Oak forests

The Humus Index, based on the visual assessment of topsoil horizons and a classification of humus forms, is a numerical score which can be used as a correlate of stand and soil properties. In oak stands from the Montargis forest (Loiret, France) we observed a good linear relationship of the Humus Index with most parameters describing stand development (age, basal area (BA), height and diameter at breast height of dominants) and soil type (depth of clay horizon). The relationship with parameters describing nutrient availability (exchangeable bases, base saturation) was similarly good but nonlinear. In the studied forest the Humus Index was affected first by stand age and second by soil type. When corrected for age and soil type, data (96 pooled estimates) indicated a slight decrease in the Humus Index (shift towards more active humus forms) in stands converted from old coppices-with-standards when compared with even-aged high forest.

The study was carried out in Kalsa watershed of Western Himalayan Ecoregion to quantify the landscape structure with special reference to different forest ecosystems. Vegetation and land use map generated using satellite remote sensing data was taken as an input for quantification of landscape structure, which was quantified based on different patch attributes (number, area, shape complexity) and landscape indices viz., Euclidean nearest neighbor distance and contagion. Temperate broadleaf forest exhibited high values for mean patch area, largest patch area, contagion and low values for number of patches, shape complexity and Euclidian nearest neighborhood in contrast to the degraded forest.

The study was accomplished in pure and mixed stands of Quercus castaneifolia and Quercus macranthera in northern Iran. collection of the sample and study of the ecological factors including the seasons, spring, summer and autumn of the years 2009 and 2010 was conducted and the scientific name of the species, life forms and Chorology were recorded using the available resources. 186 species have been identified of 6 Pteridophytes families, 2 families from Gymnosperms and 52 families of Angiosperms (8 families from a Dicotyledone and 44 families of Monocotyledon). The maximum number of species was related to the flowing family: Asteraceae, Papilionaceae, Lamiaceae, Orchidaceae and Poaceae. Raunkiaer’s classification of Hemicryptophytes 49%, Cryptophytes 20%, Phanerophytes 19%, and 8% Therophytes, Chamaephytes 3 percent and 1 percent of Epiphytic species are allocated to the region. Chorology study area showed the highest value in zone of Europe-Siberia (the Caspian), with 41% belonging. The study of the list of endangered species showed one endangered species, 5 vulnerable species. 20 species were identified as lower risk. Lilium ledebourii was identified as a rare species with relatively wide distribution in different parts of the region.

The Ciuc-basin is known as one of the coldest regions of the country, where the forests are mainly formed of pines and this vision is regularly projected to the Medieval Times. Archaeological data does not confirm this presumption, on 3–15th century sites often appear carbonised oak pieces. Oak timber elements can be found also in medieval churches and manors. From the 3 –4th and 16–17th centuries there are several data regarding intensive metallurgy activities which needed a huge amount of hard wood, namely oak and beech. The former oak forests are mentioned in the written sources, their memory is proven by the place names and also by pollen-data of environment history researches. The main conclusions of the paper are: the better climate conditions of the post-roman and medieval periods were more likely with those of central Transylvania and allowed the development of local human communities. The internal low-situated (oak) forests were cleared
continuously specially in the 17–18th centuries. Once the climate changes of the small ice-age its effects were stronger in the Ciuc-depression due its high altitude and thermic inversion phenomenon. In these conditions the competition between species was won by the pines. The present flora and forest situation of the intra-mountain
depressions was formed by the fallowing factors: human interventions (clearing), cooling of the climate (“little ice age”) and competition among the species. The projection of the present environment situations into the historical times could lead to erroneous interpretations.

Savernake Forest and Tottenham Park, Wiltshire, is an extensive designed landscape established on the remnants of a medieval hunting forest and best known for its concentration of veteran trees. Between 2006 and 2009 seven thousand large trees were located and measured in a survey carried out by the Forestry Commission. The data are here stratified and analysed using the normal distribution curve to identify populations
and compared with archival material. It is suggested that the majority of veteran trees
date from the late eighteenth century. A small number of oaks are indicated as being of
older cohorts in the medieval period. Three may have their origins before the Norman
Conquest.

The invasive alien species Robinia pseudoacacia may lead to species homogenization in high invaded forest ecosystems. Its invasive
behaviour is poorly known in dry forest habitats and low cover-abundance conditions. We have investigated central-northern Italian Quercus pubescens
forest habitats (code 91AA* - EU Habitat Directive) without and with the presence of R. pseudoacacia and in respect of R. pseudoacacia dominant
communities that are present in the same forest potential areas. Using levels of R. pseudoacacia cover-abundance values (Braun-Blanquet scale)
we classified the vegetation relevés in five groups: from 0 (total absence) to 4 (dominant conditions). Through the calculation of some indices, we
highlighted the relations between groups of relevés and the variation in term of ecological features. A threshold has been identified at low coverage
values of R. pseudoacacia. We detected a significant difference in the lower invaded sites in term of presence of nitrophilous and alien species,
Shannon diversity index and changes in nutrient, moisture, light and reaction Ellenberg indicator values. These results inform about the early alarm
level to set in monitoring Q. pubescens forest habitats in sub-Mediterranean areas.

The by-products of the cork oak are used in several industries as raw material for the manufacture of insulating material and of chipboards. Its wood of good calorific quality and its acorns are very appreciated by the population and by pet and wild animals. Moreover, the forest of Cork oak plays very important economic and ecological social roles. However, it is an established fact, that today the Tunisian cork oak forest reduces continually under the effects of numerous factors of deterioration, such as: unlawful clearing, excessive pastoralism, acorns gathering and repetitive forest fires. This has for effect an impoverishment of the forest, the lack of natural regeneration and the physiological exhaustion of old trees. The aim of the present study is to analyse the factors responsible of the forest regression and to evaluate that one by comparison of phytosociological maps draw up at different periods. The Tunisian Cork Oak forest loosed 57 000 ha during the 1934-2003 period, that is to say 825 ha/yr and 39% of its area. The population being particulary aggressive towards the forest environment, it turns out that drastic measures must been taken for ensuring its protection and its regeneration. For making up the lost ground it's important to increase the areas of reafforestation and to use techniques of vegetative propagation by cuttings taken on trees of high quality. On the other hand, it will be useful , in the future, to integrate the socio-economical function of the forest in a lasting environmental development. Résumé: Le chêne liège (Quercus suber), espèce spontanée en Tunisie, a une valeur économique importante. Son écorce (le liège) est utilisée comme matière première pour la fabrication des bouchons et des agglomérés; son bois est de bonne qualité calorifique et ses glands sont très appréciés par les animaux domestiques et sauvages. Par ailleurs, la forêt de chêne liège joue un rôle social et écologique très important. Cependant, la suberaie s'amenuise continuellement sous les effets de multiples facteurs de dégradation. Celle-ci se traduit par un déséquilibre de structure des peuplements, l'absence notoire de régénération naturelle par semis et l'épuisement physiologique des vieux arbres réduisant ainsi leur longévité et leur faculté de rejeter. L'état actuel des peuplements de chêne liège est principalement la conséquence de défrichements illicites, de pâturages excessifs, d'incendies répétés, de ramassage systématique des glands et de coupes délictueuses. L'objectif de la présente étude vise à analyser les facteurs directement responsables de la dégradation et leurs conséquences sur le milieu ambiant ainsi que d'évaluer ce taux de dégradation, à travers les changements survenus dans les peuplements durant une période de 69 ans (1934-2003). Les méthodes utilisées consistent à suivre l'évolution de la régression spatiale de la suberaie par comparaison de cartes topographiques sur lesquelles sont délimités les peuplements du chêne liège. Le couvert végétal ayant fortement régressé au cours du temps, les nouvelles limites de la suberaie sont portées sur des cartes récentes où sont indiquées avec précision les surfaces des peuplements actuels, sur base d'inventaires périodiques officiels. Cela permet d'évaluer les pertes spatiales des forêts. Durant la période, 1934-2003, la suberaie Tunisienne a subi une forte régression spatiale de l'ordre de 57 000 ha représentant une perte globale de 39% soit une réduction annuelle du couvert végétal de 825 ha (1.45%). L'analyse du contentieux forestier a mon-tré le comportement hostile de la population usagère vis-à-vis des ressources subéricoles. Les délits les plus importants rencontrés sur le terrain sont les défrichements, les incendies, les constructions et le pâturage qui représentent 97% du total des constats effectués. Il s'avère nécessaire d'adopter des mesures urgentes pour freiner la dégradation afin de sauvegarder le patrimoine subéricole tunisien ; par conséquent, il convient d'instaurer un aménagement agro-sylvo-pastoral intégré visant à assurer un équilibre écologique, socio-économique et environnemental durable.

The food diet of the endogeous Collembolan Paratullbergia callipygos was studied in an oak stand on an acid mull humus. Transmission electron microscopy was used, in parallel with light microscopy, in order to ascertain the effect of soil-dwelling Collembola upon plant materials and some other food substrates. Plant cell walls proved to be severely damaged when passing through the midgut after they have been broken up by mandibles, unless they were protected by coatings of tannins. Laboratory experiments with known substrates, both natural (dead leaves, dead and living roots) or artificial (pure cellulose fibres, starch, etc.) showed that this species was able to degrade cellulose, the process varying according to the type of cellulose. Degradation of other substrates, such as starch, tannins, fungal cytoplasm and chitin also occurred. The possible role of soil Collembola, especially the Tullbergiinae subfamily, in the fast turn-over of fine roots, was discussed.

L’arbre, le bocage et la forêt semblent donc des partenaires tout désignés de la guerre de Vendée et des chouans. De là à ce que le chêne, arbre de la guerre des vendéens et des chouans, puisse être élevé à la dignité d’un lieu de mémoire, est une autre histoire.

תפקידו של יער האלונים הגדול (אל-ע'אבה) בתהליכי ההתיישבות בשרון בשלהי התקופה העוסמאנית

רועי מרום

יער האלונים הגדול (בערבית: אל-ע'אבה) היה ללא ספק מהמאפיינים הבולטים ביותר נופי השרון בשלהי התקופה העוסמאנית. מרחבים גדולים של חורש המורכב בעיקר מעצי אלון התבור (Quercus Ithaburensis) כיסו את האזור שבין הירקון להר הכרמל. נוסעים וחוקרים מערביים שראו את היער במאה ה-19 שייכו אותו לעבר הנוצרי של האזור, כגון קרבותיו של ריצ'ארד לב הארי ביער ארסוף (1191). בשלהי המאה ה-19 ובראשית המאה ה-20 בוראו שרידיו האחרונים של היער. חוקרים ישראלים מוקדמים כזאב וילנאי ויהודה זיו, שלא חזו ביער בעיניהם, ראו בקיומו עדות להיעדר פעילות אנושית. לדידם, היער הבראשיתי העיד על הדעיכה הממושכת של האזור לאחר חורבן הישוב היהודי ולאחר הכיבושים המוסלמיים. ב"אנציקלופדיה אריאל" הכריז וילנאי כי "עם חורבן הארץ חרב גם השרון...", בעוד שבעקבות ההתיישבות היהודית המחודשת "שטחים שוממים התכסו בשדות ובמטעים" (שם, 8, 8022 ו-8026). 

בהרצאה הצגתי את היער כמשאב טבעי שחולק בין כפרי ההר בכדי לספק את הדרישות ההולכות והגוברות של אוכלוסייתן הגדלה. תוך שימוש במקורות מקומיים בערבית ובתורכית והערכה מחודשת של מקורות מערביים, התחקיתי אחר האינטראקציות המגוונות שהתקיימו בין היער לבין ההתיישבות הערבית המתפתחת באיבו. באמצעות מקורות חזותיים, ראיות בכתב ועדויות בעל-פה תיארתי את מערכת זכויות הבעלות והשימוש המורכבות בחלקים שונים של היער בשלהי התקופה העוסמאנית, המהווה שיא לתכנון המרחבי של האוכלוסייה הכפרית בהר שכם בתקופה זו. המחשתי, כי בירוא היער בידי האוכלוסייה המקומית היה כמו שימוש ב"חרב פי-פיות": שכן מצד אחד הוא אפשר להרחיב את העיבוד החקלאי, בעוד שהוביל גם לבעיות אקולוגיות קשות כגון דלדול האדמה וסחף קרקע, שהורגשו במלוא חומרתן עם ראשית ההתיישבות היהודית באזור.

(הוצג בכנס השנתי השלישי להיסטוריה סביבתית, מכון יד בן-צבי, אוקטובר 2016)

La desertificación humana de territorios con recursos limitados es un problema recurrente
en las sociedades avanzadas; dicha desertificación no necesariamente conlleva una
paralela desertización de tales territorios, si no que generalmente sucede al contrario,
dado que disminuyen la presión antropozoógena sobre los mismos. Sin embargo, los
discursos de las ciencias sociales (aunque bien intencionados) suelen conducir a
enfrentamientos dialécticos sin dar respuestas operativas. Por ejemplo, se ha considerado
históricamente, hasta la inclusión de España y Portugal en la Unión Europa, que la desigual
distribución de la tierra (latifundios, base de las dehesas y montados) del Oeste ibérico
era la causa última de su nulo desarrollo; tras la incorporación de estos dos países en la U.
E., sorprendentemente las dehesas y los montados se consideran patrimonio a conservar
debido a su “gran diversidad”. Tal salto cualitativo sólo es explicable si se analizan los
intereses (de diferente índole) ocultos tras los discursos. Así, el mantenimiento de las
explotaciones del Oeste ibérico sólo es posible por las generosas ayudas comunitarias que
suponen, aproximadamente, un cuarto de los beneficios obtenidos. A pesar de que estas
ayudas van en función del número de hectáreas (beneficiándose principalmente los
grandes terratenientes) paradójicamente se denuncia agriamente que las ayudas al
desempleo de los jornaleros (desposeídos del sistema) son la razón de que no haya un salto
económico cualitativo. Otras ayudas comunitarias se otorgan en base a las cabezas de
ganado, lo que conlleva a un aumento artificial de la carga ganadera sobre los escasos
recursos de las dehesas o montados, ocasionando signos de desertización o erosión que,
con la desertificación humana, se habían reducido en el pasado. Ello es otra paradoja
evidente; si la ganadería no es rentable no puede ser una solución la incentivación de la
sobreexplotación (no sólo por la aparición de un producto excedentario por caro, si no por
las consecuencias ambientales incluso a corto plazo).
Por tanto, para la gestión apropiada de las dehesas o montados se necesita tener una
sólida base científica desposeída indiscutiblemente de carga ideológica; esta base sólo es
posible si se disponen datos fiables y contrastados, capaces de establecer relaciones entre
todas las partes del sistema. Una buena herramienta para sistematizar este proceso es el
empleo de la Biogeoquímica.
Consideremos que la Tierra se diferencia de Marte por la existencia del llamado efecto
invernadero (ahora tan maldecido) y por la acumulación de energía potencial en la
superficie terrestre (Edafoesfera), principalmente, en forma de “humus” englobado
dentro de lo que se entiende como materia orgánica del suelo (MOS). Por tanto, un índice
de potencialidad de los ecosistemas terrestres es la presencia de tal compartimento de
energía potencial, ya sea como índice de biodiversidad ora de fertilidad (productividad);
por ello, es posible sea el mejor índice biogeoquímico, aunque limitado por su lenta
respuesta a los impactos. Un vistazo somero al Oeste ibérico muestra suelos de colores pardos a rojizos claros (según
la intensidad de erosión pretérita), índice de su escaso contenido en MOS; si a ello unimos
una general escasez de profundidad edáfica, la conclusión es que su producción no puede
ser nada más que limitada y, consecuentemente, que basar el desarrollo regional en el
rubro agroganadero es inviable (sin subvenciones). La causa de ello es la mala distribución
de las lluvias, concomitante al clima mediterráneo: Llueve cuando no se necesita (con
lixiviación y pérdida de bioelementos) y hay sequía cuando más se necesita (escasa
producción, escaso retorno de carbono al suelo, escaso contenido de MOS).
La única solución a esta situación no es otra que imitar a los climas continentales y hacer
“llover” en verano; esto es, implementar el riego (tecnología importada con la cultura
árabe). La aplicación del riego no sólo asegura la producción si no que va más allá desde el
punto de vista ambiental: Incrementa efectiva y automáticamente los contenidos de MOS
con una mínima gestión adecuada. Este aumento de MOS ocasiona espectaculares mejoras
de las propiedades físicas (v. g., estructura) y, también, de las condiciones fisicoquímicas
(v. g., capacidad de intercambio catiónico) edáficas, incentivando la actividad biológica
(tanto para bien, como para mal). Sin embargo, esta solución se encuentra con las
limitantes de la disponibilidad de agua, del coste de su transporte y de las condiciones
geomorfológicas, no siendo menores, por ejemplo, la profundidad y pedregosidad
edáficas.
Un ejemplo claro de que el aumento de pluviometría invernal que, en la práctica,
aumenta los contenidos de MOS (hecho muy interesante para la captura de C) no conlleva
paradójicamente al aumento de la producción se ha demostrado en los sistemas forestales
(Montes bajos de Quercus pyrenaica) de la vertiente Norte de la Sierra de Gata (Oeste
español). Dicho exceso de agua invernal (régimen percolativo) sólo ocasiona acidificación
del medio (limitando la actividad microbiana) y, por ende, conlleva a una pobreza de
nutrientes. Por ello, los rebollares bajo pluviometría cercana a los 800 mm a-1 son significativamente más productivos (> 4,0 Mg MS ha-1 a-1; DAP > 3,0 mm a-1) que aquellos que superan los 1000 mm a-1 de lluvia (< 2,5 Mg MS ha-1 a-1; DAP ~ 2,5 mm a-1).

About 100 wood samples (oak tree) taken in several old buildings of the city Autun (Burgundy, France), the most part of them coming from the Saint-Nazaire sector (Terreaux Place), were dated from the middle age and modern periods. Dating being accepted, the wood is studied here from dendro-climatological (meteorological) and dendro-provenance (trade interpretations) point-of-views. Specific formal methods are experimented in this paper.

There are 14 species recognized in the North American genus Xantusia. Six of these occur in Mexico. Two species of the genus, X. bolsonae and X. sanchezi, are categorized by the Mexican government as " at risk of extinction " (SEMARNAT, 2002). Little is known about the biology, ecology, and the current status of the disjunct populations of these two species. Sanchez's night lizard, Xantusia sanchezi, is the southernmost species and is known from southern Zacatecas and central Jalisco. This species was described by Bezy and Flores-Villela (1999) from the locality of Moyahua, Zacatecas. While conducting a population ecology study of X. sanchezi, we surveyed the other herpetofauna at the sampling site. We found a total of 24 sympatric species. We categorized nine of these as possible predator species of X. sanchezi based on documented saurophagy.

The objective of forest management in the tropics, in recent decades, has shifted from timber production to biodiversity conservation and maintenance of life support system. However, past forestry practices have greatly influenced the structure of plant communities, preponderance of foreign invasive species, populations of high value medicinal plants as well as other non-wood forest products. We assessed the abundance and distribution of medicinal plants in managed and undisturbed forests of Dehradun Forest Division (DFD), Uttarakhand (India). A total of 80 transects (each 1 km long) were laid in various categories of forest types in DFD. This paper deals with distribution, availability and regeneration status of five commercially important species viz., Justicia adhatoda, Aegle marmelos, Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia bellirica and Terminalia chebula, across different forest types. The study reveals that open canopy forest patches, Lantana infested patches and Acacia catechu-Dalbe...

The present study deals with phytosociological analysis of woody vegetation (tree layer and shrub layer) of different forest types occurring in Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand. A total 12 forest types were mapped using multiseason satellite data of IRS-P6, AWiFS sensor. Sampling was carried out in all the forest types to characterize the structure of forests in terms of abundance, density and dominance at different sites. The field data from different sites was pooled across site for different forest types and was arranged in girth classes. Among all the tree species maximum IVI was recorded for Pinus roxburghii and minimum IVI was observed for Dalbergia sissoo. Maximum density was recorded for temperate conifer forest and minimum density exhibited by degraded sal forest. Maximum total tree basal cover was observed for temperate conifer forest. However, minimum basal area was recorded for degraded low altitude oak forest. Different forest types were also evaluated for the similarity in species composition.

Dendrochronological research in North-Central Europe and the East Mediterranean has produced networks of long regional oak (Quercus sp.) reference chronologies that have been instrumental in dating, provenancing, and paleoclimate research applications. However, until now these two important tree-ring networks have not been successfully linked. Oak forests and historical/archaeological sites in southeastern Europe provide the key for linking the North-Central European and East Mediterra- nean tree-ring networks, but previous dendrochronological research in this region has been largely absent. This article presents the initial results of a project, in which we have built oak tree-ring chronologies from forest sites and historical/archaeological sites along a north-south transect between Poland and northwestern Turkey, with the aim of linking the North-Central European and East Mediterranean tree-ring networks and creating a new pan-European oak data set for dendrochronological dating and paleoclimatic reconstruction. Correlation among tree-ring chronologies and the spatial distribution of their teleconnections are evaluated. The southeastern European chronologies provide a solid bridge between both major European dendrochronological networks. The results indicate that a dense network of chronologies is the key for bridging spatial and temporal gaps in tree-ring records. Dendrochronological sampling should be intensively continued in southeastern Europe because resources for building long oak chronologies in the region are rapidly disappearing.

Forest types of Kumaun Himalaya were mapped using IRS-P6, AWiFS
satellite data and integrated with crown cover classes to generate forest
type cum crown cover map. A total of 25 categories of crown cover were
obtained in 12 forest types. Sampling in different crown cover classes was
carried out to measure mean stand biomass and mean crown cover in
each forest type. Regression equations were developed between ground
measured mean stand biomass and mean crown cover. Based on these
equations mean biomass for each crown cover class was estimated. Mean
biomass values were substituted for crown cover classes in forest type
cum crown cover map to prepare biomass maps for the aboveground
components of tree. Entire study area exhibited a total biomass of 22.18 x
7
10 ton, of which contribution of bole, branch, twig and foliage was: 66.6%, 20.9%, 8.4% and 4.7%, respectively. The total carbon stored in the
aboveground components of the tree layer existing in the study area was
7 11.16 x 10 ton. The estimates of biomass and carbon stock are relevant in context of climate change studies and further helpful to advocate forest conservation as a carbon sink in Himalayan region.

Abstract The first European settlements accompanied by crop and livestock farming occurred approximately 7500 years ago. In this agrarian society, wood was one of the most important raw materials, most notably for construction, but only a little is known about wood use and woodworking technology. Hence, archaeological wooden finds are of particular importance. Dendroarchaeological studies combine the analysis of external and internal characteristics of archaeological wood: traces of tools on the wooden surfaces and the shape of timbers provide information about woodworking techniques, the tree rings allow dendrochronological dating and provide a paleoecological archive. In 2015 and 2016, two water wells with wooden linings from the Early Neolithic Period were discovered in the Czech Republic close to the towns of Velim (Bohemia) and Unicov (Moravia). The timbers were excellently preserved under waterlogged conditions. Here, we present a dendroarchaeological study including tree-ring and woodworking analyses. Furthermore, we consider former forest species composition. Overall, 15 lumbers from both wells were successfully dated by dendrochronology. The oaks used for the wells from Velim and Unicov were felled in 5196/5195 BCE and 5093–5085 BCE, respectively. Additionally, the taxa of 1859 wooden fragments, such as charcoals, branches and chips, were wood anatomically identified. The well lining from Velim with a hollowed tree trunk is already known from other Central European locations. In contrast, the construction from Unicov is unique for this period. Until now, the advanced construction design formed by four corner posts with longitudinal grooves and inserted horizontal planks was only known several thousands years later. The Early Neolithic wells from Unicov and Velim are the oldest archaeological discoveries of wooden artefacts in the Czech Republic that have been dendrochronologically dated. The tree-ring width series extend the Czech oak tree-ring width chronology more than 300 years into the past.

Historic furniture has a great ethnographic and historical value, as styles and designs responded to specific uses, fashion trends and the social status of the buyer or the commissioner. Placing it in an exact chronological and geographical production context increases our knowledge about preferences for materials, designs, and woodworking practices for household commodities. Here we present the results of dendrochronological research carried out on an English chest from a private collection. The chest is of a hybrid construction, with boarded sides and back, and a joined front with four carved linenfold panels. It had been described as made of Baltic oak and dating to the mid-16th century, a crucial transition period for which only a few early chests have been analysed. Our results demonstrate, however, that the wood from the lid, side boards and back originates from the south of England. Heartwood/sapwood border in the left side board has allowed an estimated felling date for the tree of between 1520 and 1552. Terminus post quem dates of the rest of the elements pre-dating this interval indicate that the chest was likely made in the second quarter of the 16th century, as initially described. Three linenfold panels show typical features of Baltic wood, whereas the fourth one has different characteristics and could have been made with English oak, but the lack of access to the tree-ring patterns hampers verifying this hypothesis. Mixture of provenances suggests a production workshop in London, although other town in the south with a major timber market cannot be discarded. The construction features are described, and two distinct marks found in the chest are discussed in the regional context of its production. To allow the compilation and inventory of such marks, the 'Marks on Wood' community has been created in Zenodo and is presented here.

Humus profiles were sampled under the crown of a mature oak tree in a coppice with standards (Senart forest, 30 km south of Paris). The sampling design compared the composition of humus profiles at three distances of the trunk base (40, 140 and 240 cm) and in the four cardinal directions. An increase in the development of the OF layer (strongly decayed litter and faeces of epigeic fauna) was observed at 40 cm from the trunk base, paralleling an increase in soil titratable acidity. Since no significant change in litter composition occurred with distance to the trunk base and in the absence of stemflow reaching the ground during showers, diffusion of bark tannins from buried parts of the trunk and main lateral roots were suspected to negatively influence soil biological activity, particularly earthworm activity.

Long-term structural dynamics and regeneration ability of oak seedlings were not extensively reported in published studies in Central Europe. At the LTER study area 63.0% of adult oak died from 1979-80 in a mixed oak forest, an area covered by a sessile oak–Turkey oak forest (Quercetum petraeae-cerris). The research site of the nature reserve is located in the Bükk Mountains of northeastern Hungary. The goals of this study were to determine the conditions of oak seedlings and saplings and the survival of low oaks in studied plots over a 40-year period after the serious oak decline. The oak specimens of the vegetation lower than 1.0 m in height were categorized as low oaks. Over the 40 years of observation, three oak species were continuously observed in the understory, sessile oak (Quercus petraea Matt. L.), Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) and downy oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.). The most abundant oak species was sessile oak. Total seedlings and saplings density averaged 12.031 ha-1; sapling numbers for all oaks were low (averaged 336 ha-1). From 1993 to the last measurement there was a poor regeneration rate with only 14 ha-1 oak specimens taller than 0.5 m. The mean height and diameter distribution of low oaks varied between 7.9-25.2 cm and between 1.4-3.7 mm, respectively. The tendency of mean size condition saw a clear-cut decrease from 1972 to 2012. Our results suggest that the seedling regeneration ability is limited and the oak seedlings’ structural condition did not affect by oak decline. Keywords: sessile oak, low understory, density, height, oak decline

The oak forest of Polesye is an example of the deciduous wood areas of Western Europe, which covered large parts in many European countries and were transformed due to industrial and agricultural use during past centuries. Vast expanses of the relict oak forest in the floodplain of the Pripyat River (National Park " Pripyatski ") are pristine and uninhabited and human influence is negligible. The area maintains many diverse water ecosystems (temporary pools, brooks, ponds, bogs, oxbow lakes). The main sources of natural disturbance are flooding and droughts in some years. This investigation of 23 reservoirs in the extremely dry year of 2002 showed their rich and diverse flora (>200 species) and fauna (>420 species). Hydrochemical parameters of the investigated pools were measured in situ during the sampling and demonstrated considerable variability, for example in pH (6.1-8.8), conductivity (41.1-410 µS/cm), temperature (9.6-28.4 o C), oxygen (0.38-14.1mg/l), hardness total and carbonate (0.4-3.6 mmol/l), NH 4 + – (0-0.6 mg/l), NO 2-– (0-0.01 mg/l), NO 3-– (0-5 mg/l), PO 4 3-(0-0.75 mg/l). The species richness of Ostracoda in the reservoirs investigated totaled 27 species (6.3% of the total fauna community composition). The Ostracoda assemblages consisted of 2-6 (temporary pools, bogs), 6-12 (brooks), 7-10 (ponds), 17-19 (oxbow lakes) species. Species number correlated primarily with the chemical composition of the pools (hardness, conductivity and so on). The total species number in the reservoirs in the relict oak forest is 64% of the total Ostracoda list for the Pripyat floodplain area.

Reproductive strategies of closely related species distributed along successional gradients should differ as a consequence of the trade-off between competition and colonization abilities. We compared male reproductive strategies of Quercus robur and Q. petraea, two partly interfertile European oak species with different successional status. In the studied even-aged stand, trees of the late-successional species (Q. petraea) grew faster and suffered less from intertree competition than trees of the earlysuccessional species (Q. robur). A large-scale paternity study and a spatially explicit individual-based mating model were used to estimate parameters of pollen production and dispersal as well as sexual barriers between species. Male fecundity was found to be dependent both on a tree’s circumference and on its environment, particularly so for Q. petraea. Pollen dispersal was greater and more isotropic in Q. robur than in Q. petraea. Premating barriers to hybridization were strong in both species, but more so in Q. petraea than in Q. robur. Hence, predictions based on the competition–colonization trade-off are well supported, whereas the sexual barriers themselves seem to be shaped by colonization dynamics.

Dendrochronological research in North-Central Europe and the East Mediterranean has produced networks of long regional oak (Quercussp.) reference chronologies that have been instrumental in dating, provenancing, and paleoclimate research applications. However, until now these two important tree-ring networks have not been successfully linked. Oak forests and historical/archaeological sites in southeastern Europe provide the key for linking the North-Central European and East Mediterranean tree-ring networks, but previous dendrochronological research in this region has been largely absent. This article presents the initial results of a project, in which we have built oak tree-ring chronologies from forest sites and historical/archaeological sites along a north-south transect between Poland and northwestern Turkey, with the aim of linking the North-Central European and East Mediterranean tree-ring networks and creating a new pan-European oak data set for dendrochronological dating and...

By tracking oak-hickory (Quercus-Carya) regeneration for 13 yr across management-manipulated light and topographically driven moisture gradients after partial harvest and three prescribed fires, we document best-case conditions to promote advanced oak regeneration, and thereby provide a promising management tool to reverse the downward spiral in oak that plagues much of the Central Hardwoods within the eastern United States. This study was established in 2000 to assess regeneration following prescribed fire (spring of 2001, 2005, and 2010) in combination with partial harvest (late 2000) across two sites in southern Ohio. Each of the four 20+ ha treatment units (two partial harvest and burn, two controls) were modeled and mapped for long-term moisture regime using the Integrated Moisture Index (IMI) , and a 50-m grid of sampling points established throughout the units. Vegetation and light were sampled at each gridpoint before and after treatments, in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. The partial harvest and burn treatments generally had more light which resulted in an increased number of oak stems. The fires promoted heterogeneity (pyrodiversity) in tree mortality and light availability, and consequently oak-hickory regeneration, mostly following IMI patterns with the drier portions of the landscape having more fire, more light penetration, and greater regeneration compared to moist locations. Several other species also had marked variations in numbers and size throughout this period, depending on landscape variation in fire intensity and moisture regimes. These included Acer rubrum and Liriodendron tulipifera which expanded initially then collapsed after repeated fire, and Sassafras albidum which continued to flourish on dry sites. Based on this study, we recommend for topographically appropriate dry and intermediate sites, a partial harvest followed by two or three dormant-season fires (depending on fire intensity) allowing roughly 6–18% light to penetrate the forest floor. This will promote oak-hickory into the advanced oak regeneration status. Then, following a hiatus from burning for some years to further advance oak-hickory growth without topkill, some proportion of oaks and hickories can be expected to advance to the canopy following natural disturbance or harvest of current canopy. On mesic sites, though treatments demonstrated here do improve oak-hickory regeneration, the relative cost to benefit would be high.

The main objective of this research was to develop a technique for mast reconstruction using dendrochronology. During this work I collected cores from 845 individual trees from white (Quercus alba), chestnut (Q. prinus), northern red (Q. rubra), black (Q. velutina), and scarlet oaks (Q. coccinea), at 17 sites in the southern Appalachians. I identified five basic steps that are necessary for mast reconstruction.
1) Crossdate the tree-ring series;
2) Standardize the series with a flexible cubic smoothing spline;
3) Use multiple regression to remove climate;
4) Use simple linear regression between the climate residuals and a known mast record to define a regression equation;
5) Use the regression equation to reconstruct mast beyond the scope of the known mast record.
From climate analysis of these five oak species grown under closed-canopy conditions, I determined that four of the five species were adequate recorders Palmer Drought Severity Index and temperature. I developed five mast reconstructions on the stand-level explaining from 20% to 47% of the remaining variance in the chronology after climate was removed. At most, 25% of the site-species chronologies showed a reduction in ring width in known years of heavy mast production, which has implications for the theories of mast fruiting. The evolved strategies hypothesis predicts that a tradeoff should be evident between incremental growth and reproductive effort and the lack of a consistent tradeoff brings this theory into question. I explored the application of mast reconstructions to a problem in wildlife management by comparing two of my reconstructions to a black bear population estimate and black bear harvest records. I found that acorn production from three years prior and the current year correlated significantly with these respective records.
This work demonstrates a new technique for dendrochronology, which I call dendromastecology. It can be applied to other genera and localities around the world to provide information to tree biologists, wildlife ecologists, and mast ecologists. Whether or not future mast reconstructions are successful, they will continue to provide evidence about the tradeoff between incremental growth and reproductive effort.

The objective of forest management in the tropics, in recent decades, has shifted from timber production to biodiversity conservation and maintenance of life support system. However, past forestry practices have greatly influenced the structure of plant communities, preponderance of foreign invasive species, populations of high value medicinal plants as well as other non-wood forest products. We assessed the abundance and distribution of medicinal plants in managed and undisturbed forests of Dehradun Forest Division (DFD), Uttarakhand (India). A total of 80 transects (each 1 km long) were laid in various categories of forest types in DFD. This paper deals with distribution, availability and regeneration status of five commercially important species viz., Justicia adhatoda, Aegle marmelos, Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia bellirica and Terminalia chebula, across different forest types. The study reveals that open canopy forest patches, Lantana infested patches and Acacia catechu-Dalbe...