Factors determining distribution of species in semi-natural grasslands Survival and colonization of plant species in fragmented landscapes are topic of many recent studies. Most of them deal with one or just a few species or with overall species diversity. There are also a lot of studies devoted to the effect of abiotic characteristics and other parameters of fragmented habitat patches. Studies that would enable to evaluate behaviour of a large number of individual species are still relatively rare, especially in case of grassland species. Comparison of species traits in conjunction with the knowledge of type of historical land use and abiotic requirements of species can be a key to understanding of current species dispersal and their regional dynamic in fragmented landscape. This method of prediction of species dispersal can be a good implement for landscape planning and conservation of species and also their habitats. Goal of my thesis was to determine which traits of species influence response of species on land-use history in fragmented habitat of dry grasslands. I tried to use effect of land-use history without effect of environmental factors on species composition in phytosociological relevés. Then I tried to explain the reaction of species through their traits. I focused partially on traits...

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Over the past several decades, naturally occurring populations of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) in the Black Mountains of North Carolina have been heavily impacted by both direct and indirect anthropogenic disturbances, including logging and logging- associated fires, and high mortality rates due to the introduction of the exotic insect, balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) (Adelges piceae). The decline in Fraser fir is particularly concern because it serves as a foundation species within the spruce-fir forests of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Our objectives for this research were to 1) use current stand structure to infer whether Fraser fir trees are experiencing a cycle of regeneration-mortality that will lead to eventual decline of the population, 2) determine what role, if any, the site-specific geographic variables of slope, elevation, aspect, and land use history have on stand structure, mortality, and BWA infestation level, and 3) analyze repeat aerial photography to examine broad trends of spruce-fir forest cover change caused by anthropogenic disturbance and the BWA. In order to understand stand structure, mortality, and infestation levels, we conducted detailed field surveys of Fraser fir trees throughout the Black Mountains using 44, fixed-radius circular sampling plots. These plots were placed throughout a series of aspects, elevations, and disturbance types in order to understand geographic variability among these variables. An analysis of 4 repeat aerial photographs and corroborating ground photographs revealed broad spatio-temporal trends of spruce-fir regeneration and mortality from 1954 to 2006. Our results indicate that Fraser fir stands at higher elevations are currently in a state of recovery; whereas stands at lower elevations appear to be more susceptible to BWA-induced mortality. Changes in forest cover area from 1954 to 2006 were influenced greatly by direct and indirect anthropogenic disturbance. Our results call attention to the significant impact that direct and indirect anthropogenic disturbance has had on Fraser fir stand structure, but also provide evidence for the ability of an imperiled ecosystem to recover from high rates of insect caused mortality. / Master of Science

Temperate forests are an important carbon sink, yet there is uncertainty regarding land-use history effects on biomass accumulation and carbon storage potential in secondary forests. Understanding long-term biomass dynamics is important for managing forests as carbon sinks and for co-benefits such as watershed protection and biodiversity. However there are many unanswered questions regarding these dynamics in northeastern U.S. forests: How have secondary forests of the U.S. Northeast recovered post nineteenth century agricultural abandonment? How has the region's extensive land-use history influenced long-term structural development and aboveground carbon storage? To answer these questions, we employed a longitudinal study based on twelve years of empirical data (2001-2013) from the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller (MBR) National Historical Park in Woodstock, VT. MBR Park was the first parcel of land to actively be reforested in the eastern U.S., and as such, its diverse forest mosaic reflects a history of alternate reforestation approaches and varied successional trajectories indicative of secondary forest recovery occurring across the broader northeastern forest landscape. We also used 150 years of documentary data from park management records. This research evaluates the effects of reforestation approaches (planting vs. natural regeneration), management regimes (long-term low-to-intermediate harvest intensities at varied harvest frequencies), and stand development pathways on biomass outcomes. We generated biometrics representative of stand structural complexity, including the H' structural diversity index, and aboveground biomass (live trees, snags, and downed coarse woody debris pools) estimates. Multivariate analyses evaluated the predictive strength of reforestation approach, management history, and site characteristics relative to aboveground carbon pools and stand structural complexity. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis ranked reforestation approach (plantation or natural regeneration) as the strongest predictor of long-term mean total aboveground carbon storage, while harvest frequency, and stand age were selected as secondary variables. CART ranked forest percent conifer (a metric closely associated with reforestation approach) as the strongest predictor of H' index, while harvest intensity, and harvest frequency were selected as secondary variables. Increases in harvest intensity can significantly reduce aboveground carbon storage. Our results suggest that a variety of long-term recovery pathways converge on high levels of aboveground carbon storage, including both conifer plantations and naturally regenerated hardwood stands, but choice of silvicultural management approach can dramatically alter those trajectories. Importantly, total aboveground biomass (i.e., carbon) co-varied with H' (r2 = 0.25), and thus, our dataset showed a positive relationship between forest carbon storage and structural complexity, supporting the concept of multifunctional forestry emphasizing late-successional habitats.

A restauração ecológica tem sido requisitada a para proteção de biodiversidade e serviços ecossistêmicos. Este desafio é enfrentado com suporte de grandes avanços de ordem teórica e prática, bem como incentivos financeiros e políticas específicas. No entanto, ainda restam incertezas quanto aos fatores que influenciam a trajetória da restauração de florestas tropicais, comprometendo a eficiência no uso de recursos limitados. Visando contribuir para o desenvolvimento metodológico da restauração florestal, e favorecer a identificação de metas de restauração adequadas, estudamos o efeito de características do solo e do contexto de paisagem na restauração de Mata Atlântica, buscando respostas para três questões: Como as áreas disponíveis para restauração se estão distribuídas com relação ao gradiente de degradação, em uma região amplamente antropizada? Qual a importância de características do solo e da cobertura florestal no processo de recuperação? E qual é o efeito da idade de fragmentos adjacentes na regeneração que se estabele em restaurações florestais? Utilizando bases de dados geográficos e estatísticas de terras agrícolas, observamos que os projetos de restauração tendem a se estabelecer sobre paisagens altamente degradadas. Combinando informações de sensoriamento remoto, com a caracterização de solo e da vegetação, em áreas abrangidas pelo mesmo programa de restauração florestal, verificamos que a recuperação de biomassa é afetada pela granulometria, pela cobertura do florestal, e pela interação entre granulometria e composição química dos solos. Também verificamos que a idade da cobertura florestal adjacente afeta a frequência de diferentes atributos. Nossos resultados corroboram a necessidade de avaliação em escala detalhada para a previsão dos resultados da restauração, e sugerem aprimoramentos metodológicos. Considerando que, em paisagens rurais, a adjacência à florestas maduras e a disponibilidade de solos conservados tendem a ser recursos mais raros, políticas de restauração de Mata Atlântica devem prever metas alternativas para as condições mais adversas, e técnicas para melhoria de condições do solo e conservação de remanescentes para possibilitar a recuperação de florestas tropicais em áreas adequadas / Ecological restoration is addressing concerns surrounding threats to ecosystem services and biodiversity. Support for this endeavor comes from substantial conceptual and practical advances, and policy initiatives and monetary incentives. Still, it remains unclear what are the main factors influencing tropical forest restoration. This lack of knowledge can compromise the willingness to restore and waste limited resources. To improve the knowledge base and aid identification of appropriate restoration targets, we studied the effect of soil and landscape context on tropical forest restoration, focusing in three main questions. We first asked: How the potential land supply for restoration is spatially distributed in the range of disturbance contexts of a highly degraded tropical region? Secondly, we asked: How important are soil properties and forest adjacency for biomass uptake and community assembly during early tropical forest restoration? And at last: What is the effect of the age of adjacent forests patches on the forest regeneration established in restoration sites? Using georeferenced databases and rural lands statistics, we observed that forest restoration is likely to be located within highly degraded landscapes. Combining remote sensing, with soil and vegetation survey undertaken in forest restoration sites that were implemented by the same program, we found that biomass recovery is affected by soil texture, surrounding forest coverage and the interaction between soil texture and soil chemical composition. We also found that the age of surrounding forest coverage affected the regenerating plant community, influencing species groups relative density, as related to seed dispersal syndrome, seed size and habitat specialization. Our results corroborate the need for fine scale evaluations to predict restoration outcomes, and anticipate methodological refinement. Given projections for decreasing presence of old-growth forests and increasing soil degradation in tropical rural landscapes, restoration policies likely need to consider alternative restoration targets for adverse conditions, coupled with improving soil conditions and protecting forest remnants to allow moist tropical forest recovery in appropriate areas

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2018-05-18T11:35:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 marcelavenellipyles.pdf: 949685 bytes, checksum: 7bf12c1e314a606c615e187c4d2bb940 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-09-03T16:03:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 marcelavenellipyles.pdf: 949685 bytes, checksum: 7bf12c1e314a606c615e187c4d2bb940 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-03T16:03:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 marcelavenellipyles.pdf: 949685 bytes, checksum: 7bf12c1e314a606c615e187c4d2bb940 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-21 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A urbanização está transformando rapidamente nosso mundo e ameaçando a manutenção das funções do ecossistema, como biodiversidade e produção primária. Este estudo teve como objetivo compreender como diferentes histórias de uso da terra afetam a composição funcional e a diversidade das florestas urbanas e quão funcionalmente vulneráveis são essas florestas a futuros distúrbios. Utilizamos dados de nove florestas urbanas com diferentes históricos de uso da terra (HUT), agrupadas em três categorias de intensidade com três florestas em cada: desnudamento do solo (alta intensidade de HUT), cultivo (intensidade média de HUT) e sem histórico de uso da terra (baixa intensidade de HUT) e de três florestas maduras não urbanas (controle), para fins de comparação, todas situadas na Floresta Atlântica Brasileira. Abordamos duas questões: (i) em que medida as florestas urbanas com diferentes históricos de uso da terra diferem na composição e diversidade funcional e (ii) qual é a consequência do histórico de uso da terra na resistência e resiliência funcional das florestas urbanas? A primeira pergunta foi respondida através da categorização de espécies em grupos funcionais e pelos índices de riqueza funcional e dispersão; e a segunda através de uma análise de resistência, baseada em redundância funcional, e uma análise de resiliência, baseada na diversidade de resposta de espécies. Como prevemos, as florestas urbanas mostraram alterações na composição funcional, independente do histórico de uso. No entanto, efeitos negativos sobre a quantidade e diversidade funcional foram apenas encontrados em florestas com uso prévio da terra mais intenso (desnudamento do solo e cultivo). Apenas as florestas urbanas com histórico de uso da terra tiveram reduções significativas na redundância funcional e na diversidade de respostas das espécies. Surpreendentemente, as florestas urbanas sem histórico de uso da terra são capazes de manter altos níveis de diversidade e segurança funcional, semelhantes aos encontrados nas florestas não urbanas. Concluímos que, embora as florestas urbanas ainda possam servir como reservatórios de diversidade funcional e apresentar alguma segurança no fornecimento de suas funções diante de futuros distúrbios, a intensidade o uso prévio da terra é determinante para a redução, homogeneização e vulnerabilidade funcional dessas florestas. / Urbanisation is rapidly transforming our world and threatening the maintenance of ecosystem functions as biodiversity and primary production. This study aimed to understand how different land-use histories affect functional composition and diversity of urban forests and how functionally vulnerable are these forests to future disturbances. We used data from nine urban forests with different land-use histories (LUH) grouped in three intensity categories with three forests in each: soil denudation (high intensity LUH), cropland (medium intensity LUH) and without land use history (low intensity LUH) and from three non-urban mature forests (control), for comparison purposes, all situated in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. We addressed two questions: (i) to what extent do urban forests with different land-use histories differ in functional composition and diversity metrics?; and (ii) how functionally vulnerable are these forests to future disturbances? The first was answered from the species categorization into functional groups and by the functional richness and dispersion indices; and the second through a resistance analysis based on functional redundancy and a resilience analysis based on species response diversity. As we predict, urban forests showed differences in functional composition, regardless of the land use history. However, negative effects on the amount and diversity of functions were only related to the more intense previous land use (cropland and denudation LUH). Only urban forests with some land use history had significant reductions in functional redundancy and species response diversity. Surprisingly, urban forests without land use history are able to maintain high levels of functional diversity and safety, similar to those found in nonurban forests. We conclude that, although urban forests can still serve as reservoirs of functional diversity and may present some safety in the provision of their functions in the face of future disturbances, the intensity of land use history is determinant for the functional reduction, homogenization and vulnerability of these urban forests.

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Die Kulturlandschaft und ihre Bewirtschaftung haben sich seit dem Beginn der großräumigen Intensivierungsprozesse (z.B. Meliorationen, synthetischer Düngung und Herbizidgebrauch) in den 1950/60er Jahren in Mitteleuropa dramatisch geändert. Viele der ehemaligen artenreichen Grünlandflächen wurden in den letzten Jahrzehnten beseitigt (z.B. durch Umbruch zu Acker). Dies führte zu einem allgemeinen Grünlandrückgang in Deutschland. Heute werden die meisten Ackerflächen und die restlichen Grünlandflächen sehr intensiv bewirtschaftet. Die gegenläufige Entwicklung, die Umwandlung von Äckern zu Grünland, ist eher eine regionale Erscheinung, z.B. im Hügeland oder im Zuge von Kompensationsmaßnahmen. Die Artenzusammensetzung dieser Grünländer unterscheidet sich jedoch häufig von solchen mit längerer Habitatkontinuität. Um die Effekte von solch weiträumigen Meliorationsmaßnahmen auf die Phytodiversität, die Landschaftsstruktur und die hiermit einhergehende Grünlandfragmentierung sowie deren Auswirkungen auf die Pflanzenarten des Grünlandes zu erfassen, ist es nötig, historische Daten aus den 1950er Jahren, bevor die gravierenden, ackerbaulichen Intensivierungen begannen, auszuwerten. Feucht- sowie artenreiche Frischgrünländer waren in den 1950/60er Jahren ein typischer und weit verbreiteter Habitattyp, gelten jedoch aktuell als sehr bedroht in Mitteleuropa. Wiederholungsstudien mit mehreren Untersuchungsflächen und einem Untersuchungs-zeitraum von 50-60 Jahren, der vor den weiträumigen Intensivierungen beginnt, fehlen bislang und klar verortete historische Vegetationsdaten sind selten. Obwohl der Graslandanteil in einigen Hügelregionen in Deutschland zugenommen hat ist die ökologische Qualität vieler dieser Flächen gering. Zusätzlich sind artenreiche Kalkmagerrasen als ein Relikt früherer Bewirtschaftsformen und typischer Bestandteil des Hügellandes durch Nutzungsaufgabe (Sukzession) und Nährstoffeintrag gefährdet. Das Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit war es, den Landschaftswandel und die Veränderungen im Grünland in sechs Flussauengebieten (sowie einem durch Naturschutzstatus geschützten Gebiet) und einem typischen Gebiet des Hügellandes in Norddeutschland zu untersuchen. Hierzu wurden sowohl der Grünlandanteil, die Habitatkontinuität, der aktuelle Habitattyp, der Fragmentierungsgrad als auch die Auswirkungen auf die Artenzahlen, Artenzusammensetzung und die funktionelle Diversität untersucht. Die Studien in den Flussauen basieren auf fein aufgelösten historischen Vegetationskarten und dazugehörigen Vegetationsaufnahmen aus demselben Zeitraum. In 2008 wurden diese sechs Gebiete (+1 geschütztes Gebiet) mittels einer Biotoptypenkartierung erneut erfasst. Innerhalb dieser kanpp 2800 ha (2500 + 293 ha) früherer Grünländer wurden randomisierte Punkte gelegt und zusätzlich Vegetationaufnahmen in allen aktuellen Grünländern (inklusive Sukzessionsstadien) angefertigt. Die Fallstudie (2500 ha) aus dem niedersächsischen Hügelland basiert auf aktuellen Vegetationsaufnahmen, die ebenfalls mittels randomisierter Punkte in den bestehenden Grünländern (394 ha) angefertig wurden. Zusatzdaten über z.B. die aktuelle Bewirtschaftung oder die Habitatkontinuität (Auswertung historischer Karten) wurden ebenfalls erfasst. Die erste Studie zeigte, dass die ehemaligen artenreichen Feucht- und Frischgrünländer in den ungeschützten Gebieten drastisch, um über 80% der ursprünglichen Fläche, zurückgegangen sind. Sie wurden größtenteils durch Äcker, Intensivgrünländer aber auch Brachestadien ersetzt. Bedingt durch diesen starken Flächenrückgang hat die Fragmentierung der Restflächen stark zugenommen. Die durch ein Naturschutzgebiet geschützte Untersuchungsfläche an der Havel zeigte im Vergleich relative geringe Veränderungen. Daraus lässt sich deuten, dass lokale Effekte wie Düngung oder Drainage und nicht überregionale Effekte wie Klimaerwärmung oder der Eintrag von Stickstoff durch Luft die Hauptursache für den dokumentierten Wandel sind. Die zweite Studie in den Grünländern der Auen zeigte, dass sich die Artenzusammensetzung in den letzten fünf bis sechs Jahrzehnten in allen Gebieten stark verändert hat, die Artenzahlen der Vegetationsaufnahmen um 30-50% und auch die funktionelle Diversität in ähnlichem Maße zurückgegangen sind. Die Ellenberg-Zeigerwerte (EIV) für Nährstoffverfügbarkeit sind im Vergleich zu den 1950/60er Jahren stark gestiegen und die Unterschiede zwischen den ungeschützen und dem geschützten Gebiet unterstützen ebenfalls die Annahme, dass Veränderungen größtenteils durch lokale Faktoren und nicht durch überregionale Effekte verursacht wurden. Der Trend in den ungeschützten Gebieten geht zu artenamen Grünlandgesellschaften, die von wenigen konkurrenzstarken und mahdtoleranten Arten dominiert werden. Frühblühende und auf Insektenbestäubung angewiesene Pflanzen sind stark zurückgegangen, mit entsprechenden Auswirkungen auf die Tierwelt. Die dritte Studie verknüpft den dramatischen Grünlandrückgang und die zunehmende Fragmentierung mit der Artenverarmung seit den 1950/60er Jahren. Hierfür wurden mittels definierter Kriterien eine Liste von 78 für das Feucht- und Frischgrünland charakteristischen Grünlandarten definiert, die die Grundlage für die weiteren Analysen bildeten. Die Artenzahlen auf Ebene der Vegetationsaufnahmen nahmen um 30-66% ab. Die getesteten Landschaftsstrukturmaße hatten keinen nachweisbaren Einfluss auf die Artenzahlen auf Landschaftsebene. Die Distanz zum nächstgelegenen und geeigneten Habitat für die charakteristischen Arten hatte einen geringen negativen Effekt auf die Artenzahl der Vegetationsaufnahmen. Die Ellenberg-Zeigerwerte (N, F) und die Diversitätsmaßzahlen an charakteristischen Arten weisen ebenfalls auf den Effekt der lokalen Bewirtschaftung und nicht auf Fragmentierung als treibende Kraft beim Rückgang und dem Wandel der Artengarnitur hin. Im Gegensatz zu den Untersuchungsgebieten in den Flussauen hat sich der Grünlandanteil in der Fallstudie im niedersächsischen Hügelland seit den 1950er Jahren verdoppelt. Es wurden sechs verschiedene Grünlandtypen mit einer Spanne von unter 15 bis zu deutlich mehr als 27 Arten pro Aufnahme erfasst. Die besonders artenreichen Bestände sind aber mit ca. 6% der Fläche sehr selten. Die Anzahl an insektenbestäubten Pflanzen als auch die absoluten Artenzahlen gehen mit steigender Nutzungsintensität (indiziert durch die Ellenberg-Zeigerwerte Nährstoffe (N) und Mahdtoleranz (M)) wie in den Untersuchungsgebieten in den Flussauen zurück. Artenreiche Grünländer kommen nur auf mit Schafen beweideten Flächen mit einer Habitatkontinuität von mindestens 100 Jahren vor. Grünländer mit mittleren Artenzahlen sind größtenteils auf früheren Äckern mit einer Habitatkontinuität von weniger als 30 Jahren zu finden. Die dargestellte Untersuchung hat dramatische Verluste in den Grünlandflächen der Flussauen aufgezeigt. Die Restflächen sind fragmentiert und die Artenzahlen sowie die funtionelle Diversität stark zurückgegangen. Die Fallstudie im niedersächsischen Hügelland zeigt, dass selbst in Landschaften mit hohem Grasslandanteil die ökologische Qualität von den meisten Grünländern nur noch gering ist.