BACKGROUND AND AIMS The major objective was to identify plant traits functionally important for optimization of shoot growth and nitrogen (N) economy under drought. Although increased leaf N content (area basis) has been observed in dry environments and theory predicts increased leaf N to be an acclimation to drought, experimental evidence for the prediction is rare. METHODS A pedigree of 200...

The production of lignocellulose biomass on dedicated plantations is an option that facilitates the implementation sustainable development policy. novelty this type research it involves use various types methods—economic and legal analyses within a particular subject. This makes possible to obtain holistic view chosen case study. purpose study was determine whether setting up Short Rotation Cop...

Minimizing nitrogen (N) fertilization inputs during cultivation is essential for sustainable production of bioenergy and biofuels. The biomass crop willow (Salix spp.) is considered to have low N fertilizer requirements due to efficient recycling of nutrients during the perennial cycle. To investigate how successfully different willow genotypes assimilate and allocate N during growth, and remob...

The present study used overlapping burn scars from natural wildfires to examine the effects of changes in the fire-free interval on early successional plant communities in boreal forests of centralYukon Territory, Canada. Data on plant community composition and residual organic material were collected in the first decade of post-fire regeneration in two study areas with recent fire overlap. Sit...

Shrubs are the largest plant life form in tundra ecosystems; therefore, any changes in the abundance of shrubs will feedback to influence biodiversity, ecosystem function, and climate. The snow-shrub hypothesis asserts that shrub canopies trap snow and insulate soils in winter, increasing the rates of nutrient cycling to create a positive feedback to shrub expansion. However, previous work has ...

Declines in riparian willow (Salix spp.) communities in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA , coincident with a large increase in elk (Cervus elaphus L.) populations, has raised concerns about the future of willow communities. To identify possible constraints on willow establishment in two heavily browsed riparian areas, in 2000 and 2001, we examined seed dispersal phenology, germinabil...

The ability of remote sensing applications to accurately differentiate priority vegetation types was evaluated on a 664-hectare habitat management unit on Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, located in Marshall County in northwest Minnesota. The Refuge is a diverse complex of wetland and upland habitats, largely inaccessible by foot. Its relative inaccessibility, coupled with the known occurrence...

The objectives of this study were to examine the foliar sensitivity to ozone exposure of 12 tree, shrub, and herbaceous species native to southern Switzerland and determine the seasonal cumulative ozone exposures required to induce visible foliar injury. The study was conducted from the beginning of May through the end of August during 2000 and 2001 using an open-top chamber research facility l...