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Diversos processos são considerados responsáveis pela manutenção de ecossistemas. Entre eles podemos destacar a ciclagem mineral que corresponde ao ciclo dos elementos químicos que fluem entre os compartimentos bióticos, folhas e serrapilheira, e abióticos, atmosfera e solo. Esses elementos químicos se acumulam de forma ativa via absorção nos tecidos desses organismos, possibilitando sua aplicação como biomonitor na avaliação da qualidade do ambiente. Partindo dessa premissa é possível, a partir do estudo de ciclagem bioquímica de serrapilheira, conhecer a proveniência dos elementos químicos observados nas folhas diagnose das árvores. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar, em escala espacial e temporal, as características da produção e sazonalidade da deposição da serrapilheira bem como estudar a composição química das folhas originadas desta serrapilheira depositada no campus do Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN, São Paulo, (RMSP) visando seu emprego como indicador do estagio de conservação ou degradação das áreas estudadas. Foram instalados 10 coletores de serrapilheira, com as dimensões de 1m x 1m, profundidade de 45 cm e 2 mm de malha, dispostos a 20 cm do solo sob a copa das árvores. Para determinação da produção de serrapilheira foram recolhidas deposições mensais nos coletores entre os meses: Fevereiro/2010 à Janeiro/2011. A determinação dos elementos químicos foi realizada utilizando as técnicas de fluorescência de raios-X por dispersão de comprimento de onda (WDXRF) e espectrometria de emissão ótica com fonte de plasma de argônio induzido (ICP-OES). Para a análise estatística dos dados foi aplicada a análise de componentes principais. A heterogeneidade temporal observada foi conseqüência da sazonalidade, interferindo na produção de serrapilheira em relação à quantidade e às porcentagens das frações. A produção de serrapilheira (base seca) durante o período de desenvolvimento da pesquisa foi de 5,86 Kg m-2 ano-1 sendo a espécie Psidiumguajara com maior índice de serrapilheira. Entre as frações, o compartimento folhas foi o mais representativo com 53,12% seguido do compartimento madeira com 26,84% e das partes reprodutivas que representou 20,04% de toda serrapilheira. Os elementos analisados foram Ca, Si, K, P, Fe Cl, Ni, Sr, Zn, Cu, Th, U, Mn, Al, Ti, Na, Mg, S e Br. Os elementos mais abundantes foram Ca, Si e K (1,8%, 0,5% e 0,6%, respectivamente) representando a composição foliar. Apesar de no passado ter havido unidades piloto de purificação de urânio e de tório, bem como considerando as atuais instalações do ciclo do combustível, foi observado que o material monitorado não se apresentou impactado quanto aos elementos químicos avaliados, e as instalações existentes não afetaram o ciclo biogeoquímico das plantas. O estudo trouxe resultados extremamente relevantes para se entender melhor em que estado se encontra o bosque em torno das instalações nucleares do IPEN/SP. / Several processes are considered responsible for ecosystems maintaining. Among them we can highlight mineral cycling that corresponds to the cycle of chemical elements that flow between the biotic compartments, leaves and litterfall, and abiotic, atmosphere and soil. These chemical elements accumulate of the active form through the absorption in the tissues of these organisms, allowing its use as a use as biomonitor in the environment quality evaluation. Based on this premise it is possible, from the biochemical cycling study of litterfall, to know the origin of chemical elements observed in diagnosis leaves of trees. The objective of this study was evaluate, on spatial and temporal scale, the characteristics of the production and seasonality of the litterfall deposition and study the chemical composition of leaves arising from this litterfall deposited on the campus of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute IPEN, São Paulo (RMSP), aiming the employment as an indicator of the conservation or degradation stage of the studies areas. Were installed 10 litterfall collectors, measuring 1m², depth of 45 cm and 2 mm mesh, placed at 20 cm from soil under the crown of 10 trees. To determinate the production of litterfall was collected the deposition monthly during the months of February/2010 through January/2011. The determination of chemical elements was realized by X-ray fluorescence for dispersion of wavelength (WDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). For the statistical analysis was applied to principal component analysis. The temporal heterogeneity observed was consequence of seasonality, interfering in the litterfall production relative to the amount and percentages of fractions. The production of litterfall (dry basis), during the development of the research was 5.86 kg m² year-1, being the Psidiumguajava species with the highest litterfall rate. Among the fractions, the most representative compartment was leaves with 53.12%, followed by wood with 26.84% and reproductive parts thats represented 20.04%, of all litterfall. The elements analyzed were Ca, Si, K, P, Fe Cl, Ni, Sr, Zn, Cu, Th, U, Mn, Al, Ti, Na, Mg, S e Br. The most abundant were Ca, Si, and K (1.8%, 0.5% and 0.6 respectively) representing the leaf composition. Although in the past have been pilot units of uranium and thorium purification, as well considering the current fuel cycle installations, it was observed that monitored material not be presented impacted as to the chemical elements evaluated, and the installations existing do not affect the biogeochemical cycle of plants. The study brought highly relevant results to better understand in what state is the forest around the nuclear facilities of IPEN/SP.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Early recognition of plant invaders is key to their successful management. Yet knowledge of the ecological impacts of species before they become widespread is poor. This thesis examines the ecology of invasive Pinus radiata, a species which is known to spread from introduced plantings in Australia but is currently a low profile invader. Pinus invasions are considered major ecological problems in New Zealand and South Africa where wildlings are beginning to dominate natural areas and suppress native vegetation. Invasion success elsewhere and the large softwood estate in Australia suggest that pines may begin to dominate native eucalypt forests bordering large commercial plantations. This research focused on three components of impact of P. radiata; extent, abundance and effect per individual. The borders of 29 P. radiata plantations in NSW were surveyed in order to quantify the current level of invasion and to identify factors facilitating pine spread. Of particular interest was the role of propagule pressure, vegetation type and fire in the invasion process. The area of land in NSW currently invaded by P. radiata was estimated at almost 4 500 ha, although this is likely to be an underestimate due to an inability to detect wildlings (self-sown pines) at long distances from the plantation. Twenty six of the 29 plantations produced wild pines, however most of the sites are in the very early stages of invasion. Noticeable wildling populations were recorded at nine sites indicating that P. radiata is capable of establishing within native vegetation. Pine spread was most severe in the world heritage listed Blue Mountains region where pine densities reached up to 2000 per hectare in areas adjacent to the plantation and isolated pines were recorded up to 4 km from the source. The presence of isolated pines within intact native vegetation suggests that disturbance is not required for pine establishment in forested environments. Furthermore, high pine emergence and survival rates in eucalypt woodland and evidence of self reproduction by wildlings suggest that in the absence of adequate control measures pines may become established invaders in the Australian landscape. While low levels of current invasion at many sites hindered the ability to examine the factors facilitating invasion some variables that appear to be driving pine success were identified. At the landscape scale plantation size and residence time were significant predictors of the level of invasion at a site. Areas of native vegetation vi adjacent to plantations less than 40 years experienced very low levels of invasion suggesting a lag period between plantation establishment and invasion. However, pines with diameters up to 60 cm were observed growing adjacent to plantations younger than 40 years implying that the first colonisers are capable of establishing soon after plantation trees become reproductive. Propagule pressure was also found to have a strong influence on invasion success on a smaller scale manifesting in a significant positive relationship between the age of a plantation compartment and the likelihood of invasion. A negative relationship between plantation size and level of invasion was a surprising result and was influenced by just two large sites that happened to be located in areas of high rainfall. All sites receiving more than 1300 mm annual rainfall experienced low levels of invasion suggesting that this is a limiting factor for pine spread in NSW. There were significant differences in the level of invasion between vegetation types implying that some communities are more susceptible to invasion. Patterns of spread confirmed ideas regarding the facilitative effect of disturbance in the invasion process and the resistance of wet sclerophyll forest to invasion in Australia. An absence of wildlings in cleared land and areas of remnant bushland was attributed to high levels of grazing pressure. Wind direction did not appear to influence the distribution of pines close to the plantation, but evidence of long distance wind dispersal of pines was provided by an investigation of pine spread from the air at one site where large pines were found growing 10 km downwind from a mature plantation. Fire was found to have both a positive and negative influence on the invasion process. High intensity wildfires are capable of destroying large pines with diameters exceeding 50 cm. However, fire can stimulate seed release from cones resulting in large post-fire recruitment pulses. Seedling densities of up to 3050 per hectare were recorded almost 3 years after wildfire, suggesting that follow up control prior to recruits reaching coning age, i.e. within 5 years, would be beneficial. Surveys of wildling pines exposed to low intensity hazard reduction burns suggest that the majority of pines greater than 3 m in height and with a diameter of more than 10 cm will survive the fire. Low intensity prescribed fires that are carried out after pines have reached this size will fail to control wildling populations. To examine the influence of P. radiata once it has established in the native community this study focused on two mechanisms of impact, the addition of pine litter and increased shade due to an increase in canopy cover. Collection of pine litterfall vii within an invaded eucalypt woodland over a 2 year period recorded rates of up to 1400 kg/ha/year in the most heavily invaded area with a pine basal area of 11.3m2/ha. More than 70 % of pine litter fell directly below the pine canopy suggesting that the most severe litter effects will be limited to these areas. Glasshouse and field experiments were conducted to examine the influence of this increased litter load on the emergence of P. radiata and two native species. Recruitment of native plant species was impeded by litter levels of 6000 kg/ha, the equivalent of approximately 4 years of pine litterfall. Both P. radiata and the two natives responded similarly to pine and eucalypt litter suggesting the two litter types are influencing the recruitment phase equally. However, where pines are added to the system, increased litterfall rates could potentially result in the doubling of the litter load and hence a greater barrier to seedling establishment. Pine invaded eucalypt woodlands are also subjected to three fold increases in canopy cover. Trends in reduced emergence of native species under a pine canopy suggest that the addition of pines to eucalypt forests is likely to have a negative influence on native recruitment and may result in a shift towards a shade tolerant community. However, reversal of trends in emergence below pine canopy between seasons implies that quantifying invasion impacts requires a consideration of temporal variation. Increased levels of disturbance, forest fragmentation and an increasing pine estate are likely to lead to the infestation of new areas. Furthermore the lag phase associated with pine spread means that even if no new plantations are established the number of invasion events will increase. This study has identified a number of risk factors that can be used to guide plantation establishment and the management of invasion events. Minimising disturbance at plantation borders and increasing the ‘no planting’ zone will help to reduce the impacts of pines. Where possible new plantations should be established upwind of cleared land or at least, wet sclerophyll forest. Frequent monitoring of the borders of plantations yet to source invasions, particularly those greater than 40 years of age, will help identify problem areas before control becomes difficult and costly. Maps of the 29 plantations marked with areas of pine infestation will help prioritise sites for control and provide base level knowledge for future monitoring of pine spread. Stringent legislation that binds plantation managers to control wildlings beyond their boundaries is critical for the effective management of pine invasions. With infinite numbers of invaders and limited funds to dedicate to their control, a method of triaging species for management is critical. This is particularly difficult viii when information is typically biased towards invaders that are already widespread. By focussing on the ecological impacts of invaders it becomes possible to rank species on the basis of the threat they pose to native communities. Ecological research is capable of providing the knowledge to quantify invasion impacts and must remain at the centre of policy decisions.

Forest floor calcium (Ca) declines in northern hardwood forests are of interest because Ca availability may limit future forest growth. In the 1990s investigations into Ca pools and fluxes across a northern hardwood forest chronosequence showed decreases across stand age in the mass of forest floor base cations and litterfall cation concentrations. I undertook a study of factors that influence litterfall chemistry to develop a better understanding of base cation biogeochemistry in developing northern hardwood forests. Although Ca, potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations in litterfall significantly declined with stand age, species composition and soil nutrient availability also influenced litterfall chemistry. The interplay between these factors, such as the distribution of species with different nutrient demands in areas of base cation availability or limitation, influences forest floor chemistry and may impact the time in which soil Ca depletion occurs. Additionally, I examined the quantity and qualities (species composition, decay class, size, and nutrient concentrations and contents) of woody debris across the same northern hardwood forest chronosequence. The objectives of this study were to quantify cation pools in woody debris, describe how the qualities of these woody debris pools change with stand development, and establish a baseline for long-term measurements of woody debris accumulation and chemistry with stand age. Decomposition of woody debris transfers base cations to the forest floor, and may be partially responsible for forest floor Ca gains in young stands. Calcium and K pools in woody debris were most strongly influenced by woody debris biomass, whereas Mg content was influenced by both woody debris biomass and species composition. In young stands, woody debris pools were strongly influenced by management practices during harvest. By 20 years since harvest woody debris pools reflected processes of stand development. For example, from 20 to nearly 40 years since harvest woody debris biomass and species composition was dominated by mortality of early successional species. Woody debris in more mature stands reflected small-scale stochastic disturbances including disease and single-tree mortality. Litterfall and woody debris are each components of within-stand cation cycling that will be critical to future forest growth with limited Ca availability.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Early recognition of plant invaders is key to their successful management. Yet knowledge of the ecological impacts of species before they become widespread is poor. This thesis examines the ecology of invasive Pinus radiata, a species which is known to spread from introduced plantings in Australia but is currently a low profile invader. Pinus invasions are considered major ecological problems in New Zealand and South Africa where wildlings are beginning to dominate natural areas and suppress native vegetation. Invasion success elsewhere and the large softwood estate in Australia suggest that pines may begin to dominate native eucalypt forests bordering large commercial plantations. This research focused on three components of impact of P. radiata; extent, abundance and effect per individual. The borders of 29 P. radiata plantations in NSW were surveyed in order to quantify the current level of invasion and to identify factors facilitating pine spread. Of particular interest was the role of propagule pressure, vegetation type and fire in the invasion process. The area of land in NSW currently invaded by P. radiata was estimated at almost 4 500 ha, although this is likely to be an underestimate due to an inability to detect wildlings (self-sown pines) at long distances from the plantation. Twenty six of the 29 plantations produced wild pines, however most of the sites are in the very early stages of invasion. Noticeable wildling populations were recorded at nine sites indicating that P. radiata is capable of establishing within native vegetation. Pine spread was most severe in the world heritage listed Blue Mountains region where pine densities reached up to 2000 per hectare in areas adjacent to the plantation and isolated pines were recorded up to 4 km from the source. The presence of isolated pines within intact native vegetation suggests that disturbance is not required for pine establishment in forested environments. Furthermore, high pine emergence and survival rates in eucalypt woodland and evidence of self reproduction by wildlings suggest that in the absence of adequate control measures pines may become established invaders in the Australian landscape. While low levels of current invasion at many sites hindered the ability to examine the factors facilitating invasion some variables that appear to be driving pine success were identified. At the landscape scale plantation size and residence time were significant predictors of the level of invasion at a site. Areas of native vegetation vi adjacent to plantations less than 40 years experienced very low levels of invasion suggesting a lag period between plantation establishment and invasion. However, pines with diameters up to 60 cm were observed growing adjacent to plantations younger than 40 years implying that the first colonisers are capable of establishing soon after plantation trees become reproductive. Propagule pressure was also found to have a strong influence on invasion success on a smaller scale manifesting in a significant positive relationship between the age of a plantation compartment and the likelihood of invasion. A negative relationship between plantation size and level of invasion was a surprising result and was influenced by just two large sites that happened to be located in areas of high rainfall. All sites receiving more than 1300 mm annual rainfall experienced low levels of invasion suggesting that this is a limiting factor for pine spread in NSW. There were significant differences in the level of invasion between vegetation types implying that some communities are more susceptible to invasion. Patterns of spread confirmed ideas regarding the facilitative effect of disturbance in the invasion process and the resistance of wet sclerophyll forest to invasion in Australia. An absence of wildlings in cleared land and areas of remnant bushland was attributed to high levels of grazing pressure. Wind direction did not appear to influence the distribution of pines close to the plantation, but evidence of long distance wind dispersal of pines was provided by an investigation of pine spread from the air at one site where large pines were found growing 10 km downwind from a mature plantation. Fire was found to have both a positive and negative influence on the invasion process. High intensity wildfires are capable of destroying large pines with diameters exceeding 50 cm. However, fire can stimulate seed release from cones resulting in large post-fire recruitment pulses. Seedling densities of up to 3050 per hectare were recorded almost 3 years after wildfire, suggesting that follow up control prior to recruits reaching coning age, i.e. within 5 years, would be beneficial. Surveys of wildling pines exposed to low intensity hazard reduction burns suggest that the majority of pines greater than 3 m in height and with a diameter of more than 10 cm will survive the fire. Low intensity prescribed fires that are carried out after pines have reached this size will fail to control wildling populations. To examine the influence of P. radiata once it has established in the native community this study focused on two mechanisms of impact, the addition of pine litter and increased shade due to an increase in canopy cover. Collection of pine litterfall vii within an invaded eucalypt woodland over a 2 year period recorded rates of up to 1400 kg/ha/year in the most heavily invaded area with a pine basal area of 11.3m2/ha. More than 70 % of pine litter fell directly below the pine canopy suggesting that the most severe litter effects will be limited to these areas. Glasshouse and field experiments were conducted to examine the influence of this increased litter load on the emergence of P. radiata and two native species. Recruitment of native plant species was impeded by litter levels of 6000 kg/ha, the equivalent of approximately 4 years of pine litterfall. Both P. radiata and the two natives responded similarly to pine and eucalypt litter suggesting the two litter types are influencing the recruitment phase equally. However, where pines are added to the system, increased litterfall rates could potentially result in the doubling of the litter load and hence a greater barrier to seedling establishment. Pine invaded eucalypt woodlands are also subjected to three fold increases in canopy cover. Trends in reduced emergence of native species under a pine canopy suggest that the addition of pines to eucalypt forests is likely to have a negative influence on native recruitment and may result in a shift towards a shade tolerant community. However, reversal of trends in emergence below pine canopy between seasons implies that quantifying invasion impacts requires a consideration of temporal variation. Increased levels of disturbance, forest fragmentation and an increasing pine estate are likely to lead to the infestation of new areas. Furthermore the lag phase associated with pine spread means that even if no new plantations are established the number of invasion events will increase. This study has identified a number of risk factors that can be used to guide plantation establishment and the management of invasion events. Minimising disturbance at plantation borders and increasing the ‘no planting’ zone will help to reduce the impacts of pines. Where possible new plantations should be established upwind of cleared land or at least, wet sclerophyll forest. Frequent monitoring of the borders of plantations yet to source invasions, particularly those greater than 40 years of age, will help identify problem areas before control becomes difficult and costly. Maps of the 29 plantations marked with areas of pine infestation will help prioritise sites for control and provide base level knowledge for future monitoring of pine spread. Stringent legislation that binds plantation managers to control wildlings beyond their boundaries is critical for the effective management of pine invasions. With infinite numbers of invaders and limited funds to dedicate to their control, a method of triaging species for management is critical. This is particularly difficult viii when information is typically biased towards invaders that are already widespread. By focussing on the ecological impacts of invaders it becomes possible to rank species on the basis of the threat they pose to native communities. Ecological research is capable of providing the knowledge to quantify invasion impacts and must remain at the centre of policy decisions.

Diversos processos são considerados responsáveis pela manutenção de ecossistemas. Entre eles podemos destacar a ciclagem mineral que corresponde ao ciclo dos elementos químicos que fluem entre os compartimentos bióticos, folhas e serrapilheira, e abióticos, atmosfera e solo. Esses elementos químicos se acumulam de forma ativa via absorção nos tecidos desses organismos, possibilitando sua aplicação como biomonitor na avaliação da qualidade do ambiente. Partindo dessa premissa é possível, a partir do estudo de ciclagem bioquímica de serrapilheira, conhecer a proveniência dos elementos químicos observados nas folhas diagnose das árvores. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar, em escala espacial e temporal, as características da produção e sazonalidade da deposição da serrapilheira bem como estudar a composição química das folhas originadas desta serrapilheira depositada no campus do Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN, São Paulo, (RMSP) visando seu emprego como indicador do estagio de conservação ou degradação das áreas estudadas. Foram instalados 10 coletores de serrapilheira, com as dimensões de 1m x 1m, profundidade de 45 cm e 2 mm de malha, dispostos a 20 cm do solo sob a copa das árvores. Para determinação da produção de serrapilheira foram recolhidas deposições mensais nos coletores entre os meses: Fevereiro/2010 à Janeiro/2011. A determinação dos elementos químicos foi realizada utilizando as técnicas de fluorescência de raios-X por dispersão de comprimento de onda (WDXRF) e espectrometria de emissão ótica com fonte de plasma de argônio induzido (ICP-OES). Para a análise estatística dos dados foi aplicada a análise de componentes principais. A heterogeneidade temporal observada foi conseqüência da sazonalidade, interferindo na produção de serrapilheira em relação à quantidade e às porcentagens das frações. A produção de serrapilheira (base seca) durante o período de desenvolvimento da pesquisa foi de 5,86 Kg m-2 ano-1 sendo a espécie Psidiumguajara com maior índice de serrapilheira. Entre as frações, o compartimento folhas foi o mais representativo com 53,12% seguido do compartimento madeira com 26,84% e das partes reprodutivas que representou 20,04% de toda serrapilheira. Os elementos analisados foram Ca, Si, K, P, Fe Cl, Ni, Sr, Zn, Cu, Th, U, Mn, Al, Ti, Na, Mg, S e Br. Os elementos mais abundantes foram Ca, Si e K (1,8%, 0,5% e 0,6%, respectivamente) representando a composição foliar. Apesar de no passado ter havido unidades piloto de purificação de urânio e de tório, bem como considerando as atuais instalações do ciclo do combustível, foi observado que o material monitorado não se apresentou impactado quanto aos elementos químicos avaliados, e as instalações existentes não afetaram o ciclo biogeoquímico das plantas. O estudo trouxe resultados extremamente relevantes para se entender melhor em que estado se encontra o bosque em torno das instalações nucleares do IPEN/SP. / Several processes are considered responsible for ecosystems maintaining. Among them we can highlight mineral cycling that corresponds to the cycle of chemical elements that flow between the biotic compartments, leaves and litterfall, and abiotic, atmosphere and soil. These chemical elements accumulate of the active form through the absorption in the tissues of these organisms, allowing its use as a use as biomonitor in the environment quality evaluation. Based on this premise it is possible, from the biochemical cycling study of litterfall, to know the origin of chemical elements observed in diagnosis leaves of trees. The objective of this study was evaluate, on spatial and temporal scale, the characteristics of the production and seasonality of the litterfall deposition and study the chemical composition of leaves arising from this litterfall deposited on the campus of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute IPEN, São Paulo (RMSP), aiming the employment as an indicator of the conservation or degradation stage of the studies areas. Were installed 10 litterfall collectors, measuring 1m², depth of 45 cm and 2 mm mesh, placed at 20 cm from soil under the crown of 10 trees. To determinate the production of litterfall was collected the deposition monthly during the months of February/2010 through January/2011. The determination of chemical elements was realized by X-ray fluorescence for dispersion of wavelength (WDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). For the statistical analysis was applied to principal component analysis. The temporal heterogeneity observed was consequence of seasonality, interfering in the litterfall production relative to the amount and percentages of fractions. The production of litterfall (dry basis), during the development of the research was 5.86 kg m² year-1, being the Psidiumguajava species with the highest litterfall rate. Among the fractions, the most representative compartment was leaves with 53.12%, followed by wood with 26.84% and reproductive parts thats represented 20.04%, of all litterfall. The elements analyzed were Ca, Si, K, P, Fe Cl, Ni, Sr, Zn, Cu, Th, U, Mn, Al, Ti, Na, Mg, S e Br. The most abundant were Ca, Si, and K (1.8%, 0.5% and 0.6 respectively) representing the leaf composition. Although in the past have been pilot units of uranium and thorium purification, as well considering the current fuel cycle installations, it was observed that monitored material not be presented impacted as to the chemical elements evaluated, and the installations existing do not affect the biogeochemical cycle of plants. The study brought highly relevant results to better understand in what state is the forest around the nuclear facilities of IPEN/SP.

This study examined the effect of manipulating forest floor and harvest residue inputs on nutrient availability and carbon content in the context of intensive forest management. Treatments were removal and addition of forest floor and slash, and a reference. Tree volume, litterfall, and root biomass were measured to assess aboveground productivity and soil moisture and temperature, available nitrogen and phosphorus, O-horizon, and mineral soil for below ground processes. Organic matter additions increased stand bole volume, carbon at 20-60cm, and total nitrogen in the mineral soil. Severely removing the floor and harvest residues did not result in any large differences in below or above ground productivity, soil carbon or nitrogen pools. Removing a potential nutrient pool did not severely affect stand productivity through mid-rotation but could be a concern in subsequent rotations.

The thesis deals with the ecology of lichens in two contrasting types of forest, epiphytic lichens in old Picea abies forest of the fi re-refugia type and epigeic as well as epixylic lichens in a successional sequence of fire- susceptible Pinus sylvestris forests. Results in five separate papers form the basis for a discussion of general patterns of dispersal, succession and life strategies in lichens. The study sites were located in Medelpad and Väs­terbotten, in the central and northern part of Sweden, respectively. Special attention has been paid to the rare, pendulous, spruce-1ichen Usnea longissima and the coexisting lichen species. U. longissima is largely restricted to north-facing hill slopes covered with old, mesic spruce forest that is characterized by a very long continuity not disturbed by fire. A mar­ked decline in the number of sites with U. longissima was found. The decline was mainly due to the effect of different forestry practices as the species is very sensitive to environmental disturbances. The epiphytic lichen vegetation of six tree species occurring in the spruce forest is described. Clear successional trends with increasing tree size were • obtained for Alectoria sarmentosa, Bryoria fuscescens coll., B. nadvornikiana, Usnea filipendula' and U. subflorida'na, to a lesser extent for Bryoria capii-“" laris while U. longissima had no relationship to tree size or age. TTstudy of the litterfall of macrofragments of epiphytic lichens showed that thallus fragments were dispersed throughout the year with late autumn, winter and early spring as the most critical periods. It is suggested that dispersal through thallus fragmentation is more important in fruticose than in foliose species and that U. longissima has a shorter range of propagule transport than the other species of Alectoria, Bryoria and Usnea studied. The latter proposition was supported through a study of the horizontal patterns of lichen occurrence in the spruce forest. It is shown that the diversity in ground vegetation, after an initial in­crease, declines with succession in the pine forests. A mechanism of succes­sion in ground vegetation is presented which suggest that variations in habi­tat heterogeneity, i.e. the diversity of substrates caused by the initial dis­turbance and the stand development, largely determines diversity changes dur­ing succession. Trends of increasing thallus size, increasing size of asexual reproductive propagules and increased competitive ability with succession formed the basis for recognizing three types of strategies in Cladonia» It is concluded that lichens have features that are compatible with the r-K continuum and that they are variously adapted to both the stability of the substrates and that of the forest as a whole. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1983, härtill 5 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

The Northeastern Atlantic Forest of Brazil contains thousands of forest fragments at different stages of regeneration, some recovering from abandoned agricultural fields, while others recovering from chronic disturbances such as fire, logging, and poaching. Some of these fragments kept protected for several reasons: corporate responsibility, compliance with the forest code, preservation of biodiversity, among others. Although these fragments are far from having the same species richness of plant and animal, they can perform important ecosystem services, such as protection of water bodies, reservoir of important nutrients and carbon (C). This is especially important if we consider that there are global initiatives such as REDD + with the objective of assessing secondary forests and forests in recovery process as important C pools. On the other hand, the management and preservation of these fragments depends on a solid knowledge about their structure and nutrient cycle. There is a relatively rich literature on the loss of biodiversity in these Northeastern forest fragments. Much less is available, however, about the structure and function of these fragments. This work intends to contribute to fill this gap, providing solid scientific information on four forest areas and a secondary forest, where a restoration program was implemented in the State of Alagoas, Northeast of Brazil. After a brief introduction, chapter one discusses the structure of these fragments through a complete forest inventory, where individuals density, height and diameter at breast height (DBH) were measured for each tree with DBH >= 10 cm. With these allometric data, we estimated the basal area and aboveground live biomass (AGLB), comparing these attributes with other estimates available in the literature. In chapter two, we investigated the distribution of nutrients in the forest fragments, where we measured the foliar concentration of C, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). At the same time, we measured the litterfall mass in each fragment and its nutrient content for a one year period of sampling. With this information we were able to establish how these areas cycled their main limiting nutrients and C. Finally, in the last chapter we approached the partition of C and nutrient stocks, above and belowground, in order to evaluate the importance of C pools and nutrients in the forest fragments and understand the role of these fragments in a world that urgently needs to store C in a sustainable reservoir. / A Floresta Atlântica do Nordeste do Brasil contém milhares de fragmentos de florestas em diferentes estágios de regeneração, alguns se recuperando de campos agrícolas abandonados, enquanto outros se recuperam de distúrbios crônicos como incêndio, extração de madeira e caça furtiva. Alguns desses fragmentos ficaram protegidos por várias razões: responsabilidade corporativa, cumprimento do código florestal, preservação da biodiversidade, entre outros. Embora estes fragmentos estejam longe de ter a mesma riqueza de espécies vegetais e animais, podem desempenhar importantes serviços ecossistêmicos, como proteção de corpos d\'água, reservatório de importantes nutrientes e carbono. Isso é especialmente importante se considerarmos que há iniciativas globais como o REDD+ que visam avaliar florestas secundárias e de recuperação como importantes reservatórios de carbono (C). Por outro lado, a gestão e preservação destes fragmentos dependem de um conhecimento sólido sobre a sua estrutura e ciclo de nutrientes. Há uma literatura relativamente rica sobre a perda de biodiversidade nestes fragmentos florestais do Nordeste. No entanto, muito menos está disponível sobre a estrutura e o funcionamento destes fragmentos. Este trabalho pretende contribuir para o preenchimento desta lacuna, fornecendo informações científicas sólidas sobre quatro áreas florestais e uma floresta secundária, onde foi implantado um programa de restauração no Estado de Alagoas, Nordeste do Brasil. Após uma breve introdução, o capítulo um discute a estrutura desses fragmentos através de um inventário florestal completo, onde a densidade indivíduos, sua altura e diâmetro à altura do peito (DAP) foram medidos para cada árvore com DAP >= 10 cm. Com esses dados alométricos, estimamos a área basal e a biomassa viva acima do solo (AGLB), comparando esses atributos com outras estimativas disponíveis na literatura. No capítulo dois, investigamos a distribuição de nutrientes nos fragmentos florestais, onde medimos a concentração foliar de C, nitrogênio (N) e fósforo (P). Ao mesmo tempo, medimos durante um ano a massa da serapilheira em cada fragmento e seu teor de nutrientes. Com essas informações pudemos estabelecer como essas áreas ciclam seus principais nutrientes limitantes e C. Finalmente, no último capítulo abordamos a partição dos estoques de C e nutrientes, acima e abaixo do solo, com o objetivo de avaliar a importância dos pools de C e nutrientes nos fragmentos de floresta e entender qual o papel desses fragmentos em um mundo que necessita urgentemente estocar C em um reservatório sustentável.