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Showing papers on "Undergrowth published in 1996"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper describes the main structural and floristic characteristics of the plot in the Western Ghats of India and shows that two kinds of mature phases can be identified: where the topography is raised and gently sloping, the vertical structure of the stand is discontinuous, with Dipterocarpus indicus and Vateria indica forming an emergent layer above a dense undergrowth.
Abstract: A permanent plot of 28 ha was established in a dense wvet evergreen forest in the Western Ghats of India to study the functioning of the ecosystem. Since April 1990, 1981 trees of B30 cm gbh have been enumerated in a systematic sampling of five strips totalling 3.12 ha. This paper describes the main structural and floristic characteristics of the plot. The density (635 trees B30 cm gbh per hectare) and basal area (39.7 m2 ha-') are high. Despite the high diversity (Simpson's D = 0.92 and Shannon's H' = 4.56), four species are distinctly dominant in terms of an importance value index (relative density + relative basal area). Each of these four species occupies a different layer in the ecosystem: Hurinboldtia br-unonis Wall. (Fabaceae) dominates the undergiowth, Allyristica dactyloides Gaertn. (Myristicaceae) the inteirm-ediate strata, Vater-ia indica L. (Dipterocarpaceae) the higher canopy level and DiWterocaipis inidicius Bedd. (Dipterocarpaceae) the emergents. This pronounced species hierarchy is one of the most important characteristics of the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. The two dipterocarps account for 20.1% of the total number of trees and contribute 40.9% to the total basal area. This formation can, therefore, be considered as the westernmost lowland dipterocarp forest of Asia. Analysis of the spatial variations in the floristic composition and in the structure of the main species populations shows that two kinds of mature phases can be identified: where the topography is raised and gently sloping, the vertical structure of the stand is discontinuous, with Dipterocaipus itidicuts and Vateria inidica forming an emergent layer above a dense undergrowth; on slopes, the stand is lower, vertically continuous and saturated with Vateria indica an-d Mvristica dactvloides. The link between the structure of the stand and dynamic processes is discussed.

164 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Understorey species recruited equally well as larger-growing species amongst the 14 studied species, although their tree mass increments per unit time were smaller, which suggests that understoreyspecies have more effective recruiting capacity relative to vegetative growth.
Abstract: 1 We studied stratification of tree species by analysing the allometry and demography of 14 abundant species in a warm-temperate rain forest on Yakushima Island, southern Japan. 2 We regressed relationships between trunk diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) and top height of trees using an expanded allometry which incorporates an upper limit to height. As trees grew up towards the canopy, individuals with the same d.b.h. were taller if they came from species with larger maximum height. This appeared to reflect a trade-off between height growth and lateral growth of crowns. Two canopy dominants continued to gain in d.b.h. after they had reached the canopy, while their height remained almost constant. 3 We examined size-specific patterns of relative growth rate of d.b.h. from a decade of field censuses. By fitting a Gompertz-type growth curve to size-specific growth of individual trees, we derived a projected potential maximum size for each species. The projected maximum size (both d.b.h. and height) was similar to the observed value for most species. Three canopy species exhibited larger projected maximum d.b.h. than observed values; the difference seemed to be due to mortality during the long period that each of these species resides in the canopy. 4 Understorey species recruited equally well as larger-growing species amongst the 14 studied species, although their tree mass increments per unit time were smaller. This suggests that understorey species have more effective recruiting capacity relative to vegetative growth.

107 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The effects of dwarf bamboo,Sasa, cover on the initial morrality of hardwood seedlings were investigated by transplanting 1-year-old beech and current-year oak and no natural oak seedling were found in the forest even after a mast year, suggesting that rodents play an imporrant role in regeneration of oak forest.
Abstract: The effects of dwarf bamboo,Sasa, cover on the initial morrality of hardwood seedlings were investigated by transplanting 1-year-old beech (Fagus crenata) and current-year oak (Quercus mongolica var.grosseserrata) seedling to three different stands; old-growth beech and secondary oak forests withSasa undergrowth, and aSasa grassland in a grassland-forest series near the top of Mt Jippo, southwestern Japan. The most frequent cause of seedling morrality was gnawing of the stems by rodents. In the beech forest, the gnawing was more likely to occur underSasa cover, suggesting that it provides a good habitat for rodents on the beech forest floor. TheSasa under growth may thus play an imporrant role in regeneration of beech forest. In the oak floor, mortality of both species was low and only a little gnawing occurred during a year. However, no natural oak seedling were found in the forest even after a mast year. This may be because most of the acorns disappeated before establishment. The early-stage demography of hardwood seedling as oak may thus play an imporrant role in regeneration of oak forest. In theSasa grassland where the seed supply is small, almost all of the seedlings died fromo gnawing regardless of the presence ofSasa cover. These factors prevent the recruitment of a sizable seedling bank. Rodents may thus play an imporrant role in maintenance of theSasa grassland.

51 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: The composition of nematode communities was influenced by the age of spruce trees, herbaceous undergrowth and altitude, and individual genera differed in their preference for the spruce forests studied.
Abstract: Sununary Soil nematode communities were studied in five 5 to 138 year-old spruce forests in the Beskydy Mountains, Northern Moravia, Czech Republic. A total of 92 species was found in ail stands studied. Nematode abundance ranged from 272.9 to 6238.9 x 103 ind·m-z (mean value 1409.6 x 103 ind·m-Z), biomass varied from 33.6 mg·m-z to 1.197 mg·m-z (mean value 337.2 mg·m-Z). Myco-phyrophagous nematodes of the order Tylenchida had the grearest abundance but individual genera differed in their preference for the spruce forests studied. The abundance of bacreriophagous nematodes was similar in alllocalities. The composition of nematode communities was influenced by the age of spruce trees, herbaceous undergrowth and altitude.

37 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, 152 respondents rank-ordered 31 photographs that presented clear felling areas in near-distance view and evaluated 19 scenic features of eight slides by a checklist, and they were also allowed to describe freely the feelings these slides evoked.
Abstract: Altogether 152 respondents rank‐ordered 31 photographs that presented clear felling areas in near‐distance view. In addition, the respondents evaluated 19 scenic features of eight slides by a checklist. They were also allowed to describe freely the feelings these slides evoked. Small clear‐fell areas that had a lot of undergrowth and solitary trees were preferred. Large clear‐fell areas with soil preparation and lop‐and‐top were considered ugliest. Environmentalists, forestry personnel, and residents of the Helsinki region rank‐ordered the photographs in similar ways. However, forestry personnel were more averse to scenes which appeared unmanaged, e.g. grass and shrub vegetation. They also demonstrated a more positive attitude to visible forest management measures like soil preparation and lop‐and‐top. Felling areas were perceived to be beautiful or ugly depending on their implementation. Clear fellings appeared to be assessed both on a scenic or emotional basis, and on ecological and other objec...

23 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Growth strategies of six species of trees are compared and used to analyze forest architecture and Fagus grandifolia is predicted to become the main dominant species, but the frequent hurricanes open the forest canopy and provide opportunities for understory species and light-demanding overstory species.
Abstract: Growth strategies of six species of trees are compared and used to analyze forest architecture. They included the overstory speciesFagus grandifolia, Magnolia grandiflora, Pinus glabra andLiquidambar styraciflua, and the understory speciesOstrya virginiana andIlex opaca. The six species were abundant in Woodyard Hammock, an old-growth forest in northern Florida, USA. Height, stem diameter, crown projection and radial growth were measured in trees between 5 and 35 m tall. Three different, but non-exclusive, growth strategies were identified for the tree species: ‘survival’ (Fagus grandifolia, Magnolia grandiflora, Ilex opaca), ‘occupy open space’ (Fagus grandifolia, Ostrya virginiana, Ilex opaca), and ‘reach above competitors’ (Liquidambar styraciflua, Pinus glabra). In two transects (0.42 ha) and one quadrat (1 ha), heights of dominant trees were used to distinguish different phases of forest development, which were mapped. In the quadrat, juvenile canopy trees in the undergrowth were mapped. The combination of presence of different developmental phases, presence of juveniles in the undergrowth, growth strategies of main tree species, and disturbance regime was used to assess forest development in the near future.Fagus grandifolia is predicted to become the main dominant species, but the frequent hurricanes open the forest canopy and provide opportunities for understory species (Ostrya virginiana andIlex opaca), and light-demanding overstory species (Liquidambar styraciflua andPinus glabra).

20 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Differences in the nitrification potential between the patches could neither be explained by the composition of the undergrowth vegetation nor by the availability of NH4+-N, and was only poorly predicted by the N mineralization potential.

18 citations




Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the subalpine vegetation structure of Mt. Vysokaya, the Central Sikhote-Alin, is described and significant disturbances in the vegetation structure were noted, especially in the forest-tundra ecotone accompanying a sharp reduction of the belts of Betula lanata and Pinus pumila.
Abstract: The subalpine vegetation structure of Mt. Vysokaya, the Central Sikhote-Alin, is described. This vegetation consists mainly of subalpine spruce-fir forest, a complex of subalpine meadows, shrubs, groves of Betula lanata (B. ermanii s.l.), krummholz of Pinus pumila and alpine tundras. Significant disturbances in the vegetation structure were noted, especially in the forest-tundra ecotone accompanying a sharp reduction of the belts of Betula lanata and Pinus pumila. The altitudinal level of the upper timberline reaches 1600 m a.s.l. which is 250 m less than the expected altitude calculated by Kira's warmth index. An undergrowth of scattered trees of Picea and Betula are growing up to the mountain top. Based on these data and a review of the literature, we concluded that a catastrophic lowering of the timberline and devastation of the subalpine vegetation belt occurred several centuries ago, probably as result of fires.

10 citations


01 Mar 1996
TL;DR: In this article, throughfall measurements in a 60-year-old white oak (Konara) stand with under growing dwarf bamboo (Sasa paniculata) were carried out during two periods totaling eleven months, from August to November 1993 and from May to November 1994, in order to clarify the role of Sasa on interception loss and rainfall partitioning in this forest.
Abstract: Throughfall measurements in a 60-year-old white oak (Konara) stand (Quercus serrata THUNB.) with under growing dwarf bamboo (Sasa paniculata) were carried out during two periods totaling eleven months, from August to November 1993 and from May to November 1994, in order to clarify the role of Sasa on interception loss and rainfall partitioning in this forest. Eight troughs and spiral-type stemflow gauges connected to tipping bucket-gauges were used for Konara throughfall and stemflow measurements. Ten troughs were used for throughfall measurements under the Sasa canopy. Analyses of seventy-five individual storms showed that partitioning of net rainfall in Konara throughfall, Sasa throughfall and stemflow represent 72%, 68% and 10% of the gross rainfall respectively. The stemflow delivered to the trunk base area represented on average 3.5 times more precipitation than any other place below the canopies of the Konara trees. Also, it was determined that maximum rain intensity was highly correlated with stemflow and this variable explained a further 5.5% of the stemflow variation. The interception loss from the forest canopy was estimated at 18% and the total interception loss of forest vegetation (Konara + Sasa) accounted for 31.7%. Sasa interception loss contribution (13.6% of the gross rainfall) was relatively high accounting for 40% of the total interception of the two canopy layers. The canopy saturation of Konara and Sasa were estimated from continuous storms and showed a value of 0.62 mm and 0.37 mm respectively. The trunk storage capacity was estimated at a value of 0.2 mm. The total amount of water stored in both canopies (Konara + Sasa) was assessed to be 1.2 mm. The results indicate that Sasa vegetation plays an important role in the water balance of this kind of forest and possibly in other types of forests where Sasa is widely distributed.



01 Jan 1996
TL;DR: From gap to edge to undergrowth, the ramet height, diameter and aboveground biomass decreases with the weakening of light intensity, but underground biomass is the highest in the undergrowth habitat, and there is not much variation of leaves number in various habitats.
Abstract: In this paper, the performance structures of clonal herb Iris japonica population in different changing light habitats in both bamboo forest and mixed needle broad leaved forest in Mt. Jinyun of Shichuan Province have been studied. The data being statistically analyzed show significant differences in various habitats. From gap to edge to undergrowth, the ramet height, diameter and aboveground biomass decreases with the weakening of light intensity, but underground biomass is the highest in the undergrowth habitat, and there is not much variation of leaves number in various habitats. In addition, the results have been analyzed and discussed, regression equations of both ramet height and aboveground biomass to diameter have been established, and the correlation is obvious (r>90, t>t_(0.01)).

Journal Article
TL;DR: Through the field investigation and analysis of Pinus taiwanensis community from the natural and plantation, it can be seen that the biodiversity in the natural for-est was obviously higher than that in the plantation, and there was a difference of species composition with 19~29 species in natural forest and 9 ~17 in plantation.
Abstract: Through the field investigation and analysis of Pinus taiwanensis communityfrom the natural forest and plantation,it can be seen that the biodiversity in the natural for-est was obviously higher than that in the plantation,and there was a difference of speciescomposition with 19~29 species in natural forest and 9~17 in plantation.Shannon-WienerDiversity Indices of the undergrowth and herb laver were 2.824 2~2.876 3 and 1. 7998~1.8366 in the natural forest,and 1.607 3~2.077 5 and 1.836 6~1.939 4 in the plantation,re-spectively. The DBH increment of the natural forest was 0.47 cm/a lower than that of theplantation.The maximum current annual increment of tree height in the natural forest hap-pened at the twentieth year,and it was 5 years later than that in plantation. The significantvolun、eincrement(0.01 m3/a)of the natural forest occurred after the growth of 40 a,which was 20 a later than that of the plantation. Evenness Index,Coefficient of Community(CC),Coefficient of Similarity,and coenological difference of Pinus taiwanensis between themwere discussed,and tree growth process from two origins of stands was also compared andanalyzed.