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As one of the most widely used dwarf bamboos, Pleioblastus viridistriatus has well-developed rhizome and root systems, which can rapidly expand into forest stands. However, little is known about the influence of P. viridistriatus expansion on the undergrowth diversity in subtropical forests of China and its association with the diversity of soil bacterial microbiota. The species diversity and soil bacterial community structure were investigated in a forest where P. viridistriatus was expanding into coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest. We found that P. viridistriatus expansion reduced species diversity in the shrub and herbaceous layers and had significant effects on major soil physicochemical properties. In addition, the alpha diversity indexes were significantly increased and the abundance of Actinobacteria and Candidatus Saccharibacteria increased, while the abundance of Nitrospirae and Deinococcus-Thermus decreased with the increasing expansion. At the genus level, a total of 25 genera of soil bacteria showed significant difference in abundance. Overall, expansion of P. viridistriatus reduced forest species diversity, while increased soil nutrient accumulation and specific bacterial abundance to improve nutrient acquisition. Our results can provide guidance for controlling dwarf bamboo expansion and help the sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural disturbance-based management (NDBM) aims to maintain specific structural and compositional attributes of natural forests in managed stands. Operationally, NDBM relies on diversifying and adapting silvicultural practices, including partial harvesting (PC), to expand the range of options beyond that of simply clearcuts (CC). Established in 1998, the Sylviculture et Aménagement Forestier Écosystémique (SAFE) project evaluates this potential in hardwood, mixedwood, and coniferous stands in northwestern Québec, Canada. Our results confirmed a part of the NDBM objectives, i.e., PC allowed the maintenance of stands with mixed structure and composition, constituting an interesting complement to CC, which reset stand regeneration. However, PC did not accelerate the stand transition to later stages with less intensive harvesting or to earlier stages with more intensive harvesting. We essentially had an initial impact, delaying or stopping the stand evolution that dissipates over time and more quickly with less intensive harvesting. Furthermore, our results did not support the ability of PC to enhance the development of old-growth attributes like deadwood. Despite the 20-year horizon of this study, further field surveys will be required in the future to better understand the impact of different silvicultural treatments on forest productivity and biodiversity preservation throughout a forest rotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article focuses on role of anthropogenic drivers in altering the forest community structure in a prime tiger habitat in central India.

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)