Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-268). Also available via the World Wide Web.

CAPES / O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar áreas submetidas a diferentes tecnologias de restauração florestal em relação à abundância, riqueza, diversidade e composição da fauna presente na serapilheira e no solo. Foram conduzidos os seguintes tratamentos: Regeneração natural (RN), Plantio de árvores em linhas de recobrimento e diversidade (L) e Nucleação (N). Uma área de mata secundária (M) foi incluída no estudo como referencial das condições do solo. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Foram coletadas amostras para extração da mesofauna (outubro/2012; julho e outubro/2013) e da macrofauna (junho e outubro/2013), em seis pontos de cada parcela amostral, totalizando 24 pontos amostrais por tratamento. Para coleta da macrofauna edáfica foi utilizado o método TSBF. A mesofauna foi coletada com o auxílio de um cilindro de metal e extraída utilizando Funis de Berlese-Tüllgren. Em cada ponto foi coletado separadamente serapilheira e solo e a fauna extraída foi identificada em nível de classe/ordem taxonômica. Os colêmbolos foram categorizados em tipos morfológicos. No total, considerando a mesofauna, a macrofauna e as três coletas realizadas, foram contabilizados 28618 organismos. Em relação à mesofauna edáfica, as tecnologias avaliadas não diferiram, após três anos em processo de restauração, em relação à abundância total de organismos e composição da comunidade. O índice diversidade de Shannon, na mesofauna edáfica, seguiu um gradiente de impacto antrópico, sendo superior na Regeneração natural, que não sofreu intervenções técnicas e apresentou maior teor de umidade no solo, e inferior na tecnologia plantio em linhas, que foi submetida ao controle de plantas espontâneas em área total. No caso da mesofauna da serapilheira as áreas submetidas às tecnologias não se diferenciaram em relação à riqueza média de grupos taxonômicos, abundância total de organismos e composição da comunidade. Considerando a macrofauna edáfica as tecnologias não diferiram em relação à abundância e riqueza, sendo que na avaliação de junho/2013 a RN apresentou maior índice H’ e se diferenciou em relação à composição da comunidade das demais tecnologias. Na avaliação de outubro/2013, as diferenças entre as tecnologias em relação ao índice H’ foram mais estreitas e essas não se diferenciaram em termos de composição da comunidade da macrofauna edáfica. Na macrofauna da serapilheira, em junho/2013, a RN apresentou maior riqueza e maior índice H’ quando comparada as demais tecnologias e na avaliação de outubro/2013, as tecnologias não se diferenciaram em relação à composição da comunidade, riqueza média de grupos e abundância média de organismos. No caso dos colêmbolos, as tecnologias após três anos em processo de restauração, não se diferenciaram em relação à abundância, riqueza e composição da comunidade de colêmbolos por diferentes morfotipos. A mata secundária, em relação às tecnologias de restauração florestal, apresentou maior abundância de saprófagos, predadores e maior diversidade de morfotipos de colêmbolos. Diante desses resultados recomenda-se a regeneração natural por ser a tecnologia de menor custo de implantação, seguida da nucleação e do plantio em linha. A fauna deve ser monitorada, ao longo do tempo, nas tecnologias de restauração, bem como as variáveis físicas e químicas do solo, a fim de entender possíveis mudanças na composição e diversidade de organismos. / The goal of this study was to compare areas under different forest restoration technologies in relation to abundance, richness, diversity and composition of the present fauna in the litter and soil. The treatments evaluated were: natural regeneration (RN); high diversity tree plantations (L) and nucleation (N). An area of secondary forest was included in the study as a reference of soil conditions. The experimental design was in randomized block with four replications. Samples were collected for extraction of mesofauna (October/2012; July and October/2013) and macrofauna (June and October/2013) in six points of each plot, totaling 24 samples per treatment. For collecting soil macrofauna was used TSBF method. The mesofauna was collected with a metal cylinder and extracted by Berlese-Tüllgren funnel. Litter and soil were collected separately at each point and the fauna was identified level of class/taxonomic order. The springtails were classified using morphotypes. In total, considering the mesofauna, macrofauna and three times collected were accounted 28618 organisms. In relation soil mesofauna, the evaluated technologies did not differ, after three years of restoration, in relation to total abundance of organisms and community composition. The Shannon diversity index (H), in soil mesofauna, followed a human impact gradient. This index was higher in natural regeneration, which not was undergone technical interventions and showed higher moisture in the soil. The tree planting technology, under the control of volunteer plants in total area, showed lower H index. In the case of litter mesofauna, the technologies did not differ in relation the mean richness, total abundance of organisms and community composition. Considering edaphic macrofauna, technologies did not differ in relation to the abundance and richness, and in the evaluation of June/2013, RN showed higher H index and differed in relation to the community composition of other technologies. In October/2013 evaluation, the differences between the technologies in relation to H index were narrower and these did not differ in terms of composition of soil macrofauna community. In litter macrofauna, in June/2013, the RN presented greater richness and H index when compared to other technologies and in evaluation October/2013 technologies did not differ in relation to community composition, richness and mean abundance of organisms. In the case of springtails, technologies after three years in the restoration process, did not differ in relation to the abundance, richness and composition of Collembola community for different morphotypes. The secondary forest, in relation to forest restoration technologies, presented greater abundance of saprophages, predators and greater diversity of morphotypes of springtails. From these results it, we recommended to natural regeneration by to have the lowest cost of deployment, followed by nucleation and online planting. The animals should be monitored over time, in the restoration technologies, as well as the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil, in order to understand the possible changes in the composition and diversity of organisms.

Fuel accumulation rate and total soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur following prescribed fires were studied. Three prescribed fires were conducted in S.E. Arizona ponderosa pine stands during the summers of 1979, 1980, and 1981. Samples of forest floor and larger diameter fuel and soil from the surface 1.5 inches and 1.5 to 3.0 inch layers were collected in the summer of 1981. Forest floor and total fuel accumulation averaged 5.4 to 6.7 and 6.3 to 8.9 tons/acre/year, respectively. Total nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur in the surface three inches of mineral soil were not significantly affected by burning. Soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur content averaged 0.21%, 344 ppm and 150 ppm, respectively, in the surface 1.5 inches and 0.11%, 285 ppm and 74 ppm, respectively, in the 1.5 to 3.0 inch layer.

Baigiamajame darbe tiriama, kokią įtaką daro skirtingos medžių rūšys dirvožemio rūgštingumui. Darbo objektas – ASU medynų parkas. Darbo tikslas - Šio tyrimo tikslas yra nustatyti, kaip skirtingos medžių rūšys pakeitė dirvožemio pH reakciją medynuose, kuriuose medžiai auga 50 – 56 metus. Darbo metodai – skirtinguose dirvožemio gyliuose pH reakcijos nustatymas lauko ir laboratorijos sąlygomis, karbonatų putojimo gylio nustatymas lauko sąlygomis. Darbo rezultatai. Medynų dirvožemio pH reakcija priklauso nuo augančių medžių rūšių. pH-metru gauti duomenys parodė, kad apie pusės medynų dirvožemio reakcija buvo labiau šarminė nei pievos dirvožemio. H2O ir CaCl2 tirpaluose nustatytos pH reakcijos gautos rūgštinės, tačiau ne visos. H2O tirpale šarminė reakcija gauta paprastosios pušies, neutrali – plaukuotojo beržo ir mažalapės liepos medynų dirvožemiuose. Didžiausią paklotę ir nuokritų masę suformavo hibridinio maumedžio medynas. Visi kiti medynai suformavo daug mažesnes paklotes. Dirvožemio rūgštingumo didinime nerasta ryšio nei tarp svetimkraščių bei vietinių medžių rūšių, nei tarp lapuočių bei spygliuočių. / Subject of the research – This thesis was started in order to investigate what influence on soil acidity has different tree species. Investigation was held in the stand park belonging to Aleksandras Stulginskis University. Aim of the research - Thesis aims to investigate how different tree species has changed soil pH reaction in stands of 50 – 56 years old. Methodology – pH reaction's identification in out doors and lab conditions in different depth levels of soil, depth identification of carbonate foaming in out door conditions. Results. The investigation revealed that soil pH is mostly depending on growing tree species. Using pH meter it was estimated that soil reaction under half of the stands was more alkaline than in grasslands. A reaction in H2O and CaCl2 solutions was found to be acid, however not in all samples. In H2O solution reaction was alkaline for pine (Pinus Sylvestris) while neutral for birch (Betula pubescens) and lime tree (Tilia cordata) stands soils. The thickest litter and biggest mass of litter fall was formed under hybrid larch stands. Other stands formed much lower litter, therefore it could not be stated that litter fall of all tree species has impact on soil acidity. There was found no correlation in increasing soils’ acidity between native and introduced tree species as well as broadleaves and coniferous.

A thesis submitted in the Faculty of Science, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 1996. / Litter accumulates on the forest floor in Pinus patula plantations in Mpumalanga, South Africa and as a result nutrients become immobilized and site productivity is reduced. Studies have correlated litteraccumulation with abiotic factors, such as high altitude sites, high rainfall soils derived from the timeball series (shale) have thick litter layers. This study focuses on the biotic factors involved in litter accumulation. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / GR 2017

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2009. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Understanding of the hydrological cycle and processes such as interception span as far back as the times of the Renaissance, when Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) first described it. However, there remains a gap in the knowledge of both canopy and litter interception in South African forest hydrology. Interception is typically considered to constitute only a small portion of total evaporation and in some models is disregarded or merely lumped with total evaporation, and not considered as a separate process. Interception is a threshold process, as a certain amount of water is required before successive processes such as infiltration and runoff can take place. Therefore an error introduced in modelling interception, especially disregarding it, will automatically introduce errors in the calibration of subsequent models/processes. In this study, field experiments to assess these two poorly understood hydrological processes, viz. canopy and litter interception were established for the three main commercial forestry genera in South Africa, namely, Pinus, Acacia and Eucalyptus as well as an indigenous Podocarpus henkelii stand, thus, accounting for interception of “broad leaf”, “compound leaf” and “needle leaf” trees in order to provide further insight into these processes. The study took place at two locations in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands over a period of three years. The first site is the Two Streams catchment, located in the Seven Oaks area, about 70km north-east of Pietermaritzburg where the study on the commercial plantation species took place. The second site was the Podocarpus henkelii stand in Karkloof near Howick, 40km north of Pietermaritzburg. From the field data collected (cf. Chapter 2) it was observed that canopy storage capacity, an important parameter governing interception, was not constant and changed with rainfall intensity, with lower intensity events resulting in a higher storage capacity. Building on these findings, a physically based canopy interception model that is based on the well known Gash model was developed, and is referred to herein as the “variable storage Gash model”. While canopy interception is dependent on many factors including the storage capacity, potential evaporation, rainfall intensity and rainfall duration, the litter interception is largely dependent on the storage capacity due to the evaporative drivers under the canopy such as radiation, temperature and wind speed being moderated by the above canopy. From these finding, a litter interception model based on idealised drying curves from litter samples collected at the study sites was also developed (cf. Chapter 3). From the field data, it was found that the canopy interception for Eucalyptus grandis, Acacia mearnsii and Pinus patula was 14.9, 27.7 and 21.4% of mean annual precipitation (MAP) respectively. The simulated canopy interception using the “variable storage Gash model” was 16.9%, 26.6% and 23.3% for E. grandis, A. mearnsii and P. patula respectively. The litter interception measured for E. grandis, A. mearnsii and P. patula was found to be 8.5, 6.6 and 12.1% of MAP respectively, while the simulated litter interception using the idealised drying curve model corresponded well with the measured results and were 10.1%, 5.4% and 13.4% for E. grandis, A. mearnsii and P. patula respectively. The idealised drying curve model is site and species specific and is therefore not transferable to other locations. Conversely, the “variable storage Gash model” is transferable as it is not site and species specific, and relies on readily measureable and available information. Building on field studies, this was then used to simulate the canopy interception for Eucalyptus, Acacia mearnsii and Pinus in South Africa (including Lesotho and Swaziland) for all quinary catchments in which commercial forestry could be grown, i.e. a mean annual precipitation of greater than 600 mm.year-1 (cf. Chapter 4). It was found that, depending on the location and genus, canopy interception loss can be as high as 100 to 300 mm per year or approximately 10% to 40% of MAP. This relates to a mean interception loss of between 1.0 and 3.0 mm per rainday, highlighting the spatial variability of canopy interception. To further investigate the spatial variability of canopy interception, at various spatial scales, remote sensing technology was applied to estimate leaf area index (LAI) for use in modelling/estimating canopy storage capacity and canopy interception (cf. Chapter 6). The NDVI, SAVI and Vogelmann 1 vegetation indices were used in the estimation of the LAI. It was found the Vogelmann 1 index produced the best results. As models to estimate canopy interception typically require LAI and storage capacity, it was calculated that the ability to estimate these parameters over large areas is valuable for water resources managers and planners. An often neglected consideration of canopy and litter interception is its role in determining the water use efficiency (WUE) of a forest stand (cf. Chapter 5). This component of the study was undertaken in an indigenous Podocarpus henkelii stand as well as a commercial Pinus patula stand in Karkloof in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. The sap flow (transpiration) was measured in both the P. henkelii and P. patula stands using the using the Heat Pulse Velocity (HPV) technique in order to determine the productive green water use. The canopy and litter interception was measured in the P. henkelii site, but was modelled in the P. patula site using the “variable storage Gash” and idealised drying curve models, in order to estimate the non-productive green water use. It was found that the canopy and litter interception for P. henkelii was 29.8% and 6.2% respectively, while the modelled canopy and litter interception for P. patula was 22.1% and 10.7% respectively. If only the productive green water use (transpiration) is considered, then the water use efficiency of P. henkelii and P. patula was found to be 7.14 g.mm-1 and 25.21 g.mm-1 respectively. However, from a water management perspective it is important to consider the total green water use efficiency (transpiration + interception), which reveals a significantly lower water use efficiency of 3.8 g.mm-1 and 18.8 g.mm-1 for P. henkelii and P. patula respectively. To extend the study to a globally relavent issue, the possible impact of climate change on canopy interception was investigated, as forests growth is critically linked to climate (cf. Chapter 7). To achieve this, the CABALA model was used to model LAI and transpiration of Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus patula under 9 different climate change scenarios, including changes in temperature, rainfall and atmospheric CO2. The simulated LAI values from the CABALA model for all 9 climate scenarios were then used to simulate canopy interception using the “variable storage Gash model”. Results show that LAI may increase by as much as 24% and transpiration may decrease by as much as 13%, depending on the scenario, location and tree species. However, it was found that canopy interception does not change greatly, leading to the conclusion that under climate change conditions, canopy interception may not become a more dominant component of the hydrological cycle than it currently is as the changes under climate change are likely to be less than the natural variability from year to year. However, canopy interception remains an important consideration for water resources management and planning both currently and in the future. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

I investigated oribatid mite assemblages in a beech-maple forest in southwestern Quebec. I first examined the effects of four forest stand types (American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) dominated, Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) dominated, mixed deciduous and coniferous plantations) and three open site types (agricultural field, fallow pasture and unmanaged hay field) in structuring oribatid mite assemblages. My second study focused on the effects of changes in litter depth (a factor that varies by stand type) on the structure of oribatid assemblages. / Stand type was shown to be an important factor in determining oribatid mite abundances, species richness and assemblage composition. Results from the second study confirm this, but revealed no effect of changes in litter depth on oribatid mite assemblages. These findings serve to demonstrate that while examining specific environmental factors as determinants of oribatid mite diversity and distribution is important, more general factors such as habitat type cannot be ignored.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.