IBI 35 Suppl. 1

INFORMATORE BOTANICO ITALIANO,35SUPPLEMENTO 1, 2003 5 Proceedings “International Conference on Forest Ecosystems” PREFACE This special issue of INFORMATORE BOTANICO ecosystem types and of protective areas. This ITALIANO contains a selection of papers present- wide scope resulted in contributions from a ed at the Conference “Forest Ecosystems: Ecology, range of disciplines including ecology, meteor- Conservation and Sustainable Management” held ology, remote sensing, physiology, forest man- in China, in August 15-21, 2000. Conference agement, landscape management, socio-econo- sessions, with oral and poster presentations, my, and forest policy. The ecology of forest were mixed with post conference excursions ecosystems, the preservation and use of natural and site visits covering representing a wide resources, and the study of the interaction range of research activities, forest types and between climate change and plant life, are top- management practices. More than 78 partici- ics that only recently got the deserved atten- pants, from 23 countries, took part in the tion. Many of the presentations emphasised the whole workshop and additional participants of need and potential for applying current inter- the host country joined in. disciplinary knowledge to sustainable management of our forest resources in current and The objectives of the Conference were: 1) To future climatic conditions. While the lack of analyse how diversity and dynamics of forest knowledge over the precise climate and land- communities affect the exchange of carbon and use in the future makes exact predictions water, and its implications for forest ecosystem impossible, it is important to be able to predict productivity; 2) To understand interacting the consequences of defined scenarios and to mechanisms between forest ecosystem, environ- identify the most sensitive components of man- ment, society and economy; 3) To define sus- aged systems.. To this end, the need for inter- tainable management of forest ecosystem on national collaboration through multidiscipli- stand, landscape and territorial levels. Emphasis nary cooperation networks to analyse the was placed on the links between genetic diver- impact of global change on forest ecosystems, sity, ecosystem processes and functions, and its effects on soil degradation, and socio-eco- preventing land degradation and maintaining nomic consequences were stressed. Dissemina- productive capacity. These links are still poorly tion of the conference results will help national developed, but should be strengthened to programmes to plan site-related management develop new criteria of multipurpose (produc- strategies and adaptive research for both today’s tion, conservation, ecotourism, amenity, etc.) rapidly changing environment, and for future sustainable management of different forest conditions. Acknowledgements Special thanks go to China National Science Academy for providing welcome banquet, local Foundation, Chinese Academy of Forestry, transportation and logistical support. Chinese Society of Forestry and Italian National Research Council, for their financial The Editors support to the conference. We are also grateful ZEHUI JIANG ZEHUI, MAURO CENTRITTO, to Sichuan Provincial Government, Sichuan SHOUGONG ZHANG and SHIRONG LIU Forestry Department and Sichuan Forestry Zehui Jiang Zehui Vice Chair of the Commission on Population, Resources and Environment, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee President of the Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091 PR. China. INFORMATORE BOTANICO ITALIANO,35SUPPLEMENTO 1, 2003 Mauro Centritto Istituto di Biologia Agroambientale e Forestale Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Via Salaria km 29.300 00016 Monterotondo Scalo (RM) Italy Shougong Zhang Director of Sustainable Forestry Research and Development Center Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing, 100091 P.R. China Shirong Liu Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing, 100091 P.R. China INFORMATORE BOTANICO ITALIANO,35SUPPLEMENTO 1, 2003 7 Proceedings “International Conference on Forest Ecosystems” CONTENTS Ecophysiology and Population Genetic 1) CENTRITTO M., PIETRINI F., SORRENTINO G. and LIU S. Growth and photosynthesis of cherry saplings in response to moderate shade 2) LORETO F., MANNOZZI M. and NASCETTI P. Gas-exchanges by Eucalyptus leaves exposed to transient salinity stress 3) LI M.H., AULITZKY H., RICHTER H., NEUNER J. and KÖRNER CH. Growth responses to elevation in Pinus cembra in the subalpine zone of Tyrol, Austria 4) FINESCHI S., SALVINI D., TAURCHINI D., MALVOLTI M.E., ANZIDEI M. and VENDRAMIN G.G. Chloroplast markers for phylogeography in European angiosperm tree species: the case studies of Fraxinus excelsior L., Castanea sativa Mill., and Populus tremula L. Ecology 5) LIU S.R., WANG J.X. and CHEN L.W. Ecology and restoration of sub-alpine ecosystem in western Sichuan, China 6) XIANG C.H. and YANG Y.P. Distribution characteristic and succession law of alpine forest in western Sichuan 7) SINGH B., SOOD K.K., BORA D., PRASAD H. AND RETHY P. Agroforestry for sustainable development: a case study in north Lakhimpur district of Assam (India) 8) FAN S.H., MAX Q., FU L.H. and LIU A.Q. Comparative study on understorey vegetation develop of Chinese fir plantations of different genera- tion Forest and Natural Resource Management 9) ANDERSSON F.O. Pathways to the wise management of forests in Europe: trends in research for sustainability 10) YANG Y.C. From multiple-use management to ecosystem management in forestry 11) ZHANG Z. Forest ecosystem management and ecological forest pest management 12) KAGAWA T. and IGAWAHARA K. Comparison of the amenity in three representative forest types of Japan 13) CABLE T.T. The role of interpretation of cultural and natural resources in ecotourism development 8 INFORMATORE BOTANICO ITALIANO,35SUPPLEMENTO 1, 2003 Forest Hydrology 14) GEYER W., CABLE T., NEPPL T. and BROOKS K. Streambank stability of two river systems during the 1993 flood in Kansas, USA 15) ZHOU G.Y. and YAN J.H. Hydrological impacts of reforestation with eucalyptus and indigenous species in southern China Forest Policy and Economy 16) CAI D.G. and LI Z.Y. The current situation and development tendency of Chinese timber market under the policy of conservation natural forest 17) ELLIOTT H.J. and ROLLEY E.R. Bringing global and national policies to the forest: a case study of sustainable forest management systems in Tasmania 18) KIM J.S. The effects of economic factors on the demand for natural recreational forests in Korea 19) LI Z.Y. A case study on ecological environmental protection model in Three-Gorges Reservoir Area, China 20) CHIN T.Y. Malaysia’s quest towards sustainable forest management 21) WINKLER D. Forest use and implications of the 1998 logging ban in the Tibetan prefectures of Sichuan, China: a case study on forestry, reforestation and NTFP in Litang country, Ganzi Tap 22) XIAO W.F., ZHANG S.G. and JIANG Z.P. Development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in China INFORMATORE BOTANICO ITALIANO,35SUPPLEMENTO 1, 2003 9 Proceedings “International Conference on Forest Ecosystems” Growth and photosynthesis of cherry saplings in response to moderate shade M. CENTRITTO, F. PIETRINI, G. SORRENTINO and S. LIU ABSTRACT - Cherry (Prunus avium) saplings (cultivar GiSelA) were grown for two growing seasons under natural sun- light (controls) or moderate shading (up to 30%, depending on the incident light intensity and the hour of the day). Plants were grown in 10 dm3 pots, during the first growing season, and in 15 dm3 pots, during the second growing season, and were fertilised once a week following Ingestad principles in order to supply mineral nutrients at free access rates. Reduced light intensity increased plant component dry mass. Consequently, total dry mass of shaded plants was significantly larger than that of controls at the end of both the growing seasons. The diurnal trend of photosynthesis per unit of leaf area of shaded plants was similar to controls during the hottest summer days in both growing seasons. However, in the second growing seasons, the daily integral of net leaf carbon assimilation was larger in shaded than in control saplings. Thus, it is suggested that the increased growth of shaded plants originates from larger whole-plant photosynthesis. Although transpiration rate in the control was significantly higher than in the shaded condition only in the first growing season, water use efficiency of shaded plants was improved in both growing seasons. Our results suggest that a moderate shading by decreasing the energy load and functioning as a barrier to turbulent diffusion transfer (i.e. thicker boundary layer), can be a useful practice for tempering the environment surrounding plants and, thus, improving growth in hot and dry environments. Key-words: cherry, growth, photosynthesis, plant dry mass, shading, transpiration, water use efficiency INTRODUCTION The global environment is changing with increasing air temperature and humidity gradients between leaf [CO2] and other so-called greenhouse gases such as and air but may also limit photosynthesis and, con- methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide sequently, depress plant growth. However, if positive (IPCC, 1996). Temperature increase at the earth’s effects of reducing incoming radiation on air and leaf surface, driven by rising [CO2], will lead to the sce- temperatures and VPD above the canopy are

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