Search Results (41)

This study presents a bibliographic review of the genus Menegazzia in Chile, the first in over two decades, updating new records, the taxonomic placement of the genus, and the synonymization of species. Up to twenty species have been cited in the country, considering that M. albida, M. hollermayeri, and M. norstictca are synonyms of the valid species M. wilsonii, M. dispora, and M sanguinascens. A fully revised dichotomous key and color photographs are included to facilitate accurate identification, especially given the genus’s morphological convergence and sparse reproductive structures. For the first time, the divergence times of Menegazzia lineages are discussed in relation to major Southern Hemisphere geologic events, suggesting a dispersal-driven distribution with a crown age of approximately 21.2 Ma. This review consolidates fragmented data, integrates recent molecular findings, and emphasizes the genus’s value as an ecological and biogeographic indicator in Chilean temperate forests. Full article

The effects of leaf clumping on leaf area index (LAI, m²·m⁻²) retrieval have been proved by several studies. For dense and highly clumped Moso bamboo canopies, LAI is usually retrieved using the SAIL-series models that do not account for leaf clumping, although these retrievals are subsequently successfully validated by indirect ground-based methods that do account for leaf clumping. In order to explore these two seemingly contradictory results, LAIs of 21 Moso bamboo canopies retrieved by the GOST2 model (incorporating leaf clumping), the 4SAIL model and the SNAP tool (both without leaf clumping), respectively, were validated against ground-based LAI estimations, including the direct allometric method and indirect digital hemispherical photograph (DHP) methods. LAIs retrieved by GOST2 show strong agreement with the surrogate truth estimated by the allometric method (R² = 0.79, RMSE = 3.03), but underestimations of retrieved LAIs by 4SAIL and the SNAP tool reach up to 27.6 and 28.8, respectively, due to lack of consideration of leaf clumping. These results indicate the following: (1) Depending on gap analysis-based clumping index (Ω) algorithms, leaf clumping corrections in indirect ground-based LAI estimations are unsuccessful for highly clumped Moso bamboo canopies due to heavy overlapped leaves; (2) LAIs of dense and highly clumped Moso bamboo canopies can be retrieved from satellite remote sensing data through canopy reflectance models with leaf clumping consideration; (3) The misunderstanding of LAI ranges of Moso bamboo canopies by previous studies (2.2–6.5) can be attributed to the application of gap analysis-based Ω for indirect ground-based LAI estimations; and (4) Effective leaf area index (L_e) derived from satellite remote sensing data, and validated using gap analysis-based L_e/Ω, could be erroneously interpreted as LAI. Full article

Soil temperature and soil moisture are significant interactive parameters that influence many ecological and hydrological processes within forest ecosystems. Furthermore, they are affected by the above canopy characteristics, which determine the amount of sunlight penetration. These canopy characteristics spatially vary within isolated or narrowed forest patches, which include interior parts and edges. On the other hand, forest patches display different effects on the soil temperature and moisture than agricultural meadows within rural landscapes. This study aimed to analyze and evaluate the influences of interior–edge canopies and meadow cover on soil temperature and moisture. Hence, the mutual responses of canopy phenology and physiology, along with the soil temperature and moisture beneath, were analyzed and determined on a temporal basis throughout one year. For this purpose, the air–soil temperature and precipitation data of close meteorological stations were utilized. In addition, soil temperature and moisture parameters were analyzed using an on-site measuring device. Furthermore, canopy parameters—namely LAI, LT, CO, and GF—were determined using a hemispherical photographing procedure and image processing–analysis methodology. Moreover, the LAI of the meadow cover was determined using an on-site analysis device. The maximum LAI, with mean values of 3.69 m² m⁻² and 2.54 m² m⁻², occurred in late May (DOY: 142) within the forest canopies of the interior parts and the patch edge, respectively. On the other hand, the maximum LAI with a mean value of 2.77 m² m⁻² occurred again in late May within the meadow field. On the contrary, during the same period, the lowest percentages were observed for LT and CO, each at 5%, and for GF with 0.5% within the interior parts of the forest patch. However, their lowest percentages were 23% and 16%, respectively, within the forest patch edge. For that late May period, the mean soil temperatures were 17.2, 26.0, and 21.0 °C under the forest canopies of the interior parts, the patch edge, and the meadow field, respectively. Meanwhile, their mean soil moistures were 56.4%, 51.6%, and 32.9% when the mean air temperature was 16.2 °C. Definite correlation did not exist between the canopy–vegetation parameters and the soil temperature–moisture values for all the interior parts, for the edge of the multi-story grove forest patch, and for the meadow field. Based on the overall results of this study, there were apparent differences amongst the interior parts, the edge of the forest patch, and the meadow field in terms of both the canopy–vegetation parameters and the soil temperature–moisture values. The multi-story structure of the interior parts and the edge of the forest patch determined the temporal patterns of their canopy–vegetation parameters. This study elucidated ecology, hydrology, and therefore management of narrow forest patches between agricultural areas within rural landscapes. Full article

Within a dam reservoir landscape in the Western Black Sea Region of Türkiye, a dense young-mature stand composed diversely of oriental beeches, European hornbeams, sessile oaks, and silver lindens was chosen as a study field to analyze canopy parameters and to determine phenological patterns along the altitudinal gradients. Referring to the air-soil temperature and precipitation data, intra-annual eco-physiological characteristics of that stand tree canopies, were aimed to be determined regarding those altitudinal gradients. For each of the 10 altitudinal gradients, the mixed deciduous stand canopy physiological characteristics were analyzed by hemispherical photographing. Canopy parameters were acquired from those digital hemispherical photographs, which were confirmed with secondary LAI data from the LAI-2200C. Leaf Area Index, Light Transmission, Canopy Openness, and Gap Fraction were obtained during a total of 21 study field visits throughout the monitoring year. Beginning from a theoretical leafless stage with 0.51 m² m⁻², average LAI increased to 0.89 m² m⁻² during budburst stage, and then gradually up to 3.60 m² m⁻² during climax leaf period, and then to 1.38 m² m⁻² during senescence period, and gradually down to 0.50 m² m⁻² during the next theoretical leafless stage. However, average LT (64%, 61%, 9%, 36%, 74%), CO (65%, 62%, 9%, 37%, 75%), and GF (18%, 14%, 1%, 8%, 14%) followed opposite patterns. Though no apparent trend was valid for those canopy parameters from the lowest to the highest altitudinal gradient, their obvious intra-annual patterns emerged as compatible with the annual air-soil temperature data course. Full article

Agrivoltaics (APVs) represent a growing technology in Europe that enables the co-location of energy and food production in the same field. Photosynthesis requires photosynthetic active radiation, which is reduced by the shadows cast on crops by APV panels. The design of the module rows, material, and field orientation significantly influences the radiation distribution on the ground. In this context, we introduce an innovative approach for the effective simulation of the shading effects of various APV designs. We performed an extensive sensitivity analysis of the photovoltaic (PV) geometry influence on the ground-incident radiation and crop growth of selected cultivars. Simulations (2013–2021) for three representative arable crops in eastern Austria (winter wheat, spring barley, and maize) and seven different APV designs that only limited to the shading effect showed that maize and spring barley experienced the greatest annual above-ground biomass and grain yield reduction (up to 25%), with significant differences between the APV design and the weather conditions. While spring barley had similar decreases within the years, maize was characterized by high variability. Winter wheat had only up to a 10% reduction due to shading and a reduced photosynthetic performance. Cold/humid/cloudy weather during the growing season had more negative yield effects under APVs than dry/hot periods, particularly for summer crops such as maize. The lowest grain yield decline was achieved for all three crops in the APV design in which the modules were oriented to the east at a height of 5 m and mounted on trackers with an inclination of +/−50°. This scenario also resulted in the highest land equivalent ratios (LERs), with values above 1.06. The correct use of a tracker on APV fields is crucial for optimizing agricultural yields and electricity production. Full article

Growing light pollution is increasingly studied in terrestrial environments. However, research on night lights in coastal ecosystems is limited. We aimed to complement spaceborne remote sensing with ground-based hemispheric photos to quantify the exposure of coastal habitats to light pollution. We used a calibrated DSLR Canon camera with a fisheye lens to photograph the night sky in 24 sites in the rapidly developing area of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, extracting multiple brightness metrics. We then examined the use of the LANcubeV2 photometer and night-time satellite data from SDGSAT-1 for coastal areas. We found that the skies were darker in less urbanized areas and on islands compared with the mainland. Sky brightness near the zenith was correlated with satellite observations only at a coarse spatial scale. When examining light pollution horizontally above the horizon (60–80° degrees below the zenith), we found that the seaward direction was brighter than the landward direction in most sites due to urban glow on the seaward side. These findings emphasize the importance of ground measurements of light pollution alongside satellite imagery. In order to reduce the exposure of coastal ecosystems to light pollution, actions need to go beyond sites with conservation importance and extend to adjacent urban areas. Full article

A range of remote sensing platforms provide high spatial and temporal resolution insights which are useful for monitoring vegetation growth. Very few studies have focused on fruit orchards, largely due to the inherent complexity of their structure. Fruit trees are mixed with inter-rows that can be grassed or non-grassed, and there are no standard protocols for ground measurements suitable for the range of crops. The assessment of biophysical variables (BVs) for fruit orchards from optical satellites remains a significant challenge. The objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to address the challenges of extracting and better interpreting biophysical variables from optical data by proposing new ground measurements protocols tailored to various orchards with differing inter-row management practices, (2) to quantify the impact of the inter-row at the Sentinel pixel scale, and (3) to evaluate the potential of Sentinel 2 data on BVs for orchard development monitoring and the detection of key phenological stages, such as the flowering and fruit set stages. Several orchards in two pedo-climatic zones in southeast France were monitored for three years: four apricot and nectarine orchards under different management systems and nine cherry orchards with differing tree densities and inter-row surfaces. We provide the first comparison of three established ground-based methods of assessing BVs in orchards: (1) hemispherical photographs, (2) a ceptometer, and (3) the Viticanopy smartphone app. The major phenological stages, from budburst to fruit growth, were also determined by in situ annotations on the same fields monitored using Viticanopy. In parallel, Sentinel 2 images from the two study sites were processed using a Biophysical Variable Neural Network (BVNET) model to extract the main BVs, including the leaf area index (LAI), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), and fraction of green vegetation cover (FCOVER). The temporal dynamics of the normalised FAPAR were analysed, enabling the detection of the fruit set stage. A new aggregative model was applied to data from hemispherical photographs taken under trees and within inter-rows, enabling us to quantify the impact of the inter-row at the Sentinel 2 pixel scale. The resulting value compared to BVs computed from Sentinel 2 gave statistically significant correlations (0.57 for FCOVER and 0.45 for FAPAR, with respective RMSE values of 0.12 and 0.11). Viticanopy appears promising for assessing the PAI (plant area index) and FCOVER for orchards with grassed inter-rows, showing significant correlations with the Sentinel 2 LAI (R² of 0.72, RMSE 0.41) and FCOVER (R² 0.66 and RMSE 0.08). Overall, our results suggest that Sentinel 2 imagery can support orchard monitoring via indicators of development and inter-row management, offering data that are useful to quantify production and enhance resource management. Full article

The objective of this research was to analyze the P. brutia natural regeneration and the environments where it was established in the absence of a wildfire in the open formations of the species in the middle elevations of the central part of Cyprus. Forty-eight rectangular plots of 0.1 ha were established in three site productivity types. Individuals of the species with a height from 0.1 m to 1.5 m were considered regeneration plants. Within each plot, various measurements and estimations were made. Moreover, 480 hemispherical photographs were taken. Additionally, hemispherical photographs were taken above each of the recorded naturally regenerated P. brutia plants. In all the site productivity types, the most regeneration plants were established and grew under the process of facilitation. In each of the site productivity types, there were no differences in the light condition diversity between the environments where the regeneration plants grew and the existing light conditions. Regeneration exhibited a small number of plants and constituted only a very small proportion of all trees in the three site productivity types. To achieve sustainability in P. brutia forests, forest practices must develop strategies for the enhancement of P. brutia regeneration in the studied area and in analogous environments. Full article

A novel species, Gymnadenia winkeliana, has been identified in the Bucegi Natural Park ROSCI0013, located in the Southern Carpathians of Central Romania. Two moderately sized populations of Gymnadenia winkeliana, totalling 120–140 individuals, were discovered inhabiting the alpine grasslands of the park, situated 2.000 m above sea level. To describe this newly found population as comprehensively as possible, 44 vegetative and floral organs/organ parts were directly studied and measured from living plants. Special attention was focused on the characteristics that proved to have taxonomic significance, particularly those involving distinctive details in the morphology of the leaves, perianth, labellum and gynostemium. A total of 223 characteristics were analysed encompassing the morphology of every organ of the plant, cytology and breeding system. Furthermore, comprehensive taxonomic treatment and description, accompanied by colour photographs illustrating the holotype, are provided. Voucher specimens were deposited at the Herbarium of the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Bucharest (USAMVB Herbarium barcode: 40102, NEA); Gymnadenia winkeliana, a (micro)endemic species, is characterized as a putative allogamous, facultatively apomict that significantly differs from other Gymnadenia R.Br. species found in Romania. Notably, it distinguishes itself through its smaller habitus (reaching heights of up to 8–10 cm), its two-coloured, rounded/hemispherical inflorescence displaying a gradient of pink hues in an acropetal fashion (ranging from whitish-pink at the base to vivid-pink at the topmost flowers), and its limited distribution in high-altitude areas, encompassing approximately 8–10 km² in the central area of the Bucegi Natural Park. This species has been under observation since 2005, with observed population numbers showing a significant increase over time, from ca. 50–55 (counted at the time of its discovery) to 120–140 individuals (counted in June 2023). Additionally, comprehensive information regarding the habitat, ecology, phenology and IUCN conservation assessments of Gymnadenia winkeliana are provided, including maps illustrating its distribution. Full article

The goal of this study is to compare the diversity of the stand structure of open P. brutia forests in areas of different productivity at middle elevations in central Cyprus. This will help us figure out how much biodiversity they can hold. Two plots of 4 ha were randomly established. One 200 m × 200 m square-shaped plot was established in a P. brutia formation in a medium productivity site, and one in a P. brutia formation in a bad productivity site. In each plot, dendrometrical data were recorded. In total, 160 hemispherical photographs were taken on both plots. The stand structure is more heterogeneous and complex at medium productivity sites compared to bad productivity sites. P. brutia formations in medium productivity sites can support greater biodiversity than the corresponding formations in bad productivity sites. In the open P. brutia formations of central Cyprus, forest practice must aim to increase the density of P. brutia trees in some tree groups to reduce light intensity under the group canopy. Moreover, trees with large diameters and/or heights must be protected from disturbances. This approach will increase the ability of formations to support biodiversity. Full article

Understanding crop phenology is crucial for predicting crop yields and identifying potential risks to food security. The objective was to investigate the effectiveness of satellite sensor data, compared to field observations and proximal sensing, in detecting crop phenological stages. Time series data from 122 winter wheat, 99 silage maize, and 77 late potato fields were analyzed during 2015–2017. The spectral signals derived from Digital Hemispherical Photographs (DHP), Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), and Sentinel-2 (S2) were crop-specific and sensor-independent. Models fitted to sensor-derived fAPAR (fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation) demonstrated a higher goodness of fit as compared to fCover (fraction of vegetation cover), with the best model fits obtained for maize, followed by wheat and potato. S2-derived fAPAR showed decreasing variability as the growing season progressed. The use of a double sigmoid model fit allowed defining inflection points corresponding to stem elongation (upward sigmoid) and senescence (downward sigmoid), while the upward endpoint corresponded to canopy closure and the maximum values to flowering and fruit development. Furthermore, increasing the frequency of sensor revisits is beneficial for detecting short-duration crop phenological stages. The results have implications for data assimilation to improve crop yield forecasting and agri-environmental modeling. Full article

Background and Objectives: This article aims to investigate the subcortical microanatomy of the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and angular gyrus (AnG) using a microfiber dissection technique and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)/fiber tractography (FT). The cortical and subcortical structures of this region are highly functional, and their lesions often present clinically. For this reason, the possibility of post-surgical deficits is high. We focused on the supramarginal gyrus and the angular gyrus and reviewed their anatomy from a topographic, functional and surgical point of view, and aimed to raise awareness especially for neurosurgeons. Methods: Four previously frozen, formalin-fixed human brains were examined under the operating microscope using the fiber dissection technique. Four hemispheres were dissected from medial to lateral under the surgical microscope. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 20 healthy adults was examined. Pre-central and post-central gyrus were preserved to achieve topographic dominance in dissections of brain specimens. Each stage was photographed. Tractographic brain magnetic resonance imaging of 10 healthy adults was examined radiologically. Focusing on the supramarginal and angular gyrus, the white matter fibers passing under this region and their intersection areas were examined. These two methods were compared anatomically from the lateral view and radiologically from the sagittal view. Results: SMG and AnG were determined in brain specimens. The pre-central and post-central gyrus were topographically preserved. The superior and medial temporal gyrus, and inferior and superior parietal areas were decorticated from lateral to medial. U fibers, superior longitudinal fasciculus II (SLF II), superior longitudinal fasciculus III (SLF III), arcuat fasciculus (AF) and middle longitudinal fasciculus (MdLF) fiber groups were shown and subcortical fiber structures belonging to these regions were visualized by the DTI/FT method. The subcortical fiber groups under the SMG and the AnG were observed anatomically and radiologically to have a dense and complex structure. Conclusions: Due to the importance of the subcortical connections of SMG and AnG on speech function, tumoral lesions and surgeries of this region are of particular importance. The anatomical architecture of the complex subcortical structure, which is located on the projection of the SMG and AnG areas, was shown with a DTI/FT examination under a topographic dominance, preserving the pre-central and post-central gyrus. In this study, the importance of the anatomical localization, connections and functions of the supramarginal and angular gyrus was examined. More anatomical and radiological studies are needed to better understand this region and its connections. Full article

(1) Background: The growth and morphology of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) juveniles were observed under different light conditions due to overstory canopy openness. The aim was to investigate the photo-morphological responses of juveniles for the development of a desirable forest structure. The research was located in a higher altitude zone in central Europe. (2) Methods: Light was estimated using hemispherical photographs. Eight different parameters of natural regeneration were measured on individuals within 1 × 1 m around each point on a 3 × 3 m grid. A total of 1214 sapling measurements (from 10 to 431 cm in height) were taken. (3) Results: Light affected the growth and morphological development of juveniles, resulting in variation in the lateral crown growth and crown length. Acclimations manifested as trade-offs between height and lateral crown growth. Similar shifts were found within relative height growth (the terminal length to the total height) and apical dominance ratio (the terminal length to the branch length). The crown length was proven to be highly capable to acclimation. Light influenced the density weakly, however, when a regeneration index (density × median height) was considered, significant relations with light conditions were discovered. Full article

The leaf area index (LAI) is an important structural parameter of plant canopies used in terrestrial biosphere models. Optical methods are commonly used for measuring LAI due to their non-destructive nature, convenience, and rapidity. In the present study, a novel instrument, named the Automated Hemispherical Scanner (AHS), was developed to measure plant area index (PAI) for monitoring daily changes in LAI in forest ecosystems. In the AHS, an optical sensor driven by a pair of servomotors is used to observe hemispherical light transmission continuously at adjustable intervals, and a blue filter is used to reduce the multiple scattering effect of light on the measured transmission. A set of algorithms was developed to screen the direct radiation transmitted through the canopy and to compute the transmissions from the diffuse radiation at seven zenith (0–60) and seven azimuth (0–150) angles for calculating PAI. Field experiments were conducted to verify the reliability of the AHS in three forests of Northeast China against an existing instrument named the LAI-2200 Plant Canopy Analyzer. The PAI values obtained using the AHS agreed well (R² = 0.927, root mean square error = 0.41) with those from the LAI-2200. Since both instruments use the same gap fraction theory for calculating the PAI from diffuse radiation transmissions obtained from multiple angles, the agreement of these two instruments means that the AHS can reliably measure the transmittance of diffuse radiation and the theory has been implemented correctly. Compared with LAI-2200, the AHS has the advantage of automated and continuous measurements, and therefore it is suitable for monitoring variations in PAI over extended periods, such as the whole growing season. Compared with widely used digital photographic techniques, the AHS also avoids the requirement of determining a suitable photographic exposure, which is often problematic in the field with variable sky conditions. With these advantages, the AHS could be deployed in forest growth monitoring networks. Full article

In the Northern Hemisphere, Plagiothecium cavifolium is currently one of the most widely distributed species. This taxon has been described as extremely variable for decades, but the reasons for this variability have not been investigated in detail. The analysis of original materials and diagnoses, as well as a detailed analysis of the history of names considered as synonyms of P. cavifolium sensu lato, showed that in terms of qualitative and quantitative characteristics, a number of the names of this complex differ significantly from the diagnosis of Hypnum cavifolium (basionym of P. cavifolium). The most important features distinguishing individual taxa include: julaceous stems; imbricate leaves, their symmetry, concavity; serration of leaf apices; the length of the cells from the middle part of the leaf; and the orientation of the capsules. Thus, the research conducted within P. cavifolium sensu lato made it possible to distinguish seven separate taxa: P. cavifolium (= P. cavifolium sensu stricto), P. flaccidum, P. tenue (being a new combination), P. ikegamii, P. subjulaceum, P. sakuraii and P. otii (four resurrected species). In addition, the analysis of original materials and the diagnosis of several taxa allowed them to be excluded from the described complex, and here we propose their synonymization with other taxa, such as P. longisetum and Hygrohypnum luridum. Photographic documentation and a key to distinguishing species within the described complex are attached. For two names (P. sakuraii and P. succulentum var. longifolium) lectotypes are proposed. Full article