Light canopy transmittance and the Beer-Lambert equation were utilized to assess monthly leaf area index (LAI) of a tropical deciduous forest ecosystem on the west coast of Mexico. The light transmittance coefficient (k) was obtained by analyzing vertical leaf and light distribution in the forest canopy. An independent LAI estimate was obtained using litterfall data. The calculated k value was ...

Impermeable seed/fruit coat, i.e. physical dormancy (PY) occurring only in several genera of 18 angiosperm families plays an important role in controlling seed persistence and germination timing. It has been theoretically speculated that PY is more prevalent in drylands than in moist vegetation zones, but unequivocal support for this assertion is currently unavailable. The broad objective of th...

Tropical forests contribute to approximately 40% of the total carbon found in terrestrial biomass. In this context, forest/non-forest classification and estimation of forest above ground biomass over tropical regions are very important and relevant in understanding the contribution of tropical forests in global biogeochemical cycles, especially in terms of carbon pools and fluxes. Information o...

In a recent issue of PNAS, Grainger (1) claimed that the evidence for decline of global tropical forests is ‘‘unclear’’ and that it is difficult to demonstrate that it is happening ‘‘convincingly using available tropical forest area data.’’ We agree with most of the article, yet we feel these statements overstate the uncertainty about tropical deforestation. His assessment is based only on the ...

Palaeobotanical investigations were conducted on plant macrofossils obtained from the Middle Siwalik sediments of Sarkaghat, Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh, India as part this current communication. This study discovered existence two previously unknownfossil species that correspond to taxa are now living, Lagerstroemia Linn. and Millettia Wight & Arn. families Lythraceae Fabaceae, respec...

We present a global assessment of the relationships between the short-wave surface albedo of forests, derived from the MODIS satellite instrument product at 0.5° spatial resolution, with simulated atmospheric nitrogen deposition rates (Ndep ), and climatic variables (mean annual temperature Tm and total annual precipitation P), compiled at the same spatial resolution. The analysis was performed...

An accurate estimation of the leaf area index (LAI) by satellite remote sensing is essential for studying the spatial variation of ecosystem structure. The goal of this study was to estimate the spatial variation of LAI over a forested catchment in a mountainous landscape (ca. 60 km2) in central Japan. We used a simple model to estimate LAI using spectral reflectance by adapting the Monsi-Saeki...