forest measurement Articles
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Traceflux: a small-scale tracer experiment at a forested site
Results from four successful tracer experiments carried out in a dense forest canopy are presented. For each experiment, sulphur hexafluoride SF6 was released from a point source in trunk space and air samples were collected at 19 horizontally distributed locations in the canopy. Meteorological measurements include fast-response turbulence data recorded at several locations in and above the ...
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Calculation and analysis of genuine saving for forests in China
'Genuine Saving' is an indicator which reflects the practical steps towards sustainability. This paper for the first time estimates the Genuine Saving for forests in China. The results show that the Genuine Saving for forests in 1999 was 10290.25 billion Yuan (RMB) and 19402.52 billion Yuan in 2003. This shows that the annual increasing rate was 17.18%, which is higher than the traditional annual ...
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Assessing Forest Governance - The Governance of Forests Initiative Indicator Framework
This publication presents a revised version of the Governance of Forests Initiative (GFI) Indicator Framework, a comprehensive menu of indicators that can be used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses in forest governance. It updates the original GFI Indicator Framework based on several years of field-testing of by GFI partners in Brazil, Cameroon, and Indonesia. As a companion to this document, ...
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Riparian woody plant diversity and forest structure along an urban-rural gradient
Changes in riparian woody plant assemblages are anticipated in the southeastern United States due to increases in urbanization rates. Because riparian forests serve important roles in maintaining water quality and biodiversity, understanding how they respond to urbanization is crucial. The objective of this study was to examine forest structure and woody vegetation diversity indices of riparian ...
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Forest accounts: a primary case study in China
Forest accounting considers physical and monetary data relating to the degree of substitutability for natural capital, and composes accounts for forest assets measured in physical and monetary terms to show the impact of the economy on the environment. It is extremely useful in formulating and evaluating macroeconomic and sectoral policies. This study has for the first time built up forest ...
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Mangrove coasts: A muddy story
In my previous blog, I have tried to explain the importance of mangrove mud coasts. Of course, these coasts are beautiful, exotic environments, with rare species, such as the mud skipper and numerous crabs, as well as rare birds. For some, their beauty alone would be sufficient reason to protect these ecosystems. For mankind, it is their so-called ecosystem services that should urge their ...
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Water-retention potential of Europe`s forests
A European overview to support natural water-retention measures One third of European territory is covered by forests (210 million ha). Approximately 296 million European inhabitants live in — or close to — forests. European forests are also closely connected to much of the hydrological network, and serve large groundwater bodies and many river sources. Forests provide more than 4 ...
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The Forest Canopy: Structure, Roles & Measurement
If you are looking for a classic example of the circle of life, consider the forest canopy structure. A forest’s canopy structure is influenced by environmental and soil factors, and it also influences these factors in return. It is an aspect of forest ecology that is receiving more attention in this age of climate change emergency. The canopy structure is often overlooked, with most of the ...
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Forest Soil Carbon Flux Measurement and Applications
Measuring forest soil carbon flux gives an insight into the health of forest ecosystems and provides feedback on the effects of global warming. This article outlines how soil CO2 efflux is determined and the applications of soil carbon flux research.The Earth’s carbon cycle maintains a steady balance of carbon in the atmosphere that supports plant and animal life. In recent years, concerns about ...
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Warsaw Climate Meeting Makes Progress on Forests, REDD+
For most observers, the outcomes of this year’s climate negotiations in Warsaw, Poland COP 19 were an inadequate response to climate change. But there was one bright spot— negotiators made big advances on a program called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). While much work remains to be done, the progress on REDD+ sets countries up for success when it ...
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Funding for forests: the potential of public ballot measures
A variety of measures exist to prevent deforestation or forest conversion to other land uses. Some of these measures, such as purchasing land outright for conservation or purchasing conservation easements, are designed to permanently protect forests by precluding future residential or commercial development on the tract of land. But these approaches all require money. One approach to raising ...
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The role of natural purified humic acids in modifying Mercury accessibility in water and soil
Received for publication April 17, 2008. Contamination of soils with mercury can be a serious problem. It can be mobilized or stabilized by humic substances (HS) containing binding sites with reduced sulfur that can have different binding capacities for CH3Hg+ and for Hg2+. In this work we investigated the influence of different humic acids (HAs, extracted from lignite, compost, and forest soil) ...
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Forest & Plant Canopy Analysis - Tools & Methods
Canopy Analysis for Crop, Forest & Plant Research The range of applications of canopy cover analysis is truly astounding. Canopy analysis derives its usefulness from the vitality of the canopy. Many methods to measure canopy cover have been developed in the last 80 years to meet various objectives. Not surprisingly, there have been several comparisons of the tools in different parts of the ...
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New study shines a light on bird loss due to illegal logging in Ghana
The combination of legal and illegal logging in southwest Ghana’s tropical forests is having a devastating impact on bird populations in the region, according to new research published recently in the journal Biological Conservation. Between 1995 and 2010, logging in the Upper Guinea rain forest — one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots — increased by over 600 percent. ...
By Ensia
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Leaf Area - How & Why Measuring Leaf Area is Vital to Plant Research
What is Leaf Area? It is easy to measure leaves, and they are also the parts of a plant most responsive to their environment. The combination of these two factors makes leaf area measurement extremely useful to scientists and growers. Besides, leaves are one of the main plant organs and are responsible for the productivity of a plant, and on a larger scale, of an ecosystem or a farm. Therefore, ...
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New high-resolution forest maps reveal world Loses 50 Soccer Fields of Trees Per Minute
A new publication in Science reveals the world is losing 50 soccer fields’ worth of forest every minute of every day! While this information is distressing, the publication of this new research is a decidedly positive development in the availability of data to support better forest management and policy. The Science paper provides the first high-resolution, global picture of annual forest ...
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Tree, Crop & Plant Stress – A Primer on Abiotic and Biotic Stressors
The natural conditions in which plants and trees grow are neither uniform nor controlled. Many changes or fluctuations, even if they are temporary, can have a negative impact on and stress plants. The factors which can lead to stress can be one of two types: abiotic or biotic. Stress can have serious repercussions on various phases of a plant’s growth and, ultimately, crop productivity. ...
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Tree, crop & plant stress – A primer on abiotic and biotic stressors
The natural conditions in which plants and trees grow are neither uniform nor controlled. Many changes or fluctuations, even if they are temporary, can have a negative impact on and stress plants. The factors which can lead to stress can be one of two types: abiotic or biotic. Stress can have serious repercussions on various phases of a plant’s growth and, ultimately, crop productivity. ...
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