Remote sensing tools are increasingly being used to survey forest structure. Most current methods rely on GPS signals, which are available in above-canopy surveys or in below-canopy surveys of open forests, but may be absent in below-canopy environments of dense forests. We trialled a technology that facilitates mobile surveys in GPS-denied below-canopy forest environments. The platform consist...

Patterns of buttress formation in tropical trees vary greatly within and among species. In Kibale National Park, Uganda, some form of a buttress was found on 23% of the 78 species (1785 trees) sampled from a variety of distantly related families. Large differences in buttress formation were documented within a single family and even within the same genus. Previous studies have suggested that bu...

for the scientific and accurate management of rangeland ecosystems, having information about ecosystem as indicators of ecosystem health and function is needed. the aim of this research is to study the effects of grazing on soil surface indicators and rangeland functional properties by using landscape functional analysis (lfa) method. for this purpose, the present study was conducted in two reg...

Phytophthora root rot (PRR) infects the roots of avocado trees, resulting in reduced uptake of water and nutrients, canopy decline, defoliation, and, eventually, tree mortality. Typically, the severity of PRR disease (proportion of canopy decline) is assessed by visually comparing the canopy health of infected trees to a standardised set of photographs and a corresponding disease rating. Althou...

BACKGROUND Chinese rural communities living among species-rich forests have little documentation on species used to make handicrafts and construction materials originating from the surrounding vegetation. Our research aimed at recording minor wood uses in the Heihe valley in the Qinling mountains. METHODS We carried out 37 semi-structured interviews in seven villages. RESULTS We documented ...

Relict forests within tussock grassland and abundant subsoil charcoal indicate that prior to Polynesian conflagrations, conifer forests dominated by kaikawaka covered the upper montane plateaux in Moawhango Ecological Region. Much forest remains in peripheral districts where the plateaux border the encircling Kaimanawa, Kaweka and Ruahine greywacke uplands; in these districts, beech forest of t...

The (13)C (12)C isotope ratios and the leaf anatomy of 18 species and varieties of Euphorbia native to the Hawaian Islands indicated that all possess C(4) photosynthesis. These species range from small prostrate coastal strand shrubs to shrubs and trees in rainforest and bog habitats. The results show that C(4) photosynthesis occurs in plants from a much wider range of habitats and life-forms t...