Forest Ecology

A Quantitative Assessment of Stone Relics in a Western Massachusetts Town

Introduction

    The nature of stone works that appear with great frequency on the Massachusetts landscape has been debated between the Native community and the State MHC for some time now.  A sacred site near the former village of Peskeompscut, on the  mid-strech of the Connecticut River found its way through State and Federal processes of evaluation.  The State attributes the many stone structures at Sacred Hill Ceremonial Site (SHCS) to “agricultural activities,” (FERC application, Section 106 report, SHCS page?) while the Native Naragansett, Nipmuc, Mohegan and Wampanoag nations insist they are sacred ceremonial landscapes. Because the State denies a Native origin for these sites, and assigns a mundane origin and purpose, ceremonial stone landscapes (CSLs) and the Traditional Cultural Practices (TCPs) with which they are associated are disqualified for protection under Massachusetts preservation laws and initiatives.  However, Federal investigation concluded that the same site is indeed Algonquian in origin and that SHCS conforms to established cultural as well as religious practices of regional indigenous peoples. Under this modern dilemma lies a historic context of genocide, cultural oppression and lack of academic investment.  Pertinent to this debate is the near-total absence of Native American persons on the faculties of Native American Studies departments of Massachusetts colleges, as well as their historic lack of understanding about regional Algonquian culture.

To elucidate origins and purposes of numerous stone relic groups in a Western Massachusetts town, a quantitative and objective assessment of 60 ostensible CSLs was performed, as based on site surveys and inventories.  All access-permitted private and public lands were assessed at a basic level, constituting roughly 60-70% of the total town area, which town has large tracts in conservation status.  Of the 60 tallied stone relic sites, 25 were further assessed for characteristics and content, from which nine representative sites were selected for deeper analysis.  Characteristics of the nine closely-studied sites were quantized as binary values for statistical treatment.  As well, physical and correlational measures were collected for analysis. For a total of approximately 1500 stone relics in the nine final sites, 33 points of data were collected per relic.
Collected data were investigated in terms of nearest-neighbor, period of manufacture, materials, methods, correlations, locations, aspect, presence of cross-cultural mixing, recent damage or alteration, and conformity with recorded cultural practices, both European and Algonquian.  Data were collected to indicate presence of absence of recognizably European stone works on sites, associated historic structures and other signs of European cultural imprint. The results indicate that the stone relic groups were constructed during at least three periods preceding and including the early years of European contact.  None of the sites indicate European cultural traditions of any type on record, while all of the sites conform to recorded Eastern Algonquian ritual uses.  Furthermore, all sites show strikingly high levels of consistency on all measured characteristics, including location, materials, design, types of objects, arrangement of objects and number of objects.  The studied sites in Western Massachusetts correlate closely to three historically documented ceremonial stone landscapes for comparison, belonging to Algonquian nations of the Munsee Delaware and Mohegan-cluster divisions, specifically, the Tankiteke of Southeast New York, the Pocumtuck of the Central Connecticut Valley and the Narragansett of Rhode Island and environs.  Finally, historical records provide accounts of traditional religious practices of the Algonquian nations, which correlate to ceremonial stone landscapes, which persist here to this day.

In the natural T. melanosporum truffle regions of Southern Europe, fine-textured soils present unique challenges to prospective cultivators. With reference to the edaphic and climatic conditions encountered at a hazel plantation in Piedmont, Italy, this study examines these challenges in great detail, and presents a novel phytosociological approach to the analysis of suitable truffle habitat. Ellenberg Indicator Values for T. melanosporum are derived, and then used to quantitatively explain the link between Vitis vinifera, the common grape vine, and T. melanosporum habitats. The significance of a locally-udic moisture regime for T. melanosporum development is also explored. Important new cultural procedures, including the potential of host tree early-season defruiting to achieve enhanced mycelial and ascocarp growth, are introduced. The latest version discusses the significance of humus forms, and of the 'mesoMull/oligoMull boundary' in particular, in greater detail.

Permakültür Bahçeleri, hayal gücünüzü harekete geçirerek, permakültürün en temel mesajını okurlara ulaştırıyor: Doğaya karşı değil onunla birlikte çalışırsak daha güzel, daha bereketli ve daha bağışlayıcı bahçeler yaratabiliriz. Toby Hemenway’in gösterdiği gibi işbirliği içinde çalışabilen ve;
Toprağın verimliliğini ve yapısını geliştirmek ve korumak,
Peyzajın içinde suyu yakalamak ve sudan tasarruf etmek,
Faydalı böcekler, hayvanlar ve insanlar için habitat sağlamak,
Mevsimsel meyveler, yemişler ve diğer gıdalar üreten yenebilir bir “orman” yaratmak
gibi çeşitli işlevler üstlenen bitkileri topluluklar şeklinde bir araya getirerek arka bahçenizde bir ekosistem yaratmak hem kolay hem de tatmin edici bir uğraştır.
Bu gözden geçirilmiş ve güncellenmiş baskıya, yetiştirme alanları çok kısıtlı olan kentte ya da banliyöde yaşayan insanlar için özel olarak tasarlanmış, kentsel permakültür üzerine yeni bir bölüm de eklenmiştir. Elinizdeki bahçe ya da tarla ne büyüklükte olursa olsun permakültürün temel ilkelerini uygulayarak orayı daha çeşitli, daha doğal, daha üretken ve daha güzel hale getirebilirsiniz.

“Permakültür Bahçeleri kesinlikle bugüne kadar yazılmış en iyi permakültür kitabı ve bugüne kadar yazılmış en iyi bahçıvanlık kitabı olmaya da aday. Herkesin kütüphanesinde bulunmalı.
Sharon Astyk
Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front’un yazarı

“Dünyaya geldiğimizde bize bir kullanma kılavuzu vermedikleri için arada bir bazı bilge kişilerin kılavuzlar yazması büyük bir hizmet.  Permakültür Bahçeleri  bunların en önemlilerinden biri ve geleceğin dünyası için kesinlikle ihtiyaç duyacağımız bir kitap.”
Bill McKibben
Deep Economy ve Hope, Human and Wild’ın yazarı

“Toby Hemenway’in Permakültür Bahçeleri adlı eseri uygulama ile vizyonerliği birleştiren, insanların rakibi değil parçası olduğu ekosistemleri güçlendirmek ve hayatta tutmak için Yeryüzü’nün simbiyotik topluluklarının doğal zekâsını kullanan bahçıvanlar ve peyzajcılar için tarihi bir dönüm noktası. Doğa ile uyum içinde nasıl yaşayabileceğimizi ve böyle yaşamak zorunda olduğumuzu gösteren muhteşem bir eser!”
Paul Stamets
Mycellium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World’ün yazarı

“Permakültür bahçeleri artık geleceğe dair hayaller değiller. Buradalar ve yaşıyorlar. Permakültür Bahçeleri  evlerinin bahçesini sağlıklı, sürüdürülebilir ve şifalı hale getirmek isteyen herkes için aydınlatıcı ve mutlaka okunması gereken bir kaynak.”
Robert Kourik
Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Lanscape—Naturally’nin yazarı

Savruk bir tüketici değil sürdürülebilir bir üretici olun. Bu muhteşem kitap size bunu nasıl yapcağınızı, harika arka bahçe ekosistemleri yaratmada ve geliştirmekte yardımcı olarak gösteriyor. Bu kitaptaki bilgileri uygulayın ve hem kendi topluluğunuzu hem de daha ötesini olumlu yönde değiştirecek bir örnek olmaya başlayın. En güzeli de bu kitapla bunu yapmanın çok kolay, ilginç ve eğlenceli olması.
Brad Lanchaster
Rainwater Harvesting  for Drylands and Beyond’un yazarı

Permakültür Bahçeleri’nde o kadar büyük bir bilgelik var ki hakkını vermek için bir düzine köşe yazısı yazmam gerek. Cesur, etkileyici, doğayı kucaklayan ve tamamen mantıklı bir gelecek vizyonu.
Justin Siskin
Los Angeles Daily News yazarı

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and N: P ratio in terrestrial plants and the patterns at a large geographical scale are an important issue in ecological stoichiometry. In particular, it is essential to know that for a single species, how the N: P stoichiometry varies with climatic ...

Between April 2000 and March 2007, the Canadian Ecology Centre – Forestry Research Partnership funded, directed, or catalyzed approximately 145 projects. Most of these focused on knowledge and data acquisition, providing a solid foundation for a series of sensitivity and gap analyses to determine whether a long-term goal of enhancing productivity on 6 forest management units in Ontario was achievable, and more importantly, sustainable. A research strategy provided the focus for knowledge and data acquisition and the partnership facilitated integrated research, development, transfer, and implementation. Here we provide an overview of this effort, which is expected to position forest managers of the 6 forests to apply an adaptive management process to increase understanding of the response of their forests to various forest management policies and practices in the future. The strategy and approach described could be useful to other jurisdictions aiming to more closely integrate forest...

Importance of Juniper trees for forest rehabilitation programs was resulted in direct, seed sowing of Juniperus excelsa as a safe method to expand juniper forest areas and rehabilitation of deteriorated forests. This study was done to determine the effect of canopy and its geographic orientation on seed germination as well as survival of seedlings in the Sirachal research station. Collected seeds from Sirachal habitat were sowed in four main geographic orientations under canopy’s edge and 1.5 meter out of canopy as completely randomized blocks in split plots. Data analysis showed that canopy (P<0.05) and its geographic orientation (P<0.01) had significant effects on seed germination. In addition, the effect of geographic orientation of canopy on seedling survival was significant (P<0.01). The interaction of canopy and its geographic orientation on germination of seeds and survival of seedlings was not significant. The highest seed germination percentage was observed for seeds sowed under the canopy’s edge and in the north direction. The highest percentage of seedling survival was observed in the south followed by the north and east directions of the canopy. Despite the higher germination and survival percentages under the canopy’s edge, it is suggested to sow seeds out of trees canopy and in the north direction as seedlings have no chance to survive under the maternal trees canopy for longer periods.

Úvod Chřiby představují pro krajinu jižní Moravy stejně významný fenomén jakým je například Pálava. Vypínají se nad okolní, převážně zemědělskou krajinu, kterou kromě výšky převyšují i svou lesnatostí. Tvoří významnou kulisu pro své okolí ze všech světových stran. Obzvláště pohled z nížiny Uherskohradišťska na trojvrší Holý kopec – Buchlov – Modla působí velmi majestátně. Stejně pozoruhodné jsou z hlediska lesního hospodaření. Lesní komplexy v Chřibech představují jeden z nejrozsáhlejších fragmentů bukového hospodářství mimo zvláště chráněná území v ČR, zejména v podmínkách třetího a čtvrtého lesního vegetačního stupně. Z hlediska lesnicko-výzkumných aktivit se však jedná o oblast spíše přehlíženou. Snahou řešitelů projektu IGA LDF č. 57/2008-" Možnosti využití syntézy ekosystémových charakteristik lesních porostů v tvorbě a ochraně krajiny " bylo mimo získání nových vědecko-výzkumných poznatků a postupů přispět i k dalšímu poznání a propagaci tohoto jihomoravského fenoménu. Hlavní náplní projektu IGA LDF č. 57/2008-" Možnosti využití syntézy ekosystémových charakteristik lesních porostů v tvorbě a ochraně krajiny " však bylo především vytvoření praktické syntézy širokého spektra měřených ekosystémových charakteristik a návrh jejich využití při hodnocení stavu a managementu lesních biocenter ÚSES. Proto byly vybrány čtyři lesnicky i přírodovědně zajímavé (tři reprezentativní a jedna unikátní) lokality pro založení trvalých výzkumných ploch – dvě na opačných stranách Holého kopce a po jedné na Ocásku a Máchově dolině. Plochy jsou součástí stejnojmenných lesních maloplošných zvláště chráněných území, nadregionálního biocentra ÚSES Buchlovské lesy a Evropsky významné lokality soustavy NATURA 2000 Chřiby. V průběhu roku 2008 zde byli zjišťovány dendrometrické, fytocenologické a stanovištní (mikroklimatické, geomorfologické a pedologické) charakteristiky, jež jsou i předmětem této zprávy. Na závěr úvodu by řešitelský tým rád poděkoval radě IGA LDF MZLU v Brně za poskytnutí podpory v rámci projektu 57/2008 a tím umožnění jeho realizace. Dále bychom rádi poděkovali dr. Rožnovskému a dr. Litschmannovi za neocenitelnou pomoc při získávání a vyhodnocování mikroklimatických charakteristik porostů. Naše zvláštní poděkování patří pracovníkům lesní správy Buchlovice, zvláště jejímu správci ing. Zálešákovi a pracovníkům oddělení ochrany přírody a krajiny Krajského úřadu Zlínského kraje ze jejich vzájemnou příkladnou a efektivní spolupráci při péči o lesní ekosystémy Chřibů. Jejím čerstvým výsledkem by mělo být trvalé vymezení přírodní rezervace Holý kopec do bezzásahového režimu. Ukončením projektu IGA LDF č. 57/2008-" Možnosti využití syntézy ekosystémových charakteristik lesních porostů v tvorbě a ochraně krajiny " 30. listopadu 2008 nebyly ukončeny výzkumné aktivity Lesnické a dřevařské fakulty MZLU v Brně v areálu Chřibů. Navazující činnosti dále běží např. v rámci projektů VaV MŽP Sp-2d3-56-07-" Ekologické a ekonomické hodnocení celospolečenských funkcí variantně strukturálních typů lesů " a výzkumného záměru MŠM 6215648902 – " Les a dřevo – podpora funkčně integrovaného lesního hospodářství a využívání dřeva jako obnovitelné suroviny " .-1

Diariamente respiramos oxígeno, y la producción de éste
se la debemos en gran parte a los árboles. El agua que sale
de las tuberías proviene de algún manto freático o bien, de
algún río cuyo cauce es regulado por las raíces de las plantas
y por el ciclo del agua. Las aves y otros animales que vemos
a nuestro alrededor alguna vez surgieron en selvas, bosques
o matorrales, así como los frutos y hongos que consumimos.
El papel, la madera y el cartón, con lo que están fabricados los
utensilios escolares, provienen de algún proceso relacionado
con la extracción maderera. Los medicamentos homeópatas
y alópatas que ingerimos provienen en su mayor parte de
especies que encontramos en los bosques.

Geonoma orbignyana is a common understory palm, whose leaves are used as foliage in Colombia. This palm has been used for more than 30 years; but there is no information about its life history or conservation status. Our objective was to characterize the life history of this palm and population dynamics of a natural population as a first step to assess the effect of leaf harvesting. More than 1600 palms were monitored from June 1999 to March 2000; we measured growth, mortality, and reproductive success. Population dynamics were evaluated using a Lefkovitch matrix model, and elasticity analysis. Results indicate that G. orbignyana grows at a rate of 1.98 ± 0.047 leaves/year, the palm has a long lifespan, and growth and reproduction are related to light conditions in the forest. The density of this palm is high (108–311 palms/100 m2), which is explained in part by its capacity to continue growing after damage, and to respond to the frequent gap formation in the forest. The population is growing (λ = 1.074, CI = [1.046–1.099]). Survival transitions account for 77% of population growth, a value that is higher compared to other understory plants. Because of the high density, the recovery capacity of these palms, and the correlations found between individual and population performances with forest dynamics, we hypothesize that G. orbignyana behaves as an opportunistic species taking advantage of forest gaps. This palm is a promising non-timber forest product (NTFP) with a high profile for further exploitation, although we recommend that harvesting regimens should consider time of recovery and forest dynamics. Without these considerations mortality could increase in all classes, which will compromise population persistence. Further studies should accurately estimate the recovery time after defoliation as well as to characterize forest dynamics identifying its most important features for population growth.

Gathering knowledge about vegetation and its different uses has always been a desire for researchers. This study was conducted in Danyore Valley, 10 Kilometers North of Gilgit city, Pakistan. Data regarding vegetation samples and anthropogenic impacts was collected from different predefined altitudinal levels, starting from 1440 meters to 3000 meters during late summer and mid-spring seasons. Nearly 71 species belonging to 41 families were encountered, out of which 32 were herbs, 14 were trees, 12 were grasses and 13 were shrubs. Asteraceae family was the dominant family with 9 species followed by the family Poaceae with 8 different species, mostly with grass species. Several types of vegetation found are utilized by local community as source of medicine, food, feed, shelter, construction, income and recreation; red marking already depleted resources into line of extinction. However, these resources are being utilized without any planning prevailing and management. Management and conservation planning of forests, medicinal and economic plants, rangelands and agricultural areas is the vital need for current and future need of communities residing in the valley.

Pradhan P. 2015. Potential distribution of Monotropa uniflora as a surrogate for range of Monotropoideae (Ericaceae) in South Asia. Biodiversitas 16: 109-115. Monotropoideae is a mycoheterotrophic subfamily of Ericaceae. Its members are highly specific to a particular fungal family, which has attributed to the rarity and limited distribution of Monotropoideae. In the past two decades, there are considerable developments in understanding their biology and biogeography, among which,the distribution of Monotropa uniflora L. and M. hypopitys L. has been extensively studied. In this contribution, Ecological Niche Modeling of M. uniflora has been conducted to test its earlier proposed distribution in South Asia, to test the spatial scale of the said proposal, to test its potential distribution as a surrogate for range of Monotropoideae in South Asia and to prioritize conservation areas for M. uniflora in the region. The model was built with five occurrence details of the rare plant M. uni...

Dung beetles are a functionally important group of species, and the effects of large wild herbivores on these species are not well understood. Management of wild herbivores could, therefore, have considerable consequences for dung beetle assemblages and the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we analysed how species richness, biomass, abundance, and composition of dung beetle assemblages were affected by different dung availability as a consequence of different red deer (Cervus elaphus) densities under field conditions. This was done in spring and autumn over four independent study regions in Central Europe where red deer are the most important providers of dung in forests. Our results show that forest sites with high dung availability support higher species richness of dung beetles than sites with low availability. This effect is independent of season and could be explained by the different colonisation patterns of beetle species which vary in their competitiveness. As aggregated dung resources increase opportunities for low-competitive species, those species establish small populations and do not necessarily increase the abundance of the whole assemblage. Our results show that the current policies to limit deer populations also limit higher levels of species diversity of this functionally important arthropod taxon. We highlight the importance of hunting-free areas for the conservation of insect diversity associated with large herbivores. In strictly protected areas with low herbivore densities we suggest to reduce control of ungulate numbers to provide sufficient resources for maintaining dung beetle diversity. Keywords Trophic interactions • protected areas • dung availability • bottom-up effects • hunting • Cervus elaphus Communicated by Andreas Schuldt.

Phytogeographical study of the forest massifs of Kefrida, a neglected sector of the Babors important PLANT area (Northeastern Algeria).― In order to provide a better knowledge of the flora of Little Kabylia (Bejaia, Algeria), with an objective of conservation of natural heritage, a phytogeographical study was conducted on forest vegetation in two understudied mountains in the area of Kefrida, adjoining the IPA (important plants area) of the Babors. The floristic surveys were conducted in a Zeen and an Afares oak (Quercus canariensis Willd. and Q. afares Pomel respectively) forests as well as mountain grasslands. The sampling allowed us to inventory 332 species of vascular plants. Besides the 205 (62 %) Mediterranean species it houses, the site is remarkable by the presence of 37 (11 %) Algerian endemics or sub-endemics and, above all, 79 (23 %) species from the non-Mediterranean Holarctic subset. Analysis of the global biological spectrum showed the significant dominance of hemicryp...