Abstract: Explaining the large-scale diversity of soil organisms that drive biogeochemical processes—and their responses to environmental change—is critical. However, identifying consistent drivers of belowground diversity and abundance for some soil organisms at large spatial scales remains problematic. Here we investigate a major guild, the ectomycorrhizal fungi, across European forests at a spatial scale and resolution that is—to our knowledge—unprecedented, to explore key biotic and abiotic predictors of ectomycorrhizal diversity and to identify dominant responses and thresholds for change across complex environmental gradients. We show the effect of 38 host, environment, climate and geographical variables on ectomycorrhizal diversity, and define thresholds of community change for key variables. We quantify host specificity and reveal plasticity in functional traits involved in soil foraging across gradients. We conclude that environmental and host factors explain most of the variation in ectomycorrhizal diversity, that the environmental thresholds used as major ecosystem assessment tools need adjustment and that the importance of belowground specificity and plasticity has previously been underappreciated.

Abstract: Climate change is shifting the phenological cycles of plants1, thereby altering the functioning of ecosystems, which in turn induces feedbacks to the climate system2. In northern (north of 30° N) ecosystems, warmer springs lead generally to an earlier onset of the growing season3,4 and increased ecosystem productivity early in the season5. In situ6 and regional7–9 studies also provide evidence for lagged effects of spring warmth on plant productivity during the subsequent summer and autumn. However, our current understanding of these lagged effects, including their direction (beneficial or adverse) and geographic distribution, is still very limited. Here we analyse satellite, field-based and modelled data for the period 1982–2011 and show that there are widespread and contrasting lagged productivity responses to spring warmth across northern ecosystems. On the basis of the observational data, we find that roughly 15 per cent of the total study area of about 41 million square kilometres exhibits adverse lagged effects and that roughly 5 per cent of the total study area exhibits beneficial lagged effects. By contrast, current-generation terrestrial carbon-cycle models predict much lower areal fractions of adverse lagged effects (ranging from 1 to 14 per cent) and much higher areal fractions of beneficial lagged effects (ranging from 9 to 54 per cent). We find that elevation and seasonal precipitation patterns largely dictate the geographic pattern and direction of the lagged effects. Inadequate consideration in current models of the effects of the seasonal build-up of water stress on seasonal vegetation growth may therefore be able to explain the differences that we found between our observation-constrained estimates and the model-constrained estimates of lagged effects associated with spring warming. Overall, our results suggest that for many northern ecosystems the benefits of warmer springs on growing-season ecosystem productivity are effectively compensated for by the accumulation of seasonal water deficits, despite the fact that northern ecosystems are thought to be largely temperature- and radiation-limited10.

Abstract: Logging to "salvage" economic returns from forests affected by natural disturbances has become increasingly prevalent globally Despite potential negative effects on biodiversity, salvage logging is often conducted, even in areas otherwise excluded from logging and reserved for nature conservation, inter alia because strategic priorities for post-disturbance management are widely lackingA review of the existing literature revealed that most studies investigating the effects of salvage logging on biodiversity have been conducted less than 5 years following natural disturbances, and focused on non-saproxylic organismsA meta-analysis across 24 species groups revealed that salvage logging significantly decreases numbers of species of eight taxonomic groups Richness of dead wood dependent taxa (ie saproxylic organisms) decreased more strongly than richness of non-saproxylic taxa In contrast, taxonomic groups typically associated with open habitats increased in the number of species after salvage loggingBy analysing 134 original species abundance matrices, we demonstrate that salvage logging significantly alters community composition in 7 of 17 species groups, particularly affecting saproxylic assemblagesSynthesis and applications Our results suggest that salvage logging is not consistent with the management objectives of protected areas Substantial changes, such as the retention of dead wood in naturally disturbed forests, are needed to support biodiversity Future research should investigate the amount and spatio-temporal distribution of retained dead wood needed to maintain all components of biodiversity

Abstract: The genus Eucalyptus L'Heritier comprises about 900 species, of which more than 300 species contain volatile essential oil in their leaves. About 20 species, within these, have a high content of 1,8-cineole (more than 70%), commercially used for the production of essential oils in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. However, Eucalyptus is extensively planted for pulp, plywood and solid wood production, but its leaf aromatic oil has astounding widespread biological activities, including antimicrobial, antiseptic, antioxidant, chemotherapeutic, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorder treatment, wound healing, and insecticidal/insect repellent, herbicidal, acaricidal, nematicidal, and perfumes, soap making and grease remover. In the present review, we have made an attempt to congregate the biological ingredients of leaf essential oil, leaf oil as a natural medicine, and pharmacological and toxicological values of the leaf oil of different Eucalyptus species worldwide. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Abstract: Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world’s tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world’s tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: (i) Indo-Pacific, (ii) Subtropical, (iii) African, (iv) American, and (v) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional neo- versus paleotropical forest division but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern-hemisphere forests.

Abstract: When tree-species mixtures are more productive than monocultures, higher light absorption is often suggested as a cause. However, few studies have quantified this effect and even fewer have examined which light-related interactions are most important, such as the effects of species interactions on tree allometric relationships and crown architecture, differences in vertical or horizontal canopy structure, phenology of deciduous species or the mixing effects on tree size and stand density. In this study, measurements of tree sizes and stand structures were combined with a detailed tree-level light model (Maestra) to examine the contribution of each light-related interaction on tree- and stand-level light absorption at 21 sites, each of which contained a triplet of plots including a mixture and monocultures of Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris (63 plots). These sites were distributed across the current distribution of these species within Europe. Averaged across all sites, the light absorption of mixtures was 14% higher than the mean of the monocultures. At the whole community level, this positive effect of mixing on light absorption increased as canopy volume or site productivity increased, but was unrelated to climate. At the species population or individual tree levels, the mixing effect on light absorption resulted from light-related interactions involving vertical canopy structure, stand density, the presence of a deciduous species (F. sylvatica), as well as the effects of mixing on tree size and allometric relationships between diameter and height, crown diameter and crown length. The mixing effects on light absorption were only correlated with the mixing effects on growth for P. sylvestris, suggesting that the mixing effects on this species were driven by the light-related interactions, whereas mixing effects on F. sylvatica or whole community growth were probably driven by non-light-related interactions. Synthesis. The overall positive effect of mixing on light absorption was the result of a range of light-related interactions. However, the relative importance of these interactions varied between sites and is likely to vary between other species combinations and as stands develop.

Abstract: Acid deposition arising from sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N) emissions from fossil fuel combustion and agriculture has contributed to the acidification of terrestrial ecosystems in many regions globally. However, in Europe and North America, S deposition has greatly decreased in recent decades due to emissions controls. In this study, we assessed the response of soil solution chemistry in mineral horizons of European forests to these changes. Trends in pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), major ions, total aluminium (Altot ) and dissolved organic carbon were determined for the period 1995-2012. Plots with at least 10 years of observations from the ICP Forests monitoring network were used. Trends were assessed for the upper mineral soil (10-20 cm, 104 plots) and subsoil (40-80 cm, 162 plots). There was a large decrease in the concentration of sulphate (SO42-) in soil solution; over a 10-year period (2000-2010), SO42- decreased by 52% at 10-20 cm and 40% at 40-80 cm. Nitrate was unchanged at 10-20 cm but decreased at 40-80 cm. The decrease in acid anions was accompanied by a large and significant decrease in the concentration of the nutrient base cations: calcium, magnesium and potassium (Bc = Ca2+ + Mg2+ + K+ ) and Altot over the entire dataset. The response of soil solution acidity was nonuniform. At 10-20 cm, ANC increased in acid-sensitive soils (base saturation ≤10%) indicating a recovery, but ANC decreased in soils with base saturation >10%. At 40-80 cm, ANC remained unchanged in acid-sensitive soils (base saturation ≤20%, pHCaCl2 ≤ 4.5) and decreased in better-buffered soils (base saturation >20%, pHCaCl2 > 4.5). In addition, the molar ratio of Bc to Altot either did not change or decreased. The results suggest a long-time lag between emission abatement and changes in soil solution acidity and underline the importance of long-term monitoring in evaluating ecosystem response to decreases in deposition.

Abstract: Humans require multiple services from ecosystems, but it is largely unknown whether trade-offs between ecosystem functions prevent the realisation of high ecosystem multifunctionality across spatial scales. Here, we combined a comprehensive dataset (28 ecosystem functions measured on 209 forest plots) with a forest inventory dataset (105,316 plots) to extrapolate and map relationships between various ecosystem multifunctionality measures across Europe. These multifunctionality measures reflected different management objectives, related to timber production, climate regulation and biodiversity conservation/recreation. We found that trade-offs among them were rare across Europe, at both local and continental scales. This suggests a high potential for ‘win-win’ forest management strategies, where overall multifunctionality is maximised. However, across sites, multifunctionality was on average 45.8-49.8% below maximum levels and not necessarily highest in protected areas. Therefore, using one of the most comprehensive assessments so far, our study suggests a high but largely unrealised potential for management to promote multifunctional forests.

Abstract: During our studies on the Diptera fauna of the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forest, Golestan province, Iran, a new species of the genus Clistoabdominalis (Pipunculidae) was identified. In the present paper we name, describe and illustrate Clistoabdominalis hyrcania sp. nov.. An identification key to the males of the Clistoabdominalis ruralis species group from the Western Palaearctic region is provided.

Abstract: Xyleborini currently consists of more than 1168 species in 36 genera, nearly all of which were described in Xyleborus (Hulcr et al . 2015; Smith 2017). The tribe has been the focus of considerable taxonomic attention over the last decade resulting in phylogenetically based revisions and the erection of new genera (e.g. Hulcr et al . 2007, Hulcr and Cognato 2010). However in the Old World these efforts have largely been restricted to faunas of particular countries such as Taiwan (Beaver and Liu 2010), Thailand (Beaver et al . 2014), and Papua New Guinea (Hulcr and Cognato 2008). The region’s fauna was primarily described from the 1890s to the 1940s by three authors, W.F.H. Blandford, Hans Eggers and Karl Schedl. During the 1920s to the 1940s Eggers described numerous Xyleborus species from India and Myanmar (Burma), typically from single specimens or a small series, and deposited them in the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. Cotypes (paratypes), if present for the species, were kept in his collection. Upon his death, his collection was sent to the United States National Museum of Natural History but Schedl retained many of the types that are now at the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NHMW). In all, FRI houses 50 xyleborine holotypes, and most of these species are solely known from the holotype.

Abstract: Background In 2016, saproxylic Diptera associated with aspen (Populus tremula L) logs were studied in the Kivach Nature Reserve, Russian Karelia, using trunk emergence traps New information Eleven rare species of Diptera (families Limoniidae, Scatopsidae, Axymyiidae, Mycetophilidae, Sciaridae, Platypezidae, Syrphidae and Clusiidae) with poorly known distribution and ecology were recorded For each species, basic diagnostic characteristics were provided along with the information on microhabitats An attempt was also undertaken to outline possible associations with wood-decaying macrofungi using nonparametric correlation

Abstract: Biomass/natural fibers are potential raw materials in various fields of application, due to their exclusive characteristics. These raw materials also come with the solution to increasing fossil fuel prices, global warming issues, environmental pollution, and greenhouse effects. Biomass is a source of energy and easily available as a raw material. Agricultural biomass produces lignocellulosic materials in billions of tons around the world every year. Natural fibers are traditionally used as reinforced material in composites, due to awareness of their availability, mechanical, and chemical properties. Polymer composites are successfully used in various fields, and many types of fiber are being reinforced to improve their strength and achieve desired properties. Many types of polymers, such as thermoset and thermoplastic, are used to hybridize different types of fiber to fulfill requirements. Hybrid polymer composites are very useful in several applications such as aircraft, furniture, and construction. Many aircraft industries are using composite materials for aircraft components to reduce weight such as in blade, secondary structures, and in other machinery parts. Many defense aircraft industries are also looking at the potential of fiber composite in camouflaging their aircraft from radar signals.

Abstract: Natural and urban forests worldwide are increasingly threatened by global change resulting from human-mediated factors, including invasions by lethal exotic pathogens. Ash dieback (ADB), incited by the alien invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, has caused large-scale population decline of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) across Europe, and is threatening to functionally extirpate this tree species. Genetically controlled host resistance is a key element to ensure European ash survival and to restore this keystone species where it has been decimated. We know that a low proportion of the natural population of European ash expresses heritable, quantitative resistance that is stable across environments. To exploit this resource for breeding and restoration efforts, tools that allow for effective and efficient, rapid identification and deployment of superior genotypes are now sorely needed. Here we show that Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy of phenolic extracts from uninfected bark tissue, coupled with a model based on soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), can robustly discriminate between ADB-resistant and susceptible European ash. The model was validated with populations of European ash grown across six European countries. Our work demonstrates that this approach can efficiently advance the effort to save such fundamental forest resource in Europe and elsewhere.

Abstract: Since Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) emerged worldwide as a dangerous pest of chestnuts, there is only one dubious record from Japan of a cynipid inquiline reared from its galls. This is the first comprehensively documented record of a cynipid inquiline, Saphonecrus kuriphilusi, new species reared from galls of D. kuriphilus in Greece. Morphological description, morphological and molecular diagnostic characters for the new species are given.