Watershed management is an ever-evolving practice involving the management of land, water, biota, and other resources in a defined area for ecological, social, and economic purposes. In this paper, we explore the following questions: How has watershed management evolved? What new tools are available and how can they be integrated into sustainable watershed management? To address these questions, we discuss the process of developing integrated watershed management strategies for sustainable management through the incorporation of adaptive management techniques and traditional ecological knowledge. We address the numerous benefits from integration across disciplines and jurisdictional boundaries, as well as the incorporation of technological advancements, such as remote sensing, GIS, big data, and multi-level social-ecological systems analysis, into watershed management strategies. We use three case studies from China, Europe, and Canada to review the success and failure of integrated watershed management in addressing different ecological, social, and economic dilemmas in geographically diverse locations. Although progress has been made in watershed management strategies, there are still numerous issues impeding successful management outcomes; many of which can be remedied through holistic management approaches, incorporation of cutting-edge science and technology, and cross-jurisdictional coordination. We conclude by highlighting that future watershed management will need to account for climate change impacts by employing technological advancements and holistic, cross-disciplinary approaches to ensure watersheds continue to serve their ecological, social, and economic functions. We present three case studies in this paper as a valuable resource for scientists, resource managers, government agencies, and other stakeholders aiming to improve integrated watershed management strategies and more efficiently and successfully achieve ecological and socio-economic management objectives.

We collected acorns from selected Quercus robur and Quercus petraea mother trees growing at stations with different depths to the water table. We produced pairs of micro-cuttings from these single acorns. The obtained pairs of cuttings represented phenotypes of high similarity according to photosynthetic parameters. These pairs of cuttings were used to test the plasticity of response to contrasting water regimes. For each pair, one cutting was submitted to drought and the other was submitted to waterlogging. Drought response was recorded according to gas exchange traits (stomatal closure and water use efficiency). The response to waterlogging was recorded according to the capacity to form hypertrophied lenticels and to maintain the CO₂ assimilation rate. Intermediary phenotypes presenting both high water use efficiency and the capacity to develop hypertrophied lenticels were expected.

We evaluated seed production in a first-generation orchard of Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) during the crucial transition period from first generation to advanced generations. Clones varied significantly in all traits related to seed production. Repeatability of these traits ranged from 0 to 0.96. Seed production per ramet (SPPR), seed producing index (SPI), the number of relative female strobili (RFS), the number of scales, and the number of ineffective scales had comparatively high repeatability at 0.86, 0.87, 0.89, 0.96, and 0.91, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that SPPR was greatly influenced by RFS and by the number of full seeds per cone. Finally, we showed that SPI was the best predictor of the seed-producing ability of clones. Our findings will assist seed orchard managers in effectively predicting and improving seed production of Chinese pine seed orchards.

Differences in seed germination and seedling growth among populations of Pinus yunnanensis Franch. were quantified to provide information for use in the regeneration, reforestation, and improvement of this species. Seed germination and seedling growth traits at the nursery stage were investigated at the population level. We evaluated relationships between pairs of measured traits as well as the association between measured traits and geo-climatic variables including longitude, latitude, elevation, temperature and precipitation. Seedling growth showed significant differences although a low magnitude of variation was found in the seed germination traits among the populations. Some populations with strong and stable growth (e.g., the Baoshan population) may be selected as superior seed sources for regeneration and reforestation. Germination percentage was negatively correlated with elevation, and positively with precipitation. In addition, germination index, vigor index and seedling height were positively correlated with precipitation. Seed germination index, cotyledon number and length, and seedling diameter were significantly and positively correlated with seed weight. Strong correlations between pairs of traits will be helpful in early evaluations for the selection of certain prominent traits.

A multipurpose clone plant species, Hippophae rhamniodes has the capacity for indefinite longevity, although under successive drought stress it may often decline or die across large areas. Field trials were conducted over 2 years to examine the effects of varied irrigation intensities on modular growth and clonal propagation in a semi-arid area. Irrigation levels included a control, as well as two, four and six times the volume of water that was typically received via local annual average precipitation. Irrigation intensity significantly influenced clonal propagation capacity (number of daughter ramets), aboveground modular growth (height, base diameter, and crown width), belowground modular growth included root nodule dry weight, stretching capacity of lateral roots (length of the longest lateral roots, and diameter of first-grade lateral roots), and branching intensity of lateral roots (number of lateral roots bifurcation grade, number of first-grade lateral roots). The modular growth and the density of daughter ramets were small under non-irrigation or low irrigation, and became larger with increased irrigation intensity. Beyond a certain threshold, however, further increases in irrigation intensity resulted in a reversion to the development. The optimal irrigation intensities for growth and propagation were 3.48–5.29 times the volume of nominal local annual average precipitation. There were effects of irrigation intensities on the positive significant correlations between aboveground and belowground modular growths, and on clonal propagation capacities. Under various water treatments, H. rhamnoides may adapt to the environment through the regulation of growth and propagation. We concluded that water shortages act to weaken the growth and propagation of H. rhamniodes plantations.

The aim of this study was to estimate fine root production (FP) and fine root mortality (FM) at 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm soil depths using minirhizotrons in a 75-year-old Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. forest located in Gwangneung, Korea. We developed the conversion factors (frame cm⁻²) of three soil depths (0.158 for 0–10 cm, 0.120 for 10–20 cm, and 0.131 for 20–30 cm) based on soil coring and minirhizotron data. FP and FM were estimated using conversion factors from March 26, 2013 to March 2, 2014. The annual FP and FM values at the 0–30 cm soil depth were 3200.2 and 2271.5 kg ha⁻¹ yr ⁻¹, respectively. The FP estimate accounted for approximately 17 % of the total net primary production at the study site. FP was highest in summer (July 31–September 26), and FM was highest in autumn (September 27–November 29). FP was positively correlated with seasonal change in soil temperature, while FM was not related to that change. The seasonality of FP and FM might be linked to above-ground photosynthetic activity. Both FP and FM at the 0–10 cm depth were significantly higher than at 10–20 and 20–30 cm depths, and this resulted from the decrease in nutrient availability with increasing soil depth. The minirhizotron approach and conversion factors developed in this study will enable fast and accurate estimation of the fine root dynamics in P. densiflora forest ecosystems.

Decomposition dynamics were compared among green tree leaves, partially decomposed tree leaf litter (i.e., decayed tree leaf litter on forest floor) and a mixture of the two in a warm temperate forest ecosystem in central China to test the influence of litter chemical quality on the degree of decomposition. The study was conducted in situ at two contrasting forest sites, an oak forest dominated by Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata Maxim., and a mixed pine and oak forest dominated by Pinus armandii Franch. and Q. aliena var. acuteserrata. We found marked differences in the rate of decomposition among litter types at both forest sites; the litter decomposition constant, k, was about 39 % greater at the oak forest site and more than 70 % greater at the pine-oak forest site, for green leaves than for partially decomposed leaf litter. The decomposition dynamics and temporal changes in litter chemistry of the three litter types also greatly differed between the two forest sites. At both forest sites, the higher rate of decomposition for the green leaves was associated with a higher nitrogen (N) content and lower carbon to N ratio (C/N) and acid-unhydrolyzable residue to N ratio (AUR/N). We did not find any non-additive effects when mixing green leaves and partially decomposed leaf litter. Our findings support the contention that litter chemical quality is one of the most important determinants of litter decomposition in forest ecosystems at the local or regional scale, but the effect of litter chemical quality on decomposition differs between the contrasting forest types and may vary with the stage of decomposition.

Forests have been expanding over typical savanna sites for the past 3000 years in the Neotropics. Such invasion can produce a series of environmental modifications on typical savanna; however, it remains unclear how modifications in soil properties, caused by the encroachment of woody species, facilitate the expansion of forest ecosystems under dystrophic conditions. Here we examined chemical and microbiological changes associated with tree encroachment in oxisols of a Neotropical Savanna at Assis Ecological Station, Southeastern Brazil. We predicted that tree encroachment caused by typical forest species would cause significant changes in the chemical and microbiological properties of savanna soils. Soils were sampled at Assis Ecological Station, from savanna sites differing in tree encroachment (typical, dense and forested savanna) caused by decades of fire exclusion. We analysed vegetation leaf area index and leaf litter volume deposited in the studied plots and chemical (pH, organic matter, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, NO₃ ⁻, NH₄ ⁺) and microbiological (microbial C biomass and dehydrogenase activity) properties of soils under distinct encroachment conditions. Most soil chemical properties did not change along the tree encroachment gradient; however, total P, soil organic matter, soil microbial C and dehydrogenase activity increased from typical savanna to forested savanna. The changes in soil organic matter and dehydrogenase activity were correlated with the values of leaf area index and litter volume along the encroachment gradient. Our results demonstrate that forest species can increase carbon and phosphorus supplies in tropical savanna soils.

We studied leaf litter fall, decomposition and nutrient release patterns of Shorea robusta and Tectona grandis by using a litter bag technique to better understand the release pattern of nutrients to soil from leaf litter. Annual litterfall varied from 13.40 ± 2.56 t ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ for S. robusta to 11.03 ± 3.72 t ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ for T. grandis and the decay constant (k) of decomposed leaf litter was distinctly higher for T. grandis (2.70 ± 0.50 a⁻¹) compared to S. robusta (2.41 ± 0.30 a⁻¹). Biomass loss was positively correlated with the initial litter C, WSC, C/N and ash content in S. robusta and N, P and K concentration for T. grandis. Biomass was negatively correlated with lignin and L/N ratio for S. robusta and L, WSC, L/N and C/N ratio for T. grandis (P < 0.01). Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and nutrient accumulation index (NAI) of S. robusta was higher than for T. grandis. The retranslocation of bioelements from senescent leaves ranked as P > N > K. Annual N, P and K input to soil through litterfall differed significantly between the two species in the following order: N>K>P. S. robusta was superior in terms of K and P return and T. grandis was superior in terms of N return. The two tree species showed a similar patterns of nutrient release (K > P > N) during decomposition of their leaf litter. Nutrients of N, K and P were the primary limiting nutrients returned to soil through litterfall with important roles in soil fertility and forest productivity.

Tree growth traits (tree height, DBH and stem volume) and survival from two 9-year-old, open-pollinated progeny tests of Chinese fir were investigated for heritability, genotype × environment interaction, age-age genetic correlation and selection efficiency. The 97 and 79 families planted at two sites were collected from the third-cycle seed orchard. Individual heritability was estimated between 0.05 and 0.21 for tree height, DBH, and volume and between 0.45 and 1.0 for survival. Family heritability was between 0.20 and 1.14. Significant genotype × environment interaction was observed for the three growth traits. Type B genetic correlation was between 0.41 and 0.67 with an increasing trend as tree grows. High age-age genetic correlation was observed with correlation reaching 0.9 after age 4 for height, DBH, and volume. The genetic gains were estimated at 3.26, 3.39 and 5.98 % for tree height, DBH, and volume with 10 % selection intensity. The implication for advanced tree breeding in Chinese fir is discussed.

The genus Armeniaca Scop. is well known for its popular cultivated edible fruit trees such as Armeniaca vulgaris Lam. and ornamental flowers such as A. mume Sieb. Another species, A. cathayana Fu et al., one of six important dry fruits (kernel-using apricot), is cultivated for its edible seeds in North China. In the present study, DNA from 70 individuals of Armeniaca, including 38 of A. cathayana, 18 of A. vulgaris, 12 of A. sibirica, 1 of A. dasycarpa and 1 of A. mume, was extracted and analyzed using microsatellites and capillary electrophoresis. For 20 polymorphic loci selected, 339 alleles and 140.7 effective alleles were detected. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 28, with an average of 16.95 alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) and the expected heterozygosity (He) ranged from 0.427 to 0.971 and from 0.737 to 0.912, respectively. The polymorphism information content varied from 0.708 to 0.905, with an average of 0.827. Based on the genetic similarity among 70 individuals, a UPGMA was used to establish the phylogenetic relationships. The taxonomic positions among five species were clearly revealed, and A. cathayana was more closely related to A. vulgaris than to A. sibirica. The results will provide a scientific basis for research on the taxonomy, germplasm resources and breeding of Armeniaca, especially for A. cathayana.

Genetic divergence was studied in selected 36 genotypes of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. on the basis of seven morphological parameters. The divergence among genotypes was estimated by Mahalanobis method and genotypes were grouped into clusters by Tocher’s method. All the genotypes were classified into seven distinct clusters on the basis of seven morphological traits. Cluster 1 was the largest with 25 genotypes followed by Cluster 2 (four genotypes). Cluster 3, 5, 6 and 7 were the divergent clusters. The D ² analysis revealed that D ² value (39.42) between clone 5040 and clone 201 was recorded maximum. The intra-cluster distance ranged from 0.00 (Cluster 3, 5, 6 and 7) to 3.89 (Cluster 1), the Cluster 3 (clone 33) was the most divergent cluster with maximum inter cluster distance (13.97) with the Cluster 7. By the divergence analysis, the parents for hybridization from diverse clusters could be selected for heterotic hybrids.

Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge) is a drought-tolerant tree in the family Sapindaceae that is native to northeastern China. Its remarkably oil-rich seeds are a reliable biodiesel source. An inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis showed genetic variation among four artificial populations in China: two in Inner Mongolia (IM), one in Liaoning (LN), and one in Shandong (SD). The average percentage of polymorphic loci was 81.25 % for these four populations. The Forest Farm in SD showed the highest number of effective alleles (N_e), Shannon index (I), and expected heterozygosity (H_e), i.e., 1.598, 0.470, and 0.325, respectively, but the lowest number of alleles (N_a) as 1.600. Based on an analysis of molecular variance, 23 % of the total genetic variation was found among populations, and 77 % within populations. A principal coordinate analysis revealed two groups (Group 1: Lindonglinchang, Jianping Agriculture Research Station and Forest Farm; Group 2: Jinjilinchang). Understanding the genetic diversity among artificial yellowhorn populations in China, detected using ISSRs, will be useful for yellowhorn conservation and improvement. Additional artificial and natural populations need to be included in the future for a country-wide perspective.

Chinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook] is a major timber tree species in China. In the present study, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers were used to evaluate the polymorphisms, diversity, and relationships in a collection of Chinese fir elite genotypes (n = 103) from the Lechang provenance, an endangered provenance. Thirty-five SRAP primer combinations produced 620 bands among the tested 103 Lechang provenance genotypes and 17 non-Lechang provenance genotypes; 577 (93.1 %) of these were polymorphic, yielding an average of 16.5 polymorphic bands per primer combination. Of the SRAP primer combinations (n = 35), 14 ones identified ≥70.0 % of the 120 genotypes. The Me12–Em19 combination had the strongest discriminatory ability with 93.3 % of the genotypes identified. An UPGMA dendrogram further showed that most of the Lechang provenance genotypes (87.4 %) grouped together (Cluster A). The Lechang genotypes had a considerable amount of genetic variation with genetic similarity from 0.40 to 0.81. The current work may facilitate the management of the endangered Lechang Chinese fir provenance.

MADS-box transcription factors show highly diverse regulatory functions in a wide variety of organisms. In this study, we characterized a MADS-box gene (BpMADS12) from the white birch (Betula platyphylla Suk). This gene is a member of the suppressor of overexpression of CO 1/tomato MADS 3 class of MADS-box genes. We generated lines overexpressing BpMADS12 and found that these had higher levels of lignin compared to that observed in nontransgenic lines. Transcriptome analysis revealed numerous changes in gene expression patterns. In total, 8794 differentially expressed genes were identified, including 5006 upregulated unigenes and 3788 downregulated unigenes in BpMADS-overexpression lines. Differentially expressed genes involved in the pathways for lignin and brassinosteroid biosynthesis were significantly enriched and may have contributed to phenotypic changes. The results from a quantitative RT-PCR analysis were consistent those obtained with the transcriptome analysis. Our transcriptome analysis, in combination with measurement of lignin level, indicated that BpMADS12 promotes lignin synthesis through regulation of key enzymes in response to brassinosteroid signaling. These results suggest that this MADS-box protein is crucial to all subsequent structural events and provide a good foundation for studies aiming to elucidate the developmental mechanisms underlying formation of wood.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate methods for fixed area and distance sampling in the Zagros open forest area in western Iran. Basic forest management and planning required appropriate quantitative and qualitative information. Two sampling methods were compared on the basis of the actual means of characteristics derived from the 100 % survey. In total, 37 sampling plots were systematically installed with a grid of 100 m × 100 m in the study area. Density, crown canopy, and basal area of the stands were measured. The 100 % survey showed that tree density above 12.5 cm diameter at breast height was 68.04 stem ha⁻¹, basal area was 15.16 m² ha⁻¹ and crown canopy percentage was 35.71 % ha⁻¹. The values for the traits determined by the two sampling methods differed significantly (P = 0.05). When the time required for the methods was compared, transect sampling required less than systematic-random sampling. Therefore, the transect sampling method was the more economical method for the Zagros open forests. The transect sampling method was statistically defensible and practical for quantitating characteristics of the Zagros open forests.

The Zagros forests are a treasure of valuable oak forests, but they have been severely degraded from long-term misuse. Geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) have been increasingly used to improve the management of vulnerable ecosystems to prevent further degradation and increase the sustainability of land use. This study presents a methodology to assess land suitability using remote sensing (RS) to obtain wall-to-wall data for the calculations, GIS to analyze the data, and MCDA to rank alternative land uses. The criteria and subcriteria affecting the suitability of land for different uses were identified and weighted using an analytic hierarchy process. Variables used as subcriteria were assessed using satellite data and other sources of information such as existing maps and field surveys. Numerical values for the subcriteria were classified, and each class was given a priority rating according to expert judgments. Based on the ratings and weights of the subcriteria, a priority map was created for each land use using the weighted linear combination method. The priority maps for different land uses were overlaid to obtain a preliminary land use map, which often indicated several simultaneous land uses for the same location. The preliminary map was further edited by removing unrealistic, mutually exclusive land-use combinations. The study tested and demonstrated the potential of integrating RS, GIS and MCDA techniques for solving complicated land allocation problems in forested regions using a scientifically sound and practical approach for efficient and sustainable allocation of forestland for different uses.

Topography is the most factor that has the greatest impact of all factor that affect the distribution. To study the diversity of trees and shrub species in the Perc forest situated in Khorramabad, Lorestan, 140 circular plots of 1200 m² in a grid of 300 m × 250 m were surveyed, using a systematic random sampling method. In each plot, the Margalef richness index, Shannon–Wiener diversity index, Hill’s N ₁ and Simpson indices and the evenness index of Simpson and Smith-Wilson were calculated and ordered on the basis of different classes of elevation, exposition and slope. The results indicated that slope did not have any significant effect on the indices. Exposition and elevation classes significant impacted the richness and diversity indices, but did not influence evenness. In general, the highest plant diversity was observed for slopes less than 15 %, northern aspects, without geographical direction, and elevations of 2100–2200 m. This information can be very useful in achieving the goals for sustainable management of forests. In addition to greater protection for regions with high diversity and reforestation (compatible species) in degraded area, we can help increase diversity in forests.

Extracts are important components of fuels. Fatty-extracts with high heating value (HV) are hypothesized by researchers as positively related to the HV of fuels. The Soxhlet extractor is typically used to extract fatty-extracts but it has shortcomings, including long processing time (8–10 h) and the requirement for large amounts of organic solvent. Supercritical extraction is an alternate and useful technique for extraction of natural products. However, published studies rarely discuss the relationship between extracts and HV. In this study, we assessed the supercritical extracts (SuE) of forest fuels in the Great Xing’an Mountains. Our results indicated that the optimum conditions for extraction of SuEs were 40–60 mesh, 40–50 MPa, 45 °C, 80 min and a CO₂ flow rate of 1.5–2.0 dm³/min. The Soxhlet extracts contents and the SuE contents were all related to HV. However, R ² of the coniferous samples (0.8499) and needle samples (0.9722) demonstrated that the correlation between HV and the SuE content was closer. We conclude that supercritical fatty-extracts provide a useful index of the HV of fuels, especially coniferous fuels. SuE data can be used in fire management, for example to estimate the rate of fire spread or fire intensity.

This study was conducted in a fire-prone region in the Greater Xing’an Mountains, the primary forested area of northeastern China. We measured soil respiration and the affecting soil factors, i.e., soil microbial biomass and soil moisture, within an experimental plot of Larix gmelinii Rupr. A low-intensity, prescribed fire was applied as the treatment. Traditional descriptive statistics and geostatistics were used to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of soil respiration and the response of respiration to fire disturbance. Coefficients of variation (CVs) for pre-fire and post-fire soil respiration were 23.4 and 32.0 %, respectively. CVs for post-fire soil respiration increased significantly, with a moderate variation of all CVs. Soil respiration pre-fire was significantly correlated with soil microbial biomass carbon, biomass nitrogen, and soil moisture (W); post-fire soil respiration was not correlated with these factors. From the geostatistical analyses, the C ₀ + C (sill) for post-fire soil respiration increased significantly, indicating that the post-fire spatial heterogeneity of soil respiration increased significantly. The nugget effect (n _c) of soil respiration and the affecting factors pre-fire and post-fire disturbance were in the range of 12.5–50 %, with strong spatial autocorrelation. Fire disturbance changed the components of spatial heterogeneity, and the proportion of functional heterogeneity increased significantly post-fire. The ranges (a) for pre-fire and post-fire soil respiration were 81.0 and 68.2 m, respectively. The homogeneity of the distribution of post-fire soil respiration decreased and the spatial heterogeneity increased, thus the range for post-fire soil respiration decreased significantly. The fractal dimension (D) for soil respiration increased post-fire, the spatial heterogeneity of soil respiration affected by random components increased, indicating that the change in spatial heterogeneity of post-fire soil respiration should be considered within the scale of the forest stand. Following Kriging interpolation, the increase in the patchiness of post-fire soil respiration was illustrated using a contour map. Based on these preliminary results, the change in the spatial heterogeneity of post-fire soil respiration was likely caused by changes in the distribution of soil moisture and microbial activity within the experimental plot at the scale of the forest stand.

A dendroclimatic study was conducted in the treeline ecotone of Barun Valley, eastern Nepal, to determine the tree-ring climate response and ring width trend of Abies spectabilis. A 160-year-old chronology, from 1850 to 2010, was developed from 38 tree-ring samples. No higher growth in recent decades was observed in tree-ring width in this area. The mean temperature of the current year in February and in the combined winter months of December, January, and February showed significant positive correlation with tree-ring width, although no significant correlation was found between tree-ring width and the precipitation pattern of the region. This tree-ring climate response result is different from that in other studies in Nepal, which could be attributed to location and elevation.

Castanopsis sclerophylla was surveyed for its root turion capacity on Laoshan Island in Zhejiang Province and dispersion patterns of seedlings, genetic diversity and genetic variation coefficient was studied using a SSR (simple sequence repeat) molecular marker technique to explore the genetic diversity of C. sclerophylla (Lindl.) Schott as a community and evaluate the community’s development. The results showed that C. sclerophylla had strong root turion capacity, of which type Re2 was the most frequent, accounting for 32.4 and 82.4 % of the seedlings under the stock plant were from within-community mating; the 6 pairs of SSR primers chosen yielded high resolution with 97.6 % polymorphic sites; the within-community genetic diversity was over 88.9 % with stock plants (0.49) > seedling plants (0.45). Apparently, C. scerophyllan on Laoshan Island, propagating mainly by root turions, has developed high genetic diversity within a short period, keeping the community in a stage of stable growth and moving toward a climax community. The tillers, however, aggravate closing of the community so that it receives less pollen from outside. Within-community mating is thus reaching seriously high levels, which can lead to lower within-community genetic variation, a decline in DNA genetic diversity, and is bad for its development. Therefore, human interference should be taken to expand genetic exchange among communities.

Subalpine fir decline (SFD) has killed more trees in Colorado’s high elevation forests than any other insect or disease problem. The widespread nature of this disorder suggests that the cause involves climatic factors. We examined the influence of varying combinations of average annual temperature and precipitation on the incidence and distribution of SFD. Climatic transition matrices generated in this study indicate that most healthy trees are found in climatic zones with moderate to low temperatures and high precipitation; whereas, SFD occurs mostly in zones of moderate temperatures and moderate precipitation. The contrasting distributions define an environmental mismatch. Forests matched with favorable climatic conditions thrive; those that are mismatched can become vulnerable to decline disease.

Multi-cohort management (MCM) that retains a range of stand structures (age and size class) has been proposed to emulate natural disturbance and improve management in the Nearctic boreal forest. Although MCM forests contain both single- and multi-aged stands of mixed tree sizes, little is known about how variable stand structure affects associated fauna and biodiversity. Here, we examine the relationship between ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) communities and stand characteristics across a range of forest structure (=cohort classes). Given that MCM classes are defined by the distribution of their tree–stem diameters, we ask whether parameters associated with these distributions (Weibull) could explain observed variation in carabid communities, and if so, how this compares to traditional habitat variables such as stand age, foliage complexity or volume of downed woody debris. We sampled carabids using weekly pitfall collections and compared these with structural habitat variables across a range of cohort classes (stand structure and age since disturbance) in 18 sites of upland mixed boreal forests from central Canada. Results showed that richness and diversity of carabid communities were similar among cohort classes. Weibull parameters from the diameter distribution of all stems were the strongest predictors of variation in carabid communities among sites, but vertical foliage complexity, understory thickness, and percentage of deciduous composition were also significant. The abundance of several carabid forest specialists was strongly correlated with tree canopy height, the presence of large trees, and high vertical foliage complexity. Our results demonstrate that variable forest structure, as expected under MCM, may be useful in retaining the natural range of ground beetle species across the central Nearctic boreal forest.

Assemblages of forest insects across two high mountains (Mt. Hallasan: JJ and Mt. Jirisan: JR) in South Korea were compared by collecting insects using an ultraviolet light trap at 20 sites (200–1700 m elevation ranges) from May to October 2013. A total of 2960 individuals, representing 481 species of 10 orders, were collected on JJ, compared with 7080 individuals representing 769 species of 14 orders on JR. The estimated number of species on JJ was 667 compared with 952 on JR. The differentiation among habitats (β-diversity) was higher on JJ (4.95) than JR (4.33) because of the island characteristics of JJ. Six insect orders (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and Trichoptera) were dominant on both mountains, suggesting that the light trap captures represented well the insect fauna and is an effective method for investigating forest insect diversity. We concluded that forest insect assemblages on mountains are mainly affected by the elevation and the dominant forest in each elevation. In addition, the insect fauna on each mountain was differentiated by the habitat, which could be correlated with geological history.