Tree volume modeling for forest types in the Atlantic Forest: generic and specific models

A Macrozone is a socioecological region with shared geographic and demographic characteristics. Within the Chilean Austral Macrozone (43° to 56° SL), the native temperate forests serve as a crucial resource, offering multiple ecosystem services to local communities. These forests significantly support animal husbandry practices involving cattle, horses and sheep. However, introducing these exotic species affects natural regeneration and compromises their long-term sustainability. This study proposes a new classification of the temperate forests in the Chilean Austral Macrozone based on structure parameters and determine their relationships with animal husbandry and natural regeneration. Data were obtained from Chile's National Forest Inventory (NFI) (2001–2010), including 195 inventory plots (500 m2) with 21 tree species. We redefined the forest categories described in NFI according to the proportional basal area of each tree species at each plot. We used two levels of analysis: forest composition (Level 1), which includes general categories such as mono-specific (dominated by a single tree species), bi-specific (dominated by two tree species), and multi-specific forests (dominated by multiple tree species), and forest type (Level 2), which includes specific species (e.g., Nothofagus pumilio) or species groups (e.g., N. pumilio - N. dombeyi) with economic relevance. We evaluated the data using univariate and multivariate analyses. We found 18 forest types in the Austral Macrozone, in contrast to the three traditionally recognized forest types used in the NFI (e.g., lenga, evergreen, coihue de Magallanes). Livestock was observed in all forest types, where Nothofagus forests showed that regeneration in N. antarctica and N. pumilio were higher with livestock than without livestock breeding (Hedges' g > 0.51). The natural regeneration of the studied forests was influenced by animal husbandry, environmental variables (bioclimatic and topographic factors), and forest structure. Our data suggested the importance of using more forest types than the three classics to generate tools or recommendations that are more focused on the particularities of each one. The classification must be based on forest parameters obtained during NFI. The proposed forest type classification reflects the complexity and richness of the forests in a better way, which could improve forest management and the development of public policies related to climate change and sustainability. Finally, although livestock pressure was observed in all forest types, the impact over some areas (e.g., N. antarctica) needs special attention in the forest management and conservation planning for the Chilean Austral Macrozone.

It is estimated that approximately 60% of the natural vegetative cover of the Brazilian savanna, locally known as the Cerrado and the second largest biome in South America, have already been converted. Despite this rapid conversion pace, there have only been limited attempts to operationally monitor this major farming frontier with remote sensing data. In this study, we evaluated the performance of spectral linear mixture models (SLMM) for the mapping of the major Cerrado physiognomies. Two SLMMs were considered: a general model, comprising the vegetation, soil and shade components, and a specific model, restricted to the ‘true’ Cerrado physiognomies. We also considered the potential effects of atmospheric contamination, and the influence of endmember sources on the fraction images derived from the general and specific models, respectively. The general model, apparently resistant to the atmosphere with respect to land cover discrimination, primarily enhanced forested domains and non‐vegetated targets (water bodies and bare soils). By contrast, the specific model, regardless of the endmember source, significantly distinguished the major Cerrado physiognomies. Such contrasting and complementary behavior suggests a potential synergism between the general and specific models for the mapping and monitoring of a complex environment such as the Cerrado biome.

Basic wood density (BWD) is a functional characteristic important to quantify carbon storage and is related to tree growth and its survival. We investigated BWD variability among tree species, populations, and forest types across the Atlantic Forest biome in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. We sampled and measured 576 trees of 83 species in 28 natural ecosystems in the Dense Ombrophilous Forest, Seasonal Semi-deciduous Forest, and the Restinga Forest. Stem wood from two different heights at each tree was acquired using a drill borer; discs were removed from branches in 20% of the height from 39 trees. BWD means increased from 0.42 for the most humid ecosystem to 0.675 g⋅cm−3 from the driest ecosystem. We identified changes in the wood as a result of climatic variables particular to different typologies, such as increased wood density in areas with lower precipitation and higher temperatures, were also observed within species, but with little difference in means. We identified three groups of species according to their BWD, different in mean height and diameter. The branches can be used to estimate tree wood density.

species, Microgramma vacciniifolia (Langsd. et Fisch.) Copel. and Microgramma geminata (Schrad.) R.M.Tryon et A.F.Tryon.M. vacciniifolia is a fern epiphyte with Neotropical geographic range. It occurs in many types of vegetation and also in urban trees. In field work in the restinga (sandy coastal plains) of the Marica Environmental Protection Area, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, two morphological types of galls, ellipsoid and ovoid ( Figure 1a, b), were reported. Both galls were collected in a Myrtaceae “thicket” community from June 2008 to August 2009 and transported to the laboratory. Part of the sample was packed in transparent plastic bags with moist cotton and checked daily for adult emergence. The botanical dried specimens were deposited in the herbarium of the Faculdade de Formacao de Professores, UERJ (RFFP) and the zoological material were incorporated into the holdings of the Museu Nacional (MNRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Cecidomyiidae), Agencia Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegocios (APTA), Ribeirao Preto (wasps) and Instituto Uiracu, Bahia (micromoths).The ellipsoid galls are induced by a micromoth (Microlepidoptera), Tortrimosaica polypodivora (Brown et Baixeras, 2004) (Figure 1a). One parasitoid wasp - Cheloninae (Braconidae) - and one inquiline species - Dasineura sp. (Cecidomyiidae) - are also found in the galls and this is the first record of both being connected to M. vacciniifolia. T. polypodivora also induces galls in another fern, Microgramma squamulosa (Kaulf.) de la Sota (Brown et al., 2004). Maia and Santos (2011) described Primadiplosis microgrammae (Maia, 2011) (Cecidomyiidae, Diptera) ( Figure 1b) as producing the ovoid galls found in M. vacciniifolia. In the present note, we record the occurrence of two parasitoids Torymidae and Tetrastichinae (Eulophidae). Hymenoptera is also recorded in these galls for the first time.Although these new records of wasps are presented at family or subfamily levels, they represent an important contribution due to the scarceness of data on insect-fern interactions in the neotropics. The new data indicate that these interactions are much more complex than our previous knowledge indicated.A compilation of gall midges and host plant species of the neotropical region revealed that 92% of these species were monophagous (inducing galls on a single host plant species) and only 5.6% were oligophagous (Carneiro et al., 2009). There is currently no data available for micromoths.The galls induced by micromoths (ellipsoid) are more frequent than those induced by midges (ovoid). The first galls can be found in M. vacciniifolia occurring in natural areas and urban trees, while the second galls are rare even in natural areas. This fern is cyanogenic. The cyanogenesis always occurs in the leaves and there is variation in the stem ( Santos et al., 2005 ). Studies suggest that insect oviposition is stimulated by cyanoglucosides and these compounds could play an important role in host selection (Honda et al., 1997). In field work in a Clusia “scrub” community, in the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park (Carapebus municipality, Rio de Janeiro state) another micromoth (not identified) in the pupal stage was found to use the stem of

Allometric equations allow aboveground tree biomass and carbon stock to be estimated from tree size. The allometric scaling theory suggests the existence of a universal power-law relationship between tree biomass and tree diameter with a fixed scaling exponent close to 8/3. In addition, generic empirical models, like Chave's or Brown's models, have been proposed for tropical forests in America and Asia. These generic models have been used to estimate forest biomass and carbon worldwide. However, tree allometry depends on environmental and genetic factors that vary from region to region. Consequently, theoretical models that include too few ecological explicative variables or empirical generic models that have been calibrated at particular sites are unlikely to yield accurate tree biomass estimates at other sites. In this study, we based our analysis on a destructive sample of 481 trees in Madagascar spiny dry and moist forests characterized by a high rate of endemism (> 95%). We show that, among the available generic allometric models, Chave's model including diameter, height, and wood specific gravity as explicative variables for a particular forest type (dry, moist, or wet tropical forest) was the only one that gave accurate tree biomass estimates for Madagascar (R2 > 83%, bias < 6%), with estimates comparable to those obtained with regional allometric models. When biomass allometric models are not available for a given forest site, this result shows that a simple height-diameter allometry is needed to accurately estimate biomass and carbon stock from plot inventories.

Soil respiration rates of a clay-loam textured Acrisol under different uses (Atlantic forest, manioc, horticulture and pasture) from Rio de Janeiro State were measured. The relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and soil physico-chemical properties were investigated. Rates of CO2 emission of two sites (Atlantic forest and horticulture) were also evaluated in different seasons in 1997 and 1998. In the forest site, monthly means of measured respiration rates showed good correlation with soil temperature in the range 19.6–24.1°C (r2 = 0.89). In the horticulture site, no change was observed with soil moisture alone, in the range 3.0–13.2 wt%. In the horticulture soil, even when the surface soil was very dry, respiration rates increased in the hot, wetter summer but remained higher than the mean flux from forest soil. The CO2 emission flux of the Acrisol under different use showed good correlation with soil temperature (r2 = 0.72) and moisture (r2 = 0.61).

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most diverse and threatened tropical forests in the world, and the Rio Doce valley seems to represent a limit between biotas from its southern and northern portions. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of Kielmeyera (Calophyllaceae), a woody, typically wind-dispersed genus, with a high endemism rate in the Atlantic Forest. The 351 specimens analysed, representing 21 of 22 species of Kielmeyera from the Atlantic Forest, pointed to a complete dissimilarity between species composition in the southern (Rio de Janeiro state) and northern (Bahia state) portions of the forest. However, the Rio Doce valley in Espírito Santo state, rather than being a limit between these two portions, appear to represent a confluent area. The northern boundary of species from the southern portion is the São Mateus basin, whereas the southern boundary of species from the northern portion is at the Litorânea do Espírito Santo basin. Most specimens of Kielmeyera were collected in areas that currently are not remnants of original vegetation and that are not within any conservation unit, suggesting that an imminent loss of biodiversity is taking place. Studies comprising a broad range of functionally and phylogenetically distinct taxa make individual patterns of distribution obscure and overlook the conservation needs for specific groups. Therefore, our study on the distribution of Kielmeyera in the Atlantic forest highlights the importance of biogeographic analyses of less inclusive taxa of a flora.

Atlantochodaeus, a new genus of Ochodaeidae from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is described, discussed, and illustrated. Additionally, four new species belonging to Atlantochodaeus are described: Atlantochodaeus everardoin. sp. and Atlantochodaeus paulsenin. sp., both recorded from Rio de Janeiro State; Atlantochodaeus huchetin. sp. from Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo States, and Atlantochodaeus oliviaen. sp. from Minas Gerais State. Detailed descriptions of these species are accompanied by a differential diagnosis and a distribution map. A dichotomous key for all South American genera of Ochodaeidae and the species of Atlantochodaeus is provided to aid in identification. A comprehensive comparative morphology study regarding Parochodaeus pectoralis (LeConte, 1868) (type species of Parochodaeus) and the Atlantochodaeus species are discussed and illustrated. A discussion about gland, mycangium and stridulatory apparatus of Ochodaeinae are also provided. These findings emphasize the richness of the Atlantic Forest and underscore the importance of detailed taxonomic studies in revealing its biodiversity.

Arbovirus infections, such as dengue, zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever, are a major public health problem worldwide. As the main vectors, mosquitoes have been classified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the deadliest animals alive. In this ecological study, we analyzed the population dynamics of important genera and species of mosquito vectors. Mosquito immatures were collected using ovitraps and at natural breeding sites: bamboos and bromeliads. Adult mosquitoes were captured using CDC traps with CO2, Shannon traps, and manual suction tubes. Collections took place during the rainy and dry seasons from 2019 to 2020 in the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The highest number of species was recorded in the ovitraps, followed by CDC and bromeliads. The breeding site with the lowest diversity was bamboo, though it showed the highest level of evenness compared to the other breeding sites. The medically important genera reported were Haemagogus spp., Aedes spp., Culex spp., and Wyeomyia spp. Culicid eggs increased in the rainy season, with a peak in November 2019 and January and February 2020, and lower abundance in the dry season, from September to October 2019. Mosquito eggs had a strong positive correlation (ρ = 0.755) with temperature and a moderate positive correlation (ρ = 0.625) with rainfall. This study shows how environmental variables can influence the ecology of disease-vector mosquitoes, which are critical in the maintenance of arbovirus circulation in a threatened biome within the most densely populated region of Brazil.

Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) have been largely used for the biological control of arthropod pests. However, information on the phytoseiid fauna associated with plants of the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil is still scanty. Surveys were carried out in two areas of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro State – Jaguanum island and Paraty. We report 11 species of seven genera from all three subfamilies. A complementary re-description is provided for Amblyseius impeltatus Denmark &amp; Muma, 1973 and measurements are provided for ten other species.

The genus Austrotinodes Schmid, 1955 has about 70 species described, being largely distributed in the Neotropics and with a few species from the southern USA and Australia. In Brazil, 27 species have been recorded, mainly in the Southeast Region. Herein, we describe and illustrate a new species of Austrotinodes from Rio de Janeiro State. Austrotinodes morumbeca sp. nov. is recognized mainly by the intermediate appendages, which have the apical half smoothly curved dorsally and with about 10 stout spines mesoventrally, plus a single apical spine. We also provide a commented checklist and distributional map of Austrotinodes species from Rio de Janeiro, raising the number of species known for the state to nine. This work helps to reduce the ‘Wallacean’ and ‘Linnean’ shortfalls by filling knowledge gaps about Austrotinodes in the state of Rio de Janeiro and in the Atlantic Forest. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1BC209F3-7EAE-4EBB-BDBA-DD353D95D68C.

Research Highlights: Determination of merchantable wood volume is one of the key preconditions for sustainable forest management. This study explores accuracy of calibrated predictions of merchantable wood volume of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) using stem taper curves (STC) in a form of a mixed model. Background and Objectives: The study is devoted to the determination of merchantable wood volume (over bark) of individual standing stems based on the integration of an STC model calibrated using upper diameter measurements. Various options of upper diameter measurement were tested and their impact on the accuracy of merchantable wood volume prediction was evaluated. Materials and Methods: To model stem taper curves, a Kozak 02 function was applied in a form of a nonlinear, mixed effects model. Accuracies of calibrated merchantable wood volume predictions obtained through remote (optical) upper diameter measurements were compared to accuracies corresponding to contact measurements by a caliper. The performance of two alternative methods used in the Czech National Forest Inventory (NFI) and forestry practice, involving diameter at breast height and total tree height as the only predictors, were also tested. The contact measurements were performed at identical stem positions after felling the respective sample tree. The calibration was done in order to account for factors inherent in particular location, and, optionally, also in a particular sample stem (within the respective location). Input data was sourced as part of a dedicated survey involving the entire territory of the Czech Republic. In total, 716 individual spruce trees were measured, felled and analysed at 169 locations. Results: In general, the best merchantable volume predictions were obtained by integrating the STC fitted (and calibrated) by minimising errors of stem cross-sectional areas instead of diameters. In terms of calibrated predictions, using single-directional, caliper measurement of upper diameter at 7 m (after felling) led to the best accuracy. In this case, the observed mean bias of merchantable volume prediction was only 0.63%, indicating underestimation. The best optical calibration strategy involved upper diameter measurements at two heights (5 and 7 m) simultaneously. Bias of this volume prediction approach was estimated at 2.1%, indicating underestimation. Conclusions: Concerning the prediction of merchantable stem volume of standing Norway spruce trees, STC calibration using two optical upper diameter measurements (at 5 and 7 m) was found to be practically applicable, provided a bias up to 3.7% can be accepted. This method was found to be more accurate than the existing national alternatives using diameter at breast height and the total tree height as the only predictors.

AimTo describe the main vegetation types of the Korean zonal forests and explore their relationship with the main environmental and geographic gradients.LocationKorean Peninsula.MethodsA data set of 3847 relevés of zonal (semi)natural forest stands, together with environmental factors recorded in the field or derived from interpolated climatic data was collected. Using the hierarchical ISOPAM method, the relevés were classified into main forest types and their species composition, diversity and distribution were described. Their differentiation along main environmental gradients was analysed with classification and regression trees.ResultsEleven vegetation types of forests were distinguished and assigned to five vegetation classes: Quercetea mongolicae (representing the core of the Korean temperate forests), Vaccinio‐Piceetea (subalpine coniferous forest), Fagetea crenatae (rare beech‐dominated forest included within a sub‐montane and sub‐oceanic type of oak‐dominated forest), Querco mongolicae‐Betuletea davuricae (sub‐continental drought‐ and fire‐tolerant forest, differentiated along elevational gradient) and Camellietea japonicae (oceanic evergreen forest). At a higher hierarchical level, these 11 vegetation types were grouped into three clusters, which most probably reflect different vegetation development in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Within the three major vegetation clusters, each forest type occupies a distinct environment. The forest types are especially well separated along elevational and temperature gradients. The distribution of individual forest types is joinly driven by total amount of incoming energy and thermal extremes, both affecting water supply to plant communities.ConclusionsAll distinguished vegetation types can be assigned to the recent syntaxonomic classification system. However, three main vegetation clusters do not correspond to traditionally distinguished syntaxonomic units. Nevertheless, the forest types within these clusters share common species with similar ecology and, especially, migration histories during the late glacial and post‐glacial periods. Therefore, we interpret these clusters as biogeographic patterns reflecting vegetation history rather than the current environmental conditions.

The Cerrado has high plant and vertebrate diversity and is an important biome for conserving species and provisioning ecosystem services. Volume equations in this biome are scarce because of their size and physiognomic diversity. This study was conducted to develop specific volumetric models for the phytophysiognomies Gallery Forest, Dry Forest, Forest Savannah, and Savannah Woodland, a generic model and a model for Cerrado forest formation. Twelve 10 m × 10 m (100 m²) (National Forest Inventory) plots were used for each phytophysiognomy at different sites (regions) of the Federal District (FD) where trees had a diameter at breast height (DBH; 1.30 m) ≥5 cm in forest formations and a diameter at base height (Db; 0.30 m) ≥5 cm in savanna formations. Their diameters and heights were measured, they were cut and cubed, and the volume of each tree was obtained according to the Smalian methodology. Linear and nonlinear models were adjusted. Criteria for the selection of models were determined using correlation coefficients, the standard error of the estimates, and a graphical analysis of the residues. They were later validated by the chi-square test. The resultant models indicated that fit by specific phytophysiognomy was ideal; however, the generic and forest formation models exhibited similar performance to specific models and could be used in extensive areas of the Cerrado, where they represent a high potential for generalization. To further increase our understanding, similar research is recommended for the development of specific and generic models of the total volume in Cerrado areas.

The level of spatial co-registration between airborne laser scanning (ALS) and ground data can determine the goodness of the statistical inference used in forest inventories. The importance of positioning methods in the field can increase, depending on the structural complexity of forests. An area-based approach was followed to conduct forest inventory over seven National Forest Inventory (NFI) forest strata in Spain. The benefit of improving the co-registration goodness was assessed through model transferability using low- and high-accuracy positioning methods. Through the inoptimality losses approach, we evaluated the value of good co-registered data, while assessing the influence of forest structural complexity. When using good co-registered data in the 4th NFI, the mean tree height (HTmean), stand basal area (G) and growing stock volume (V) models were 2.6%, 10.6% and 14.7% (in terms of root mean squared error, RMSE %), lower than when using the coordinates from the 3rd NFI. Transferring models built under poor co-registration conditions using more precise data improved the models, on average, 0.3%, 6.0% and 8.8%, while the worsening effect of using low-accuracy data with models built in optimal conditions reached 4.0%, 16.1% and 16.2%. The value of enhanced data co-registration varied between forests. The usability of current NFI data under modern forest inventory approaches can be restricted when combining with ALS data. As this research showed, investing in improving co-registration goodness over a set of samples in NFI projects enhanced model performance, depending on the type of forest and on the assessed forest attributes.