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This study compares the long-term effects of a wildfire on basic topsoil properties—bulk density, particle-size composition, pH, electrical conductivity, total C and N, inorganic C, cation exchangeable capacity, available N, P, Ca, Mg, and K—in the Zagros oak forest, Iran, with those induced by agricultural activity in a vineyard planted 30 years earlier in place of the forest. The soil, Calcaric Cambisol according to the World Reference Base, was studied in the (i) unburned forest, both inside (FI) and outside (FO) sprout clumps; (ii) burned forest, in areas subjected to high (BHI) or moderate (BMI) severity (both inside sprout clumps) and low (BLO) severity (outside sprout clumps); and (iii) vineyard, both under the foliage of vines (VI) and outside it (VO). In VI, VO, BHI and BMI most soil properties were significantly different from those of the unburned forest. A Hierarchical Cluster Analysis grouped together BHI and BMI and separated their unburned counterparts with 72% and 47% dissimilarity, respectively. The VI and VO treatments in the vineyard were closely related to each other, but separated from their unburned counterparts in the unburned forest soil with 149% and 69% dissimilarity, respectively. Overall, thirty years of farming exerted a stronger impact on the soil than a single, though severe, fire. Nevertheless, severe fire appeared to have a much more significant impact than every single yearly plowing.

In a cloud forest dominated by Quercus costaricensis, the gap size between the crowns was consistent and crowns were asymmetrical, being elongated perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. A wind storm of 20 m/s removed 1.5% of the leaves, con-sistent with the idea that wind abrasion shapes tree crowns. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council/[]/NSERC/Canada UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biología

The peculiarities of distribution of oak stands in the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine are analyzed in the work. The analysis of forest typological structure of stands with the participation of common oak in the conditions of the Western Ukrainian forest-steppe forestry district is performed. The structure of oak stands areas in the context of edatopes and forest types has been studied; their quality and completeness, composition and origin have been identified as well. The largest share of oak forest stands in the Western Forest-Steppe is found to be concentrated in fertile site type conditions – 79.3 %. Fairly fertile site types of forest vegetation conditions make up 20.5 % of the area of oak stands. According to the degree of soil moisture, common oak in the Western Ukrainian forest-steppe forestry district prefers fresh conditions, where 65.6 % of oak forests in the region are concentrated. In total, common oak is involved in the formation of 47 forest types in the study area, in 19 of which it is considered to be type-forming species. Most oak stands are of the first class of stand quality (49.9 %), and a significant part (35.7 %) of plantations is of the second class. The average stand quality is estimated as I.3. Oak stands stocking in the Western Forest-Steppe, for the most part, is medium-sized. Their average stocking is 0.73. Stand stocking of the largest share (39.3 %) is 0.7. Medium-sized stocking of stands in total amounts to 55.9 % of the total area of oak forest stands in the study area. The share of high-density stand stocking in the complete structure of oak stands of the Western Ukrainian forest-steppe forestry district is 42.3 %. Furthermore, plantations, where oak constitutes only 4 units i.e. 20 % of the total area, are found to dominate in the Western Forest-Steppe. The average ratio of oak share in plantations is 5.7. The age structure of the oak forests of the Western Forest-Steppe is revealed to be uneven, with a significant predominance of medieval stands – 54.2 %. Mature stands occupy only 8.0 % of the area of oak forest stands of the Western Forest-Steppe. The average age of oak stands in the Western Ukrainian forest-steppe forestry district is 61.2 years. Furthermore, artificial plantations are found to prevail in the studied region (69.5 %), usually created by planting forest cultures. Oak stands of natural seedling-origin make up 27.3 % of the area of oak forests of the Western Forest-Steppe, natural vegetative-regenerated origin stands amount to 3.2 %.

We analyzed the spatial-seasonal patterns on the abundance, composition, structure (i.e. abundance distribution among species), and diversity of the ground-dwelling spiders belonging to the retrola...

A partial mycoheterotrophic orchid Cymbidium macrorhizon Lindl. is collected for the first time from Darhal forests in district Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The species was seen growing on the decomposed litter on ground in the deciduous oak forest between 900 and 1800 m above msl. The species is processed for herbarium deposition as per the standard protocols and preserved in the Herbarium cum Museum of Department of Botany (HBJU), University of Jammu, Jammu. The species is photographed, worked out for detailed taxonomic description and illustrations which are provided in the manuscript.

This article presents the results of studies on the structural organization of the crown in Ulmus glabra. Knowledge of types of shoot systems regularly changing in the tree crown in the ontogenesis of a species is of both theoretical and practical importance. In our studies, we use an architectural (modular) approach that enables us to describe the spatiotemporal program of tree-crown development. The results show that the main structural unit of the tree crown, resistant to the changes in climatic factors, is a biennial shoot system (BSS). The choice of this unit is determined by the fact that zonality in maternal shoot can be detected only in the second year of the shoot lifespan. To identify the spatiotemporal structure of the BSS, we have compared the traits of 1- and 2-year-old shoots. The BSS of U. glabra undergrowth plants in the forest-steppe oak forest of the Belogorye Natural Reserve have been studied. The study involves 100 species of the same ontogenetic stage. The shoot systems in the studied trees have been differentiated into large (“growth”) and small (“basic”) ones with the same location within the crown. Based on the cross-correlation function, which depends on the internode number on the maternal shoot, a regression model of the length distribution of lateral shoots has been created. It is shown that, when numbering the internodes on the maternal shoot from the top downwards, the dependence of the lateral shoot length of both the growth and the basic BSS in U. glabra vs. the number of internodes is consistent with the exponential model. The development of the BSS is found to be dependent on the light conditions and positioning in the crown. The comparison of two samples allows us to introduce a shift parameter into the model, which defines a specific zone in the maternal shoot.

Introduction: Oak (Quercus sp.) forests are scarcely represented in Mexico’s Protected Natural Areas, and are highly susceptible to deforestation. Objective: To assess the regional dynamics of deforestation and recovery, as well as the factors of change in land cover and use (CLCU) in the oak forest of the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Region (TCR) which includes the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve (TCBR) polygon and its zone of influence. Materials and methods: The dynamics of the CLCU was analyzed in two periods; these were before (1979-2001) and after (2001-2011) the TCBR decree issuing. The analysis of the factors consisted of two stages: logistic regression analysis from the spatial interpolation of the factors, and analysis of the municipal socioeconomic trends based on change rates. Results and discussion: The oak forest was deforested prior to the TCBR decree, with a -0.97 % annual change rate. Deforestation was associated with low-slope areas, close to localities with a larger male population. In contrast, in the post-decree period its recovery stood out (0.22 %), which was associated with high-slope and high-elevation areas and a decrease in the male population. Conclusion: The TCBR decree must not be thought as the main cause of change in the CLCU processes; however, an indirect influence from it should be accepted.

The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate and analyze the dieback-affected areas of middle Zagros oak forests in Lorestan, Iran. For this purpose, using programming tools, dieback indices, such as DVI, GEMI, IPVI, MSAVI2, NDVI, EVI, OSAVI, Sarvi2, SR, and VHI, were derived from 110 points of oak forests in the underlying area, between 2001 and 2015. Finally, a 23 × 110 matrix (for each year) and a 345 × 110 matrix (for the total period) were developed as a database to detect the dieback areas. Also, we applied cluster analysis to detect the dieback areas and discriminant function analysis was subsequently used to validate the results of cluster analysis. After detecting dieback areas, regression analysis was used for trend analysis of dieback indices, followed with harmonic spectrum analysis for the identification of dominant fluctuations on these indices. The results showed that middle Zagros oak forest could be divided into four zones in terms of dieback incidence, including areas without dieback and small coefficient of variation, areas with moderate dieback and large coefficient of variation, areas with very high dieback rate and large coefficient of variation, and areas with very low dieback rate and small coefficient of variation. According to the results obtained from trend analysis, dieback indices demonstrated a significant downward trend in dieback areas. Also, spectrum analysis revealed that dominant fluctuations on dieback indices of middle Zagros oak forest were mostly short term (2–4 years).

International audience; Mediterranean forests face an intensification of droughts caused by ongoing climate change. To improve our understanding of tree and forest responses to increasing drought, we explored over nine years, the effects of a 30% rainfall exclusion experiment on the water potential, sap velocity and primary and secondary growth of two co-occurring species (Quercus ilex and Pinus halepensis) in a French Mediterranean forest. In addition, native embolism was measured after six and nine years of exclusion onset. Water potentials decreased earlier during summer drought for both species in the rainfall exclusion plot, and to a higher extent during the drought peak for Q. ilex, involving earlier stomatal closure and reduced sap velocity. Sap velocity reduction persisted throughout the years in the exclusion plot. Outside summer the water potential difference between predawn and midday was similar between treatment which indicate that reduced water transport efficiency may be linked to decrease hydraulic conductance. Such differences were neither related to differences in xylem embolism, that remained similar between treatments, nor to change in secondary growth. In contrast primary growth measurements indicate that P. halepensis trees, and Q. ilex to a lesser extent, experienced reduction in total leaf areas in response to the rainfall exclusion. Globally, our results suggest that increase drought lead, for both species, to a decrease in sap velocity not mediated by increase embolism but rather by a reduction in primary growth. So far little conclusion can be drawn regarding the competitive advantage of one species over the other in the context of increasing drought related to climate change.

Paper description: Litter decomposition is a fundamental ecosystem process. A one-year experiment was performed to analyze the influence of the chemical composition of and the anatomical structures of Quercus frainetto and cerris leaf litter on the decomposition rate in natural conditions. frainetto litter decomposed more readily than Q. cerris litter. Differences in chemical composition and anatomical structure of leaf litter can be a predictive tool for its decomposability and ecosystem functioning. Global environmental changes will influence litter quality and its decomposition rate in the future. Abstract: This paper presents the results of a one-year decomposition experiment on Quercus frainetto Ten. and Quercus cerris L. leaf litter in natural conditions. The decomposition rate constant was 0.831 yr−1 (Q. frainetto) and 0.458 yr−1 (Q. cerris). For the initial chemical composition of the oaks’ litter, differences were not found in concentrations of lignin and fats, waxes and oil fractions, but were found for water-soluble matter, hemicellulose and cellulose. Later decomposition stages indicated that lignin and fats, waxes and oil fractions influenced differences in both oaks’ litter decay rates. Anatomical analysis revealed differences between the oaks in leaf mesophyll and epidermis but not in the entire leaf and lower epidermis. Results after 12 months of the experiment revealed that 48.04% of the entire leaf, 53.30% of mesophyll, 32.93% of lignified upper and 47.67% of lower epidermis in Q. frainetto, and 28.70% of the entire leaf, 31.60% of mesophyll, 25.17% of lignified upper and 20.93% of lower epidermis in Q. cerris were decomposed. Reduction in leaf thickness mainly was caused by the reduction of mesophyll parenchyma, composed of easily degradable plant materials. Leaf tissues with the most recalcitrant plant materials were lignified upper epidermis, covered by a thick cuticle composed of fats and waxes, and xylem within the leaf veins.

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) density has significantly increased worldwide. In Europe, oak acorns are basic diet items for the species. However, regeneration of temperate oak forests has become excessively low. Thus, better understanding of the patterns and dynamics of wild boar rooting and the spatiotemporal relationship between the acorn density and the rooting has special importance. In our study, the acorn density, the presence and intensity of the rooting were measured monthly in a 28-ha oak forest stand between 2016 October and 2019 April. Study site was divided to 400 m2 grid cells to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of the rooting. Comparing the acorn densities, we stated that in the first 2 years, but not in the third one, the oaks were masting. During the acorn-rich periods (October–April), significant inter-annual differences were found in the proportions of the disturbed area between the non-mast and the other two mast years. Throughout our observations, 9.12% of the cells stayed undisturbed. On average, in 12.59% of the cells new rooted patches appeared, and 15.6% of them was repeatedly disturbed. Rooting were mainly litter disturbances in 71.75% of cases. Throughout acorn fall periods (September–November), the most intensively rooted sites were the poorest in acorns, while the unrooted sites were the richest. Our results demonstrate that wild boars have a great effect on acorn density and on the whole forest by rooting almost the entire ground surface at least once, but also the masting of the oaks has a crucial role in their rooting dynamics.

Conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) is one of the main mechanisms influencing diversity maintenance in tropical forests. Tropical highland forests, in contrast to most lowland forests, are commonly dominated by a few tree species, and testing the importance of density dependence effects on seedling establishment of dominant trees may provide insights on the mechanisms regulating population dynamics and forest composition of tropical highlands. We tested the effect of CNDD regulation on seedling survival and recruitment of Quercus costaricensis, a monodominant oak in the Talamanca highland forests of Costa Rica. We used Ripley's K and generalized linear mixed models to test the effects of conspecific density, distance to the nearest adult, density of Chusquea bamboo shoots, and herbivory on the annual survival probability of 3579 seedlings between 2014 and 2017. We did not find a significant effect of CNDD on seedling survival. However, bamboo density and herbivory both significantly decreased oak seedling survival. All seedlings had signs of herbivory and predator satiation may explain the lack of density dependent regulation in seedlings of this species. We argue that the lack of intraspecific density regulation at the seedling stage may contribute to explain the dominance of Q. costaricensis in the highland forests of Costa Rica. Local seedling dynamics of this endemic oak are instead regulated by herbivory and the density of Chusquea. La denso dependencia negativa específica (DDNE) es uno de los mecanismos que más influyen en el mantenimiento de la diversidad de los bosques tropicales. Los bosques tropicales de tierras altas, en contraste con la mayoría de bosques de tierras bajas, son dominados por unas pocas especies de árboles, y probar la importancia de los efectos denso dependientes en el establecimiento de plántulas de árboles dominantes puede proporcionar información sobre los mecanismos que regulan la dinámica de poblaciones y la composición de estos bosques. Probamos el efecto de la DDNE sobre la supervivencia y el reclutamiento de las plántulas de Quercus costaricensis, un roble monodominante en las tierras altas de Talamanca en Costa Rica. Usamos la K de Ripley y modelos mixtos lineales generalizados para probar los efectos de la densidad conspecífica, la distancia al adulto más cercano, la densidad de bambú de Chusquea y la herbivoría, en la probabilidad de supervivencia anual de 3579 plántulas entre 2014 y 2017. No encontramos que la DDNE tuviera un efecto en la supervivencia de las plántulas, mientras que la densidad del bambú y la herbivoría si disminuyeron significativamente la supervivencia. La falta de DDNE en las plántulas de esta especie podría explicarse por el saciado de los depredadores, ya que todas las plántulas presentaban signos de herbivoría. Argumentamos que la falta de DDNE en la regulación de las plántulas puede contribuir a explicar el predominio de Q. costaricensis en los bosques de tierras altas de Costa Rica. La dinámica local de las plántulas de este roble endémico está regulada por la herbivoría y la densidad de Chusquea. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biología

Forest structure analysis is important for understanding the properties and development of a forest community, and its outcomes can be influenced by how trees are measured in sampled plots. Although there is a general consensus on the height at which tree diameter should be measured [1.3 m: diameter at breast height (DBH)], the minimum measured diameter (MMD) often varies in different studies. In this study, we assumed that the outcomes of forest structure analysis can be influenced by MMD and, to this end, we applied g(r) function and stand spatial structural parameters (SSSPs) to investigate how different MMDs affect forest spatial structure analysis in two pine-oak mixed forests (30 and 57 years old) in southwest China and one old-growth oak forest (>120 years old) from northwest China. Our results showed that 1) MMD was closely related to the distribution patterns of forest trees. Tree distribution patterns at each observational scale (r = 0–20 m) tended to become random as the MMD increased. The older the community, the earlier this random distribution pattern appeared. 2) As the MMD increased, neighboring trees became more regularly distributed around a reference tree. In most cases, however, nearest neighbors of a reference tree were randomly distributed. 3) Tree species mingling decreased with increasing diameter, but it decreased slowly in older forests. 4) No correlations can be found between individual tree size differentiation and MMD. We recommend that comparisons of spatial structures between communities would be more effective if using a unified MMD criterion.

Soil microbes are both drivers and contributors of soil organic C (SOC) dynamics. However, information on how the multiple co-occurring environmental changes affecting microbial community and residues is unclear. Here, we measured phospholipid fatty acids and amino sugars (ASs) to explore how soil microbial community and residues changed under soil warming, throughfall reduction, root exclusion and their interactions in a natural deciduous broad-leaved oak forest. Soil warming significantly increased the Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria (G+/G−) ratio, and its interaction with root exclusion significantly reduced fungi-to-bacteria (F/B) ratio but stimulated the contributions of ASs to SOC (AS/SOC). Throughfall reduction also marginally increased G+/G− and AS/SOC, and suppressed F/B ratio. However, no interactive effects of soil warming and throughfall reduction on soil microbial community and residues were observed. Light fraction organic C and inorganic nitrogen were the key drivers in regulating the variation in the microbial community structure, and SOC was the controlling factor of microbial residue accumulations. Hence, soil C quality instead of water dominates the responses of microbial community structure and residues contribution to SOC to soil warming. Our results highlight the importance of soil substrate quality when predicting the terrestrial climate-C feedback.

Forest fires are influenced by several factors, including forest location, species type, age and density, date of fire occurrence, temperatures, and wind speeds, among others. This study investigates the quantitative effects of these factors on the degree of forest fire disaster using nonparametric statistical methods to provide a theoretical basis and data support for forest fire management. Data on forest fire damage from 1969 to 2013 was analyzed. The results indicate that different forest locations and types, fire occurrence dates, temperatures, and wind speeds were statistically significant. The eastern regions of the study area experienced the highest fire occurrence, accounting for 85.0% of the total number of fires as well as the largest average forested area burned. April, May, and October had more frequent fires than other months, accounting for 78.9%, while September had the most extensive forested area burned (63.08 ha) and burnt area (106.34 ha). Hardwood mixed forest and oak forest had more frequent fires, accounting for 31.9% and 26.0%, respectively. Hardwood-conifer mixed forest had the most forested area burned (50.18 ha) and burnt area (65.09 ha). Temperatures, wind speeds, and their interaction had significant impacts on forested area burned and area burnt.

The research was carried out in 6 territories located in oak forests of Slobozhanshchyna in 2007–2016. Family home ranges were determined using the average nearest neighbour distance between all setts of a sett system for the badgers and between breeding burrows for the foxes. The use of fox and badger family home ranges in different seasons and years was estimated by changes in the use of burrows at the monitoring site of Gomilshanski Lisy National Nature Park. In the oak forests, 173 burrows were studied, among which 75 are used by badgers and 45 by foxes. The area of most of the badger family home ranges in the oak forests is 28–88 hа. The area of the fox family home ranges in the oak forests is 86 to 892 ha. In the oak forests of Slobozhanshchyna, badger and fox family home ranges correspond to the data for similar biotopes in Europe. Seasonal changes of the badger family home range used at the monitoring site in Gomilshanski Lisy NNP in general correspond to literature radio tracking data. Changes in use of the fox family home range de pend on fluctuations of the abundance of rodents.

Background Forest fire incidences in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India are very common in summers. Pine and oak are the principal and dominant species of Himalayan subtropical forest and Himalayan temperate forest, respectively. Forest vegetation influences the physicochemical and biological properties of soil and forest fire in pine and oak forests may have a different effect on the physicochemical and biological properties of soil. Therefore, the present study was carried out to assess the impact of forest fire on soil microbial properties, enzymatic activity, and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties in the advent of forest fire in the pine and oak forests of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. Results The soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil basal respiration, and acid phosphatase activity decreased, whereas dehydrogenase activity increased at burnt sites of both forest types. The overall change in soil microbial biomass carbon was 63 and 40% at the burnt oak forest and burnt pine forest, respectively. Dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase activity showed a strong positive correlation with soil organic matter (r = 0.8) and microbial indices, respectively. The ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen was reduced at burnt sites of both forest types. Factor analysis results showed that fire had a significant impact on soil characteristics. The soil basal respiration was linked with macro- and micronutrients at burnt sites, whereas at control sites, it was linked with physicochemical properties of soil along with nutrients. Conclusion Forest fire had a significant impact on soil properties of both forest types. The impact of forest fire on soil microbial biomass carbon was stronger in the oak forest than in the pine forest. Forest type influenced soil enzymatic activity at burnt sites. The bacterial community was dominated over fungi in burnt sites of both forests. Soil microbial indices can be used as a selective measure to assess the impact of fire. Furthermore, forest type plays an important role in regulating the impact of forest fire on soil properties.

Aims: To develop a syntaxonomic classification of the xero-mesophytic broad-leaved oak forests of the Republic of Tatarstan with a preliminary analysis of their unique ecological features. Study area: The Republic of Tatarstan (European part of the Russian Federation). Methods: A total of 91 relevés were processed. Most of them (73.6%) were sampled in Tatarstan during 2016 and 2017, the remaining ones (26.4%) were historical published data. They were classified by means of a modified TWINSPAN algorithm using total inertia as a heterogeneity measure. Diagnostic, constant, and dominant species were identified using analytical tools in the JUICE 7.0 program. Results: The xero-mesophytic forests of the study area were assigned to four clusters. We describe two of them as new associations: Astragalo ciceri-Quercetum roboris ass. nova and Sanguisorbo officinalis-Quercetum roboris ass. nova. We classify them within the class Quercetea pubescentis. Conclusions: Our study is the first attempt to classify thermophilous and xero-mesophytic oak forests of the Republic of Tatarstan using the Braun-Blanquet system. Taxonomic reference: Czerepanov (1995). Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016) unless stated otherwise in the text. Abbreviations: GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases; NMDS = Non-metric multidimensional scaling.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted from many sources and have important implications for plant fitness, ecological interactions, and atmospheric processes, including photochemistry and ozone formation. Forest ecosystems are strong sources of biogenic VOCs. We aimed to characterize forest below-canopy VOC mixing ratios, monitored by Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS), at Montseny Natural Park, a Mediterranean forest 50 km from the Barcelona urban area. Measurements were taken every 2 min during six months around the maximum emission period of summer. All VOCs had diel cycles with higher mixing ratios during the day, but different patterns over time. Monitored VOCs were grouped as biogenic, oxygenated, or aromatic compounds. Additionally, a positive matrix factorization analysis identified four emission profiles that were attributed to photochemical VOC production, biogenic emissions, mixed VOC emission sources, and traffic emissions. Even though the biogenic source was the strongest source profile at the site, we found a strong influence of anthropogenic air masses infiltrating the forest canopy and altering the biogenic air masses at the site., AMYS, JP, IF, and JL acknowledge funding provided by the Spanish Government grant PID2019-110521GB-I00, the European Research Council Synergy grant ERC-SyG-2013-610028 IMBALANCE-P, and the Catalan Government grant SGR 2017-1005. AMYS also acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science for her Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación grant. We would like to especially thank Joana Barber and Daniel Guinart from the Biosphere Reserve of Montseny Natural Park for allowing us to use the park facilities for the study.

Little study was done to understand the role of high-altitude oak forests in climate change mitigation. Here, we analyzed data from 30 sample plots collected along the four altitudinal gradients to assess species distribution and carbon stocks in the Panchase Conservation Area in Nepal. Three carbon pools were considered, namely aboveground carbon (AGC), belowground carbon (BGC), and carbon in litters (leaf litters, grass, and herb biomass, CiL). Seven species were found, of which two are oak tree species (Quercus semecarpifolia and Quercus lamellosa). Quercus semecarpifolia is the most dominant species in terms of stem density and carbon stocks, followed by Quercus lamellose. Average tree diameter, height, and total carbon stocks were 27.7 cm, 8.4 m, and 127.6 MgC ha−1, respectively. Our study found higher carbon stocks at the higher altitudinal gradient. Pearson’s correlation analysis shows a strong effect of altitudinal gradients on carbon stocks (r = 0.7124), moderate effect on tree height (r = 0.5263), and less effects on diameter (r = 0.1733). A stepwise multiple regression analysis shows strong relationship between carbon stocks with height (P = 0.0059) and carbon stocks with tree diameter (P = 0.0148). Our ground observations and random interviews indicate that the low carbon stocks at the low altitude were due to human disturbance. Oak forests at lower altitudes are sparse forest stands with poor regeneration capacity, overgrazing, and extensive lopping. If such disturbance is prevented, oak forest can increase carbon stocks to 361.7 MgC ha−1 as found at the higher altitude. Conservation of oak forests in the Panchase Conservation Area could result in emission reductions of 633.0 MgCO2 ha−1. These reductions could be eligible for financial incentives under the REDD + scheme.

Simple Summary The red wood ants are considered to be one of the main ecosystem engineers and keystone species of the habitats in which they exist. Most of the species from this species group inhabit coniferous forests, which, due to the consequences of anthropogenic climate change, are continuously cut down. Therefore, the main habitat of these important species is rapidly disappearing. We investigated the consequences of the absence of conifers (clear-cut area and deciduous forest) on one of the members of this species group, namely Formica polyctena. We have found that compared with the mixed-coniferous forest stand, the absence of coniferous species resulted in significant changes in the colony and nest structure of F. polyctena. In addition, the colony size was also smaller in these sites. These changes suggest that although F. polyctena is able to survive in suboptimal habitats, still their population decline is expected and urges conservation managers to apply necessary action plans for their protection. Abstract The consequences of anthropogenic climate change are one of the major concerns of conservation biology. A cascade of negative effects is expected to affect various ecosystems, one of which is Central European coniferous forests and their unique biota. These coniferous forests are the primary habitat of many forest specialist species such as red wood ants. Climate change-induced rising of temperature allows trees to skip winter hibernation, making them more vulnerable to storms that cause wind felling, and in turn, promotes bark beetle infestations that results in unscheduled clear-cuttings. Red wood ants can also be exposed to such habitat changes. We investigated the effects of bark beetle-induced clear-cutting and the absence of coniferous trees on colonies of Formica polyctena, including a mixed-coniferous forest as a reference. Our aim was to investigate how these habitat features affect the nest characteristics and nesting habits of F. polyctena. Our results indicate that, in the absence of conifers, F. polyctena tend to use different alternatives for nest material, colony structure, and food sources. However, the vitality of F. polyctena colonies significantly decreased (smaller nest mound volumes). Our study highlights the ecological flexibility of this forest specialist and its potential to survive under extreme conditions.

Monoterpenes have been identified as potential determinants of the human health effects induced by forest exposure. The present study characterizes the total monoterpene concentrations at nose height in a Mediterranean Holm oak forest located in North-East Iberian Peninsula during the annual emission peak (summer and autumn: June to November) using a Proton Transfer Reaction&ndash, Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS). Results show a strong variability of the total monoterpene concentrations in season and daytime. The concentration peak appears during July and August. These two months displayed two average maxima in their diel cycles: One during early morning (from 6:00 to 8:00, 0.30 ppbv for July and 0.41 ppbv for August) and another one at early afternoon (from 13:00 to 15:00, 0.27 ppbv during July and 0.32 ppbv during August). Monoterpene concentrations were strongly related with the temperature (exponentially) and solar radiation (rectangular hyperbolic relationship). The concentrations registered here are similar or higher than in previous ex situ studies showcasing the effects of forests on human health. These findings provide relevant data for the scientific and healthcare community by improving the understanding of monoterpene dynamics at nose height and suggesting further research on the effects of forests on human health, particularly in the Mediterranean region.

Background and Aims Highly controlled experiments document that plant genetic diversity and relatedness can shape herbivore communities and patterns of herbivory. Evidence from the field is, however, scarce and inconsistent. We assessed whether a genetic signal underlying herbivory can be detected in oak woodlands when accounting for variation at smaller (within-tree) and larger (among-stand) scales. Methods We tested relationships between tree genetic relatedness, leaf chemical defences and insect herbivory for different canopy layers in 240 trees from 15 pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) forest stands. We partitioned sources of variability in herbivory and defences among stands, individuals and branches. Key Results Leaf defences, insect herbivory and their relationship differed systematically between the upper and the lower tree canopy. When accounting for this canopy effect, the variation explained by tree genetic relatedness rose from 2.8 to 34.1 % for herbivory and from 7.1 to 13.8 % for leaf defences. The effect was driven by markedly stronger relationships in the upper canopy. Conclusions Our findings illustrate that considerable effects of the host plant genotype on levels of leaf chemical defences and associated insect herbivory can be detected in natural tree populations when within-individual variation is properly accounted for.

A natural holm oak forest was selectively thinned to test thinning as a tool to reduce tree mortality, increase productivity, and reverse the recent regression of the dominant species (Quercus ilex) induced by climate change. Thinning increased aboveground productivity and reduced stem mortality in this Mediterranean forest during four years just after thinning, contributing to the maintenance of forest functioning under changing climatic conditions. Q. ilex was the only species positively affected by the thinning: stem growth increased for all stem sizes, and mortality was significantly lower in thinned plots. On the contrary, mortality rates of Phillyrea latifolia and Arbutus unedo were not significantly lower. Stem growth increased for P. latifolia only in the smallest stem-size class. Our results highlight the suitability of selective thinning for improving the forest productivity and ensuring the conservation of Mediterranean coppices. Other benefits of selective thinning, such as a decrease in the risk of fire dispersion and an increase in the water supply for human populations, are also discussed.

In the Republic of Korea, forest fire occurred at a rate of more than 400 events yr&minus, 1 from 2000 to 2016, and the burned areas are concentrated in the eastern coastal region. In this region, pine forest is extensively distributed, and pine forest is converted to oak forest through natural succession or stump-sprout regeneration following forest fires. However, there is a lack of research on oak competition and survival during the regeneration process in burned areas. Therefore, this research was carried out to evaluate the effects of oak survival ratio of Quercus serrata (glandbearing oak), Q. variabilis (oriental oak), and Q. mongolica (Mongolian oak) in burned areas. The investigation plots were set to survey tree height, diameter at breast height, sprout survival, and composition in Goseong-gun, Kangwon province, Republic of Korea. The mean tree heights of Q. serrata and Q. variabilis were approximately 9.8 m and 9.1 m, respectively, which were higher than the approximately 5.8 m heights of Q. mongolica stands 18 years after a forest fire, and the trend for tree diameter at breast height was the same for all three species stands. In the early stage of regeneration after the forest fire, the survival probability of the Q. serrata sprouts decreased at a rate of 1.7&ndash, 2.0 times higher than that of other oak species in the Q. serrata-dominant stands, and this tendency was found to the survival probability in Q. variabilis-dominant stands as well. The median survival time of Q. variabilis sprouts in the Q. variabilis-dominant stands was approximately 10.1 years, which was similar to Q. serrata-dominant stands. However, the dominant stand of Q. mongolica was different from that of other dominant stands since the stand mostly located in the ridge and the upper part of the mountain where topography and soil conditions were considerably dissimilar from the other stands. The decision of dominant species seems to be determined by the survival and occurrence of sprouts during the early stage in post-fire regenerated oak forests. Therefore, it would be more desirable to coppice sprout for dominant species productivity and rapid dominance after a forest fire.

Two species of Lactarius are documented from fragments of tropical lowland oak forest in central Veracruz. Lactarius trichodermoides, described here as new, was found in association with Quercus sapotifolia and Lactarius subplinthogalus with Quercus glaucescens. Both Lactarius species were identified morphologically and supported by phylogenetic analyses of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and D1-D2 domains of nuc 28S rDNA sequences. Confirmation of mycobionts in ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associations was verified by molecular identification of ECM root tips. Detailed macroscopic and microscopic descriptions and photographs and illustrations of basidiomes and ectomycorrhizas are presented. The new binomial Lactarius chiangmaiensis is proposed for L. subplinthogalus var. chiangmaiensis.

In this study, the biosynthesis of the plastid pigments chlorophyll a and b was examined for the most common shrubs in hornbeam-oak forest stands of the Western forest-steppe zone of Ukraine. The characteristics of the pigments’ biosynthesis were determined in terms of plant species, vegetation period and growth conditions (under canopy cover and out in the open). The gathered data on the changes of the pigment complex with respect to the examined variables confirms the sensitivity of plastid pigment biosynthesis to environmental factors.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of disturbance degree on the species richness and species diversity of oak forests in the Kurdistan Province (Iran). The study ran on three treatments: undisturbed, moderately disturbed, and highly disturbed. For each treatment, there were selected three forest patches with similar physiographic conditions and on each patch there were specified three 400 m2 plots for recording floristic data. The species’ name and the abundance of herbaceous species were recorded on 5 micro plots sized 1.5 × 1.5 m for each sample. Menhinick, Margalef, the number of species indices and also rarefaction, jackknife methods and species abundance distribution models were used to estimate the herbaceous species richness for the three treatments. The results showed that all the richness indices had the highest values for the undisturbed forests and the lowest values for the highly disturbed ones. Based on all models, undisturbed forests were showed more diverse than highly disturbed area. Generally the negative impact of human activities (wood cutting and grazing) on the herbaceous species richness was found much stronger in the highly disturbed forests and in moderately disturbed forests compared the undisturbed ones. With increasing destruction intensity, the herbaceous species richness in the oak forests decreased dramatically.

Practically nothing from scientific research is dedicated to definition of the maximum age of individual trees of oak and oak stands in conditions of the Central forest-steppe , although it is crucial to know these parameters for selecting genetic reserves, design of protected areas and natural monuments. The analysis of literary sources shows that individual trees of English oak, under certain conditions, can live up to 1500-2000 years old, and plantations - up to 500 years. Stelmuze Oak and Oak of Mamre, oak of Vardan Mamikomyan and Zaporozhian oak on Khortytsya Island are cited as example of such old-growth oaks, which crossed the millennial threshold. However, authors did not find such examples in the Voronezh, Kursk and Belgorod regions. On the example of survey of 38 old-growth oak trees and several oak stands, the authors show that the age limit for individual oak trees in the Central forest-steppe is 350-400 years, and for arrays of the oak forest stand - 250-300 years. And this applies not only to plantings of seed origin in rich forest conditions. Most of the examined old-growth oak trees (71 %) are in severely weakened or decaying condition. And if to consider only trees whose age is about 350 years or more, they all (100 %) belong to the category of drying. Old-growth oak plantings are not in better condition. Their weighted average condition category is 3.07±0.13, which is defined as a strong degree of weakness. This suggests that the surveyed old-growth trees of oak and old growth oak forest stands are located in the extreme age, and require special attention. There is an urgent need to conduct an objective inventory of not only all individual old-growth oak trees, but especially those areas in which they are placed, to give them a status that will allow them to survive.

Background: Eruptive events in monogenetic volcanic fields create mosaics of lava fields that result in different successional times and stages, and environmental conditions. Such geomorphological ...

We studied morphological features of the structure of the profile of forest soils, their structural-aggregate composition, chemical, physical and chemical properties using standard methods. The differ-ences in the studied parameters depending on the position in the relief are defined. Research are pre-sented, which has high scientific and practical significance for studying the conditions of growth, spatial distribution, productivity, features of functioning of natural forest ecosystems and improving and detailing taxonomic position of soils of gulley and ravine complex.

Our long-term observations in the Tellerman oak forest (Voronezh region) have shown that in recent decades due to climate change there have been significant changes in population dynamics of many phyl-lophagous insects. It is established that the growth processes of absorbing mycorrhizal roots of oak are closely related to the state of foliage in the crown of a tree and actively respond to its loss, and this response varies among trees of different classes of growth and depends on the intensity and replications of defoliations.

The reproduction of hornbeam both natural and cultural is an important issue nowadays. Seed propagation for this species is considered to be the best way to reproduce. The regularities of the process of regeneration under the canopy of oak and hornbeam forests and log cabins in fresh oak forests in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi forestry are the key problems of the research presented. After having conducted the research we have obtained the results stating that in mature stands of the Korsun-Shevchenko forestry fresh oak dominated for fullness of the cover. Furthermore, all log cabins show intense natural seed recovery. However, the composition of the natural seed recovery is not always correlated with the composition of the felled tree stand. The feature of beech seed recovery is that it undergrowth kept under a tent spaces, self-seeding and appears in log cabins after logging parent stand. Thus we shoul summarize that forest recovery process in fresh oak and hornbeam forests of state enterprise "Korsun-Shevchenko forestry" is satisfactory. In normal conditions oak and hornbeam of forestry bloom and bear fruit every year, but abundant crops depend on weather conditions once in 3-5 years. Under a canopy of plantations of populations of the common oak in blocks of Korsun-Shevchenko forestry through intensive expansion of grass cover and shrubs, and with not enough seats of oak and lack of proper care resumes is unsatisfactory. The most successful is a natural renewal of hornbeam populations.

Acidophilous oak forestsCalamagrostio arundinaceae-Quercetum petraeae(hartm. 1934 scam. et Pass. 1959) are mostly known from the western part of Poland, while its eastern border has not been determined accurately. in order to address this issue, we performed a phytosociological analysis of two newly identified stands of acidophilous oak forest located in the southern part of the Mazovian Voivodeship near Kiedrzyn (vicinity of Nowe Miasto nad Pilicą) and Mikówka (vicinity of Białobrzegi). For comparison, we also examined the distribution of known patches in the region (Łódź and Mazovian Voivodeships) against this association’s background of the eastern range border.Within the identified sites, a total of 10 phytosociological relevés were taken and soil samples were collected from a depth of 10 cm. the content of organic matter, soil ph and sieving analysis were performed in the laboratory. the phytosociological material was ordered and numerically classified which gave two groups of relevés: typical for this association (seven relevés) and a degenerated form (three relevés), which has an increased share of pine in the stand. All our relevés were similar to acidophilous oak forests from the Wielkopolska region and thus different from oak-pine forests of eastern Poland. habitat conditions of the patches and the bonitation of oak were analogous to patches of this association from other parts of Poland. Furthermore, the sites we studied are located between known locations from the Bolimowska and Kozienicka Forests and are therefore connecting these two previously known areas of occurrence. this indicates that the range of theCalamagrostio-Quercetumassociation is at least a few dozen kilometers wider in this part of the country than the assumed range.

An abundance of plant remains (pollen, seeds/fruits and wood) and wood artefacts was found during the excavation of an Etruscan-Roman well located at Cetamura del Chianti in Tuscany, Italy, which contained rich cultural and ecofact assemblages in a stratified context. The findings provide evidence for the presence of a mixed oak forest during the time span of the usage of the well. The main decline of deciduous Quercus, possibly due to forest clearance, is recorded during the late Etruscan period (ca. 300–100/50 B.C.). A diffusion of Quercus ilex occurred during the Roman period (from ca. 50 B.C. to 68 A.D.). Food plants are well represented in the well, particularly cereals and grapevine. The morphometric analysis of the grape pips suggests that fully domesticated forms were cultivated, and that wild fruits may have been gathered in the woods or harvested from weakly domesticated individuals. Some botanical finds could possibly be linked to ritual practices, although the state of preservation of the seed/fruit record, the majority waterlogged, does not meet criteria for carbonized remains used for attributing the plant remains to ritual offerings.

Wildfires have increasingly damaged Andean tropical forests. However, both a poor understanding of wildfire dynamics and ecosystem response limits awareness about the magnitude of the problem and design management strategies. We estimate the impacts and significant drivers of wildfires by dating and mapping recent wildfires in an Andean tropical forest area, the Iguaque mountains. A large part of Iguaque hosts a population of the only Quercus species in South America, Quercus humboldtii. We used remote-sensing, official reports and social mapping to reconstruct the recent history of wildfires and change in oak forest patches in Iguaque. Between 1990 and 2017, 25 wildfires were recorded, with fire intervals between 4 and 21 years. These events burned 28.4% of the Iguaque mountains and showed a significant increasing trend in extent. Wildfires mostly occurred in the south, during the driest months, and their number and extent showed substantial interannual variations related to El Niño–Southern Oscillation cycles. Wildfires contributed to a 45% reduction in oak forests along with the fragmentation of existing populations. Our study presents evidence of the extent and impact of wildfires in Iguaque and provides new insights on fire dynamics in Andean tropical forests. This work was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt) (Government of Colombia), European Union, through the project ‘Páramos: biodiversity and water resources in the northern Andes’, Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness/Ministry of Science, Education and Universities (Government of Spain) and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), through the projects ‘Tools for planning ecological restoration in the Region of Valencia’ (TERECOVA, CGL2014- 52714-C2–1-R) and ‘Cost: effectiveness analysis of restoration actions’ (COSTERA; RTI2018–095954-B-I00).

This work aimed to evaluate if the current procedure to harvest forest floor litter is sustainable. For this purpose, the litter production in an oak forest under forest floor removal, at three condition levels, was evaluated: without forest floor removal (C1), with recent forest floor removal in the last two years (C2), and with forest floor removal occurred in a previous time longer than two years (C3). The mass of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) was also measured in the biomass that returned to the forest floor through the litter fall. Litter traps of 0.5 m2 area were used and the litter bulk density and forest floor depth were measured. Litter production was higher in sites C2 and C3 [(9.36 ± 0.64; 10.04 ± 1.92) Mg ha-1 year-1, respectively], compared to the control site C1 [(6.74 ± 0.45) Mg ha-1 year-1). The mass of nutrients that returns to the forest floor was 40% higher in sites with forest floor removal. The results suggest that the removal of forest floor has a stimulating effect on litter production. However, even when there may be a process of stimulation in litter production, this result should be cautiously considered as the data showed that the time period for recurrent removals of forest floor, in a sustainable way, is about 14 years. This is, a span at least two and a half times greater than that used currently in oak forests. A sustainable scheme implies that the time between two removal dates is equal to the time required to form the organic layer retired.

Introducción: El aprovechamiento intensivo modifica la composición y estructura de los bosques del sur de México, limitando la repoblación natural de especies de Quercus . Objetivo: Se evaluó la factibilidad de Quercus crispipilis, Q. ocoteifolia y Q. segoviensis en la restauración bajo tres condiciones de dosel: bosque secundario de pino-encino, matorral y pastizal. Materiales y métodos: La supervivencia, el crecimiento y la producción de biomasa de plantas jóvenes de las tres especies de Quercus se determinaron en tres condiciones, con tres repeticiones cada una, durante 14 meses. Se trasplantaron 33 individuos de cada especie por repetición. Resultados y discusión: La supervivencia fue relativamente alta (> 88 %) en las tres condiciones. La tasa relativa de crecimiento (TRC) en altura de Q. crispipilis y Q. ocoteifolia fue mayor en las condiciones de bosque y matorral. La TRC en di á metro basal de las tres especies fue mayor en el pastizal, al igual que la biomasa de las raíces de Q. crispipilis y Q. segoviensis. Conclusiones: La presencia de dosel inf luye en las variables microclimáticas de los sitios. Quercus crispipilis y Q. segoviensis tienen supervivencia y crecimiento mayores en el matorral y pastizal, mientras que Q. ocoteifolia resulta favorecida bajo dosel forestal.

Information about the diameter and the height of woody species is fundamental to developing growth and yield models in forest stands. Ten nonlinear height–diameter functions were fitted and evaluat...

Himalayan forests are dominated by different species of oaks ( Quercus spp.) at different altitudes. These oaks are intimately linked with hill agriculture as they protect soil fertility, watershed, and local biodiversity. They also play an important role in maintaining ecosystem stability. This work was carried out to study the diversity and regeneration status of some oak forests in Garhwal Himalaya, India. A total of 18 tree species belonging to 16 genera and 12 families were reported from the study area. Species richness varied for trees (4–7), saplings (3–10), and seedlings (2–6). Seedling and sapling densities (Ind/ha) varied between 1,376 Ind/ha and 9,600 Ind/ha and 167 Ind/ha and 1,296 Ind/ha, respectively. Species diversity varied from 1.27 to 1.86 (trees), from 0.93 to 3.18 (saplings), and from 0.68 to 2.26 (seedlings). Total basal area (m 2 /ha) of trees and saplings was 2.2–87.07 m 2 /ha and 0.20–2.24 m 2 /ha, respectively, whereas that of seedlings varied from 299 cm 2 /ha to 8,177 cm 2 /ha. Maximum tree species (20–80%) had “good” regeneration. Quercus floribunda , the dominant tree species in the study area, showed “poor” regeneration, which is a matter of concern, and therefore, proper management and conservation strategies need to be developed for maintenance and sustainability of this oak species along with other tree species that show poor or no regeneration.

El efecto de la competencia interespecífica sobre la dinámica de los bosques templados en México ha sido poco estudiado. En este trabajo, por medio de técnicas de inferencia fuerte, se documenta la dinámica de un bosque de encino de la Sierra Madre Oriental. En particular, se proponen métodos para determinar cuáles especies son importantes en la dinámica de una comunidad arbórea, la secuencia de establecimiento de esas especies, el remplazo competitivo de una especie por otra y, finalmente, cómo la biología de las especies afecta su estado sucesional. Los resultados presentan una secuencia de especies de encinos rojos (Quercus coccolobifolia, Q. crassifolia y Q. affinis) remplazándose sucesionalmente, y un encino blanco (Q. obtusata) que se presenta como subdominante en la etapa sucesional tardía dominada por Q. affinis.

Ant assemblages in the soil have been studied at eight forest sites (4 oak forest sites, and 4 pine forest sites) in four study areas (1 seminatural area, and 3 industrialized areas) in South Korea for 6 years from 2002 to 2010. Soil cores and Tullgren funnel were used for the ant survey. Ant surveys were carried out once per year in autumn (from late September to mid-October). The soil pH was lower in the industrialized than in the seminatural area, showing the acidified soils in the industrialized areas. However, the soil acidification did not influence the ant assemblages. The results from the nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination and from the community temperature index values indicate that temperature is a key determinant for structures of the soil ant assemblages. The ant assemblages were not different according to the forest types (oak forests vs. pine forests). Occurrence of ant species varied greatly among years, indicating that more replicates and advanced sampling method are needed for the monitoring of the soil ant assemblages.

ResumenLas cañadas de Coatepec Harinas, ubicadas al sur del Nevado de Toluca, son de interés para la conservación por su integridad biológica. En este estudio se presenta la composición de Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae, Hybosoridae, Trogidae y Silphidae, además se analizan aspectos como abundancia, riqueza, diversidad y estacionalidad. Esta información servirá para el desarrollo de estudios comparativos posteriores realizados fuera de las cañadas. Los muestreos fueron mensuales durante un año con trampas tipo NTP-80 cebadas con calamar, en un bosque de encino con elementos de mesófilo de montaña. Se obtuvieron 1,513 individuos pertenecientes a 9 especies y 8 géneros. Silphidae (94.3%) fue la familia más abundante, seguida por Scarabaeidae (4.7%), ambas con 3 especies cada una; las restantes, una especie y menos de 10 ejemplares. Nicrophorus mexicanus Matthews, 1888 (Silphidae), Nicrophorus olidus Matthews, 1888 (Silphidae), Oxelytrum discicolle (Brullè, 1840) (Silphidae) y Oniticellus rhinocerulus Bates, 1889 (Scarabaeidae) agruparon el 99%. Germarostes Paulian, 1982 (Hybosoridae) se registró por primera vez para el Estado de México. La estacionalidad fue marcada: el 87.5% de la abundancia y las 9 especies obtenidas se registraron en las lluvias. La diversidad y la cobertura de la vegetación, así como la presencia de arroyos, propiciaron condiciones favorables para las 4 especies más abundantes.AbstractThe glens of Coatepec Harinas in the southern part of Nevado de Toluca are of conservation concern because of their biological integrity. This study reveals the composition of the Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae, Hybosoridae, Trogidae and Silphidae of the Coatepec Harinas’ glens, and analyzes their abundance, species richness, diversity and seasonality. Such information can be used for further comparative studies conducted outside the glens. Monthly samples were obtained during a year using traps type NTP-80 baited with squid in an oak forest with some elements of cloud forest. A total amount of 1,513 individuals belonging to 9 species and 8 genera were collected. Silphidae (94.3%) was the most abundant family, followed by Scarabaeidae (4.7%), both of which had 3 species each; the remaining families had 1 species and less than 10 specimens. Moreover, Nicrophorus mexicanus Matthews, 1888 (Silphidae), Nicrophorus olidus Matthews, 1888 (Silphidae), Oxelytrum discicolle (Brullè, 1840) (Silphidae) and Oniticellus rhinocerulus Bates, 1889 (Scarabaeidae) grouped together 99% of individuals. Germarostes Paulian, 1982 (Hybosoridae) was recorded for the first time in the Estado de México. The seasonality was evident, 87.5% of the abundance and the 9 species were collected during the rainy season. The diversity of plants and tree canopy cover, as well as the presence of the stream, propitiated favorable conditions for the 4 most abundant species.

Here, we used the maximum entropy (MAXENT) method to predict habitat distribution of the Persian squirrel in oak forests of Kurdistan Province, western Iran. We used 70 points with known occurrence of the species and 17 environmental variables (climatic variables represented annual trends in temperature and precipitation, seasonality and extreme or limiting environmental factors) to map the species distribution. The MAXENT model showed high performance. Using a 0.5 logistic probability threshold, the models suggested about 16,783.5 ha of the study area to have high suitability for the Persian squirrel. These areas were thus estimated as “good” habitats. Amongst the environmental variables, land cover had the greatest role in the Persian squirrel’s distribution. Precipitation and temperature were the two major climatic factors that affected the Persian squirrel’s distribution. Gap analysis showed that many parts of the species habitat have remained unprotected what can threaten the survival of the studied species in the region. These findings can be used to develop conservation management plans and boost the network of protected areas in the region.

International audience; Thirty percent of forest species depend on deadwood. Some of them are now considered rare or at high risk of extinction mainly due to an insufficient quantity of deadwood substrates. Some bats roost in dead trees and snags. Because European bats are strictly insectivorous, we can wonder whether deadwood plays an important role by providing potential preys too. We conducted ultrasonic surveys in different deciduous French forests dominated by oaks (Quercus spp.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica). Our results showed a positive relationship between the volume of deadwood and the richness of bat species. Some species were positively related to deadwood volumes, either lying or standing, with detected thresholds. Species richness increased particularly from 25 m3 per hectare of standing deadwood. This link can be explained by deadwood-dwelling preys or by changes in the forest structure, due to openings created by dead trees that are favorable for edge-habitat species. Other species negatively reacted to the presence of deadwood, either because bats were not able to forage there or because dead trees did not provide relevant preys. Contrary to our hypothesis, clutter by foliage and basal area of the living trees explained more the presence/occurrence of gleaning bats than deadwood. Whereas several species were considered as forest bats (Myotis bechsteinii, Plecotus auritus, Barbastella barbastellus), we did not find any relationship between their occurrence and deadwood. This result strengthens the need of further studies on the relationships between forest habitats and bat assemblages.

ResumenPresentamos los primeros registros de jaguar Panthera onca (Carnivora: Felidae) para el Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Entre los años 2013 a 2015 se colocaron cámaras trampa en los bosques templados del parque. Se obtuvieron 15 fotografías y 7 vídeos de varios individuos de la especie, que evidencian la presencia de una población dentro del parque nacional y que representa la población residente de jaguares más al norte de su área de distribución, por la vertiente del golfo de México. Por esta razón resulta necesario fortalecer acciones de protección ambiental para asegurar la conservación de esta población como: promover el pago de servicios ambientales, implementar el pago del seguro ganadero, capacitar a comités de vigilancia comunitarios y atender las denuncias sobre conflictos por depredación de ganado doméstico en esta área.AbstractWe present the first records of jaguar (Panthera onca) in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, Nuevo León, Mexico. We placed remote cameras between 2013 and 2015 in oak forest habitats of the Park and obtained 15 pictures and 7 videos of 4 different individuals of the species. Our results constitute the first evidence of a resident population of jaguars in this protected area and the northernmost population of the species along the Gulf of Mexico. Strenthenging of conservation measures such as environmental services compensation, livestock compensation programs, conflict management and law enforcement are needed to protect this jaguar population.

Vegetation, forest floor, and soils were resampled at a mixed oak site in eastern Tennessee that had been subjected to stem only (SOH), whole-tree harvest (WTH), and no harvest (REF) 33 years previously. Although differences between harvest treatments were not statistically significant (P < 0.05), average diameter, height, basal area and biomass were 8–18% lower in the WTH than in the SOH treatment 33 years after harvest whereas they differed by 2% 15 years after harvest. In contrast to results 15 years post-harvest, total forest floor mass and nutrient contents were twofold greater in the WTH than in the SOH treatment at 33 years post-harvest, due largely to differences in Oa horizon mass. Soil total C concentrations increased significantly (P < 0.05) over the first 15 years post-harvest in both harvest treatments. Decreases in soil C between 15 and 33 years post-harvest were not statistically significant. Soil total N increased significantly in both harvest treatments over the first 15 years post-harvest. Consistent decreases in soil total N occurred in the WTH treatment between years 15 and 33 post-harvest that bordered on statistical significance whereas total N was stable over that time period in the SOH treatment. The increases and decreases in soil N content cannot be explained by any known processes of N inputs or outputs. Harvest treatment effects on both Ca2+ and Mg2+ observed at 15 years post-harvest are still observable and significant at 33 years post-harvest, although decreases between 15 and 33 years were found. Treatment effects and changes in soil exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ are consistent with known inputs from decomposing logging residues, inputs from atmospheric deposition, and increments in forest floor and vegetation. No treatment effects were found for soil extractable P, but steady decreases over time were found. No treatment or time effects were found for soil exchangeable K+.