Showing papers on "Undergrowth published in 2004"
••
TL;DR: In this article, the vertical and horizontal structure of the forest was investigated in a bid to better understand the ecological state and management needs of the Mt. Elgon moist lower montane forest, Kenya.
120 citations
••
TL;DR: Interactions between forest canopy characteristics and plants in the forest understory are important determinants of forest community structure and dynamics and contribute to the coexistence of A. faxoniana and B. utilis in old-growth forests in southwestern China.
117 citations
••
TL;DR: Floristic differences between Buyangu and Isecheno appear to be at least partly responsible for the substantial dietary differences between redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius Audebert) at these sites.
Abstract: We conducted a study of spatial variation in tree community structure and composition in the Kakamega Forest of western Kenya. We compared the tree communities at two sites, Buyangu and Isecheno, separated by approximately 11 km of contiguous forest. All trees ‡15 cm d.b.h. were censused along transects covering 4.95 ha at Buyangu and 4.15 ha at Isecheno. The structure of the forest at the two sites was similar as mean d.b.h. was comparable and stem size class distribution did not differ significantly. However, species richness and stem density were both much higher at Buyangu. The disparity in stem density may be because of the greater abundance at Isecheno of a semi-woody undergrowth species, Brillantaisia nitens Lindau, believed to inhibit the establishment of tree seedlings. Floristic composition varied strikingly between sites, with 52% of the species occurring only at one site. Densities of those species present at both sites often differed markedly between sites. Potential sources of these intersite differences in floristic composition include small disparities in rainfall, soil composition, elevation, and temperature as well as past differences in anthropogenic disturbance and in large mammal distribution and abundance. Floristic differences between Buyangu and Isecheno appear to be at least partly responsible for the substantial dietary differences between redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius Audebert) at these sites.
52 citations
••
TL;DR: In this article, a 7,455 m2 area reforested with tree species over a red-yellow "Argisoil" of medium texture during one year was measured, and the results allowed to conclude that litter production had a strong seasonal variation, especially a more intense deposition during the dryest months.
Abstract: Litter deposition was measured in a 7,455 m2 area reforested with tree species over a redyellow "Argisoil" of medium texture during one year. This area is owned by Sitio Laranja Azeda,in the subdivision of Pinhal, in Limeira, SP, located in the peripheral depression of the state (22o33'17" S and 47o24'17" W), at an altitude of 567 m. The local climate is classified by Koppen as Cwa-type, with humid and hot summers and dry and cold winters. Litter average production was estimated monthly by 21 0.25 m2 collectors, randomly distributed in each of the different topographic situations. Average litter production of undergrowth in the dry season was 697 kg/ha and 407 kg/ha in the wet season. These are intermediate values between the semi-decidual seasonal forest fragments of Sao Paulo state and the Floresta da Tijuca (reforested area), areas at more advanced stages of secondary succession; and upper values when compared with other reforested areas in Sao Paulo. The results allowed to conclude that: a) litter production had a strong seasonal variation, especially a more intense deposition during the dryest months; b) litter productions differ in each topographic situation; c) the undergrowth production is a strong sign of the growth and ecological equilibrium of this new forest.
36 citations
•
TL;DR: Relatively rich sets of these fungi recognised in BF during last decades confirm the predestination of this area as highly significant refuge for other groups of arthropod pathogens, and it should encourage scientists to widen their research and contribute to a rather scarce knowledge in this field.
Abstract: In the years 2002–2004 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis and 37 species of entomopathogenic fungi were isolated and identified in the Polish and Belarussian parts of Bialowieza Forest (BF). Mitosporic fungi and bacteria dominated in litter superficial soil layer, forest, litter and floor vegetation whereas entomophtoralen fungi prevailed in bushy undergrowth layers and tree crowns. The dominant species Beauveria bassiana was observed in forest floor, subcortical habitats on dead trees, meadows and rushes. The species Entomophthora israelensis, Beauveria cf. bassiana, Paecilomyces suffultus and P. tenuipes were for the first time described as insect pathogens in BF. Entomophthorales seem to hold much greater part than mitosporic forms in the whole diversity of entomopathogenic fungi. Relatively rich sets of these fungi recognised in BF during last decades confirm the predestination of this area as highly significant refuge for other groups of arthropod pathogens, and it should encourage scientists to widen their research and contribute to a rather scarce knowledge in this field.
16 citations
••
TL;DR: The findings showed that the Nightjars’ territories were frequently centered on a large clearing with an area of at least 0.7 ha, and neither the proportion of bare patches of ground nor the average height of undergrowth vegetation was found to be decisive for territory selection.
Abstract: The Steinfeld in Lower Austria supports a population of European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) which was extensively studied during 1997 and 1998. The study area encompassed a pine forest of 20 km2. The population densities of 1.05 and 1.25 territories/km2, respectively, lies within the range found in central European populations. Annual monitoring until 2001 has shown the population to be stable. To gain an insight into habitat use of the species, various habitat-related parameters were measured inside and outside the territories, namely structure of trees, density of trees, structure of undergrowth vegetation and structure of clearings. Discriminant analysis was applied to assess the factors responsible for habitat choice of the Nightjar population. The findings showed that the Nightjars’ territories were frequently centered on a large clearing with an area of at least 0.7 ha. Clearings less than 50 m wide were not colonized. The requirement for a minimum width of a clearing in addition to a minimum area probably relates to better hunting conditions. Nightjars prefer trees where the lower edge of the crown is on average 4.38 m higher than at control points so that males can churr from dead branches immediately below the canopy. Such trees were found on the edge of clearings in the forest, and the edge of a clearing thus had a pronounced effect on the quality of a territory. In contrast to reports in the literature, neither the proportion of bare patches of ground nor the average height of undergrowth vegetation was found to be decisive for territory selection.
16 citations
01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: In the Tamandua Forest Genetic Reserve, in Brazil, Maguire et al. as mentioned in this paper assessed the floristic composition, natural regeneration and the spatial distribution of the main woody species in the undergrowth.
Abstract: This work was carried out in the Tamandua Forest Genetic Reserve, in Brasilia, Brazil, comprised mainly by gallery forest. It aimed to assess the floristic composition, natural regeneration and the spatial distribution of the main woody species in the undergrowth. The species were Cariniana estrellensis (Raddi) O. Kuntze, Apuleia leiocarpa (Vogel) J. F.Macbr., Copaifera langsdorffii Desf., Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Benth.) Brenan, Virola sebifera Aubl., Hymenaea courbaril var. stilbocarpa (Hayne) Lee & Lang. , Aspidosperma discolor A. St. Hil., Astronium fraxinifolium Schott and Schefflera morototoni B. Maguire, Stey. & Frodin, all considered priorities for in situ conservation. Five transects were used, each 10 meters wide, laid perpendicular to the main watercourse in the studied area. A total of 21,482 regenerants per hectare were found in 69 species, 53 genera and 39 families. The families which had the largest numbers of species as seedlings were, in descending order, Leguminosae (Fabaceae), Rubiaceae, Sapindaceae and Meliaceae. Surveying of young individuals, the dominant families with higher importance value (IV) were as follows: Meliaceae (32.78 %), Rubiaceae (13.92 %), Burseraceae (13.76 %), Rutaceae (8.54 %) and Hippocrateaceae
9 citations
••
TL;DR: Post-fire vegetation regeneration was studied for a 6-year period in a 13-year-old-artificial forest consisting of Larix kaempferi with a dense undergrowth of Sasa senanensis, where resprouts of shade-tolerant species play a major role in the re-establishment of woody species after fire in sites with considerable Sasa ground-cover.
Abstract: Post-fire vegetation regeneration was studied for a 6-year period in a 13-year-old-artificial forest consisting of Larix kaempferi with a dense undergrowth of Sasa senanensis. The study site was classified into three fire severity categories according to the degree of Sasa senanensis scorching, that is, a high-severity category, a mid-severity category, and a low-severity category. Study plots were established in areas which fitted the criteria for each category, and in nearby unburned sites. A total of 41 woody species were newly emerged during the 6-year study period in the burned and unburned plots. Only a few seedlings and resprouts emerged in the unburned plots, while many seedlings emerged in the high-severity plots from the first year after fire onward. A high-severity fire that burns the rhizomes of Sasa is necessary for the vegetation recovery by germination of seed. Whereas the establishment of seedlings was restricted to a few years after fire, the regeneration through resprouting continued into the last year of observation. The survival time of resprouts was longer than that of seedlings, and the survival time of shade-tolerant species was longer than that of shade-intolerant species. In contrast, shade-intolerant species grew more rapidly than shade-tolerant species. The plants’ ability to exceed the maximum height of the Sasa before the bamboo recovers can be critical to the survival of shade-intolerant species. Because resprouts have a stronger resistance to the shade of Sasa than seedlings, the resprouts of shade-tolerant species play a major role in the re-establishment of woody species after fire in sites with considerable Sasa ground-cover.
9 citations
•
TL;DR: By the methods of sampling plot harvesting method and allometric dimension analysis, the belowground and aboveground standing biomass and net primary productivity of the secondary evergreen broadleaved forest in Huangmian Forest farm of Guangxi, southern China, are measured.
Abstract: By the methods of sampling plot harvesting method and allometric dimension analysis, we measured the belowground and aboveground standing biomass and net primary productivity (NPP) of the secondary evergreen broadleaved forest in Huangmian Forest farm of Guangxi, southern China, with the location of 24 degrees 51'N and 109 degrees 51'E and an altitude of about 315 m. The total biomass was 99.96 t x hm(-2), aboveground and belowground biomasses accounted for 69.41% and 30.59%, respectively. The leaf area index of trees and undergrowth shrubs was 6.50, and the total annual NPP was 24.65 t x hm(-2) x yr(-1) by estimate, aboveground and belowground NPP accounted for 44.54% and 55.46%, respectively. The NPP of fine roots was 11.79 t x hm(-2) x yr(-1), being 86.24% of the belowground NPP.
8 citations
••
TL;DR: The study described the composition and status of undergrowth (shrubs, herbs and grasses) in a degraded deforested area of Chittagong (South) forest division, Chittgong, Bangladesh.
Abstract: The study described the composition and status of undergrowth (shrubs, herbs and grasses) in a degraded deforested area of Chittagong (South) forest division, Chittagong, Bangladesh. A stratified random quadrat method was used in the study. The area on the whole consists of 45 species of undergrowth of 31 families. Shrubs layer includes 14 species of 12 families and herbs and grasses include 31 species of 19 families. Among the shrubs Clerodendrum viscosum shows the highest density (94 plants/100 m) and 2 Cassia alata shows the lowest density (8 plants/100 m). The highest frequency was found in 2 Clerodendrum viscusum (50%) and lowest frequency was found in Corcorus capsularis (5%). The highest abundance was recorded in Corcorus capsularis (13) followed by Ipomoea fistulosa (11) and Lantana camara (11). Among the herbs and grasses Imperata cylindrica shows the highest density, frequency and abundance (7638 plants/100 m, 77% and 394, respectively) followed by Cynodon dactylon (687 plants/100 m), 2 2
7 citations
••
TL;DR: The habitat of Luehdorfia puziloi inexpecta was analyzed by using Quantification Theory Type I, a method for quantifying qualitative data as mentioned in this paper, and the results showed the order of importance of environmental factors to be: aspect of slope > amount of food plants > tree type = tree trunk girth > condition of undergrowth > geography.
Abstract: The habitat of Luehdorfia puziloi inexpecta was analyzed by using Quantification Theory Type I, a method for quantifying qualitative data. The investigation area was divided into 92 small sections and was surveyed for its environmental characteristics such as type of trees, tree trunk girth, condition of undergrowth, geography, aspect of slope, and amount of food plants. Environmental factors suitable for oviposition were analyzed using the area density of eggs in each section as the external criterion. The results showed the order of importance of environmental factors to be: aspect of slope > amount of food plants > tree type = tree trunk girth > condition of undergrowth > geography. A slope facing northeast, rich in food plants, with deciduous trees of trunk girth larger than 40 cm, with undergrowth below 30 cm and along a ridgeline was the most preferable habitat for the butterfly.
••
TL;DR: Logging and thinning the forest is a straight out deal, but coming to a consensus on what the understory vegetation needs to be that gets sensitive is a different story.
•
•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a study on the growth of trees in different forest stand, the species and their number of undergrowth, and the growth and development of under growth.
Abstract: The soil water content and light under forest of seventeen years old Robinia pseudoacacia plantation of four planting density (1.5 m×2 m, 1.5 m×4 m, 1.5 m×6 m, 1.5 m×8 m), ulmus pumila plantation of two planting density (1.5 m 3 m, 1.5 m 5 m) and Pinus tabulaeformis plantation of two planting density (1.5 m×3 m, 1.5 m×5 m) at Loess Plateau Semi-arid Area of Shanxi province were observed and determined. Studies were conducted on the growth of trees in different forest stand, the species and their number of undergrowth, and the growth and development of undergrowth. The results showed that within the forest with low planting density and big nutrition space the soil water content and light decreased with the increasing of planting density. Within the stand of Robinia pseudoacacia, as the planting density increase, the phenomenon of dry soil emerges as that occurred in mature plantation in arid and semi-arid areas. The abundance ratio and species diversity also decreased. The species gradually change from mesophyte such as Convolvulus arvensis and Themeda minor to typical xerophyte such as Artemisia sacrorum, Lespedeza dahurica and Adiantam capiuarisveneris. The average soil water content of two planting density Pinus tabulaeformis plantation were lower than other stands, which interpreted that the micro-environment, forest tree growth and development of undergrowth varied with the type of stand and planting density. In constructing plantation in semi-arid areas, the species should be selected based on bio-ecological characteristics and growth conditions. The planting should not be too dense so as to increase the productivity and stability of stand, and to prevent the occurrence of soil drought.
•
TL;DR: In this article, the interception effects of forest ecosystems to precipitation by tree layer, undergrowth, the litter and the soil were reviewed in order to find out the existing problems and promote further research.
Abstract: Forest ecosystems controlled and intercepted precipitation often by forest crown, tree trunks, shrubs, herbs, litter and soil. It is key to understand the allocation effects of all components in forest ecosystems to rainfall for assessing the hydrological service functions of forests. In the paper interception effects of forest ecosystems to precipitation by tree layer, undergrowth, the litter and the soil were reviewed in order to find out the existing problems and promote further research. Large amount of works focusing on the tree layer displayed forest canopy could intercept about 9.0%~69.1% of rainfall and tree trunks captured 0%~5%. There were many factors influencing the allocation process synthetically, including forest types, structural features and precipitation characteristics. Insufficient works on undergrowth and soil layer resulted that effects of the whole forest ecosystems to allocate rainfall kept poorly understood. Most researches focused on the experimental observations and the phenomenon explanation and neglected the researches on the allocation process and reasonable simulation models on forest ecosystem controlling precipitation restricting us to understand the mechanisms and the nature of forest ecosystem to allocate precipitation. In order to expound the interception effects of forest ecosystems to rainfall, the important works are to study rainfall allocation by undergrowth (herbs and shrubs), litter, soil and the whole forest ecosystems and to integrate all factors to develop simulation models for explaining the process and mechanism of forest ecosystem controlling precipitation.
•
TL;DR: Significant differences in nutrient concentrations existed between forest communities and litter components, but the elements consistently revealed the same trend,decreasing in the order:CaNMg or KP.
Abstract: Chemical analyses of five nutrient elements (N,P,K,Ca,and Mg) for the arbor,undergrowth,and forest floor were conducted in the pure Pinus massoniana stand and its mixed forests with hardwood species. The major results are as follows:① For N,the lowest concentration occurred in the arbor,the highest in the undergrowth;for P and K,the concentrations decreased in the order:undergrowtharborforest floor and;for Ca and Mg,the forest floor had the highest. ② In the arbor layer,the concentration of Ca was the highest and Mg the lowest;for N,P,and K,the concentrations differed with the organs,but showing the consistent trends:leafbranchrootbarkstem. ③ Nutrient concentrations exhibited some difference between Pinus massoniana and the hardwoods,with hardwoods having the higher N in the leaves,and higher P and K in the leaves and roots. ④ For both of Pinus massoniana and hardwood species,the N concentrations decreased with the increased diameter classes of the roots. ⑤ Significant differences in nutrient concentrations existed between forest communities and litter components,but the elements consistently revealed the same trend,decreasing in the order:CaNMg or KP.