The epiphytic lichen Usnea longissima is strongly associated with old-growth forests and is declining. Previous studies have documented unimodal relationships between stand density and abundance of U. longissima. The aim of this thesis has been to investigate whether the same relationship is found in Sweden and to determine the optimum level of stand density. The study area (1.4 ha) was divided into a grid with 48 circular plots (10-m radius). Stand density was measured as basal area (m²/ha) using a relascope and abundance of U. longissima was measured as the length of the longest thallus present on the tree nearest the plot center. Usnea longissima was found in 42 plots (mean thallus length of 37 cm). The regression analyses between length of U. longissima and basal area showed that the relationship was not significant (R²=0.082, P=0.066), and tended to be linear rather than unimodal. However, plots with U. longissima had significantly lower basal area (30.4 m²/ha) than plots without the lichen (35.1 m²/ha). The basal area in U. longissima plots was higher than in Norwegian studies, but similar to other Swedish sites. Thus, my results correspond well with earlier studies that have documented higher basal area in U. longissima-locations in Västernorrland than in more oceanic areas in Norway. Thereby a basal area around 27-35 m²/ha seems most favorable for U. longissima in the study area. The lichen cannot develop large populations in dense stands, indicating that management operations to reduce the basal area might be needed in such stands.

The impacts of climate change on temperate forests are predicted to accelerate, with widespread implications for forest biodiversity and function. Remote sensing has provided insights into regional patterns of vegetation dynamics, and experimental studies have demonstrated impacts of specific changes on individual species. However, forests are diverse and complex ecosystems. To understand how different species in different forests respond to interacting environmental pressures, widespread ground-based monitoring is needed. The only practical way to achieve this is through the involvement of non-professional researchers, i.e., with citizen science. However, many techniques used to identify subtle changes in forests require expensive equipment and professional expertise. This thesis aimed to identify practical methods for citizen scientists to collect useful data on forest ecosystem dynamics in relation to climate change. Methods for monitoring tree phenology and canopy-understorey interactions were the main focus, as tree phenology exerts strong control on understorey light and forest biodiversity, and is already responding to climate change. The response of understorey vegetation to canopy closure in four woodlands from a single region of England (Devon) was examined in detail. These geographically close woodlands differed considerably in their composition and seasonal dynamics. The spring period was particularly important for herb-layer development, and small variations in canopy openness had important effects on herb-layer cover and composition. This work highlights the need to monitor a range of different woodlands at the regional scale, with sufficient resolution to pick up small but crucial differences through time. Citizen scientists could help to collect such data by monitoring herb-layer cover and changes in the abundance of key species, alongside monitoring the overstorey canopy. The spring leaf phenology of four canopy trees (ash, beech, oak and sycamore) were monitored intensively in one woodland using a range of methods: counts, percentage estimates and photography. First budburst and leaf expansion dates were compared with estimates of leaf expansion timing and rate, derived from time-series data using logistic growth models. Frequently used first-event dates were potentially misleading due to high variation in leaf development rates within and between species. Percentage estimates and counts produced similar estimates of leaf expansion timing and rate. A photo-derived greenness index produced similar estimates of timing, but not rate, and was compromised by practical issues of photographing individual crowns in closed canopy woodland. Citizen science should collect time-series data instead of frequently-used first event dates―visual observations offer the most practical way to do this, but further work is needed to test reliability with citizen scientists. Given high intra- and inter-species variation in tree phenology, whole forest canopies need to be monitored to infer canopy closure timing. Canopy openness was assessed using sophisticated hemispherical photography and a range of low-cost alternatives, across four Devon woodlands over a year. Visual estimates and ordinary photography were too coarse to identify fine-scale variation in canopies. Smartphone fisheye photography analysed with free software was identified as a reliable surrogate for estimating relative, though not absolute, canopy openness. The method has high potential as a citizen science tool, as different phone models and users gave similar canopy openness estimates. In a detailed follow-up study, smartphone fisheye photography, hemispherical photography and visual observations of leaf expansion were used every other day to characterise spring canopy development. Logistic growth models estimated canopy closure timing and rate. Visual observations identified much earlier canopy development than either photographic method. Smartphone fisheye photography performed comparably to hemispherical photography. There is good potential for practical application of smartphone fisheye photography, as similar canopy closure estimates were gained from photos taken once every two weeks. The research in this thesis identifies a range of methods suitable for widespread monitoring of forest ecosystem dynamics in relation to climate change. Developing a smartphone app for automatic analysis and submission of canopy images will be an important next step to enabling widespread use. A pilot project is underway to begin testing methods with citizen scientists. Further research into data quality with citizen scientists is needed before the methods can be rolled out widely with confidence.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:30:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6718.pdf: 3584867 bytes, checksum: eaaad7421677fc2d021e4e8e56e7336b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-13 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity conservation, and many studies have been conducted to give an answer to why some ecosystems are more invaded than others. Canopy openness and the litter thickness may be two of the factors to drive the seed germination and establishment of seedling of tree species. Hovenia dulcis is a tree widely distributed in southern Brazil, with intense natural regeneration. It has been reported to be dominant in many natural forests in the southern area of Brazil, where it is considered one of the main exotic species with occurrence in natural forest in this region. This research has the aim to assess whether the colonization time of the species on the remnants is relevant for the invasion process, and if the thickness of the litter and the openness of the canopy are important to forecast the abundance of the H. dulcis. We experimentally addressed which factors are related to the propagule pressure; if the propagule pressure is related to the seedling abundance, if the litter and the canopy openness are associated with the variation on the seedling recruitment; and whether survival and seedling recruitment vary between the treatments under and distant from the mother plant crown. To evaluate the importance of the residence time and the place variables upon the abundance variation of H. dulcis we assessed 25 subpopulations in ten forest remnants, totaling 250 subpopulations. For the trial study in eight remnants, four subpopulations (mother plants) were chosen in each of the eight, totaling 32 subpopulations. In each subpopulation, we delimitated a 1m² plot at the final plot of the mother plant crown, and another at the same direction at a distant twice the crown radius. In each remnant from two subpopulations it has been removed all litter from the plot and the others have just been marked. This experiment was followed for an eight-month period. It has been checked that the H. dulcis colonization time on the forest remnants was not important to forecast the abundance of seedlings and juveniles. Spatial variations on litter thickness and canopy openness explained most part of the H. dulcis abundance variation. This research has rejected the hypothesis that the propagule pressure is related to the H. dulcis seedlings abundance. It also showed that the canopy openness is not related with the abundance of the species. The germination has shown total independence from the extraction of the litter. Nonetheless, it has showed that the mother plant crown exert influence upon the survival of the seedlings, on treatments with or without litter. It has checked that the removal of litter increase significantly the recruitment of seedlings on environments without the influence of adults individuals of H. dulcis, thus showing that the disorders from different origins are fundamental for the initial colonization of the species. There are evidences that the presence of adults individuals of the species favor the establishment of its seedlings, regardless the presence of litter. / As invasões biológicas são uma das maiores ameaças a conservação da biodiversidade, muitos estudos têm sido conduzidos a afim de responder porque alguns ecossistemas são mais invadidos que outros. A abertura do dossel e a espessura da serapilheira podem ser dois dos principais fatores que influenciam a germinação de sementes e o estabelecimento de plântulas de espécies arbóreas. A Hovenia dulcis é uma espécie arbórea largamente difundida no Sul do Brasil, apresentando regeneração natural intensa. Existem relatos de invasão desta espécie na grande maioria das formações florestais naturais da Região Sul do Brasil, sendo considerada uma das principais espécies exóticas com ocorrência em áreas florestais naturais nesta região. Este estudo teve como objetivos avaliar se o tempo de colonização da espécie nos remanescentes é relevante para o processo de invasão; se a espessura da serapilheira e a abertura do dossel são importantes em predizer a abundância de H. dulcis. Experimentalmente, avaliouse quais fatores estão relacionados com a pressão de propágulos; se a pressão de propágulos está relacionada com a abundância de plântulas; se a serapilheira e a abertura do dossel estão relacionadas com as variações no recrutamento de plântulas; e, se a sobrevivência e o recrutamento de plântulas variam entre os tratamentos sob e distante da copa da planta mãe. Para avaliarmos a importância do tempo de residência e das variáveis de sítio sobre as variações na abundância de H. dulcis avaliamos 25 subpopulações em dez remanescentes florestais, totalizando 250 subpopulações. Para o estudo experimental, em oito remanescentes, elegeu-se quatro subpopulações (plantas mãe) cada, totalizando 32 subpopulações. Em cada subpopulação demarcamos uma parcela de 1m2 na porção final do raio da copa da planta mãe para o interior e outra, na mesma direção, no dobro do raio da copa. Em cada remanescente em duas subpopulações removeu-se toda a serapilheira das parcelas e nas outras duas apenas demarcamos as mesmas. Acompanhou-se o experimento ao longo de um período de oito meses. Verificou-se que o tempo de colonização da H. dulcis nos remanescentes florestais não foi importante para predizer a abundância de plântulas e juvenis. Variações espaciais na espessura da serapilheira e na abertura do dossel explicaram grande parte das variações na abundância de H. dulcis. Este estudo rejeitou a hipótese de que a pressão de propágulos está relacionada com a abundância de plântulas de H. dulcis. Da mesma forma, mostrou que a abertura do dossel não está relacionada com a abundância da espécie. A germinação se mostrou totalmente independente da remoção ou não da serapilheira. Entretanto, mostrou que a copa das plantas mãe exerce uma influência sobre a sobrevivência de plântulas, tanto nos tratamentos com ou sem serapilheira. Verificou-se que a remoção da serapilheira aumenta significativamente o recrutamento de plântulas em ambientes sem a influência de indivíduos adultos de H. dulcis, mostrando, desta forma, que os distúrbios de diferentes origens são fundamentais para a colonização inicial da espécie. Existem evidências que a presença de indivíduos adultos da espécie facilita o estabelecimento de suas plântulas, independente da presença ou não da serapilheira.