Pinus radiata was introduced to the summer rainfall environments of Sichuan Province, China in the 1990s as a part of an affore-station program for soil and water conservation in the arid and semi-arid river valley area of Aba Prefecture. Within this region a total area of 26 000 ha have been identified through climate matching as suitable and a further 63 000 ha potentially suitable for environmental plantings of P. radiata. The plantations are being established in widely separated small patches on steep and degraded slopes along the dry river valley. The newly introduced P. radiata are exposed to two kinds of forest health risks: they may be attacked by (a) indigenous pathogens and pests against which they may not possess any resistance or (b) by inadvertently introduced foreign pests or pathogens. This paper presents a survey of the potential damaging pests and a preliminary assessment of forest health risks facing the P. radiata plantations over a much longer timeframe than the initial phase of introduction and early plantation establishment. An empirical approach was adopted to evaluate forest health risks by a combination of literature review, examination of historical records of pest and disease outbreaks in the surrounding coniferous forests, field surveys and inspections, specimen collection and identification, and most importantly, expert analysis of the likelihood of attack by specific pests and pathogens and the subsequent impact of such attacks. The assessment identified some specific forest health risks to the long-term success of P. radiata introduction in this area. These risks are closely associated with the indigenous pests and pathogens of the two native pine species, P. tabulaeformis and P. armondii since these pests and pathogens are considered more likely to establish on P. radiata over time. Exotic pests and pathogens are of a quarantine concern at present. Based on the results of assessment, recommendations are provided to improve forest vigour and to reduce the forest health risks posed by indigenous as well as exotic pests and pathogens to the introduced P. radiata. Ways to increase the ability to manage the forest health risks once a particular pest infestation and disease eventuates are also recommended. Although detrimental to the survival and growth of the introduced P. radiata, the impact of identified forest health risks are not considered to be fatal to the long term success of P. radiata in this area.

A study was conducted in the forest area of Chittagong (South) Forest Division, Chittagong, Bangladesh for developing allometric models to estimate biomass organic carbon stock in the forest vegetation. Allometric models were tested separately for trees (divided into two DBH classes), shrubs, herbs and grasses. Model using basal area alone was found to be the best predictor of biomass organic carbon stock in trees because of high coefficient of determination (r ² is 0.73697 and 0.87703 for > 5 cm to ≤ 15 cm and > 15 cm DBH (diameter at breast height) rang, respectively) and significance of regression (P is 0.000 for each DBH range) coefficients for both DBH range. The other models using height alone; DBH alone; height and DBH together; height, DBH and wood density; with liner and logarithmic relations produced relatively poor coefficient of determination. The allometric models for dominant 20 tree species were also developed separately and equation using basal area produced higher value of determination of coefficient. Allometric model using total biomass alone for shrubs, herbs and grasses produced higher value of determination of coefficient and significance of regression coefficient (r ² is 0.87948 and 0.87325 for shrubs, herbs and grasses, respectively and P is 0.000 for each). The estimation of biomass organic carbon is a complicated and time consuming research. The allometric models developed in the present study can be utilized for future estimation of organic carbon stock in forest vegetation in Bangladesh as well as other tropical countries of the world.

The measurement of CO₂ and N₂O efflux from forest soils is of great importance in evaluating the role of forests as sequestering agents of atmospheric CO₂ and nitrogen. To quantify the effect of site on temperature dependence of net C-mineralization and N₂O-N emissions, three adjacent forest floors under beech, Norway spruce and mixed species stands were investigated at Solling forest, Germany, by an incubation experiment for three months. The investigated net C-mineralization and N₂O-N emissions from all forest floors exhibited an exponential increase with respect to temperature elevation. The temperature coefficient function (Q₁₀ value), was fitted to flux rates to describe the temperature sensitivity of forest floors on temperature in the range of 1–20°C. Comparing the fitted curves for temperature sensitivity of the forest floors in relation to net carbon mineralization and nitrous oxide emission rates revealed a strong positive correlation across all sites. For the whole data set of all stands, a Q₁₀ value of 1.73–2.10 for net C-mineralization and 2.81–3.58 for N₂O-N emissions per measured unit was found to describe the temperature dependency of net C-mineralization and N₂O-N efflux at experimental site. The absence of clear differences between beech and spruce in mono and mixed species cultures on temperature dependencies of net C-mineralization and N₂O-N emission rates indicated that the flux rates were not affected by species-specific differences of litter quality.

The effects of medium, pH, water potential and temperature on the culture for three pure strains (Lactarius deliciosus, Boletus edulis and Lactarius insulsus) of ectomycorrhizal fungi from plantation forests of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) on sandy lands were observed to obtain the optimum conditions for the growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The results indicated that the three ectomycorrhizal fungi could grow well in the mediums containing natural components, such as vitamin, pine juice and yeast powder. pH had a slight effect on the growth of the three ectomycorrhizal fungi, and the optimum pH values were 6.0 for L. deliciosus, 5.0 for B. edulis, respectively. However, L. insulsus had a wide pH range, and it grew better than the other two strains in neutral and light alkalescent mediums. Water potential (produced by Polyethylene Glycol, PEG) had significant effects on the ecological adaptability for the tested three fungi strains. All of the three stains grow better at lower PEG concentration (100 g PEG·kg⁻¹ H₂O). The best water potential was 10% PEG concentration for all of the three stains. Temperatures, especially high temperatures induced the fungi death. The optimum temperature for the growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi was 25–28°C for all of the three stains.

The phylogenetic relationships of four ciliate genera (Urostyla, Euplotes, Stylonychia and Pseudokeronopsis), which also are the important environment inspection species, were analyzed by the comparison of small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Euplotes appeared as an early branching group whose divergence from the hypotrichous line at a deep level was strongly supported by parsimony and matrix analyses. The analyses also supported the hypothesis that there were closely relationship between species in Urostyla and Holosticha. The sibling species Stylonychia mytilus and S. lemnae could be separated by the evolutionary analyses. Furthermore, Pseudokeronopsis rubra had relatively more closely relationship with the species in Holostichidae than that in Urostylidae based on the evolutionary distance value.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of GA₃, moist-chilling and temperature on seed germination of Abies pindrow and Picea smithiana from five different provenances. Seeds were soaked in GA₃ (10 mg·L⁻¹) for 24 h, then chilled at 3–5°C for 15 days. Four temperature regimes viz. 10°C, 15°C, 20°C and 25°C were used for stimulating seed germination. Results showed that soaking and chilling significantly increased germination percentage. The germination percentage was highest at 10°C. Overall results showed that soaking seeds in GA₃ (10 mg·L⁻¹) for 24 h, moist chilling for 15 days, and germinating at 10°C produced an effective germination in both the species studied. The statistical analysis of the data proclaimed significant effect of treatment, temperature, provenance and treatment with temperature interactions on seed germination.

An investigation on soil organic carbon, total N and P, NO₃ ⁻-N, available P, microbial biomass C, N and P, basal respiration and metabolic quotients (qCO₂) was conducted to compare differences in soil microbial properties and nutrients between 15-year-old pure Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) and two mixed Chinese fir plantations (mixed plantations with Alnus cremastogyne, mixed plantations with Kalopanax septemlobus) at Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology (26°45′N latitude and 109°30′E longitude), Chinese Academy of Sciences in May, 2005. Results showed that the concentrations of soil organic carbon, total N, NO₃ ⁻-N, total P and available P in mixed plantations were higher than that in pure plantation. Soil microbial biomass N in two mixed plantations was averagely higher 69% and 61% than that in pure plantation at the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm soil depth, respectively. Soil microbial biomass C, P and basal respiration in mixed plantations were higher 11%, 14% and 4% at the 0–10 cm soil depth and 6%, 3% and 3% at the 10–20 cm soil depth compared with pure plantation. However, soil microbial C: N ratio and qCO₂ were averagely lower 34% and 4% in mixed plantations than pure plantation. Additionally, there was a closer relation between soil microbial biomass and soil nutrients than between basal respiration, microbial C: N ratio and qCO₂ and soil nutrients. In conclusion, introduction of broad-leaved tree species into pure coniferous plantation improved soil microbial properties and soil fertility, and can be helpful to restore degraded forest soil.

Four pairs of microsatellite molecular polymorphism primers were used to analyse microsatellite fingerprints of 188 seedlings derived from an open-pollinated progeny grafted Eucalyptus globulus breeding arboretum in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. The microsatellite loci chosen for this study were highly polymorphic with the mean number of alleles per locus of 14.25. Individual mothers varied in their outcrosssing rate estimate from 15% to 95%, the overall outcrossing level in the arboretum was 47.9% and the contamination rate was 17.6%. The high selfing level was likely to result in marked inbreeding depression in the performance of open-pollinated seed lots. Open-pollinated seeds collected from such arboreta are not advisable because of its low genetic quality, although such arboreta may be useful for the seed production through large-scale manual pollination or collecting seeds only from trees or genotypes within the arboretum that have high outcrossing rates.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are mainly associated with population decrease of endangered species and biodiversity loss. The habitat suitability maps of red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) in 1992, 1999 and 2006 were produced by using Ecological Niche Suitability Model (ENSM) in Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve (118°33′-119°20′E longitude, 37°35′-38°12′N latitude), Shandong Province, China. Based on the habitat suitability maps, the causation and change law of habitat loss and fragmentation of red-crowned crane were analyzed by selecting a series of landscape pattern indices. Results showed that due to scarcities of fresh water sources, habitat suitability of red-crowned crane in 1999 was inferior to that in 1992 and 2006 no matter whether human disturbances existed or not. Besides, human disturbance activities, especially road disturbances, increased rapidly during the period of 1992–2006. This worsened the habitat loss and fragmentation of red-crowned crane, and led to degrading habitat suitability of red-crowned crane in 2006, compared with that in 1992. In conclusion, fresh water sources and human disturbance activities are the two main factors that drive the habitat suitability change of red-crowned crane.

A study was conducted to investigate culms density and size, seed size and production rate in Melocanna baccifera stands disturbed by biotic pressure and fire. Results revealed that culms density, number and size of seeds produced in the bamboo stands were significantly affected by frequent fire and excessive biotic pressure (collection of young shoots for vegetables and mature culms). The culm density and seed production rate decreased significantly in the stand subjected to excessive biotic pressure. An increasing exposure of culms to sun light was responsible for the above decrease. Seed production rate significantly increased in case of culms subjected to fire in comparison to the control. It indicated that fire stimulated the seed production in M. baccifera stand

This paper reported five newly recorded species of genus Cassida (Cassida mandli Spaeth, Cassida nobilis Linnaeus, Cassida piperata Hope, Cassida velaris Weise, Cassida amurensis (Kraatz)) in Provinces of Northeast China, and one Cassidinae species (Cassida flaveola Thunberg) newly recorded in China. All the specimens examined are deposited in insect collection at Northeast Forestry University, China. Brief diagnosis of new record species and a key to species of genus Cassida in Northeast China were also provided

An assessment index system including environment, socio-culture, economy and technology was established for evaluating environmental construction level of community (objective construction), and questionnaire was designed according to paper review for evaluating residential satisfaction (subjective satisfaction). The index system was divided into four layers: system (A), subsystems (B), categories (C), and indicators (D), and in total of 38 indicators was established. The Xihe community, affiliated to Nanfen district, Benxi City, Liaoning Province, China was selected as a case study. Results indicated that the community sustainability index related to objective environmental construction was 0.4355 and was classified as class III (moderate); the community sustainability index related to the residential satisfaction was 0.4255, belonging to class III. In conclusion, the sustainability of Xihe community was moderate and needed to be improved. Residential satisfaction was lower than objective environmental construction. The assessment index system established in this study is able to reflect the comprehensive sustainability of community and can be used to evaluate other similar communities’ sustainability

Rice husk high boiling solvent lignin (RHL) was prepared by high boiling solvent method, and its characteristics was analyzed by using chemical composition analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The optimum prepared condition was that the rice husk with 70%–90% aqueous solution of 1, 4-butanediol was mixed with autoclave, under a certain weight ratio of solid raw material and solvent, heated to 200–220°C for 1.0–3.0 h, then water-insoluble RHL was separated from the liquor reaction mixture by water precipitation. Results suggested that the lower digestion temperature and concentration of 1,4-butanediol were both unfavorable for extracting lignin. Chemical weight-average molecular weight of RHL was 1939 g·mol⁻¹, and the residual polysaccharide content was 5.12%. The ¹H-NMR spectra of RHL showed the relative intensity ratio, aliphatic over aromatic methoxyl groups, situated at 3.5–3.8 and 3.8–4.0 ppm, respectively. The results from ¹³C-NMR spectra showed that β-O-4 bond and β-5 carbon-carbon linkage were the major linkages between RHL units. The C₉-formula of RHL was calculated by the experiment data.

This review describes the characteristics and hot spots of wetland research, including biodiversity protection of wetland, management and restoration of wetland, function and process of wetland, and the theories, methods and scales of landscape ecology. Moreover, some deficits of landscape ecology theory and method were discussed, and the application of landscape ecology to research on wetlands was reviewed specially, involving in the application of landscape structure principle, landscape pattern, and scale and hierarchy theory. In conclusion, landscape ecology plays an enlightening and guiding function on the comprehensive research of wetlands at multi-scales.