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Well-being 2030 has become the latest rationale for the OECD's education work. This vision has given rise to new assessments of student well-being beginning with PISA 2015. The OECD, recognising the problems of PISA 2015, conceptualised a wider student well-being construct in PISA 2018, and attempted to measure 'students' feelings'. However, analyses of the OECD's affective turn reveal major problems remain. Our critique is empirically underpinned by an innovative analytical strategy: comparing PISA 2018 student questionnaire translations across different 'economies' that use the same written language (China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan). Our analyses confirm that the OECD imagines a cultural and context-free world, one in which translation and measurements are simply technical problems to be engineered, rather than deeper 'problems' of worldviews that require attunement. To encourage the OECD to recognise these differences in its future assessments, we offer starting points from recent research in cultural psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the sustainability imperative looms, mainstream educational research in the English-speaking world continues a long tradition of failing to see food as integral to education. Japan’s tradition of Shokuiku (food education) stands in stark contrast, providing an external reference point to direct critical attention on Anglo-American school food philosophies, policy, and practice. This article analyses Shokuiku, tracing the genealogy of Japan’s 2005 Basic Law on Shokuiku, a landmark education policy that shifted the 1954 School Lunch Act away from the scientific and nutritional discourses of the mid-20th century and back to Japan’s school food cultural traditions. While still teaching nutrition, Japan’s Shokuiku emerges as distinctive in its broader goals of interdependence, gratitude towards nature, emphasis on culture, and awareness of relations between production, consumption, and sustainability. From a pragmatic perspective, Shokuiku may offer new ways to combat rising obesity worldwide, lessen meat consumption, and reduce humanity’s unsustainable ecological footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OECD's PISA exercise has by now been widely critiqued. Whilst we agree with most concerns, we begin with the assumption that PISA will remain an enduring and powerful feature of the global educational landscape. Even if the PISA test itself were discontinued, a similar large-scale quantitative assessment exercise would soon arise to take its place. As such, we focus herein on strategies for rearticulating ILSAs such as PISA: the creative use of data to shift the exercise away from dissemination of one dominant worldview towards the recognition of alternatives. To do this, we discuss the approach and findings from our recent papers, and then suggest future directions. Rather than mere accommodation, re-articulation underscores an approach to critique that is generative for theory and practice, one that extends of the horizon of possibility beyond culturally saturated notions of 'good' education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending recent analyses using PISA data, the current study utilises the OECD's Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) to test the central claims of knowledge capital theory. PIAAC has a distinct advantage over PISA in that it more directly tests levels of purported 'knowledge capital' across an entire national workforce, rather than offering approximations based on the performance of 15-year-old students. Findings from our two original studies reported herein further refute the tight linkage between cognitive levels and GDP growth per capita envisaged by proponents of knowledge capital, most notably the OECD and World Bank. These results suggest that knowledge capital theory is now degenerate. If scholars are willing to extend this reporting of results refuting knowledge capital theory, this will likely accelerate the theory's loss of momentum in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational scholars, particularly those working in comparative education, have largely failed to recognise, let alone discuss, the impending finite-ness of global resources. The field continues to operate on an assumption of infinite resources, an implicit cultural horizon in place since at least the Western Enlightenment. It has missed the epochal shift that is now upon us; unable to contribute to the deep transformation of research and practices that has now become urgent. Herein we discuss how such concerns might be addressed, suggesting an approach that centres ontological alterity through comparative method as means of making the turn towards a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we examine the dominant image of East Asian schools as marked by a darker side of widespread bullying, leading to high rates of youth suicide. First outlining the substantial literature on bullying in the English language, we turn to show how – paradoxically – the rates of bullying and suicide are no higher, or in nearly all cases, lower than both Anglo-American systems (Australia, England, New Zealand, United States) and high PISA performers (Canada, Finland, Estonia). To explain this, we extend a constructivist approach proposed by sociologists of Japanese youth, suggesting that recurrent 'moral panics' such as bullying are determined, at least in part, by underlying differences in self-construal and views of how society functions. This analysis contributes to recent work that has challenged persistent stereotypes of East Asian education, those images blocking deeper engagement with the underlying differences in approach and philosophy these systems represent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing increasing critique that PISA focuses too narrowly on cognitive achievement and human/knowledge capital, the OECD has recently shifted some of its focus to student happiness. The 2017 Students' Well-Being report distinguishes between 'happy schools' and 'unhappy schools', showing that among students who combined high performance and life satisfaction, northern European countries topped the charts. Meanwhile, students in East Asian countries including Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea registered the lowest 'life satisfaction' scores among all participating countries. This piece points out some of the problems inherent in the OECD's recent turn to happiness, problematizing the OECD yardstick of life satisfaction. Attempting to keep the critique constructive, we suggest that the OECD may want to consider using alternative metrics, then briefly highlight one developed in East Asia from different first assumptions: the Interdependent Happiness Scale. In conclusion we flag, but cannot answer, some related educational questions concerning policy, pedagogy, and priorities for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Founded on several highly influential quantitative studies, the past decade has witnessed the OECD and World Bank increasingly converge on the view that cognitive levels of students and education quality, as proxied by international large-scale assessments (ILSAs), are the primary determinant of national economic growth worldwide. More recent OECD and World Bank pronouncements have further suggested these dynamics are clearly illustrated in East Asia's education and 'Economic Miracle', in particular the cases of South Korea and Singapore. Herein we utilise the OECD's own data to examine this new development narrative, finding little evidence in support of these claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asian dominance in international large-scale assessments is widely known. This is often explained as an outcome of highly competitive, exam-oriented education systems in East Asia, wherein students partake in a fierce competition for limited college entrance. Although achievement scores may be comparatively higher, the argument goes, the relative success comes at a steep price, with the emphasis on high-stakes tests heightening student stress and anxiety. In this paper we refute this persistent and out-dated stereotype by focusing on changes in Japanese education over the past several decades. The two original studies we report herein show that not only do Japanese students feel less school-related anxiety and stress than they once did, but these levels are now comparable to students in America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In showing that stereotypes do not match empirical realities, we seek to open a richer discussion around East Asian student achievement. We conclude by extending the discussion to recent changes in China, Taiwan, and South Korea. We then raise the possibility that fundamentally different outlooks on the learning process explain both differences in achievement and the persistence of the West’s distorted images of Japanese and East Asian education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High student achievement across East Asia is often explained as an outcome of highly competitive, stress‐inducing college entrance exams across the region. This ‘exam hell’ drives students to study longer and harder than their peers worldwide, a race that leads—unsurprisingly—to higher marks in international comparisons such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Yet, the race comes at a considerable cost: psychological pressure, forfeited childhoods, regimes of rote memorisation, lack of creativity and private outlays for cram schools. In this article, we seek to refute this outdated narrative by focusing on changes in Japanese education over the past three decades. We first analyse quantitative data for learning time based on three longitudinal surveys conducted by researchers in Japan to show that learning time for Japanese upper secondary students declined during 1980–2000 (Study 1). We then turn to analyse PISA 2015 data to show that now Japanese students study less than their peers in major Anglo‐American countries: the USA, the UK and Australia (Study 2). These findings run counter to well‐worn images frequently rehearsed in both the academic and popular literature. In helping to remove one of the most persistent stereotypes about East Asian education, we seek to help make visible other explanations for East Asian student achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo forests have been expanding rapidly in Asian countries for the past 50 years. Whether natural or artificial, this expansion involves the replacement of other vegetation types by bamboo, which could impact the local water cycle. Previous studies in Japan have reported that bamboo forests have higher transpiration than coniferous forests under temperate climates, but it is unknown whether this finding applies to subtropical climates. Thus, we examined whether a Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys pubescens) forest exhibits higher transpiration in a subtropical climate. We used the sap-flux method to estimate the stand transpiration ( E) of Moso bamboo and Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica) forests in Taiwan. As was observed in the Japanese studies, annual E for bamboo (478 mm) was higher than that for cedar (122 mm), although we found a difference in the seasonality of E between the Taiwanese and Japanese sites. Canopy conductance ( Gc) for bamboo was higher than that for cedar in Taiwan, which was reported previously for Japan. Gc for bamboo in Taiwan was comparable to that in Japan, despite a difference in the leaf area index (LAI). Gc for cedar in Taiwan was lower than that in Japan. This difference in Gc between Taiwan and Japan corresponded to differences in the sapwood area and LAI. These findings suggest a significant change in E and, therefore, the terrestrial water and carbon cycle, regardless of different climates, when Japanese cedar forests are replaced by Moso bamboo forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in mean PISA scores have not been adequately explained to date, suggesting the limits of our current understanding of the relationship between educational practices and students' performance. In contrast to previous research that applies existing theories to explain observed variations, this study attempts to extend our existing theoretical horizon using PISA-derived data. We first introduce findings of PISA-Science data that run counter to the fundamental assumptions of both student-centered and teacher-centered learning theories; namely, countries having lower levels of students' initiative to design and carry out their own projects had higher scores. We then propose an alternative theory of learning (Type II learning) to explain this counterexample by rethinking the learning process at its philosophical and ontological depths. We conclude by noting a surprising paradox: the Type II learning made visible through PISA data appears to undermine the core premise of the OECD's whole approach to PISA itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several recent, highly influential comparative studies have made strong statistical claims that improvements on global learning assessments such as PISA will lead to higher GDP growth rates. These claims have provided the primary source of legitimation for policy reforms championed by leading international organisations, most notably the World Bank and OECD. To date there have been several critiques but these have been too limited to challenge the validity of the claims. The consequence is continued utilisation and citation of these strong claims, resulting in a growing aura of scientific truth and concrete policy reforms. In this piece we report findings from two original studies that invalidate these statistical claims. Our intent is to contribute to a more rigorous global discussion on education policy, as well as call attention to the fact that the new global policy regime is founded on flawed statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Seeking to contribute to recent attempts to rethink the deepest foundations of the field, this paper offers news ways of contemplating time, specifically its relations to self, nihilism, and schooling. We briefly review how some leading Western thinkers have contemplated time before detailing Japanese scholars who have offered divergent, original, and arguably more sophisticated, theoretical accounts. We then illustrate these ideas by sketching how Japan ‘borrowed time’ following the abrupt political rupture of 1868, showing howLinear Timecame to be disseminated and diffused, largely through modern schooling. Last, we spotlight the nihilism that has arisen as consequence. Our primary aim is not empirical elaboration, however, but instead disclosure of a complex of relations that the field of comparative education has yet to discuss. We offer both the experience-cum-thought of Japan and this complex itself as reconstructive resources for the field which remains shallow in its parochial presumptions and unwillingness to engage ontologically. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: In western Japan, Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forests have been expanding by replacing surrounding forests (e.g., coniferous plantation forests), which raises concerns about possible changes in terrestrial water and carbon cycles. Canopy conductance (G c ) is a critical parameter for determining canopy transpiration and photosynthesis. To clarify the characteristics of G c for Moso bamboo forests, we calculated G c during a growing season for a Moso bamboo forest on the basis of canopy transpiration measurements made using the sap-flux method, and then compared the G c value with values for coniferous plantation forests in western Japan. G c was primarily related to the vapor pressure deficit and secondarily to solar radiation, similar to the results obtained for other temperate forests. Under light-saturated conditions, G c for the bamboo forest was approximately twice that for the coniferous plantation forests despite the lower leaf area index for the bamboo forest. This implies higher canopy transpiration and photosynthesis for the bamboo forest, and therefore possible changes in terrestrial water and carbon cycles due to the replacement of coniferous plantation forests by bamboo forests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Annual forest evapotranspiration (ET) is highly variable among various sites. Zhang’s model () has been widely used for predicting the spatial variation in ET. The forest component of the model employs limiting theory and assumes constant annual potential evaporation (E 0 =1410mm) by regressing data recorded at 56 forest sites. However, most of the data used in determining E 0 were recorded for limited regions (Australia, African countries, and the United States). We summarized 829 forest ET data items obtained for sites around the world from earlier publications. Using the dataset, we showed that Zhang’s model overestimates forest ET in temperate and boreal regions with low annual mean temperature (T) owing to the E 0 value. We revised the E 0 term of Zhang’s model so as to consider the dependency of E 0 on T using the dataset. The revised model did not overestimate forest ET in temperate and boreal regions. Consequently, we recommend revising the E 0 term of Zhang’s model when predicting forest ET in these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing trends in runoff and water balance under a warming atmosphere are a major subject of interest in recent climatic and hydrological research. Forest basins represent the most complex systems including critical hydrological processes. In this study, we investigate the relationship between annual total runoff ( Q), precipitation ( P), and mean temperature ( T) using observed data collected from 829 (forest) site years around the world. It is shown that the strong linear relationship between annual P and Q is a function of mean T. By empirically perturbing observed annual Q and P with T, a set of ΔQ-zero lines are derived for different mean T. To evaluate the extent to which the future changes in annual P and T alter Q, the future projections of ΔP and ΔT under a warming scenario (A1B) from five coupled AOGCMs (Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models) are compared with the empirical ΔQ-zero lines derived in this study. It is found that five AOGCMs show different distributions with respect to the ΔQ-zero lines, which can be attributed to the contrasting dominant sensitivities of various influencing factors to water balance partitioning among models. The knowledge gained in this empirical study is helpful to predict water resources changes under changing climate as well as to interpret hydrologic simulations in AOGCM future projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of forestry practices such as thinning and pruning have gradually decreased since the 1980s. Researchers have noted an increased flood risk with decreased forestry practices for coniferous plantations in Japan on the basis of infiltration and overland flow measurements at a plot scale (typically several square meters). However, no studies have examined changes in peak flow with decreased forestry practices at a watershed scale (typically several tens or hundreds of square kilometers) even though flood disasters generally occur at this scale in Japan. We examined changes in frequency distributions of daily precipitation (P) and runoff (Q) during the period 1979–2007 at the Terauchi watershed, where forestry practices are known to have decreased. For this purpose, we divided P and Q data into 14 and 15 classes according to the magnitude, respectively, and examined changes in the frequency for each class during the period. We observed no significant increasing trend for any P or Q class. Even when taking into account the effect of interannual variations in precipitation on the frequency for each Q class, there was no significant increasing trend in the frequencies except for two Q classes with moderate Q values. These results suggest that the increase in flood risk due to decreased forestry practices might be less than expected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Temperature data in the mountain forest regions are often extrapolated from temperature data recorded at base stations at lower elevation. Such extrapolation is often based on elevation differences between target regions and base stations at low elevation assuming a constant temperature lapse rate throughout the year. However, this assumption might be problematic where slope circulation is active and decoupled from the regional circulation. To model the seasonal change in the lapse rate, the authors compared daily maximum ( Tmax) and minimum temperatures ( Tmin) observed at a mountain forest site (Kog–Ma; 1300-m altitude) with those observed at the bottom of the basin (Chiang–Mai; 314-m altitude) in northern Thailand, where slope circulation is active and decoupled from the regional circulation. The difference in Tmax between Kog–Ma and Chiang–Mai (Δ Tmax; Kog–Ma minus Chiang–Mai) was relatively unchanged throughout the year. However, the difference in Tmin between Kog–Ma and Chiang–Mai (Δ Tmin) changed seasonally. Thus, assuming a constant lapse rate throughout the year could cause large errors in extrapolating Tmin data in mountainous areas in northern Thailand. The difference Δ Tmin was related to nighttime net radiation (Rn), suggesting that nocturnal drainage flow affects the determination of Δ Tmin. This relationship would be useful in formulating seasonal changes in the lapse rate for Tmin. As Rn data are generally unavailable for meteorological stations, an index that relates to the lapse rate for Tmin and is calculated from Tmax and Tmin data is proposed. This index might be useful for accurately estimating Tmin values in mountainous regions in northern Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and journalists in Japan recently proposed forest management as an alternative to dam reservoir development for water resource management. To examine the validity of the proposal, we compared the potential low-flow increase due to forest clearcutting with the increase due to dam reservoir development. Here, we focused on forest clearcutting as an end member among various types of forest management. We first analyzed runoff data for five catchments and found a positive correlation between annual precipitation and the low-flow increase due to deforestation. We then examined the increase in low-flow rates due to dam reservoir development (dQd ) using inflow and outflow data for 45 dam reservoirs across Japan. Using the relationship between annual precipitation and the low-flow increase due to deforestation, we estimated the potential increase in the low-flow rate for each dam reservoir watershed if forests in the watershed were clearcut (dQf ). Only 6 of the 45 samples satisfied dQf > dQd , indicating that the potential increase in the low-flow rate due to forest clearcutting was less than the increase due to dam reservoir development in most cases. Twenty-five of the 45 samples satisfied dQf <0.2 dQd , indicating the potential increase in the low-flow rate due to forest clearcutting was less than 20% of the increase due to dam reservoir development in more than half the cases. Therefore, forest management is far less effective for water resource management than dam reservoir development is in Japan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sap flow velocities in stems (Sfs) were measured in four 50-m tall emergent trees in a Bornean tropical rainforest. Cross-correlation analysis was used to estimate time lags between diurnal patterns of Sfs and canopy-scale transpiration (Tr) calculated from a big-leaf model validated by water-vapor flux measurements at this site. The time lags between Sfs and Tr were found to be less than 20min in these trees in both wet and medium dry conditions. In addition, the time lags between Sfs and sap flow velocities measured in a branch at the top of an emergent tree were also less than 20min. These results are in contrast to those of previous studies conducted in a neo-tropical forest ecosystem, which reported significant time lags of 40–120min between transpiration and stem sap flow in emergent trees. The results of this study suggest that hydraulic resistance along the conductive pathway and internal water storage between tree crown and stem are insignificant for this forest. Our results also suggest that sap flow measurements conducted at accessible points can be used to estimate canopy transpiration on a diurnal time scale without accounting for the time lags between canopy transpiration and stem sap flows, despite the 50-m tall forest canopy at our site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: In Japan, forested areas are usually located upstream of urban and agricultural areas. Estimating annual water yield from such forested areas is therefore crucial for water resources management. For this purpose, estimating annual forest evapotranspiration is required. We developed an empirical model for estimating annual forest evapotranspiration E in Japan based on 43 catchment water balance datasets summarized from earlier publications. The model formulated E as E (mm)=31.4T (°C)+376, where T is mean annual air temperature. This model estimated E observed in forest catchments with an average 6% error relative to incident annual precipitation. This error was comparable to or smaller than the error included in precipitation data due to the spatial heterogeneity of precipitation. High-quality air temperature data are commonly available in Japan, thus this model is a practical tool for annual water yield estimates from forested areas and therefore water resources management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many studies have reported tree growth reduction in forests with pedestrian trampling, implying a reduction of tree transpiration in such forests. We undertook observations of tree transpiration based on the heat-pulse method in a forest (Lithocarpus edulis) with pedestrian trampling. We prepared trampled and control plots in the forest. Tree transpiration in the trampled plot was reduced compared to that in the control plot after precipitation with a small-precipitation period preceding this. No difference was observed between plots in the small-precipitation period itself; during which tree transpiration was limited in both plots. After the period, tree transpiration recovery was not as complete in the trampled plot as in the control plot. This was caused by incomplete soil matric potential recovery at 20 cm and deeper in the trampled plot due to a lower infiltration rate. We believe this study is the first to report reduction of tree transpiration in a forest with pedestrian trampling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: It is a commonly held belief in Japan, based on a US case study, that coniferous forests evaporate more water than broad-leaved forests. If this is true, converting coniferous forests into broad-leaved forests would result in an increased water yield. However, it is not known whether the US case study is applicable to Japanese forests. A simple model was developed to calculate annual forest evapotranspiration E based on the review of 67 dry-canopy and 16 wet-canopy evaporation studies. We calculated the E values for broad-leaved and coniferous forests under meteorological conditions found in Japan. E of broad-leaved forests was approximately the same as E of young coniferous forests and higher than E of old coniferous forests. The results predicted by the model were supported by water balance data from three Japanese experimental catchments. The conclusion from the data is that coniferous forests do not evaporate more water than broad-leaved forests in Japan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Our previous study summarized published data on dry-canopy evaporation in coniferous forests during the growing season and found a decrease in the Priestley–Taylor coefficient α with canopy height. We speculated that the decrease in α was caused by a decrease in stomatal conductance with tree height. However, the decrease in α may also be explained by changes in leaf area index (LAI) and/or stem density with canopy height. We found no clear relationship between LAI and α in our previous study. Here, we examined the relationship between stem density and α and found no clear relationship, indicating that the decrease in α with increasing canopy height is not explained by changes in stem density. Thus, our results support the previous speculation that decrease in α was caused by a decrease in stomatal conductance with tree height. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wind speed profiles above a forest canopy relate to scalar exchange between the forest canopy and the atmosphere. Many studies have reported that vertical wind speed profiles above a relatively flat forest can be classified by a stability index developed assuming wind flow above a flat plane. However, can such a stability index be used to classify vertical wind speed profiles observed above a sloping forest at nighttime, where drainage flow often occurs? This paper examines the use of the bulk Richardson number to classify wind speed profiles observed above a sloping forest at nighttime. Wind speed profiles above a sloping forest were classified by the bulk Richardson numberRi B. Use ofRi B distinguished between drainage flow, shear flow, and transitional flow from drainage flow to shear flow. These results suggest thatRi B is useful to interpret nighttime CO2 and energy fluxes above a sloping forest. Through clear observational evidence, we also show that the reference height should be high enough to avoid drainage-flow effects when calculatingRi B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data for one year, we examined the vertical wind speed profiles on a mountain slope covered with forest in northern Thailand under a tropical monsoon climate. We defined two profile patterns: higher wind speeds at greater heights (Pattern 1) and lower wind speeds at greater heights (Pattern 2). We classified 9.4% of the data as Pattern 2; this pattern tended to occur during the night, at low wind speeds, and with high outgoing longwave radiation. In addition, stable stratification and decoupling between the canopy surface air and the overlying layers were observed when Pattern 2 occurred frequently. These facts suggested that Pattern 2 was caused by a nocturnal drainage flow. The occurrence of Pattern 2 showed a clear seasonal trend, indicating that there is a seasonal trend in the occurrence of nocturnal drainage flows. Pattern 2 was observed more frequently between August and February and less frequently between March and July. This corresponded to the seasonal trend in wind speed, but did not correspond to the seasonal trend in the outgoing longwave radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While discussions surrounding education for sustainable development (ESD) are diverse, most scholars and policy makers view student-centered learning (SCL) as axiomatic. In contrast, we argue that promoting SCL potentially stymies educational contributions to sustainability by extending a culturally specific belief in ontological individualism. We first highlight that countries committed to SCL tend to be dominated by ontological individualism and then show that these same countries score lower on a range of social and environmental sustainability indices. Moreover, countries where the belief in ontological individualism reigns tend to be liberal market economies, an institutional arrangement largely ineffective or even detrimental to social and environmental sustainability. In raising these issues, we seek less to provide a definitive account of the key relationships than to catalyze a deeper conversation about how to reimagine the taken-for-granted logics of education as the sustainability imperative looms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Models were developed to overcome shortcomings of traditional meta-analyses. • Models for smalls scales proposed around 1990 were not widely used. • Practical models focusing on specific contexts began to be developed around 2000. • Forest hydrologists should develop practical models for collective decision-making. There exist very few reviews of models that predict changes in evapotranspiration with forest management (e.g., clearcutting and thinning). This omission has potentially prevented forest hydrologists from effectively identifying critical research topics and collaborating with policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in related fields to assist policymaking. To remedy this omission, the current study elaborates why models were needed in the first place and how models were developed historically. Models were developed to overcome limitations of traditional meta-analyses of measurement studies (i.e., inability to explain between-site variations in evapotranspiration changes with forest management) that had been recognized since the 1960s. With the improvement of the understandings about evapotranspiration processes, forest hydrologists proposed models that could predict changes in evapotranspiration with forest management around 1990. Among the models proposed around 1990, models for large scales were widely used for practical purposes (e.g., assessing the impact of large-scale deforestation on the continental and global water cycle). However, models for small scales were not widely used for assessing the impacts of forest management on water resources and other practical purposes. One major reason for this was that models for small scales proposed around 1990 were primarily designed as research tools. To improve practical applicability, forest hydrologists then started developing simple, practical models for small scales that focused on applications to a particular area, species, and purpose around 2000. Considering the necessity of human society to adapt to emerging environmental challenges within a limited time frame, we conclude that the primary role of forest hydrologists in this era is to quickly detect emerging environmental challenges and then develop practical models for connecting different stakeholders for collective decision-making. This paper also suggests that the use of practical models can be a starting point to rearticulate the role of forest hydrologists in policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overarching assumption of SDG 4, that progress towards 'quality education' will lead to greater sustainability, is not rooted in evidence but instead in ideology. From the outset, a wider set of sustainability indicators (such as ecological footprint) were excluded, and even today, after a decade of work, there exists no indicator to capture 'sustainability'. Instead SDG 4 discussions remain a mixed bag of routine monitoring of outcomes, advocacy for more funding, and banal policy recommendations. The development 'specialists' leading all of this have turned a blind eye to this obvious fact, and shown strikingly little willingness to think differently – a position that is intellectually irresponsible, politically unaccountable, and deeply unethical in the context of an accelerating climate crisis. The next 7 years should be refocused on highlighting alternatives and developing evidence for the post-2030 agenda. • No evidence exists showing SDG 4 leads to sustainability. • SDG 4 implementation further extends the unsustainable 'modern paradigm'. • A growing body of research highlights potential alternatives. • SDG 4 debates should be (re)focused on generating evidence for the post-2030 agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lianas (woody climbers) have a greater amount of leaves relative to basal area or standing biomass than trees, and very wide vessels that permit efficient water transport. These features suggest that lianas possibly consume proportionally more water through transpiration than trees. Despite their potential importance, researchers have made only limited attempts to evaluate effects of lianas on forest water dynamics., We conducted sap flow measurements for 1 year using a thermal dissipation method for four species each of lianas and trees in a liana-rich, warm-temperate forest in Japan and estimated the contribution of lianas to stand canopy transpiration., Based on a calibration measuring water uptake rates from cut-stem ends, the actual sap flux ( Fd) in liana stems was several times greater than those estimated from the original calibration provided for the method. In the field, lianas showed an average of 2-4 times greater Fd than trees throughout the year. Except for this difference, diurnal and seasonal patterns of relative changes of Fd were similar in both groups. The whole-plant transpiration ( Qt) of sample plants was exponentially related to basal diameter for both lianas and trees; Qt of lianas increased more steeply with basal diameter than that of trees. By extrapolating the relationships between Qt and basal diameter to the inventory data of the study plot, we estimated that lianas contributed 12·8% to the annual stand canopy transpiration while comprising 2·3% of stand basal area, which probably reflected the top-heavy architecture of lianas., Our results indicate that the contribution of lianas to forest water dynamics may be several times greater than their contribution to forest basal area. This implies that a slight increase of liana abundance might have greater effects on water dynamics and, through competitions with trees for limited water, the carbon sequestration capacity of forests than expected from the increase in basal area. This study underlines the necessity of evaluating the relative importance of lianas to forest water dynamics in forests world-wide., A is available for this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last several years, thinning has been conducted in coniferous plantations throughout Japan, mainly to secure water resources. Although canopy interception loss ( I c ) is a major component of evapotranspiration, this is among the first studies that have examined changes in I c while considering the effects of thinning in Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ) forests, the most common type of plantation in Japan. We compared and contrasted three canopy interception models (Mulder, revised Gash, WiMo) before and after intensive thinning operations. The experimental Japanese cedar forest was intensively thinned with removal of 54% of all stems, reducing the basal area by 50% from 99.7 to 49.6 m 2 ha −1 . Prior to thinning, all three canopy interception models performed well with root mean square errors for the Mulder, revised Gash, and WiMo models of 2.96, 3.59, and 3.81 mm, respectively; while those after thinning were 1.32, 2.37, 2.38 mm, respectively. In addition, all three canopy interception models performed better than the mean before thinning as evaluated by the Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency with values 0.51 (Mulder), 0.28 (revised Gash), and 0.19 (WiMo) but did not perform as well after heavy thinning. These results suggest that canopy interception models might not be applicable after intensive thinning of Japanese cedar forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In central Cambodia, rapidly growing non-endemic species are often planted for timber production. The introduction of non-endemic species into stands with native species has been found to alter the forest transpiration characteristics in this region with distinct dry and rainy seasons defined by the different rainfall patterns. However, less is understood about the underlying processes, especially the ecophysiological characteristics of native species that are adapted to the highly seasonal environments and the non-endemic species that acclimate to those environments. Leaf ecophysiological traits were measured for two native and two representative non-endemic tree species in central Cambodia to examine whether species-specific seasonal trends in transpiration could be explained by leaf ecophysiological traits. Photosynthetic capacity as represented by the maximum carboxylation rate ( V cmax25 ) of each species remained constant in the rainy and dry seasons. Native species had high stomatal conductance ( g sw ) and the parameter for its response to the environments ( m ) in the rainy season and lower levels in the dry season. Additionally, the seasonal change in g sw for non-endemic species was less clear despite the seasonality in the tree-level transpiration. A multi-layer model that incorporated the measured data related to the leaf ecophysiological traits and their seasonal changes successfully reproduced the daily canopy-scale transpiration rate ( E canopy ). The modeled E canopy successfully reproduced most of the seasonal and day-to-day changes in measured E canopy using sap flux measurements and showed the strong control of leaf ecophysiological traits over E canopy and the species-specific seasonal trends. Two reduction events in measured E canopy were, however, not explained by the simulation, possibly as a result of species-specific factors that were not considered in this study, i.e., the reduction in water uptake by a native species caused by drought and the hypoxic effects of flooding on the roots of a non-endemic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Tree sap flux was measured under changing water environments in Cambodia. [•] Seasonal change in the groundwater table depth lagged behind that of rainfall. [•] Species showed contrasting sap flux response to the groundwater table depth. [•] Changes in species composition may alter transpiration under climatic changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Difficult access to 40-m-tall emergent trees in tropical rainforests has resulted in a lack of data related to vertical variations in wood CO2 efflux, even though significant variations in wood CO2 efflux are an important source of errors when estimating whole-tree total wood CO2 efflux. This study aimed to clarify vertical variations in wood CO2 efflux for emergent trees and to document the impact of the variations on the whole-tree estimates of stem and branch CO2 efflux. First, we measured wood CO2 efflux and factors related to tree morphology and environment for seven live emergent trees of two dipterocarp species at four to seven heights of up to ∼40 m for each tree using ladders and a crane. No systematic tendencies in vertical variations were observed for all the trees. Wood CO2 efflux was not affected by stem and air temperature, stem diameter, stem height or stem growth. The ratios of wood CO2 efflux at the treetop to that at breast height were larger in emergent trees with relatively smaller diameters at breast height. Second, we compared whole-tree stem CO2 efflux estimates using vertical measurements with those based on solely breast height measurements. We found similar whole-tree stem CO2 efflux estimates regardless of the patterns of vertical variations in CO2 efflux because the surface area in the canopy, where wood CO2 efflux often differed from that at breast height, was very small compared with that at low stem heights, resulting in little effect of the vertical variations on the estimate. Additionally, whole-tree branch CO2 efflux estimates using measured wood CO2 efflux in the canopy were considerably different from those measured using only breast height measurements. Uncertainties in wood CO2 efflux in the canopy did not cause any bias in stem CO2 efflux scaling, but affected branch CO2 efflux. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To clarify characteristics of carbon (C) allocation in a Bornean tropical rainforest without dry seasons, gross primary production (GPP) and C allocation, i.e., above-ground net primary production (ANPP), aboveground plant respiration (APR), and total below-ground carbon flux (TBCF) for the forest were examined and compared with those from Amazonian tropical rainforests with dry seasons. GPP (30.61 MgC ha year, eddy covariance measurements; 34.40 MgC ha year, biometric measurements) was comparable to those for Amazonian rainforests. ANPP (6.76 MgC ha year) was comparable to, and APR (8.01 MgC ha year) was slightly lower than, their respective values for Amazonian rainforests, even though aboveground biomass was greater at our site. TBCF (19.63 MgC ha year) was higher than those for Amazonian forests. The comparable ANPP and higher TBCF were unexpected, since higher water availability would suggest less fine root competition for water, giving higher ANPP and lower TBCF to GPP. Low nutrient availability may explain the comparable ANPP and higher TBCF. These data show that there are variations in C allocation patterns among mature tropical rainforests, and the variations cannot be explained solely by differences in soil water availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to assess how sample sizes affect confidence of stand-scale transpiration (E) estimates calculated from sap flux (Fd) and sapwood area (AS_tree) measurements of individual trees. In a Japanese cypress plantation, we measured Fd and AS_tree in all trees (n = 58) within a 20 x 20 m study plot, which was divided into four 10 x 10 subplots. We calculated E from stand AS_tree (AS_stand) and mean stand Fd (JS) values. Using Monte Carlo analyses, we examined the potential errors associated with sample sizes in E, AS_stand and JS using the original AS_tree and Fd data sets. Consequently, we defined the optimal sample sizes of 10 and 15 for AS_stand and JS estimates, respectively, in the 20 x 20 m plot. Sample sizes larger than the optimal sample sizes did not decrease potential errors. The optimal sample sizes for JS changed according to plot size (e.g., 10 x 10 and 10 x 20 m), whereas the optimal sample sizes for AS_stand did not. As well, the optimal sample sizes for JS did not change in different vapor pressure deficit conditions. In terms of E estimates, these results suggest that the tree-to-tree variations in Fd vary among different plots, and that plot size to capture tree-to-tree variations in Fd is an important factor. The sample sizes determined in this study will be helpful for planning the balanced sampling designs to extrapolate stand-scale estimates to catchment-scale estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was undertaken to identify critical and practical factors explaining spatial variations in soil respiration and to estimate stand-scale soil respiration in an aseasonal tropical rainforest on Borneo Island. To this aim, we conducted soil respiration measurements at 25 points in a 40m×40m subplot of a 4ha study plot between 2002 and 2006, and examined the spatial variation in soil respiration averaged over the 4 years in relation to soil, root, and forest structural factors. In addition, we examined the spatial representativeness of soil respiration measured in the subplot using a specific scaling procedure. Consequently, we found significant positive correlation between the soil respiration and forest structural parameters such as the mean diameter at breast height (DBH), total basal area, and maximum DBH within 6m of the measurement points. The most important factor was the mean DBH within 6m of the measurement points, which had a significant linear relationship with soil respiration. Using the derived linear regression and an inventory dataset, we estimated the 4ha plot-scale soil respiration. The 4ha plot-scale estimation (6.0μmolm−2 s−1) was nearly identical to the subplot-scale measurements (5.7μmolm−2 s−1), which were roughly comparable to the nocturnal CO2 fluxes calculated using the eddy covariance technique. In addition, we discuss characteristics of the stand-scale soil respiration at this site by comparing with those of other forests reported in previous literature in terms of the soil C balance. Soil respiration at our site was noticeably greater, relative to the incident litterfall amount, than soil respiration in other tropical and temperate forests probably owing to the larger total belowground C allocation by emergent trees. Overall, this study suggests the arrangement of emergent trees with larger DBH and their belowground C allocation could be primary factors controlling spatial variations in soil respiration in the tropical rainforest. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary We examined the effect of strip thinning on rainfall interception ( E i ) in a 32-year-old Japanese cypress plantation in central Japan. Strip thinning was conducted in the catchment in October 2011; that removed 50% of the stems. The gross precipitation ( P g ), throughfall ( TF ) and stemflow ( SF ) were monitored in a 12-m × 13-m plot before and after thinning. E i was calculated as the difference between P g and the sum of TF and SF . The interception processes were illustrated using the revised Gash model with quantifying interception parameters. The results showed that the Gash model successfully predicted E i on a rainy-season basis in both pre- and post-thinning periods. Thinning altered the interception components whereas the largest part during and after rainfall accounted for similar proportion in both periods. Additionally, after thinning, the annual TF rate was increased from 61.4% to 73.0%, whereas the annual SF rate was decreased from 9.8% to 6.1%, and the annual E i rate was decreased from 28.7% to 20.8%. The summarized findings of previous studies indicate that the degree of decline in the E i caused by thinning is related to P g and the thinning ratio. These results provide useful information for understanding the changes in interception processes induced by thinning, and for acquiring a more accurate forecast of the effects of forest management practices on water resources in the watershed. The response in rainfall partitioning to strip thinning can also help us to acquire an integrated understanding of the changes in canopy water balance under different forest practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We obtained reliable estimations of water use components in Japanese cedar stands. [•] We found a constant ratio of interception to rainfall (P) throughout a year. [•] Upper canopy transpiration contributes to total water use during scarce rainfall. [•] These result in a conservative ratio of evapotranspiration to P throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding radial and azimuthal variation, and tree-to-tree variation, in sap flux density (Fd) as sources of uncertainty is important for estimating transpiration using sap flow techniques. In a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don.) forest, Fd was measured at several depths and aspects for 18 trees, using heat dissipation (Granier-type) sensors. We observed considerable azimuthal variation in Fd. The coefficient of variation (CV) calculated from Fd at a depth of 0–20 mm (Fd1) and Fd at a depth of 20–40 mm (Fd2) ranged from 6.7 to 37.6% (mean = 28.3%) and from 19.6 to 62.5% (mean = 34.6%) for the ­azimuthal directions. Fd at the north aspect averaged for nine trees, for which azimuthal measurements were made, was ­obviously smaller than Fd at the other three aspects (i.e., west, south and east) averaged for the nine trees. Fd1 averaged for the nine trees was significantly larger than Fd2 averaged for the nine trees. The error for stand-scale transpiration (E) estimates caused by ignoring the azimuthal variation was larger than that caused by ignoring the radial variation. The error caused by ignoring tree-to-tree variation was larger than that caused by ignoring both radial and azimuthal variations. Thus, tree-to-tree variation in Fd would be more important than both radial and azimuthal variations in Fd for E estimation. However, Fd for each tree should not be measured at a consistent aspect but should be measured at various aspects to make accurate E estimates and to avoid a risk of error caused by the relationship of Fd to aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This study was undertaken to quantify interannual variations of total evaporation (ET) in a tropical rainforest in Sarawak, Malaysia. To this end, we conducted 10-year meteorological measurements and formulated a simplified big-leaf model that reproduces transpiration (Et), rainfall interception (Ei), and ET as the sum of these. The model was validated independently using eddy covariance fluxes, rainfall interception based on throughfall and stemflow measurements, and sap flow measurements conducted for more than 2 years. Using the model, Et, Ei, and ET were estimated for the period 2000–2009. Annual Et, Ei, and ET averaged over 10 years were estimated as 1114, 209, and 1323mm, respectively, with small seasonal fluctuations. The derived estimates showed conservative year-to-year variations in annual Et, Ei, and ET (CV=5–7%) in contrast to considerable year-to-year variations in annual rainfall (CV=11%). Specific rainfall characteristics (e.g. intense short duration storms) at this site can explain the conservative year-to-year Ei variations. Small interannual variations in meteorological conditions and absence of severe drought during the study period can explain the small year-to-year Et variations. To characterize ET at our site, we also compared Ei and ET at our site with those of other tropical forests. Based on the derived ET characteristics, we discuss possible ET changes in response to changes in rainfall regime at this site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Boreal forests play an important role in the global balance of energy and CO2. Our previous study of elaborate eddy covariance observations in a Siberian boreal larch forest, conducted both above the forest canopy and at the forest floor, revealed a significant contribution of latent heat flux (LE) from the cowberry understory to the whole ecosystem LE. Thus, in the present study, we examined what factors control the partitioning of whole ecosystem LE and CO2 flux into the understory and overstory vegetation, using detailed leaf-level physiology (for both understory and overstory vegetation) and soil respiration property measurements as well as a multilayer soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) model. The modeling results showed that the larch overstory's leaf area index (LAI) and vertical profile of leaf photosynthetic capacity were major factors determining the flux partitioning in this boreal forest ecosystem. This is unlike other forest ecosystems that tend to have dense LAI. We concluded that control of the larch overstory's LAI had a relationship with both the coexistence of the larch with the cowberry understory and with the water resources available to the total forest ecosystem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study presents the results of 2 years combined field measurements of water vapor exchange with the atmosphere and simplified model calculations at Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (4°12′N, 114°02′E). The study site was located in a lowland mixed dipterocarp forest, a major type of Bornean tropical rainforest, where there is no clear seasonality in environmental factors such as radiation, temperature, vapor pressure deficits and precipitation; instead, unpredictable dry spells often occur throughout the year. Modified [Priestley, C.H.B., Taylor, R.J. (1972). On the assessment of surface heat flux and evaporation using large-scale parameters, Mon. Weather Rev. 100, pp. 81–92] and equilibrium evaporation expressions enabled us to understand further the environmental control of water vapor exchanges with the atmosphere and to produce a complete gap-filled data set of the hydrologic fluxes within this environment. The equilibrium evaporation from a well-watered surface sufficiently reproduced the transpiration rate (Tr); any discrepancies between the equilibrium and actual evaporation rates were caused by unpredictable intra-annual dry spells, which reduced transpiration. There were some discrepancies during the study period because of exceptional dry sequences, but in normal years the annual transpiration rate can be obtained from the equilibrium evaporation expression. The estimated annual Tr (1193.1mm) and evapotranspiration (1545.0mm) rates were nearly identical to the highest values reported for some humid tropical forests. Although, there were exceptional dry sequences during the study period, the annual average fraction of available energy dissipated by Tr at this site (0.69) was almost the same as the medium value between the dry and wet seasons in Amazonian tropical forests. This implies that the annual dynamics of the latent heat flux for this tropical rainforest are under more humid conditions than those of other tropical rainforests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]