Jhon Jerley Torres-Torres, David Pérez-Abadía","doi":"10.3390/f15071222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071222","url":null,"abstract":"Nutrient recycling is a fundamental process for the functioning of tropical forests; however, anthropogenic activities such as mining could affect this process in tropical ecosystems. Given that little is known about the effects of mining on nutrient recycling in tropical forests, the objective was set to evaluate the influence of mining on nutrient cycling in tropical rainforests of the Colombian Pacific. Additionally, the hypothesis that nutrient cycling could be lower in post-mining areas was evaluated. To evaluate the effect of mining on nutrient cycling, permanent plots were established in mature and post-mining forests. In both forests, soil acidity, aluminum (Al), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) were considered. Likewise, the litter production, decomposition, and accumulation on the ground were determined; additionally, nutrient content and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) were determined. It was observed that mining influenced the nutrient contents of the soil in a different way. It was evident that total N and soil OM were similar in both forests, while the contents of P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, and ECEC available were higher in post-mining. The litterfall production and litter mass accumulation on the ground were greater in post-mining, while litter decomposition was greater in mature forests. In mature forests, there was higher foliar content of N, Ca, and B and, in addition, higher NUE of Ca. However, in post-mining, there was higher leaf content of K, Mg, P, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn and, in addition, greater NUE of N, P and K. In conclusion, an increase in post-mining nutrient cycling was noted as a strategy for nutrient conservation, and recovery of the functioning and maintenance of productivity in degraded Pacific ecosystems. Consequently, it is expected that in the future, if mining continues in the region, productivity and nutrient recycling will be altered.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"55 36","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhichao Cheng, Mingliang Gao, Hong Pan, Xiaoyu Fu, Dan Wei, Xinming Lu, Song Wu, Libin Yang
Fire can significantly affect the structure and function of forest soil microorganisms. Therefore, it is important to study the effects of different fire intensities on soil microbial carbon source utilization capacity in cold-temperate larch forests to protect and utilize forest ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the effects of different burning intensities on the carbon utilization capacity of soil microorganisms in fire sites from 2010 and 2000 using Biolog-Eco technology. Our findings revealed that (1) fire significantly increased soil pH, AN (available nitrogen), and AK (available potassium) (p < 0.05); (2) fire significantly increased the average color change rate (AWCD) of soil microorganisms (p < 0.05); (3) the Shannon index of soil microorganisms increased significantly, whereas the Simpson index and the McIntosh index decreased significantly after the fire—however, the McIntosh index in the 10M site was not altered; (4) the metabolic functions of soil microbial communities differed significantly among different fire intensities—MC (moisture content), TN (total nitrogen), and AK were the most influential soil environmental factors in the soil microbial community; and (5) mid-term fire restoration significantly increased microbial responses to carbohydrates, amino acids, esters, alcohols, amines, and acids, while late-fire burn sites significantly increased the microbial utilization intensity of amino acids, esters, and acids. In conclusion, fire significantly altered the functional diversity of soil microorganisms and microbial activities related to carbon source substrate utilization. Additionally, the ability of microorganisms to utilize a single carbon source substrate was also altered.
{"title":"Functional Diversity of Soil Microorganisms in Taiga Forests in the Middle and Late Stages of Restoration after Forest Fires","authors":"Zhichao Cheng, Mingliang Gao, Hong Pan, Xiaoyu Fu, Dan Wei, Xinming Lu, Song Wu, Libin Yang","doi":"10.3390/f15071220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071220","url":null,"abstract":"Fire can significantly affect the structure and function of forest soil microorganisms. Therefore, it is important to study the effects of different fire intensities on soil microbial carbon source utilization capacity in cold-temperate larch forests to protect and utilize forest ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the effects of different burning intensities on the carbon utilization capacity of soil microorganisms in fire sites from 2010 and 2000 using Biolog-Eco technology. Our findings revealed that (1) fire significantly increased soil pH, AN (available nitrogen), and AK (available potassium) (p < 0.05); (2) fire significantly increased the average color change rate (AWCD) of soil microorganisms (p < 0.05); (3) the Shannon index of soil microorganisms increased significantly, whereas the Simpson index and the McIntosh index decreased significantly after the fire—however, the McIntosh index in the 10M site was not altered; (4) the metabolic functions of soil microbial communities differed significantly among different fire intensities—MC (moisture content), TN (total nitrogen), and AK were the most influential soil environmental factors in the soil microbial community; and (5) mid-term fire restoration significantly increased microbial responses to carbohydrates, amino acids, esters, alcohols, amines, and acids, while late-fire burn sites significantly increased the microbial utilization intensity of amino acids, esters, and acids. In conclusion, fire significantly altered the functional diversity of soil microorganisms and microbial activities related to carbon source substrate utilization. Additionally, the ability of microorganisms to utilize a single carbon source substrate was also altered.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"54 27","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Protecting forest resources and preventing forest fires are vital for social development and public well-being. However, current research studies on forest fire warning systems often focus on extensive geographic areas like states, counties, and provinces. This approach lacks the precision and detail needed for predicting fires in smaller regions. To address this gap, we propose a Transformer-based time series forecasting model aimed at improving the accuracy of forest fire predictions in smaller areas. Our study focuses on Quanzhou County, Guilin City, Guangxi Province, China. We utilized time series data from 2021 to 2022, along with remote sensing images and ArcGIS technology, to identify various factors influencing forest fires in this region. We established a time series dataset containing twelve influencing factors, each labeled with forest fire occurrences. By integrating these data with the Transformer model, we generated forest fire danger level prediction maps for Quanzhou County. Our model’s performance is compared with other deep learning methods using metrics such as RMSE, and the results reveal that the proposed Transformer model achieves higher accuracy (ACC = 0.903, MAPE = 0.259, MAE = 0.053, RMSE = 0.389). This study demonstrates that the Transformer model effectively takes advantage of spatial background information and the periodicity of forest fire factors, significantly enhancing predictive accuracy.
{"title":"Forest Fire Prediction Based on Time Series Networks and Remote Sensing Images","authors":"Yue Cao, Xuanyu Zhou, Yanqi Yu, Shuyu Rao, Yihui Wu, Chunpeng Li, Zhengli Zhu","doi":"10.3390/f15071221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071221","url":null,"abstract":"Protecting forest resources and preventing forest fires are vital for social development and public well-being. However, current research studies on forest fire warning systems often focus on extensive geographic areas like states, counties, and provinces. This approach lacks the precision and detail needed for predicting fires in smaller regions. To address this gap, we propose a Transformer-based time series forecasting model aimed at improving the accuracy of forest fire predictions in smaller areas. Our study focuses on Quanzhou County, Guilin City, Guangxi Province, China. We utilized time series data from 2021 to 2022, along with remote sensing images and ArcGIS technology, to identify various factors influencing forest fires in this region. We established a time series dataset containing twelve influencing factors, each labeled with forest fire occurrences. By integrating these data with the Transformer model, we generated forest fire danger level prediction maps for Quanzhou County. Our model’s performance is compared with other deep learning methods using metrics such as RMSE, and the results reveal that the proposed Transformer model achieves higher accuracy (ACC = 0.903, MAPE = 0.259, MAE = 0.053, RMSE = 0.389). This study demonstrates that the Transformer model effectively takes advantage of spatial background information and the periodicity of forest fire factors, significantly enhancing predictive accuracy.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"39 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study presents the development and application of a prototype decision support system (DSS) for tree selection specifically for Punjab, India, a region facing challenges of low forest cover and an increasing demand for sustainable land use practices. The DSS developed using the R Shiny framework integrates ecological, social, and agro-commercial criteria to facilitate scientific knowledge decision making in tree plantation. The modules in this DSS include a tree selection tool based on comprehensive species attributes, a GIS-based tree suitability map module utilizing an Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), and a silviculture practice information module sourced from authoritative databases. Combining sophisticated statistical and spatial analysis, such as NMDS and AHP-GIS, this DSS mitigates data redundancy in SDM while incorporating extensive bibliographic research in dataset processing. The study highlights the necessity of fundamental niche-based suitability in comparison to realized niche suitability. It emphasizes on the importance of addressing ecosystem services, agro-commercial aspects, and enhancing silvicultural knowledge. Additionally, the study underscores the significance of local stakeholder engagement in tree selection, particularly involving farmers and other growers, to ensure community involvement and support. The DSS supports agroforestry initiatives and finds applications in urban tree management and governmental programs, emphasizing the use of scientific literature at each step, in contrast to relying solely on local knowledge.
{"title":"A Prototype Decision Support System for Tree Selection and Plantation with a Focus on Agroforestry and Ecosystem Services","authors":"Neelesh Yadav, Shrey Rakholia, R. Yosef","doi":"10.3390/f15071219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071219","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents the development and application of a prototype decision support system (DSS) for tree selection specifically for Punjab, India, a region facing challenges of low forest cover and an increasing demand for sustainable land use practices. The DSS developed using the R Shiny framework integrates ecological, social, and agro-commercial criteria to facilitate scientific knowledge decision making in tree plantation. The modules in this DSS include a tree selection tool based on comprehensive species attributes, a GIS-based tree suitability map module utilizing an Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), and a silviculture practice information module sourced from authoritative databases. Combining sophisticated statistical and spatial analysis, such as NMDS and AHP-GIS, this DSS mitigates data redundancy in SDM while incorporating extensive bibliographic research in dataset processing. The study highlights the necessity of fundamental niche-based suitability in comparison to realized niche suitability. It emphasizes on the importance of addressing ecosystem services, agro-commercial aspects, and enhancing silvicultural knowledge. Additionally, the study underscores the significance of local stakeholder engagement in tree selection, particularly involving farmers and other growers, to ensure community involvement and support. The DSS supports agroforestry initiatives and finds applications in urban tree management and governmental programs, emphasizing the use of scientific literature at each step, in contrast to relying solely on local knowledge.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"58 46","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Song Liu, Yuncheng Deng, Jianpeng Zhang, Jinliang Wang, Di Duan
Accurate arbor extraction is an important element of forest surveys. However, the presence of shrubs can interfere with the extraction of arbors. Addressing the issues of low accuracy and weak generalizability in existing Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) arbor point clouds extraction methods, this study proposes a trunk axis fitting (TAF) method for arbor extraction. After separating the point cloud data by upper and lower, slicing, clustering, fitting circles, obtaining the main central axis, filtering by distance, etc. The canopy point clouds are merged with the extracted trunk point clouds to precisely separate arbors and shrubs. The advantage of the TAF method proposed in this study is that it is not affected by point cloud density or the degree of trunk curvature. This study focuses on a natural forest plot in Shangri-La City, Yunnan Province, and a plantation plot in Kunming City, using manually extracted data from a standardized dataset of samples to test the accuracy of the TAF method and validate the feasibility of the proposed method. The results showed that the TAF method proposed in this study has high extraction accuracy. It can effectively avoid the problem of trunk point cloud loss caused by tree growth curvature. The experimental accuracy for both plots reached over 99%. This study can provide certain technical support for arbor parameter extraction and scientific guidance for forest resource investigation and forest management decision-making.
{"title":"Extraction of Arbors from Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data Based on Trunk Axis Fitting","authors":"Song Liu, Yuncheng Deng, Jianpeng Zhang, Jinliang Wang, Di Duan","doi":"10.3390/f15071217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071217","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate arbor extraction is an important element of forest surveys. However, the presence of shrubs can interfere with the extraction of arbors. Addressing the issues of low accuracy and weak generalizability in existing Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) arbor point clouds extraction methods, this study proposes a trunk axis fitting (TAF) method for arbor extraction. After separating the point cloud data by upper and lower, slicing, clustering, fitting circles, obtaining the main central axis, filtering by distance, etc. The canopy point clouds are merged with the extracted trunk point clouds to precisely separate arbors and shrubs. The advantage of the TAF method proposed in this study is that it is not affected by point cloud density or the degree of trunk curvature. This study focuses on a natural forest plot in Shangri-La City, Yunnan Province, and a plantation plot in Kunming City, using manually extracted data from a standardized dataset of samples to test the accuracy of the TAF method and validate the feasibility of the proposed method. The results showed that the TAF method proposed in this study has high extraction accuracy. It can effectively avoid the problem of trunk point cloud loss caused by tree growth curvature. The experimental accuracy for both plots reached over 99%. This study can provide certain technical support for arbor parameter extraction and scientific guidance for forest resource investigation and forest management decision-making.","PeriodicalId":505742,"journal":{"name":"Forests","volume":"37 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141650818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}