[Litterfall amount and its dynamics in urban forest of Shenyang, Northeast China].

Twenty sampling sites were set in the urban forest of Shenyang to continuously observe the amount of forest litterfall and its dynamics in 2005-2007. During the three years, the leaf litters collected in twenty 1 m2 litterfall traps were of 30 tree species, which accounted for 15.5% of the entire tree species in Shenyang, but the individual number and leaf area of the populations accounted for 63.8% and 69.9%, respectively. A significant positive correlation was observed between the leaf litterfall amount and the leaf area of the corresponding tree species, and there was a great difference in the beginning time of the leaf fall between different tree species. The species with earlier beginning time of leaf fall finished their leaf fall earlier, and thus, there was a significant positive correlation between the beginning time of leaf fall and the ending time and duration of leaf fall. The average annual litter production was 4229.0 kg x hm(-2), among which, leaf litterfall was 3397.36 kg x hm(-2), branch litterfall was 463.89 kg x hm(-2), and fruit- and flower litterfall was 367.73 kg x hm(-2), accounting for 80.3%, 11.0%, and 8.7% of the total production, respectively. The seasonal dynamics of the litterfalls showed a single peak, with the maximum appeared in October and accounted for about 50.0% of the total. The large amount of the litterfalls could supply nutrients and energy for urban forest.

[Ecological benefit evaluation of urban forests in Shenyang City based on QuickBird image and CITYgreen model].

Based on the urban forest coverage data interpreted from QuickBird image (2006) and the CITYgreen model, the benefits of Shenyang urban forest types with different canopy closure in carbon fixation and pollutant removal were investigated by means of sampling strategy. The results showed that the total amount of carbon storage, annual carbon sequestration, annual air pollutant removal, and their corresponding values were 0.51 Tg, 6858.20 Mg x a-1), 556.04 Mg x a(-1) 1.26 x 10(8) Yuan, 1.72 x 10(6) Yuan, and 0.22 x 10(8) Yuan, respectively. Among the urban forest types in Shenyang City, ecological and public welfare forest (E) contributed most to the carbon fixation and air pollutant removal. The carbon density decreased in the order of S (subordinated forest) > L (landscape and relaxation forest) > P (production and management forest) > E > R (road forest), annual carbon sequestration was in the order of P > L > E > S > R, and annual air pollutant removal was in the order of P > L > S > E > R. The carbon density of different urban forest types was closely related to their structural complexity. For the forests with high canopy closure, both the annual carbon sequestration and the annual pollutant removal were high; while for those with lower canopy closure, these two characteristics were dependent on the structural complexity of the forests.

[Estimation of Shenyang urban forest green biomass].

Based on ARC/GIS and by using the method of "planar biomass estimation", the green biomass (GB) of Shenyang urban forests was measured. The results demonstrated that the GB per unit area was the highest (3.86 m2.m(-2)) in landscape and relaxation forest, and the lowest (2.27 m2.m(-2)) in ecological and public welfare forest. The GB per unit area in urban forest distribution area was 2.99 m2.m(-2), and that of the whole Shenyang urban area was 0.25 m2.m(-2). The total GB of Shenyang urban forests was about 1.13 x 10(8) m2, among which, subordinated forest, ecological and public welfare forest, landscape and relaxation forest, road forest, and production and management forest accounted for 36.64% , 23.99% , 19.38% , 16.20% and 3.79%, with their GB being 4. 15 x 10(7), 2.72 x 10(7), 2.20 x 10(7), 1.84 x 10(7) and 0.43 x 10(7) m2, respectively. The precision of the method "planar biomass estimation" was 91.81% (alpha = 0.05) by credit test.

Growth responses of Picea mongolica seedlings to defoliation rate.

Picea mongolica W. D. Xu. is an endemic species in China. The spruce forest is only found in semi-arid habitat in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Based on the simulative defoliation experiment, it was proved that Picea mongolica seedlings had the compensatory and overcompensatory effects under the certain defoliation rate. The results of variance analysis on growth indexes showed that in PM I (natural regeneration seedlings under Picea mongolica forest), the differences of H1 (height in June 23) and H2 (height in September 3) were extremely significant, and the difference of D(diameter at the breast height) were not significant. In PM II (artificial regeneration seedlings under Betula platyphylla Suk. forest), the difference of H1 was significant, the difference of H2 was not significant, and the difference of D was extremely significant. The regression equations were established and the compensatory and overcompensatory points were obtained. In PM I, the compensatory points of H1, H2, and D were 0.7628, 0.7436, 0.5725, and the overcompensatory points were 0.6056, 0.5802 and 0.2909 respectively. In PM II, the compensatory points of H,, H2, and D are 0.5012, 0.3421, 0.2488, and the overcompensatory points are 0.4137, 0.2633 and 0.0747 respectively. These results suggested that the induction of compensatory growth mechanisms in spruce seedlings required a threshold level of defoliation, and the insects in Picea mongolica forest could be controlled in a certain degree.