极端干旱对荒漠草原群落物种多样性和地上生物量碳氮的影响

极端干旱及其对植物群落物种多样性的影响是气候变化及其影响评估的重要内容之一,而有关干旱荒漠草原区气候变化与植物群落多样性及其功能关系的研究鲜见报道。为明晰极端干旱对荒漠草原物种多样性和地上生物量的影响,利用野外极端干旱处理试验平台,研究了荒漠草原沙生针茅群落物种多样性和地上生物量及其碳、氮密度对极端干旱的响应特征。结果表明,极端干旱改变了荒漠草原沙生针茅(Stipa glareosa)群落的物种组成,进而使物种多样性发生变化。在8月份,生长季5-8月截雨66%和6-7月干旱60 d两种极端干旱处理都降低了群落的Shannon-Wiener指数和物种丰富度指数。两种极端干旱处理使地上现存生物量较对照降低了50%以上(P0.05)。生长季5-8月截雨66%干旱处理使凋落物生物量较对照降低了61%(P0.05),同时使凋落物生物量的碳氮密度显著低于对照。两种极端干旱处理使地上现存生物量的碳氮密度显著低于对照。因此,极端干旱不仅改变了荒漠草原群落的物种组成,而且改变了地上生物量,影响了植被碳氮密度,从而减弱荒漠草原植物群落地上部分的碳氮汇功能。     

围封6年对温带典型草原坡地物种多样性及其与地上生物量的关系的影响

以内蒙古太仆寺旗地区典型克氏针茅-羊草草原为研究对象,通过调查围封6年后围栏内外典型草原群落特征,分析围封、放牧处理下典型草原植物群落结构及地上生物量的动态变化,揭示围封放牧对植被群落结构、物种丰富度和地上生物量的影响。结果发现,在围封6年后,各功能群物种丰富度与盖度围栏内外的空间变化趋势基本一致。群落物种丰富度和地上生物量均随坡位下降而显著增加,初步显示了物种多样性与生态系统功能的空间变化的一致性。围栏内物种丰富度显著低于围栏外,而地上生物量却显著大于围栏外。围栏内多年生禾草、一年生植物物种丰富度显著低于围栏外,而半灌木盖度、生物量显著高于围栏外。围栏内外在禁牧和放牧不同处理下,表现出不同的草原退化方式：在禁牧条件下,尽管生物量有所恢复,但灌木和半灌木的增加却代表了草原的退化;放牧、刈割等人类活动增加了耐牧物种和不适口植物生长的可能,表现为草原退化指示物种增加,同样是草原退化的表现。围栏外一年生植物盖度和生物量显著高于围栏内,而一年生植物的频数也远远大于围栏内（围栏内外频数比13：71）,且独行菜、猪毛菜等仅出现于围栏外。同时,地上生物量随着物种丰富度的增加而增加,但只有围栏外的关系达到统计显著程度,说明围封调制了生物多样性与生态系统功能的关系。本研究表明,对于干旱半干旱典型草原的恢复,不能简单地采用长期完全禁牧措施,应当根据区域环境、植被以及社会经济情况,制定季节性放牧或者间歇性禁牧的恢复措施,从而保证草场的可持续性恢复利用。     

丛枝菌根真菌对内蒙古草原大针茅群落的影响

使用真菌抑制剂在内蒙古草原开展原位试验,人为创造菌根受抑制和正常两种环境,通过分析菌根侵染率,测定大针茅群落的物种组成、丰富度和多样性等结构指标,分析丛枝菌根真菌对群落结构和净初级生产力的影响。试验结果表明,两种处理群落的菌根侵染率不同,苯菌灵有效地降低了植株的菌根侵染率。丛枝菌根真菌短期内未能对植物群落的物种丰富度、多样性产生影响,未能改变植物群落的结构和净初级生产力。但丛枝菌根真菌的存在,会对植物群落内不同植物种的地上部生物量实现再分配,降低了优势种垄断资源的能力,使群落内物种的生物量和营养元素含量趋于均匀,有利于保护关键种,有利于植被的恢复与重建。因此,研究结论为内蒙古退化草原生态系统的恢复和重建提供了重要的理论依据和参考价值。     

半干旱区人工封育草场植物群落物种多样性与复杂性研究──以宁夏盐池为例

围栏封育促进植被恢复效果研究方法很多,其中通过研究植被的群落特征及物种多样性来阐述恢复状况仍是比较常用和有效的手段,但多样性测度对生物群落的自组织及有序性方面的特征描述欠缺,鉴于此,多样性与复杂性测度结合起来研究群落结构与功能显得更有意义。研究人工封育对植被恢复过程中群落的多样性与复杂性的影响,必然有助于揭示生态恢复过程机理。目前,利用多样性与复杂性测度相结合来对群落结构进行量化研究不多,用于对草原生态系统植物群落结构研究更少。本文通过样地调查,利用多样性和复杂性指数相结合定量研究半干旱区人工封育草场植物群落物种多样性、复杂性随封育年限的变化规律,并对比分析复杂性与物种多样性之间的相关性。结果表明,（1）老封育区、新封育区丰富度指数整体高于对照区,说明封育有利于物种丰富度的增加。但随封育时间的延长,封育区的优势种占据主要的资源空间,丰富度指数降低。长时间封育,草场植被丰富度将发生规律性波动变化,低峰值和高峰值出现频率均约为4~5年/次。老封育区、新封育区的SW、SP多样性指数值大部分也高于对照区,说明封育措施增加草场植被的多样性。物种多样性指数受降水影响显著,当降水量增加或减少时,多样性指数也相应出现增加或减少,但降水影响效应具有一定的滞后性。老封育区、新封育区均匀度变化比较平稳,且指数值高于对照区,说明封育有利于均匀度的增加。（2）老封育区、新封育区总复杂性指数、无序结构复杂性指数值大部分比对照区指数值高,且指数波动相对平稳,说明封育区群落结构比对照区稳定,更适合荒漠草原植被的生长,封育增加了群落总复杂性、无序结构复杂性。封育也提高群落有序结构复杂性,但?     

锡林河河漫滩湿地植物群落特征及物种多样性分析

内蒙古高原草原区湿地具有不同于典型湿地的特征,同时还兼具草原的一些特征,在保持生物多样性和珍惜物种资源方面具有不可替代的重要作用.通过样方调查,以重要值为数量特征,采用指示种分析法和多样性指数测定,对内蒙古高原典型内陆河流——锡林河中游河漫滩湿地植被群落特征及物种多样性进行了系统分析和研究.结果表明:(1)锡林河中游河漫滩湿地植被依微地形由高河漫滩向低河漫滩可分为芦苇+羊草,黄花苜蓿+无茫雀麦,灰脉苔草+早熟禾,水甜茅群落,小糠草+蒙古扁穗草等5个群落,以禾本科、菊科、豆科三大草本为主,建群种有别于典型湿地和典型草原群落.(2)植物水分生态类型以湿生、中生为主且无水生类型,具有典型湿地和草原的双重特征;(3)湿地植物群落物种多样性、均匀性和丰富度表现出相似的变化趋势,多样性和丰富度较草甸草原低但高于典型草原;(4)锡林河河漫滩湿地植物群落是典型河流湿地和典型草原之间的过渡类型.表6,参28.     

增温对荒漠草原植物群落组成及物种多样性的影响

以短花针茅荒漠草原为研究对象,通过采用远红外线辐射器模拟增温的方法,探讨了增温对荒漠草原植物群落结构及生物量和物种多样性的影响。结果表明：由于远红外线辐射器的增温作用,在2012年整个生长季内,增温样地10、20、30 cm土壤平均温度与对照样地相比,平均增加了0.39、0.38、0.31℃;各土层土壤含水量较对照平均减少0.76%、0.73%、0.60%。受温度升高及土壤含水量减少的影响,模拟增温6个生长季后,与对照样地相比,群落的高度整体增加,密度、盖度、频度表现为部分物种增加和部分物种减少的趋势,冷蒿（Artemisia frigida）等物种的重要值下降,阿氏旋花（Convolvulus ammanii）等物种的重要值上升,但是增温没有明显改变植物群落的组成。同时,增温处理使荒漠草原禾草的盖度减少,杂类草的盖度增加,半灌木和一两年生植物分盖度未发生明显变化;增温使地上地下生物量出现了不同程度的减少,在0~30 cm土壤深度地下生物量分配中,增温样地0~10 cm分配比例（81.23%）小于对照（86.07%）,10~20 cm分配比例（11.55%）大于对照（9.16%）;20~30 cm 分配比例（7.22%）大于对照（4.77%）,增温使得地下生物量分配格局向深层转移。增温后,增温样地植物Shnnon-Winener指数降低,Pielou均匀度指数升高,温度升高使荒漠草原植物群落的均匀度增加,但并没有提高草地植物的物种多样性。     

围栏禁牧对毛乌素沙地植物群落特征的影响

围栏禁牧是一种使退化草地获得自然恢复的低投入措施。通过对毛乌素沙地3种放牧管理类型（持续放牧、围栏禁牧5 a和围栏禁牧16 a）的物种组成、盖度、丰富度、多样性、相似性进行比较研究,目的是阐明退化毛乌素沙地植被在禁牧条件下自然恢复的可能性和其恢复演替的趋势。研究发现,围栏禁牧5 a左右群落物种组成就会有较大的恢复,但是物种多度增加程度却不大,即去除放牧干扰后群落物种丰富度的恢复要比物种多度的恢复更容易;禁牧后恢复的种类主要是一些不耐牧但适口性好的物种;围栏禁牧16 a后草本盖度大大增加而半灌木盖度却减少了,且出现了半干旱草原的重要典型种——本氏针茅Stipa bungeana Trin.,这标志着以油蒿Artemisia ordosica Krasch.为主的退化灌丛沙地开始向以禾本科草为主的半干旱沙质草原方向恢复;但要实现毛乌素沙地更大尺度上物种丰富度的恢复,围栏恢复的时间还需要更长。     

红松洼自然保护区土壤螨群落结构对短期围栏封育的响应研究

草原生态系统中土壤螨是最具优势的土壤动物类群之一,具有很高的生物多样性,因此,在进行土壤环境变化的评价和监测时,应充分考虑土壤螨在物种水平上的多样性和群落结构特性。为了解红松洼自然保护区土壤螨群落结构和多样性特征及其对短期围栏封育的响应,筛选出可用于草原生态系统的监测和评价指标特征,设置固定研究样地进行围栏封育,采用样方法对围栏内封育区和围栏外自由放牧区土壤螨群落结构和多样性进行调查。结果表明围栏内土壤螨种数(41种)比围栏外(21种)多近1倍,其中,无气门、前气门、中气门和甲螨分别由围栏内的6、6、7和22种下降为围栏外的3、2、3和13种;围栏内较围栏外的物种数-样点数量关系曲线更好地拟合了"物种数-样点数量双曲线关系方程",围栏内a/b值(44)是围栏外的(12)近4倍;优势种棘下盾螨(Hypoaspis queerlandicus)的表土层密度围栏内比围栏外高2.9倍,围栏内、外表土、中层、底层垂直密度比分别为44:8:1和3:3:1,表聚垂直分布型发生了明显变化;围栏内中气门和棘下盾螨的雄性密度分别比围栏外高25.7%和6.7%。这些结果说明:物种丰富度、物种数-样点数量关系、优势种棘下盾螨密度垂直分布和捕食螨雄性密度指标特征较敏感,可作为草原生态系统土壤质量的监测和评价指标。本研究首次报道了红松洼自然保护区土壤螨的种类名录和组成结构特征,为进一步的研究和方法的建立奠定了基础。     

晋西北饮马池山植物群落物种多样性沿海拔梯度的变化

物种多样性对海拔梯度的响应是植物生态学研究领域的热点。为探究温带半干旱-半湿润过渡地带山区物种多样性沿海拔梯度的分布规律,以吕梁山脉北段饮马池山为研究对象,通过野外群落调查,分析了饮马池山阳坡植物群落α多样性和β多样性对海拔梯度的响应。结果表明:在海拔梯度上,样地内共调查物种29科69属97种,群落物种组成具有明显的温带性质;从低海拔到高海拔植被依次分布有山前山地草原(1 710-1 915 m)、山地灌丛草原(1 915-2 110 m)、山顶亚高寒草甸(2 110-2 200m),灌草丛群落主要分布在1 900-2 100m。植物群落草本层α多样性大于灌木层,随着海拔的升高,植物群落物种丰富度呈"M"型变化趋势,在1915m和2110m处最大;灌木层α多样性指数呈单峰型变化趋势,在2 060m处最大;草本层α多样性指数呈波动变化趋势,α多样性指数在1 900-2 100m处呈下降趋势。Sorensen指数在海拔1 860-1 915 m和2 110-2 153 m之间出现两个最小值,而Cody指数出现两个峰值,表明该海拔地段β多样性最大,样地群落间相似性低,成为物种更替速率较快的过渡地带。在温带山区,以β多样性为指标测量群落间或生境间环境梯度变化较为可行,海拔变化对山地植物群落物种多样性差异产生直接或间接的影响,这对管理和恢复温带山地植被以及维持生态系统稳定具有重要指导意义。     

藏东地区植物群落分布格局与环境因子的关系

认识山地植物群落分布及其与环境因子的关系,掌握物种多样性随环境因子的变化规律,能够为山地生物多样性保护和生态恢复提供科学依据.以藏东昌都地区植物群落为研究对象,在野外调查的基础上,通过层次聚类分析和冗余分析（RDA）对植物群落进行分类,分析群落分布与环境因子的关系,并通过线性回归分析物种多样性与环境因子的关系.结果显示,层次聚类将105个植物调查样方划分为7个群丛;RDA排序结果较好反映了藏东植物群落分布与环境因子之间的关系,决定区域植物群落分布的主要环境因子为海拔、坡向、坡度、土壤pH值和土壤速效磷含量（P <0.001）;海拔、坡向和坡度对群落物种多样性有显著影响（P <0.01）,而土壤pH值、土壤速效磷含量与植物群落物种多样性无显著相关关系（P> 0.05）.本研究表明藏东地区植物群落分布格局主要受地形和土壤因子的驱动,而影响物种多样性的关键因子是地形因子;上述研究成果有助于提高对区域生物多样性分布规律及驱动机制的认识,对藏东地区不同环境条件下生物多样性保护和受损植被的生态修复具有重要意义.（图4表1参55）     

不同种肥料对虾池浮游植物群落的影响

在海水池塘围隔生态系中实验研究了施粪肥（鸡粪）、化肥和这两种的混合肥对浮游植物群落构成、生物量、初级生产力和种类多样性的效应．结果表明：施粪肥围隔蓝藻占优势，生物量的动态主要取决于蓝藻的变动；施化肥围隔硅藻和甲藻为优势类群，群落组成的动态主要表现为这两类植物的变动；施混合肥围隔在生物量和优势类群动态方面都表现为两种肥料协同效应的结果．群落的初级生产力与水体氮磷总量正相关．施混合肥围隔中的初级生产力和多样性指数最高，以此为指标评价肥料效果．认为混合施肥优于单施1种粪肥或化肥．     

全尺度人工湿地中植物多样性对生产力与多样性效应的影响

在中国东南部的全尺度复合垂直流人工湿地中开展2年的植物多样性实验,以研究植物多样性（包括植物物种丰富度和植物组成）对群落生产力与多样性效应（即互补效应、选择效应和净多样性效应）的影响及其产生机制。结果表明,2007年物种丰富度与群落生产力呈线形正相关,而2008年显著的单峰格局,其关系式为：y=-0.213x2＋3.455x＋15.192（R=0.215）。2008年物种丰富度与互补效应呈显著地线形负相关,而2007年呈单峰格局,其关系式为：y=-0.389x2＋6.974x-10.707（R=0.247）,而且2007年与2008年的互补效应与生产力都呈显著的正相关,表明互补效应对生产力的提高有重要作用。然而,2007年与2008年物种丰富度与选择效应之间均没有显著相关性,且选择效应与群落生产力之间也没有显著相关性,表明选择效应对生产力的提高作用不显著。2007年与2008年中物种组成对生产力、互补效应、选择效应与净多样性效应均有显著影响,说明人工湿地的植物配置对其生态系统功能的维持尤为重要。2008年物种丰富度与净多样性效应呈极显著地线形负相关,而2007年呈显著单峰格局,其关系式为：y=-0.329 x2＋5.968 x-12.659（R=0.234）,这种趋势主要是由于植物多样性-生态系统功能关系的影响因素（如物种的竞争力和生态位）在2年中有所变化。同时,2007年与2008年的多样性净效应与生产力都呈显著正相关关系,表明生产力与多样性净效应的变化趋势是同步的。与抽样效应假说不同的是,本实验中单种最高产物种（芦竹）在混种时没有表现出高产,主要是由于生长的分配、资源的竞争力与环境的变化等。     

Species dispersal rates alter diversity and ecosystem stability in pond metacommunities

Metacommunity theory suggests that relationships between diversity and ecosystem stability can be determined by the rate of species dispersal among local communities. The predicted relationships, however, may depend upon the relative strength of local environmental processes and disturbance. Here we evaluate the role of dispersal frequency and local predation perturbations in affecting patterns of diversity and stability in pond plankton metacommunities. Pond metacommunities were composed of three mesocosm communities: one of the three communities maintained constant "press" predation from a selective predator, bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus); the second community maintained "press" conditions without predation; and the third community experienced recurrent "pulsed" predation from bluegill sunfish. The triads of pond communities were connected at either no, low (0.7%/d), or high (20%/d) planktonic dispersal. Richness and composition of zooplankton and stability of plankton biomass and ecosystem productivity were measured at local and regional spatial scales. Dispersal significantly affected diversity such that local and regional biotas at the low dispersal rate maintained the greatest number of species. The unimodal local dispersal-diversity relationship was predator-dependent, however, as selective press predation excluded species regardless of dispersal. Further, there was no effect of dispersal on beta diversity because predation generated local conditions that selected for distinct community assemblages. Spatial and temporal ecosystem stability responded to dispersal frequency but not predation. Low dispersal destabilized the spatial stability of producer biomass but stabilized temporal ecosystem productivity. The results indicate that selective predation can prevent species augmentation from mass effects but has no apparent influence on stability. Dispersal rates, in contrast, can have significant effects on both species diversity and ecosystem stability at multiple spatial scales in metacommunities.     

半干旱区人工封育草场植被群落生态位研究——以宁夏盐池县长期定位监测点为例

人工封育是草场恢复和重建的一种主要措施。为研究半干旱区人工封育草地植物种群生态位,以宁夏盐池县人工封育区3种不同处理方式（长期完全封育、短期完全封育、短期不完全封育）为研究对象,将封育区分为封育核心区（E区）、封育边缘区（E1区）和封育外围区（E2区）,通过分析在该地区出现的27种植物种群的Levins生态位宽度指数和Pianka生态位重叠指数,揭示植物种群生态位在干旱荒漠环境下的变化规律,为进一步分析该地区群落稳定性提供依据。研究结果表明：1）核心区和外围区生态位宽度最大的都是刺沙蓬Salsola ruthenica lljin,分别为0.832和0.810,而边缘区生态位宽度最大的是丝叶山苦荬Lxeris chinensis var.graminifolia,为0.742,这2种植物的生物学特性决定了它们能够很好的适应封育区的环境,并很好的利用封育区的资源,结果是它们的生态位宽度明显高于其他物种。2）对三区内不同植物种群的生态位宽度分析结果显示,三区的群落稳定性表现为E1区〉E2区〉E区;长期的完全封育并不利于封育区内植物群落的稳定;而短期的完全封育措施比不完全封育措施更有利于植被群落的稳定。3）通过分析三区内不同植物种之间的生态位重叠得出,E区生态位重叠最大值出现在草地风毛菊Saussurea amara、苦豆子Sophora alopecuroides L、沙芦草Agropyron mongolicum Keng与臭蒿Artemisia hedinii之间,都是0.98。E1区生态位重叠最大值是达乌里胡枝子Lespedeza davurica和草木樨状黄芪Astragalus melilotoides之间（0.82）。E2区生态位重叠最大的一对是草木樨状黄芪和冰草Agropyron cristatum（0.99）。相关分析表明：生态位宽度与生态位重叠之间并没有明确的线性关系。生态位宽度窄的物种之间可能有较高的生态位重叠,反之,则较低,但并不是完全如此。     

Population and community resilience in multitrophic communities

Diversity-stability relationships have long been a topic of controversy in ecology, but one whose importance has been re-highlighted by increasing large-scale threats to global biodiversity. The ability of a community to recover from a perturbation (or resilience) is a common measure of stability that has received a large amount of theoretical attention. Yet, general expectations regarding diversity-resilience relations remain elusive. Moreover, the effects of productivity and its interaction with diversity on resilience are equally unclear. We examined the effects of species diversity, species composition, and productivity on population-and community-level resilience in experimental aquatic food webs composed of bacteria, algae, heterotrophic protozoa, and rotifers. Productivity manipulations were crossed with manipulations of the number of species and species compositions within trophic groups. Resilience was measured by perturbing communities with a nonselective, density-independent, mortality event and comparing responses over time between perturbed communities and controls. We found evidence that species diversity can enhance resilience at the community level (i.e., total community biomass), though this effect was more strongly expressed in low-productivity treatments. Diversity effects on resilience were driven by a sampling/selection effect, with resilient communities showing rapid response and dominance by a minority of species (primarily unicellular algae). In contrast, diversity had no effect on mean population-level resilience. Instead, the ability of a community's populations to recover from perturbations was dependent on species composition. We found no evidence of an effect of productivity, either positive or negative, on community- or population-level resilience. Our results indicate that the role of diversity as an insurer of stability may depend on the level of biological organization at which stability is measured, with effects emerging only when focusing on aggregate community properties.     

Plankton biodiversity along a gradient of productivity and its mediation by macrophytes

We studied the effect of aquatic vegetation on the process of species sorting and community assembly of three functional groups of plankton organisms (phytoplankton, seston-feeding zooplankton, and substrate-dwelling zooplankton) along a primary productivity gradient. We performed an outdoor cattle tank experiment (n = 60) making an orthogonal combination of a primary productivity gradient (four nutrient addition levels: 0, 10, 100, and 1000 microg P/L; N/P ratio: 16) with a vegetation gradient (no macrophytes, artificial macrophytes, and real Elodea nuttallii). We used artificial plants to evaluate the mere effects of plant physical structure independently from other plant effects, such as competition for nutrients or allelopathy. The tanks were inoculated with species-rich mixtures of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Both productivity and macrophytes affected community structure and diversity of the three functional groups. Taxon richness declined with increasing plankton productivity in each functional group according to a nested subset pattern. We found no evidence for unimodal diversity-productivity relationships. The proportional abundance of Daphnia and of colonial Scenedesmus increased strongly with productivity. GLM analyses suggest that the decline in richness of seston feeders was due to competitive exclusion by Daphnia at high productivity. The decline in richness of phytoplankton was probably caused by high Daphnia grazing. However, partial analyses indicate that these explanations do not entirely explain the patterns. Possibly, environmental deterioration associated with high productivity (e.g., high pH) was also responsible for the observed richness decline. Macrophytes had positive effects on the taxon richness of all three functional plankton groups and interacted with the initial productivity gradient in determining their communities. Macrophytes affected the composition and diversity of the three functional groups both by their physical structure and through other mechanisms. Part of the macrophyte effect may be indirect via a reduction of phytoplankton production. Our results also indirectly suggest that the often reported unimodal relationship between primary productivity and diversity in nature may be partially mediated by the tendency of submerged macrophytes to be most abundant at intermediate productivity levels.     

Shift in nutrient and plankton community in eutrophic lake following introduction of a freshwater bivalve

The impact of the freshwater bivalve Corbicula leana on plankton community dynamics was examined during a cyanobacterial bloom period. Nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations, primary productivity, and phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in the experimental enclosures were measured at 2-3 day intervals. The introduction of mussels reduced net primary productivity and phytoplankton and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll decreased immediately following addition of 100 mussels and then increased over time. After 600 mussels were added, chlorophyll decreased continuously from 87to 25 microg l(-1), approaching that in the mussel-free enclosure. Simultaneously, water transparency increased and concentrations of suspended solids and total phosphorus decreased. Mussel addition caused short-term increases in nutrient concentrations, especially following high-density treatment: phytoplankton density decreased, while cell density in the mussel-free enclosure increased. Zooplankton densities in the two enclosures were similar; however, carbon biomass in the mussel enclosure increased, associated with an increase in large zooplankton. The trophic relationship between phytoplankton and zooplankton was positive in the mussel-free enclosure and negative in the mussel-treatment enclosure, possibly reflecting effects of mussels on both consumer and resource control in the plankton community. Thus, filter feeding by Corbicula affects nutrient recycling and plankton community structure in a freshwater ecosystem through direct feeding and competition for food resources.     

Species richness and stand stability in conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada

Theoretical and empirical studies have long suggested that stability and complexity are intimately related, but evidence from long-lived systems at large scales is lacking. Stability can either be driven by complex species interactions, or it can be driven by the presence/absence and abundance of a species best able to perform a specific ecosystem function. We use 64 years of stand productivity measures in forest systems composed of four dominant conifer tree species to contrast the effect of species richness and abundance on three stability measures. To perform this contrast, we measured the annual growth increments of > 900 trees in mixed and pure forest stands to test three hypotheses: increased species richness will (1) decrease stand variance, (2) increase stand resistance to drought events, and (3) increase stand resilience to drought events. In each case, the alternate hypothesis was that species richness had no effect, but that species composition and abundance within a stand drove variance, resistance, and resilience. In pure stands, the four species demonstrated significant differences in productivity, and in their resistance and resilience to drought events. The two pine species were the most drought resistant and resilient, whereas mountain hemlock was the least resistant and resilient, and red fir was intermediate. For community measures we found a moderately significant (P = 0.08) increase in the community coefficient of variation and a significant (P = 0.03) increase in resilience with increased species richness, but no significant relationship between species richness and community resistance, though the variance in community resistance to drought decreased with species richness. Community resistance to drought was significantly (P = 0.001) correlated to the relative abundance of lodgepole pine, the most resistant species. We propose that resistance is driven by competition for a single limiting resource, with negative diversity effects. In contrast resilience measures the capacity of communities to partition resources in the absence of a single limiting resource, demonstrating positive diversity effects.     

宁夏新垦区昆虫群落生态演替及有害种预警系统研究

以宁夏中宁县长山头、大战场（荒漠半荒漠）、灵武市狼皮子梁（沙漠）、青铜峡市渠口农场（草原化荒漠）３类垦前环境及其垦后不同耕作年限（１－１５ａ）农田昆虫群落演替进行了系统调查与研究，事理鉴定出昆虫１１目７９科２０４种，按其分布和种群动态变化划分为原生性种类、共生性种类、继生性种类和迁入性种类４个生态型类群。在此基础上研究了不同目、不同营养型类群和不同生态型类群昆虫多样性变化及时间系列演替，发现随着荒