Teses / dissertações sobre o tema "Sclerophyll"

This project evaluated the impact of myrtle rust, a fungal pathogen that threatens the persistence of one of Australia’s most iconic plant families Myrtaceae. Five tree species were studied in a wet sclerophyll forest in the Tallebudgera Valley and showed a decreasing survival probability over time. This mortality led to an increase in canopy gap fraction—a surrogate measure for light availability; although no significant difference was found in plant composition below living and dead trees. After just four years of infection forest structure is changing which is increasing light and could lead to an increase in weeds.

In this thesis I present and test a methodology for developing a stand scale index of structural complexity. If properly designed such an index can act as a summary variable for a larger set of stand structural attributes, providing a means of ranking stands in terms of their structural complexity, and by association, their biodiversity and vegetation condition. This type of index can also facilitate the use of alternative policy instruments for biodiversity conservation, such as mitigation banking, auctions and offsets, that rely on a common currency – the index value – that can be compared or traded between sites. My intention was to establish a clear and documentable methodology for developing a stand scale index of structural complexity, and to test this methodology using data from real stands.¶ As a starting point, I reviewed the literature concerning forest and woodland structure and found there was no clear definition of stand structural complexity, or definitive suite of structural attributes for characterising it. To address this issue, I defined stand structural complexity as a combined measure of the number of different structural attributes present in a stand, and the relative abundance of each of these attributes. This was analogous to approaches that have quantified diversity in terms of the abundance and richness of elements. It was also concluded from the review, that stand structural complexity should be viewed as a relative, rather than absolute concept, because the potential levels of different structural attributes are bound within certain limits determined by the inherent characteristics of the site in question, and the biota of the particular community will have evolved to reflect this range of variation. This implied that vegetation communities with naturally simple structures should have the potential to achieve high scores on an index of structural complexity.¶ I proposed the following five-stage methodology for developing an index of stand structural complexity: 1. Establish a comprehensive suite of stand structural attributes as a starting point for developing the index, by reviewing studies in which there is an established relationship between elements of biodiversity and structural attributes. 2. Develop a measurement system for quantifying the different attributes included in the comprehensive suite. 3. Use this measurement system to collect data from a representative set of stands across the range of vegetation condition (highly modified to unmodified) and developmental stages (regrowth to oldgrowth) occurring in the vegetation communities in which the index is intended to operate. 4. Identify a core set of structural attributes from an analysis of these data. 5. Combine the core attributes in a simple additive index, in which attributes are scored relative to their observed levels in each vegetation community.¶ Stage one of this methodology was addressed by reviewing a representative sample of the literature concerning fauna habitat relationships in temperate Australian forests and woodlands. This review identified fifty-five studies in south-east and south-west Australia, in which the presence or abundance of different fauna were significantly (p<0.05) associated with vegetation structural attributes. The majority of these studies concerned bird, arboreal mammal, and ground mammal habitat requirements, with relatively fewer studies addressing the habitat requirements of reptiles, invertebrates, bats or amphibians. Thirty four key structural attributes were identified from these fifty-five studies, by grouping similar attributes, and then representing each group with a single generic attribute. This set, in combination with structural attributes identified in the earlier review, provided the basis for developing an operational set of stand level attributes for the collection of data from study sites.¶ To address stages two and three of the methodology, data were collected from one woodland community –Yellow Box-Red Gum (E. melliodora-E. Blakelyi ) – and two dry sclerophyll forest communities – Broadleaved Peppermint-Brittle Gum (E. dives-E. mannifera ), Scribbly Gum-Red Stringybark (E. rossii E. macrorhyncha ) – in a 15,000 km2 study area in the South eastern Highlands Bioregion of Australia. A representative set of 48 sites was established within this study area, by identifying 24 strata, on the basis of the three vegetation communities, two catchments, two levels of rainfall and two levels of condition, and then locating two sites (replicates) within each stratum. At each site, three plots were systematically established, to provide an unbiased estimate of stand level means for 75 different structural attributes.¶ I applied a three-stage analysis to identify a core set of attributes from these data. The first stage – a preliminary analysis – indicated that the 48 study sites represented a broad range of condition, and that the two dry sclerophyll communities could be treated as a single community, which was structurally distinct from the woodland community. In the second stage of the analysis, thirteen core attributes were dentified using the criteria that a core attribute should:¶ 1. Be either, evenly or approximately normally distributed amongst study sites; 2. Distinguish between woodland and dry sclerophyll communities; 3. Function as a surrogate for other attributes; 4. Be efficient to measure in the field. The core attributes were: Vegetation cover <0.5m Vegetation cover 0.5-6.0m; Perennial species richness; Lifeform richness; Stand basal area of live trees; Quadratic mean diameter of live stems; ln(number of regenerating stems per ha+1); ln(number of hollow bearing trees per ha+1);ln(number of dead trees per ha+1);sqrt(number of live stems per ha >40cm dbh); sqrt(total log length per ha); sqrt(total largelog length per ha); Litter dry weight per ha. This analysis also demonstrated that the thirteen core attributes could be modelled as continuous variables, and that these variables were indicative of the scale at which the different attributes operated.¶ In the third and final stage of the analysis, Principal Components Analysis was used to test for redundancy amongst the core attributes. Although this analysis highlighted six groupings, within which attributes were correlated to some degree, these relationships were not considered sufficiently robust to justify reducing the number of core attributes.¶ The thirteen core attributes were combined in a simple additive index, in which, each attribute accounted for 10 points in a total index value of 130. Attributes were rescaled as a score from 0-10, using equations that modelled attribute score as a function of the raw attribute data. This maintained a high correlation (r > 0.97, p< 0.0001) between attribute scores and the original attribute data. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the index was not sensitive to attribute weightings, and on this basis attributes carried equal weight. In this form my index was straightforward to apply, and approximately normally distributed amongst study sites.¶ I demonstrated the practical application of the index in a user-friendly spreadsheet, designed to allow landowners and managers to assess the condition of their vegetation, and to identify management options. This spreadsheet calculated an index score from field data, and then used this score to rank the site relative to a set of reference sites. This added a regional context to the operation of the index, and is a potentially useful tool for identifying sites of high conservation value, or for identifying sites where management actions have maintained vegetation quality. The spreadsheet also incorporated the option of calculating an index score using a subset of attributes, and provided a measure of the uncertainty associated with this score.¶ I compared the proposed index with five prominent indices used to quantify vegetation condition or habitat value in temperate Australian ecosystems. These were: Newsome and Catling’s (1979) Habitat Complexity Score, Watson et al.’s (2001) Habitat Complexity Score, the Site Condition Score component of the Habitat Hectares Index of Parkes et al. (2003), the Vegetation Condition Score component of the Biodiversity Benefits Index of Oliver and Parkes (2003), and the Vegetation Condition Score component of the BioMetric Assessment Tool of Gibbons et al. (2004). I found that my index differentiated between study sites better than each of these indices. However, resource and time constraints precluded the use of a new and independent data set for this testing, so that the superior performance of my index must be interpreted cautiously.¶ As a group, the five indices I tested contained attributes describing compositional diversity, coarse woody debris, regeneration, large trees and hollow trees – these were attributes that I also identified as core ones. However, unlike these indices, I quantified weeds indirectly through their effect on indigenous plant diversity, I included the contribution of non-indigenous species to vegetation cover and did not apply a discount to this contribution, I limited the direct assessment of regeneration to long-lived overstorey species, I used stand basal area as a surrogate for canopy cover, I quantified litter in terms of biomass (dry weight) rather than cover, and I included the additional attributes of quadratic mean diameter and the number of dead trees.¶ I also concluded that Parkes et al. (2003), Oliver and Parkes (2003), and Gibbons et al. (2004), misapplied the concept of benchmarking, by characterising attributes in terms of a benchmark range or average level. This ignored processes that underpin variation at the stand level, such as the increased development of some attributes at particular successional stages, and the fact that attributes can respond differently to disturbance agents. It also produced indices that were not particularly sensitive to the differences in attribute levels occurring between stands. I suggested that a more appropriate application of benchmarking would be at the overarching level of stand structural complexity, using a metric such as the index developed in this thesis. These benchmarks could reflect observed levels of structural complexity in unmodified natural stands at different successional stages, or thresholds for structural complexity at which a wide range of biota are present, and would define useful goals for guiding on-ground management.

An examination was undertaken of the literature and restoration cases for 4 major Australian vegetation types (sclerophyll; rainforest; grassland; and wetland) to explore the proposition that ecological resilience may govern recovery after anthropogenic damage, and/or provide a fundamental guide and measure of success for ecological restoration. Also, primary data were collected from highly degraded sites (5 sclerophyll, 3 rainforest, and 4 grassy sites) to assess recovery after restoration treatment. These were supplemented with questionnaire data from practitioners working at a wider range of rainforest and sclerophyll sites, and reports from practitioners working on grassland and wetland sites. In all 4 vegetation types, species generally fell into two main groups : longer-lived 'resprouters' and shorter-lived 'obligate seeders'. But different resilience models were identified for the 4 vegetation types. The sclerophyll type exhibited higher in situ resilience but lower migratory resilience than the rainforest type, which was facilitated by flying frugivore dispersal to perch trees. Self-perpetuation was more tightly coupled with disturbance in the sclerophyll, grassland and wetland types than rainforest; and therefore 'designed disturbance' played a more obvious role in enhancing recovery within these types, than in rainforest. Results suggest that resilience (as both an ecosystem property and a theoretical concept) is fundamental to the practice of ecological restoration. Some prediction of resilience potential of particular degraded sites (and prediction of the degree and type of restoration subsidy needed) can be based on knowledge of : individual species' recovery mechanisms; resilience models for individual vegetation-types; and the site's colonisation potential and impact history
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Mountain Fynbos biome, a division of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), is home to round-leafed Buchu [Agathosma betulina (Berg.) Pillans], one of South Africa’s best-known endangered herbal medicinal plants. Agathosma betulina is renowned as a traditional additive to brandy or tea, which is used for the treatment of a myriad of ailments. In its natural habitat, A. betulina thrives on mountain slopes in acid and highly leached gravelly soils, with a low base saturation and low concentrations of organic matter. To adapt to such adverse conditions, these plants have formed mutualistic symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. In this study, the effect of indigenous AM taxa on the physiology of A. betulina is investigated. In addition, the AM taxa responsible for these physiological responses in the plant were identified using morphological and molecular techniques. Agathosma betulina was grown under glasshouse conditions in its native rhizosphere soil containing a mixed population of AM fungi. Control plants, grown in the absence of AM fungi, were included in the experimentation. In a time-course study, relative growth rate (RGR), phosphorus (P)-uptake, P utilization cost, and carbon (C)-economy of the AM symbiosis were calculated. The data showed that the initial stages of growth were characterized by a progressive increase in AM colonization. This resulted in an enhanced P-uptake in relation to non-AM plants once the symbiosis was established. Consequently, the lower P utilization cost in AM plants indicated that these plants were more efficient in acquiring P than non-AM plants. When colonization levels peaked, AM plants had consistently higher growth respiration. This indicated that the symbiosis was resulting in a C-cost to the host plant, characterized by a lower RGR in AM plants compared to non-AM plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization decreased with increasing plant age that coincided with a decline in P-uptake and growth respiration, along with increases in RGR to a level equal to non-AM plants. Consequently, the AM benefit was only observed during the initial stages of growth. In order to identify the AM fungi in planta, morphological and molecular techniques were employed, which indicated colonization by AM fungi belonging to the genera Acaulospora and Glomus. Phylogenetic analyses of a dataset containing aligned 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene sequences from all families within the Glomeromycota, including sequences obtained during the study, supported the above mentioned identification.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Fynbos bergbioom, ‘n onderafdeling van die Kaapse Floristiese Streek, huisves rondeblaar Boegoe [Agathosma betulina (Berg.) Pillans], een van Suid Afrika se bekendste bedreigde medisinale plante. Agathosma betulina is bekend vir sy gebruik as tinktuur vir die behandeling van verskeie kwale. Die plant kom voor in bergagtige streke, in suur en mineraal-arm grond, met ‘n lae organiese inhoud. Gevolglik, om aan te pas by hierdie ongunstige kondisies, vorm die plante simbiotiese assosiasies met blaasagtige, struikvormige mikorrisa (BSM). In die huidige studie is die effek van hierdie BSM op die fisiologie van A. betulina ondersoek. Die identiteit van die BSM is ook gevolglik met morfologiese en molekulêre identifikasie tegnieke bepaal. Agathosma betulina plante is onder glashuis kondisies in hul natuurlike grond gekweek, wat ‘n natuurlike populasie van BSM bevat het. Kontroles is ook in die eksperiment ingesluit en hierdie stel plante is met geen BSM geïnokuleer nie. Gevolglik is die relatiewe groeitempo, fosfor opname, fosfor verbuikerskoste asook die koolstof ekonomie van die plante bereken. Die data het getoon dat die eerste groeifase gekarakteriseer is deur toenames in BSM kolonisasie vlakke. Dit het tot ‘n hoër fosfor opname in BSM geïnokuleerde plante gelei. Die laer fosfor verbuikerskoste gedurende hierdie fase het aangedui dat die plante wat geïnokuleer is met BSM oor beter meganismes beskik het om fosfor uit die grond te bekom. Toe BSM kolonisasie vlakke gepiek het, was groei respirasie hoër in BSM geïnokuleerde plante as in die kontroles. Dit het aangedui dat die BSM kolonisasie van plante tot hoër koolstof kostes vir hierdie plante gelei het, wat weerspieël is in die laer groeitempo van die BSM geïnokuleerde plante. Die BSM kolonisasie vlakke het gedaal met toenemende ouderdom van hul gasheer plante, wat gekarakteriseer is deur ‘n laer opname van fosfor en laer groei respirasie, tesame met ‘n toename in relatiewe groeitempo tot vlakke soortgelyk aan die van die kontrole plante. Die BSM voordele vir die plant is dus net gedurende die eerste groeifase waargeneem. Die BSM wat verantwoordelik is vir hierdie fisiologiese veranderinge is gevolglik geïdentifiseer met behulp van morfologiese en molekulêre tegnieke en dit is gevind dat BSM wat behoort tot die genera Acaulospora en Glomus binne hierdie plante voorkom. Filogenetiese analise gegrond op opgelynde 5.8S ribosomale RNA geen volgordes afkomstig van al die families binne Glomeromycota asook volgordes gevind in die studie, het die bogenoemde identifikasie gestaaf.

Nearly one fifth of Australia’s continent is covered by forests, including 147.4 million hectares of native forest and 2.0 million hectares of forestry plantations. Australia has about 4 percent of the world’s forests on 5 percent of the world’s land area. Prescribed burning has been extensively applied to manage forest fuels in Australia since the 1960s. It greatly decreases the wildfire hazard, promotes forest regeneration and controls insects and disease. Fire modifies both the above-ground vegetation and below-ground microbial community. Despite the significant role of prescribed burning in nitrogen (N) dynamics, most studies have focused only on the responses of one or several forest components (e.g. vegetation, microbial community or soil nutrients) to fire separately. Few studies have offered an in-depth insight into the relationship between soil N cycling processes and associated functional communities in response to long-term prescribed burning. Denitrification is an important part of forest N cycling. It is a stepwise dissimilative reduction process of nitrate (NO3-) to dinitrogen gas (N2) under anaerobic conditions and the primary pathway of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from soil. This gaseous product has a global warming potential about 298 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2). The potential environmental implication of denitrification to global warming has drawn increasing scientific attention worldwide. A variety of microbial functional groups participate in the denitrification process and each of them can be measured by targeting one or more specific functional genes.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

Thesis (PhD (Microbiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology at the University of Stellenbosch.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The interaction between a soil yeast, Cryptococcus laurentii and a medicinal plant, Agathosma betulina (Berg.) Pillans (Rutaceae), was studied. Cryptococcus laurentii CAB 578 was isolated from the rhizosphere of wild A. betulina and liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the yeast was capable of producing polyamines such as cadaverine and spermine. Since the exogenous application of polyamines are known to impact on root growth, these findings supported the results obtained when A. betulina seedlings grown under axenic and low nutrient conditions were inoculated with C. laurentii CAB 578 and cultivated for five months under glasshouse conditions. The presence of the yeast increased root growth by 51%. Using soil dilution plates, it was demonstrated that yeast numbers were greater in the vicinity of the roots than in the bulk soil. Furthermore, fluoromicroscopy, in combination with the fluorescent probes Calcofluor White and Fungolight revealed the presence of metabolic active yeast colonies on the rhizoplane. The first part of the study thus provided evidence for a symbiosis between A. betulina and C. laurentii CAB 578. During the second part of the investigation, the effect of this symbiosis on quantitative elemental distribution in A. betulina roots grown under axenic, nutrient-poor conditions was assessed using micro-particle-induced x-ray emission spectrometry. To aid in the interpretation of heterogeneous elemental distribution patterns, apoplastic barriers and endophytic C. laurentii CAB 578 in root tissues were located using fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The results showed that the average concentrations of iron, manganese and phosphorus were significantly (P < 0.05) higher within roots of yeast-inoculated plants, compared to control plants. It was shown that the yeast was not a root endophyte and that elemental enrichment in the epi/exodermal-outer cortical tissues correlated with the presence of Casparian bands in the exodermal cells of both treatments. This was the first report describing the role of a soil yeast as a plant nutrient-scavenging microsymbiont. In the final part of the investigation, the effect of C. laurentii CAB 578 on the photosynthetic nitrogen, phosphorus and water-use efficiencies, as well as the carbon economy of A. betulina was studied. Agathosma betulina plants inoculated with C. laurentii CAB 578, as well as controls, were grown under axenic conditions and the following parameters measured: Apparent photon yield, foliar nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, leaf dark respiration, maximum photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency, photosynthetic phosphorus-use efficiency, photosynthetic wateruse efficiency, root construction cost, stomatal conductance, substomatal CO2 and transpiration rate. The data showed that the higher photosynthetic resource-use efficiencies in yeast-inoculated plants were a consequence of higher maximum rates of CO2 assimilation, which was not related to foliar nitrogen and phosphorus content. We hypothesize that photosynthetic stimulation in yeast-inoculated plants was a result of the increased demand for photosynthates of the yeast-root symbiosis. In summary, the study revealed that a symbiosis exists between A. betulina and the soil yeast C. laurentii CAB 578. This interaction has a significant effect on the size of the yeast population as well as on the physiology of the plant.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die interaksie tussen ‘n grondgis, Cryptococcus laurentii, en ‘n medisinale plant, Agathosma betulina (Berg.) Pillans, is ondersoek. Cryptococcus laurentii CAB 578 is vanuit die risosfeer van A. betulina in sy natuurlike omgewing geisoleer en vloeistof chromatografie tandem massa spektrofotometriese analise het bewys dat die gis poliamiene insluitend kadaverien en spermien produseer. Dit is bevind dat die eksogene aanwending van poli-amiene wortelgroei bevorder. Hierdie bevinding staaf die waargenome 51% verhoging in wortelgroei van mikroob-vrye A. betulina saailinge geinokuleer met C. laurentii CAB 578 en gekweek vir vyf maande onder lae nutriënt kondisies in ‘n glashuis. Met gebruik van die grond verdunningsplaat-metode, is dit verder bewys dat gisgetalle hoër was in die teenwoordigheid van wortels as in die omliggende grond. Dit is ook bewys met die gebruik van die fluoressente peilers Calcofluor White en Fungolight, in kombinasie met fluoressensie-mikroskopie, dat metabolies aktiewe giste die wortels se oppervlak gekoloniseer het. Die eerste deel van die studie het dus bewys dat ‘n simbiose tussen A. betulina en C. laurentii CAB 578 bestaan. Tydens die tweede deel van die ondersoek is die effek van C. laurentii CAB 578 op die konsentrasie en verspreiding van elemente binne A. betulina wortels, gekweek onder lae-nutriënt, mikroob-vrye kondisies, bepaal met behulp van mikro-partikel geinduseerde X-straal emissie spektrofotometrie. Om die interpretasie van heterogene verspreidingspatrone van die onderskeie elemente te ondersteun, is daar met behulp van fluoressensie en transmissie-elektron-mikroskopie vir apoplastiese versperrings en endofitiese C. laurentii CAB 578 in die wortelweefsel getoets. Dit is bevind dat die gemiddelde konsentrasie van fosfaat, mangaan en yster beduidend (P < 0.05) hoër was in gis-geinokuleerde plante, as in kontrole plante. Die gis was nie ‘n wortel endofiet nie en elementale verryking in die epi/eksodermale-buitenste korteks weefsels het gekorreleer met Casparian bande in die eksodermale selle van beide behandelings. Hierdie was die eerste verslag wat die rol van ‘n grondgis as ‘n nutriënt-bekommende mikrosimbiont vir plante beskryf het. In die laaste gedeelte van hierdie ondersoek is die effek van C. laurentii CAB 578 op die fotosintetiese fosfaat, stikstof en water-verbruiksdoeltreffendheid, asook die koolstof ekonomie in mikroob-vrye Agathosma betulina plante geinokuleer met C. laurentii CAB 578 asook kontrole plante bestudeer. Die volgende parameters is getoets: Blaar donker respirasie, blaar fosfaat en stikstof konsentrasies, fotosintetiese fosfaatverbruiksdoeltreffendheid, fotosintetiese stikstof-verbruiksdoeltreffendheid, fotosintetiese water-verbruiksdoeltreffendheid, huidmond konduktansie, huidmond CO2 konsentrasie, klaarblyklike foton opbrengs, maksimum fotosintetiese spoed, wortel konstruksie-koste, en transpirasie spoed. Die resultate het getoon dat die hoër maksimum fotosintestiese spoed in gis-geinokuleerde plante gelei het tot ‘n hoër fotosintetiese verbruiksdoeltreffendheid van fosfaat, stikstof en water en dat dit nie verband gehou het met blaar fosfaat en stikstof konsentrasies nie. Dit word voorgestel dat die stimulasie van fotosintese in gisgeinokuleerde plante ‘n gevolg is van die verhoogde aanvraag na fotosintaat deur die giswortel simbiose. Om op te som, die bevindings van hierdie studie het bewys dat ‘n simbiose tussen A. betulina en C. laurentii CAB 578 bestaan. Hierdie simbiose het ‘n beduidende effek op die populasie grootte van die gis sowel as die fisiologie van die plant.

1st Topographical Survey Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers, provides deployable geospatial support to the Australian Defence Force. Part of this role is the production of products for use by commanders. These products provide commanders at all levels with mission specific and up to date knowledge of the terrain that he will encounter on the battlespace. Currently 1st Topographical Survey Squadron provides products that contain manmade features, hydrography, slope, surface configuration and vegetation as displayed on current mapping products. They do not provide an accurate portrayal of the effect that vegetation characteristics have on the battlespace. Introducing these types of features will give the commander a greater knowledge of the terrain and environment that he will encounter, and will greatly improve the planning and success of the campaign. This research explored to what extent the accuracy of the terrain analysis products currently produced by 1st Topographical Survey Squadron would increase by adding a more detailed portrayal of vegetation extracted from remote sensing data.

1st Topographical Survey Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers, provides deployable geospatial support to the Australian Defence Force. Part of this role is the production of products for use by commanders. These products provide commanders at all levels with mission specific and up to date knowledge of the terrain that he will encounter on the battlespace. Currently 1st Topographical Survey Squadron provides products that contain manmade features, hydrography, slope, surface configuration and vegetation as displayed on current mapping products. They do not provide an accurate portrayal of the effect that vegetation characteristics have on the battlespace. Introducing these types of features will give the commander a greater knowledge of the terrain and environment that he will encounter, and will greatly improve the planning and success of the campaign. This research explored to what extent the accuracy of the terrain analysis products currently produced by 1st Topographical Survey Squadron would increase by adding a more detailed portrayal of vegetation extracted from remote sensing data.

Australia has 155 million hectares of native forests. Trees in Australia's native forests hold about 6.56 billion tonnes of carbon (C) in their biomass, with eucalypt woodlands and open forests containing the most biomass. Historically, fire has been a distinct feature of Australian forests. It is predicted that the frequency and severity of fire in Australia would be increased due to reduced rainfall and high temperature in the near future. Prescribed burning (generally low density fires) has been used as a tool in forest management around the world to reduce fuel load and to protect many of the landscapes from wildfires. However, there are concerns that prescribed fires cause a reduction in soil fertility at sites where the intervals between fires are too short. The extent of fire effects on aboveground ecosystem components and soil varies greatly with fire intensity and frequency. Most studies have been focused on the short-term/immediate effects of fires on soil. The effects of frequency of the long-term repeated fires are largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of different repeated prescribed-burning regimes on a) C and nitrogen (N) storage and b) temporal dynamics of C and N in an Australian forest (Peachester State Forest), using a 39 year-old repeated prescribed burning trial with three treatments: no burning (NB) since 1969, 2 yearly burning (2yrB) and 4 yearly burning (4yrB).
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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New Caledonia, an archipelago situated in the South-West Pacific Ocean has a very high biodiversity of which many flora and fauna species are endemic, and is therefore considered as one of the world hotspots for the biodiversity conservation. Sclerophyll forests, one of the five main vegetation types occurring on the island are mainly threatened by anthropogenic activities. Rusa deer (Cervus timorensis russa) were introduced into New Caledonia from Java in 1870. They have colonised all the biotopes of the main island, and represent one of the major threats to the New Caledonian sclerophyll forests. Currently, there is a lack of management tools to monitor the trends of rusa deer in New Caledonian sclerophyll forests. To test monitoring methods for use as management tools, six sclerophyll forests study sites were studied using direct census methods (i.e. spotlight count and drive count), indirect census methods (i.e. faecal standing crop method) and three indices (i.e. the faecal pellet groups index, the browsing index and the antler rubbing index). The faecal pellet groups index is based on sampling pellet groups in plots along transects. To ensure reliable data collection with a coefficient of variation of the mean number of intact faecal pellet groups per plot per transect of less than 20 percent, my study indicated that 15 plots per transect and 20 transects per sites should be sampled in New Caledonian sclerophyll forests whereas previous studies conducted in New Zealand indicated that a minimum of 25 plots per transect and of 18 transects per site should be sampled. The advantages of reducing the number of plots per transect and of transects per site is that it reduces the expenses (e.g. time, finance) and the bias due to data collection (e.g. fatigue, boredom and visual activity) which will improve the precision of the data recorded. Estimates of rusa deer density obtained from the census methods were not correlated (r = - 0.425, df = 4, P = 0.401) due to my small sample size. The reliability of these estimates is questionable because of biases. Previous publications have shown that biases are difficult to avoid when using direct census methods and that it is difficult to estimate the size of animal populations with accuracy and precision. The faecal standing crop method was subjected to bias because the estimation of the decay rate and the defecation rate were unreliable. These methods were not recommended for rusa deer management in New Caledonian sclerophyll forests. Of the three indices tested, the faecal pellet groups index and the browsing index based on unpalatable browse species were the most reliable as the confidence intervals of these two indices were small (i.e. from ±0.08 to ±0.11 for the faecal pellet groups index; from ±0.04 to ±0.27 for the browsing index of unpalatable browse species), and they also showed significant correlations with a subjective ranking of the rusa deer density based on expert knowledge (rs = 0.829, df = 4, P = 0.042 and rs = 0.829, df = 4, P = 0.042 respectively). These two indices appear to show the most promise for use as management tools, as they could reliably track local variations of rusa deer densities on the sclerophyll forests. These two indices could be used by wildlife technicians in New Caledonia to establish management plans of rusa deer populations which rely on participative management involving the stakeholders (e.g. hunters, forest managers, local communities). We believe that the faecal pellet groups index and the browsing index could be useful to monitor rusa deer populations in New Caledonian sclerophyll forests, and meet conservation and hunting objectives of the local population and authorities. Management tools such as culling and hunting operations will be implemented in New Caledonian sclerophyll forests where monitoring of indices I recommended show an increase in the deer population. Stakeholders will be involved in the implementation of the monitoring tools (i.e. indices) and of the management tools (e.g. culling and hunting operations, fencing) but also in decision making for the management of the rusa deer in New Caledonian sclerophyll forests.

Plant species with small leaves and sclerophylls have been reported to occur mainly on dry, low-nutrient soils in situations of high insolation. However; a number of physiological functions have been proposed for the two sets of traits. Ferns are well-suited to the study of leaf structure and its impact in different environments, as they show remarkable variation in leaf dissectedness and sclerophylly, and are able to inhabit a variety of marginal habitats. In this study, ecological and leaf trait data were collected for 17 fern species occurring in Skeleton Gorge, Table Mountain, in the Western Cape. Correlations between the traits and regressions of leaf traits on potential environmental determinants was carried out using both species averages and phylogenetically independent contrasts. The habitat and leaf traits were also subjected to a test of evolutionary trait conservatism. Sclerophyllous plants were found to be have thicker leaves, containing less chlorophyll, but sclerophylly was poorly correlated with leaf dissection. Plants occurring in high-light environments tended to be more sclerophyllous and have more dissected leaves, although these environments also were nutrient-poor. Leaf dissection appears to be primarily a means of dissipating heat by convection, rather than evaporative cooling, but it may also improve nutrient acquisition in low-nutrient soils. Sclerophylly in these ferns was not directly associated with nutrients; instead low sclerophylly seems to be favoured in low-light environments, perhaps because of lower metabolic costs or to reduce self-shading.

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Asteraceae is one of the most common families of cerrado herbs and subshrubs. Plants in this family vary widely in structure in response to environmental conditions. The present study aimed to characterize the morphoanatomy and histochemistry of aerial and underground organs of Chrysolaena simplex (Less.) Dematt and Lessingianthus buddleiifolius (Mart. ex DC.) H. Rob., assess the occurrence of certain classes of secondary metabolites through phytochemical analyses, and study the effects of seasonality on morpho-anatomical and physiological traits. The study was carried out in an area of campo rupestre in the Reserva Biológica Prof. José Ângelo Rizzo of Universidade Federal de Goiás, inside Parque Estadual da Serra Dourada (PESD). Adult individuals of C. simplex and L. buddleiifolius were collected in the dry and rainy seasons. Samples were analyzed using standard techniques of plant anatomy and scanning electron microscopy. Fresh material was used for histochemical tests. The phytochemical analysis used standard reactions to detect classes of secondary metabolites. C. simplex e L. buddleiifolius had similar anatomical traits, such as amphistomatic leaves, monostratified epidermis, thin cuticle, glandular and non-glandular trichomes, anisocytic stomata, dorsiventral mesophyll, collateral vascular bundles and hydathodes. Histochemical tests identified the presence of lipophilic substances and phenolic compounds in the studied species. Phytochemical screening of leaf and stem samples detected the presence of steroids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and coumarins in both species. In contrast, saponins were only found in L. buddleiifolius. Seasonality affected the morpho-anatomy of the species studied, revealing their great phenotypic plasticity. The underground system of C. simplex was a rhizophore, while the system of L. buddleiifolius was a xylopodium. Secretory ducts were found in the adventitious roots of C. simplex, whereas the roots of L. buddleiifolius had secretory endodermis. Both species had lipophilic substances and inulin crystals. Crystals were observed in the entire rhizophore of C. simplex, but exclusively in the roots of L. buddleiifolius. The phytochemical analysis of the underground systems revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins and coumarins, but steroids and triterpenoids were only detected in C. simplex.
A família Asteraceae destaca-se como uma das mais frequentes entre as espécies do estrato herbáceo e subarbustivo do Cerrado e apresenta uma ampla variação estrutural em resposta às condições ambientais. O presente estudo teve por objetivo caracterizar a morfoanatomia e investigar a presença de algumas classes de metabólitos secundários pela análise fitoquímica e histoquímica, bem como avaliar os efeitos da sazonalidade nas características morfoanatômicas e fisiológicas dos órgãos vegetativos aéreos e subterrâneos de Chrysolaena simplex (Less.) Dematt. e Lessingianthus buddleiifolius (Mart. ex DC.) H. Rob. O estudo foi realizado em área rupestre, na Reserva Biológica da Universidade Federal de Goiás “Prof. José Ângelo Rizzo”, situado no Parque Estadual da Serra Dourada (PESD). As coletas foram realizadas durante a estação seca e chuvosa em indivíduos adultos de C. simplex, e L. buddleiifolius. As amostras foram submetidas às técnicas usuais em anatomia vegetal e eletrônica de varredura. Testes histoquímicos foram realizados em material fresco. Na análise fitoquímica foram empregadas as reações clássicas de identificação das classes de metabólitos secundários. C. simplex e L. buddleiifolius apresentam caracteres anatômicos em comum, tais como folhas anfiestomáticas, epiderme uniestratificada, cutícula delgada, tricomas glandulares e tectores, estômatos anisocíticos, mesofilo dorsiventral, feixes vasculares colaterais e a presença de hidatódios. Testes histoquímicos evidenciaram substâncias lipofílicas e compostos fenólicos nas espécies estudadas. A prospecção fitoquímica realizada em amostras da folha e caule revelou a presença de esteróides, triterpenoides, flavonóides e cumarinas em ambas as espécies. A presença de saponinas foi detectada apenas em L. buddleiifolius. A sazonalidade influenciou na morfoanatomia das plantas estudadas, demonstrando assim a grande plasticidade fenotípica dessas espécies. O sistema subterrâneo de C. simplex foi identificado como rizóforo, enquanto o de L. buddleiifolius um xilopódio. Foram identificados canais secretores nas raízes adventícias de C. simplex. Endoderme secretora foi observada nas raízes de L. buddleiifolius. Substâncias lipofílicas e cristais de inulina ocorreram nas duas espécies. Em C. simplex os cristais foram observados em todo o rizóforo, enquanto em L. buddleiifolius, foram observados apenas nas raízes. A análise fitoquímica dos sistemas subterrâneos revelou a presença de flavonóides, saponinas e cumarinas, sendo que esteróides e triterpenóides foram encontrados apenas em C. simplex.

L'etude de la structure et de la diversite des peuplements d'insectes de douze stations situees dans la reserve internationale de la biosphere du fangu (unesco) a ete entreprise durant un total de 168 jours de piegeage. L'echantillonnage hebdomadaire des stations a ete realise a l'aide de pieges a emergence places au sol et de pieges jaunes, disposes dans les differentes strates de vegetation, du sol au houppier des arbres, grace a un systeme original de poulies. Plus de 200 000 arthropodes ont ete recoltes. Un lien entre la densite de la vegetation et la densite des insectes est mis en evidence : les pieges jaunes capturent plus d'insectes dans une strate lorsque sa vegetation est dense. Les dipteres representent les trois quarts des captures. Leur stratification verticale evolue dans le temps : elle est peu visible quand les conditions meteorologiques sont defavorables mais nette pendant la bonne saison. Des afc permettent de caracteriser chaque station par ses peuplements d'insectes. L'analyse de la diversite de l'entomofaune capturee est basee sur les familles de dipteres, et sur une methode combinant le calcul d'indices de diversite (shannon, pielou et simpson) et la realisation de diagrammes rangs-frequences (drf). L'ajustement a ces drf des principaux modeles de distribution d'abondances est teste. La diversite des dipteres differe d'une strate a l'autre, et varie pour chaque strate au cours du temps ; elle apparait plus elevee a l'echelle de la station (toutes strates confondues). La repartition dans l'espace vertical et horizontal des dipteres est etudiee dans deux stations d'interface comprenant trois zones, la station c/ (contact chenaie-maquis) et la station a/ (contact aulnaie-fougeraie) ; celle des hymenopteres parasitoides est analysee dans la station c/. Les resultats faunistiques (477 especes repertoriees) ont ete obtenus grace a la collaboration d'un reseau international de systematiciens.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre de la thématique du Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie de l’UFR des Sciences de santé, au sein de l’Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté et du Laboratoire de Produits Naturels de la Faculté de Sciences, au sein de l’Universidad Central de Venezuela. Elle vise essentiellement l’étude phytochimique des graines de Billia rosea (Planch. & Linden) C. Ulloa & P. Jørg, famille des Sapindaceae, qui est utilisé en médecine traditionnelle comme antidiabétique, analgésique et pour le traitement des hémorroïdes et de la fièvre. L'étude de cette espèce végétale a conduit à l’isolement et à la caractérisation de 10 saponines triterpéniques parmi lesquelles 5 sont de structure nouvelle (Billiosides A–E), un analogue connu et une structure a été proposée pour les 4 autres saponines qui devraient être vérifiées dans des études ultérieures.Les structures ont été élucidées principalement par l’utilisation de RMN 1D et 2D (1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HSQC, et HMBC) ainsi que la spectrométrie de masse comme (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 / 4)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-21-[((2E,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-6-hydroxyocta-2,7-dienoyl)oxy]-22-(acetyloxy)-24-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (Billioside A), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-glucopyranoside (Billioside B), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-β-D-glucopyranoside (Billioside C), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-β-Dglucopyranoside (Billioside D), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-Dglucopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (Billioside E), et dipteroside A.Les structures proposées pour les 4 autres saponines sont (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(4-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl)oxi]-22-(acetyloxy)-16,24,28-trihidroxyolean-12-en-21-yl-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloyl)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside, es (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(4-O-α-L- glucuronopyranosyl -β-D-glucuronopyranosyl)oxy]- 16,22,24,28-tetrahidroxyolean-12-en-21-yl-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloyl)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside, (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O- β-D-galactopyranosyl-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl)oxy]-22-(acetyloxy)-16,24,28-trihidroxyolean-12-en-21-yl-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloyl)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside et (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl)oxy]-21-acetyl-22-hidroxyolean-12-en-28-yl-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside.Billiosides B et C ont été testés en vue d’évaluer leurs capacité à inhiber l'absorption intestinale du glucose in situ dans des segments d'intestins de rat, et sa capacité à inhiber le glucose-6-phosphatase, enzyme impliquée dans la formation du glucose. Billiosides B et C ont montré des effets modérés dans les deux expériences
This thesis was carried out in the the Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, in health department of the University of Burgundy and in the Laboratory of Natural products of Central University of Venezuela.This research work focused on the phytochemical study of the sedes of Billia rosea (Planch. & Linden) C. Ulloa & P. Jørg, Sapindaceae family. Billia rosea seeds have traditionally been used as antidiabetic, analgesic and for the treatment of hemorrhoids and fever. In the study of this plant was isolated and characterized 10 triterpene saponins, among which 5 has a new structure in the literature of natural products (Billiosides A–E), a known analogue and 4 proposals as possible structures to the remaining isolated saponins, which must be confirmed in subsequent studies.Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR experiments (1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HSQC, et HMBC) and mass spectrometry as (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 / 4)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-21-[((2E,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-6-hydroxyocta-2,7-dienoyl)oxy]-22-(acetyloxy)-24-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (Billioside A), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-glucopyranoside (Billioside B), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-β-D-glucopyranoside (Billioside C), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-β-Dglucopyranoside (Billioside D), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-Dglucopyranosyl)oxy]-21,22-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-yl O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (Billioside E), and dipteroside A.The proposed structures for the other 4 isolated saponins are (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(4-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl)oxi]-22-(acetyloxy)-16,24,28-trihidroxyolean-12-en-21-yl-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloyl)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside, es (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(4-O-α-L- glucuronopyranosyl -β-D-glucuronopyranosyl)oxy]- 16,22,24,28-tetrahidroxyolean-12-en-21-yl-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloyl)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside, (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O- β-D-galactopyranosyl-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl)oxy]-22-(acetyloxy)-16,24,28-trihidroxyolean-12-en-21-yl-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloyl)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside and (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl)oxy]-21-acetyl-22-hidroxyolean-12-en-28-yl-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside.Billiosides B and C exhibited moderate effects when tested as hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase inhibitors and as glucose intestinal absorption inhibitors, using in situ rat intestinal segments
Este trabajo de investigación, realizado en conjunto entre el Laboratorio de Farmacognosia de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, de la Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté y el Laboratorio de Productos Naturales de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad Central de Venezuela; se centró en el estudio fitoquímico de las semillas de Billia rosea (Planch. & Linden) C. Ulloa & P. Jørg, perteneciente a la familia Sapindaceae, utilizada tradicionalmente como antidiabético, analgésico y para el tratamiento de hemorroides y fiebre. El estudio de esta especie vegetal condujo al aislamiento y caracterización de 9 saponinas triterpénicas, entre las cuales 5 poseen una estreuctura nueva en la literatura de productos naturales (Billiosidos A–E), un análogo conocido, además de 3 propuestas como posibles estructuras a las restantes saponinas aisladas, que deben ser confirmadas en estudios posteriores. Las estructuras se elucidaros principalmente mediante el uso de RMN 1D y 2D (1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HSQC, et HMBC) y espectrometría de masa como ácido (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-glucopiranosil-O-[α-L-arabinopiranosil-(1→4)]-β-D-glucopiranosil)oxi]-21-[((2E,6S)-2,6-dimetil-6-hidroxiocta-2,7-dienoil)oxi]-22-(acetiloxi)-24-hidroxiolean-12-en-28-oico, (Billiosido A) (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopiranosil-β-D-glucopiranosil)oxi]-21,22-dihidroxiolean-12-en-28-il-O-α-L-arabinopiranosil-(1 → 4)-β-D-glucopiranosido (Billiosido B), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopiranosil-O-[α-L-arabinopiranosil-(1→4)]-β-D-xilopiranosil)oxi]-21,22-dihidroxiolean-12-en-28-il-O-β-D-glucopiranosido (Billiosido C), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopiranosil-O-[α-L-arabinopiranosil-(1 → 4)]-β-D-glucopiranosil) oxi]-21,22-dihidroxiolean-12-en-28-yl-O-β-D-glucopiranosido (Billiosido D), (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopiranosil-O-[α-L-arabinopiranosil-(1→4)]-β-D-glucopiranosil)oxi]-21,22-dihidroxiolean-12-en-28-il-O-β-D-glucopiranosil-(1→6)-β-D-glucopiranosido (Billiosido E) y Dipterosido A. Las estructuras propuestas para las otras 3 saponinas aisladas son (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(4-O-α-L-arabinopiranosil-β-D-glucoronopiranosil)oxi]-22-(acetiloxi)-16,24,28-trihidroxiolean-12-en-21-il-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloil)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopiranosido, (3β,16α,21β,22α)-3-[(4-O-β-D-galactopiranosil-β-D-glucoronopiranosil)oxi]-22-(acetiloxi)-16,24,28-trihidroxiolean-12-en-21-il-O-(3,4-di-O-angeloil)-6-Deoxy-β-D-glucopiranosido y (3β,21β,22α)-3-[(2-O-β-D-galactopiranosil-O-[α-L-arabinopiranosil-(1→4)]-β-D-xilopiranosil)oxi]-21-acetil-22-hidroxiolean-12-en-28-il-O-α-L-arabinopiranosil-(1→4)-β-D-glucopiranosido. También se evaluó la actividad inhibitoria de los Billiosidos B y C sobre la absorción intestinal de glucosa in situ en segmentos de intestinos de ratas, además de la capacidad inhibitoria de estos compuestos sobre la enzima glucosa-6-fosfatasa, implicada en la formación de glucosa. Estos Billiosidos mostraron efectos moderados en estos dos experimentos

In this thesis I present and test a methodology for developing a stand scale index of structural complexity. If properly designed such an index can act as a summary variable for a larger set of stand structural attributes, providing a means of ranking stands in terms of their structural complexity, and by association, their biodiversity and vegetation condition. This type of index can also facilitate the use of alternative policy instruments for biodiversity conservation, such as mitigation banking, auctions and offsets, that rely on a common currency – the index value – that can be compared or traded between sites. My intention was to establish a clear and documentable methodology for developing a stand scale index of structural complexity, and to test this methodology using data from real stands.¶ ...