电镀污染区植物对复合重金属的富集、转移和对污染土壤的修复潜力

采用野外采样室内分析方法,对重庆市3个电镀厂污染区自然定居的23种优势植物和相应土壤中Cu、Zn、Cr和Ni 4种重金属含量进行测定,揭示了优势植物对复合污染重金属的富集和转移特征。结果表明,电镀污染区土壤中Cu、Zn、Cr和Ni平均含量分别为560.0、722.6、1 364.3和735.7 mg·kg-1,分别为GB 15618—1995《土壤环境质量标准》中三级标准限值的1.40、1.45、3.90和3.68倍。植物对重金属的吸收、富集和转移特性因植物种类、植株部位、污染地及重金属种类的不同而不同,污染地植物吸收的重金属富集滞留在根部较多,扁穗牛鞭草(Hemarthria compressa)和野薄荷(Mentha haplocalyx)表现出超富集Cr的潜力,其地上部分Cr平均含量分别为1 559.2和1 914.6 mg.kg-1,生物转运系数分别为1.29和1.58,生物富集系数分别为1.58和1.79,其他植物地上部分Cr含量超过正常植物百倍以上的有14种,平均富集量为376.4 mg·kg-1,变化范围为121.2～694.3 mg·kg-1,地上部分Ni含量超过正常植物百倍以上的有8种,平均富集量为344.1 mg·kg-1,变化范围为220.3～532.1 mg·kg-1。它们是修复电镀重金属Cr和Ni复合污染土壤的理想植物。     

三明铅锌矿区植物对重金属的富集特征

采用野外调查与室内分析相结合的方法,对福建三明典型矿区尤溪铅锌矿、大田铅锌矿以及尤溪铅锌矿冶炼厂等进行了调查,研究这些矿区重金属含量较高的区域如采矿区、尾砂库、洗矿排水沟以及铅锌矿冶炼厂厂区和排水沟冲积扇区域土壤中的Pb、Zn和Cd的含量,在此基础上,对在这些区域自然定居的16种优势植物体内的三种重金属元素的耐性、富集特性进行了分析。结果表明：该矿区的主要优势物种为禾本科和菊科植物,其中笔管草（Equisetum ramosissimum）、一年蓬（Erigeron annuus）和五节芒（Miscanthus floridulus）的地上部重金属富集量较大,对矿区周边污染土壤修复有潜在应用价值;乌蕨（Stenolomachusana）、千金子（Bochloe dactyloides）、二歧飘拂草（Fimbristylis dichotoma）、柔枝莠竹（Microctegium Vimineum）、短叶水蜈蚣（Kyllingabrevifolta）、狗娃花（Heteropappushispidus）适用于污染程度较高且植物萃取技术难以实施的重金属污染矿业废弃地。矿区植物地上部zn含量平均值最高,为1225．74mg·kg-1,植物地上部Pb含量范围在52．78-2137．11mg·kg-1,平均为521．39mg·kg-1;一年蓬地上部cd含量达到了119．51mg·kg-1,超过了超富集植物的临界值100mg·kg-1,转运系数为1．3,是潜在的Cd超富集植物。     

镉超富集植物商陆及其富集效应

超累积植物筛选是重金属污染土壤植物提取修复的基础和核心问题,同时也是污染环境植物修复的难点及前沿。对株洲市铅锌冶炼厂生产区生长的8种不同的植物进行了采样和调查。通过生物量测定和植物体内镉质量分数分析,发现商陆(Phytolaccaacinosa)体内镉质量分数较高,生物量大,且呈现地上部的质量分数大于地下部的规律。通过室外盆栽模拟试验,进一步研究商陆对土壤中镉污染的忍耐、积累能力,以检验这种植物修复Cd污染土壤的可能性及其潜力。结果表明,在Cd污染水平大于50mg·kg-1条件下,商陆茎及叶的Cd含量分别超过了100mg·kg-1这一公认Cd超积累植物应达到的临界含量标准,其地上部Cd含量大于其根部Cd含量,且地上部Cd富集系数大于1。与对照相比,植物的生长未受到抑制,商陆对Cd的富集符合Cd超积累植物的基本特征。同时,利用吸收量系数对商陆的镉去除能力和富集特征进行了评价判断,证实商陆是一种Cd超积累植物,这为镉污染土壤的植物修复提供了一种新的种质资源。     

三明铅锌矿区植物对重金属的富集特征

采用野外调查与室内分析相结合的方法,对福建三明典型矿区尤溪铅锌矿、大田铅锌矿以及尤溪铅锌矿冶炼厂等进行了调查,研究这些矿区重金属含量较高的区域如采矿区、尾砂库、洗矿排水沟以及铅锌矿冶炼厂厂区和排水沟冲积扇区域土壤中的Pb、Zn和Cd的含量,在此基础上,对在这些区域自然定居的16种优势植物体内的三种重金属元素的耐性、富集特性进行了分析。结果表明:该矿区的主要优势物种为禾本科和菊科植物,其中笔管草(Equisetum ramosissimum)、一年蓬(Erigeron annuus)和五节芒(Miscanthus floridulus)的地上部重金属富集量较大,对矿区周边污染土壤修复有潜在应用价值;乌蕨(Stenoloma chusana)、千金子(Bochloe dactyloides)、二歧飘拂草(Fimbristylis dichotoma)、柔枝莠竹(Microctegium Vimineum)、短叶水蜈蚣(Kyllinga brevifolia)、狗娃花(Heteropappus hispidus)适用于污染程度较高且植物萃取技术难以实施的重金属污染矿业废弃地。矿区植物地上部Zn含量平均值最高,为1225.74mg·kg-1,植物地上部Pb含量范围在52.78～2137.11mg·kg-1,平均为521.39mg·kg-1;一年蓬地上部Cd含量达到了119.51mg·kg-1,超过了超富集植物的临界值100mg·kg-1,转运系数为1.3,是潜在的Cd超富集植物。     

不同生态型芦竹对Cd、Hg、Pb、Cu的富集与分布

介绍了生态型芦竹(Arundo donax Linn)的生物特性,并对芦竹修复湿地重金属污染能力进行了研究。芦竹具有生物量大、根系发达、适应性强等特点,在重金属污染环境下,有较好的耐受性。研究不同生态型芦竹对Cd、Hg、Pb、Cu的富集与分布,对重金属污染湿地的修复具有指导作用。采集了4个不同环境下的芦竹样本,对重金属富集量和在植物器官中的分布情况进行研究分析。结果表明,芦竹对镉、铅、汞有较好吸收,地上部叶内富集量分别为57.40～33.22mg·kg-1,412.4～312.4mg·kg-1,21.5～11.8mg·kg-1,地上部茎内富集量分别为19.50～4.02mg·kg-1,83.1～43.6mg·kg-1,30.0～19.4mg·kg-1。芦竹对铜的富集能力较弱,地上部叶内和茎内富集量分别是12.4～2.8mg·kg-1,1.4～0.4mg·kg-1。铜和铅在植物器官中的分布为根>叶>茎,镉在植物器官中的分布为叶>根>茎,汞在植物中的分布为根>茎>叶。富集量还与土壤中重金属质量分数有关,一般是随着土壤中重金属质量分数的增大而增加。镉、铅、铜在植物叶中的富集系数大于1,汞在植物茎中的富集系数大于1。综合分析结果表明,芦竹在污染或非污染环境中都能较好地富集镉、铅、汞,基于芦竹具有较大生物量特点,芦竹对湿地重金属污染具有较大的修复潜力。研究芦竹对重金属的吸收与分布,旨在为湿地的植物修复技术提供参考依据。     

龙葵、大叶井口边草和短萼灰叶对Pb、Cd和As污染农田的修复研究

以云南省个旧市重金属污染农田为研究对象,通过野外田间试验研究7种配置种植方式下龙葵(Solanum nigrum)、大叶井口边草(Pteris cretica var.nervosa)和短萼灰叶(Tephrosia candida)对Pb、Cd和As的吸收特征,探讨3种植物不同配置方式对Pb、Cd和As复合污染农田的修复潜力.结果表明:供试农田土壤Cd和As含量均超出GB 15618-1995《土壤环境质量标准》中的三级标准.所有不同植物配置种植方式中,龙葵地上部对Cd的吸收量最大,为(6.99±0.25) mg·kg-1,大叶井口边草地上部对As的吸收量最大,为(326.98±93.99) mg·kg-1,短萼灰叶地上部对Pb的吸收量最大,为(32.96±5.65) mg· kg-1,均低于超富集植物的临界阈值(Cd 100 mg· kg-1,As1 000 mg·kg-1,Pb 1 000mg· kg-1).比较7种种植方式对污染土壤中重金属的提取效率发现,单作龙葵条件下,龙葵地上部对Pb、Cd和As的吸收量最大,年吸收量分别为1 004.97、152.04和1 534.47g· hm-2,若将Cd和As污染农田土壤修复达到GB 15618-1995中的三级标准,提取效率分别为2.811 6％和1.413％.这说明单作龙葵对Pb、Cd和As复合污染农田具有一定修复潜力,但不适用于修复高浓度重金属污染农田.     

湿地植物水蓼(Polygonum hydropiper L.)对镉的富集特征及生理响应

以人工湿地修复镉污染水体时,植物在镉离子的沉淀、吸收和积累等过程中起着关键作用,但当前报道的镉富集植物种类较少,湿地植物对镉胁迫的生长及生理响应缺乏系统研究,限制了湿地植物在镉污染水体修复中的应用。笔者以常见湿地植物水蓼(Polygonum hydropiper L.)为对象,设置了4个镉处理浓度(0、0.5、1和2 mg·L~(-1)),研究了水蓼对镉的富集特征以及生长和生理响应。水蓼根、茎和叶的镉含量(以干重计)随镉处理浓度的增加而升高,处理30 d时,在2 mg·L~(-1)处理下分别达到134、47和48 mg·kg~(-1)。处理30 d时,在1 mg·L~(-1)的镉处理下,水蓼的地上部及地下部富集系数和转运系数最高,地上部和地下部富集系数分别为45.6和111.7,转运系数为0.41。在处理15 d时,水蓼生物量、叶绿素含量和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性在2 mg·L~(-1)处理下显著降低。在处理30 d时,水蓼的总生物量在不同镉浓度下无显著差异,但丙二醛(MDA)含量、SOD和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性在0.5～2 mg·L~(-1)镉处理下均显著升高,叶绿素含量下降。这些结果表明,水蓼可以通过提高抗氧化酶活性等机理抵抗镉胁迫产生的氧化伤害,并且水蓼对镉的富集和转运系数较高,具有在镉污染水体修复中应用的潜力。     

贵州万山汞矿地区耐汞野生植物研究

在贵州万山地区废弃汞矿堆和矿山附近,受长期高剂量汞暴露的影响经过的自然选择,该地区出现了一些能耐受汞毒性的生态型植物。对汞耐受及汞富集植物的筛选对于汞污染土壤的植物修复具有一定的现实意义。通过对万山梅子溪地区汞污染土壤及汞耐受植物采样调查发现,该区域采样土壤中汞的含量均在50 mg·kg-1以上,达到重度汞污染水平。对该地区野生植物的采样分析发现,蔷薇科植物悬钩子不仅数量较多,单株植物生物量较大,表现出很强的耐汞毒性的能力,而且植株内可以很大程度地富集汞,在其植株中汞的含量可达20 mg·kg-1左右,属于汞富集植物,另外发现野蒿对汞也具有较强的富集能力,其植株中汞的含量可达10 mg·kg-1以上。该类型植物的发现将为植物的汞耐受以及汞富集机理研究提供新的素材,为汞污染土壤的植物修复技术提供新的植物类型,也为进一步开发汞污染土壤处理技术提供了一种可能。     

冬氨酸二丁二酸醚(AES)诱导黑麦草提取污染土壤重金属的效应

采用盆栽试验,研究新型生物可降解螯合剂冬氨酸二丁二酸醚(AES)和非降解螯合剂乙二胺四乙酸(EDTA)调控下黑麦草修复重金属污染土壤的效应.黑麦草于含2500 mg Pb·kg-1,500 mg Cu·kg-1,1000 mg Zn·kg-1 和15 mg Cd·kg-1 的土壤中生长45d后,分别施加5 mmol·kg-1 土的AES或EDTA.结果表明,AES和EDTA可以显著提高土壤溶液和黑麦草植株地上部Pb、Zn、Cu和Cd的浓度.EDTA对土壤中Pb的溶解能力和对黑麦草积累重金属的促进作用显著强于AES,前者处理的土壤中水提取态Pb浓度和黑麦草地上部Pb浓度分别达到了15.9 mg·kg-1 和174.1 mg·kg-1,显著高于AES处理的2.6 mg·kg-1 和44.0 mg·kg-1.但AES对黑麦草积累Zn和Cd的促进作用较EDTA明显增强,黑麦草地上部Zn浓度达到了1081.8 mg·kg-1,显著高于EDTA的776.7 mg·kg-1 和对照的389.6 mg·kg-1;地上部Cd浓度为1.57mg·kg-1,高于EDTA的1.06 mg·kg-1 和对照的0.69 mg·kg-1.与对照相比,AES和EDTA对Cu在土壤中的溶解和黑麦草植株中的积累亦有显著的促进作用,但二者处理无极显著差异.结果表明,生物可降解螯合剂AES在诱导植物修复重金属污染土壤尤其是Zn、Cd污染土壤中有很大的应用潜力,且与EDTA相比,环境风险大大降低.     

化工污染河流沿岸植物对砷、汞的累积作用比较

采集葫芦岛市五里河沿岸9种常见植物,测定植物及植物根土中的汞砷质量分数,研究了汞、砷在植物体内的分布特征,利用迁移系数、富集系数探讨了植物对砷、汞的吸收与富集作用以及可能的耐受机制.结果表明,植物对砷、汞的吸收与富集,因植物种类、部位、金属的类型以及距离污染源的远近而不同.植物根部砷、汞平均质量分数分别为2.434 mg·kg-1和0.583 mg·kg-1;植物叶部砷、汞平均质量分数分别为1.888 mg·kg-1,0.1 50 mg·kg-1.叶汞质量分数从高到低的顺序为:水蓼,芦苇,鬼针草,曼陀罗,三棱草,苍耳,稗草,滨藜,辽东蒿;根汞质量分数从高到低依次为:三棱草,曼陀罗,滨藜,稗草,辽东蒿,芦苇,鬼针草,苍耳,水蓼;叶砷质量分数从高到低的顺序为:水蓼,滨藜,鬼针草,苍耳,芦苇,三棱草,曼陀罗,稗草,辽东蒿.芦苇(Phragraites australis)、曼陀罗(Datura stramonium)、苍耳(.Xanthium sibiricum.Patr.)、鬼针草(Bidens bipinnata)、滨藜(Atriplex patens)对砷的吸收、富集效果较好;水蓼(Polygonum hydropiper)对汞的转移能力较强.芦苇、鬼针草、水蓼等植物向地上部转移As、Hg的能力较强,可选做植物提取方式的污染土壤修复.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.     

Sequestration of cucurbitacin analogs by New and Old World chrysomelid leaf beetles in the tribe Luperini

Summary Two South American polyphagous leaf beetles,Diabrotica speciosa andCerotoma arcuata, selectively accumulated the bitter tasting compound 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D in their body after ingesting root tissues of cucurbit plants. Similarly, three Asian Cucurbitaceae-feeding specialists in the genusAulacophora were found to sequester the same compound. Cucurbitacin analogs were shown to deter feeding by a bird predator, indicating an allomonal role for these compounds in cucurbitacin-associated chrysomelid leaf beetles both of New and Old Worlds. The strong affinity to cucurbitacins, selective sequestration of the analogs and consequent protection from predators suggested an ecological adaptation mechanism developed in common among these two geographically isolated subtribes in the Luperini.     

Effects of Controlled Fire and Livestock Grazing on Bird Communities in East African Savannas

Abstract: In East Africa fire and grazing by wild and domestic ungulates maintain savannas, and pastoralists historically set fires and herded livestock through the use of temporary corrals called bomas. In recent decades traditional pastoral practices have declined, and this may be affecting biodiversity. We investigated the effects of prescribed fires and bomas on savanna bird communities in East Africa during the first and second dry seasons of the year (respectively before and after the rains that mark the onset of breeding for most birds). We compared abundance, richness, and community composition on 9‐ha burned plots, recently abandoned bomas, and control plots in the undisturbed matrix habitat over a 3‐year period. Generally, recently burned areas and abandoned bomas attracted greater densities of birds and had different community assemblages than the surrounding matrix. The effects of disturbances were influenced by interactions between primary productivity, represented by the normalized difference vegetation index, and time. Bird densities were highest and a greater proportion of species was observed on burned plots in the months following the fires. Drought conditions equalized bird densities across treatments within 1 year, and individuals from a greater proportion of species were more commonly observed on abandoned bomas. Yearly fluctuations in abundance were less pronounced on bomas than on burns, which indicate that although fire may benefit birds in the short term, bomas may have a more‐lasting positive effect and provide resources during droughts. Several Palearctic migrants were attracted to burned plots regardless of rainfall, which indicates continued fire suppression may threaten their already‐declining populations. Most notably, the paucity of birds observed on the controls suggests that the current structure of the matrix developed as a result of fire suppression. Traditional pastoralism appears critical to the maintenance of avian diversity in these savannas.     

What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory

Abstract: The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self‐referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self‐contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self‐centered rational economic beings. Economic production is subject to physical laws including the laws of thermodynamics and mass balance. In addition, some contemporary economic theory, spurred by exciting new research in human behavior and a wealth of data about the negative global impact of the human economy on natural systems, is moving toward a world view that places consumption and production squarely in its behavioral and biophysical context. We argue that abandoning the straightjacket of the Walrasian core is essential to further progress in understanding the complex, coupled interactions between the human economy and the natural world. We call for a new framework for economic theory and policy that is consistent with observed human behavior, recognizes the complex and frequently irreversible interaction between human and natural systems, and directly confronts the cumulative negative effects of the human economy on the Earth's life support systems. Biophysical economics and ecological economics are two emerging economic frameworks in this movement.     

Effects of Coffee Management on Deforestation Rates and Forest Integrity

Knowledge about how forest margins are utilized can be crucial for a general understanding of changes in forest cover, forest structure, and biodiversity across landscapes. We studied forest‐agriculture transitions in southwestern Ethiopia and hypothesized that the presence of coffee (Coffea arabica)decreases deforestation rates because of coffee's importance to local economies and its widespread occurrence in forests and forest margins. Using satellite images and elevation data, we compared changes in forest cover over 37 years (1973–2010) across elevations in 2 forest‐agriculture mosaic landscapes (1100 km² around Bonga and 3000 km² in Goma‐Gera). In the field in the Bonga area, we determined coffee cover and forest structure in 40 forest margins that differed in time since deforestation. Both the absolute and relative deforestation rates were lower at coffee‐growing elevations compared with at higher elevations (?10/20% vs. ?40/50% comparing relative rates at 1800 m asl and 2300–2500 m asl, respectively). Within the coffee‐growing elevation, the proportion of sites with high coffee cover (>20%) was significantly higher in stable margins (42% of sites that had been in the same location for the entire period) than in recently changed margins (0% of sites where expansion of annual crops had changed the margin). Disturbance level and forest structure did not differ between sites with 30% or 3% coffee. However, a growing body of literature on gradients of coffee management in Ethiopia reports coffee's negative effects on abundances of forest‐specialist species. Even if the presence of coffee slows down the conversion of forest to annual‐crop agriculture, there is a risk that an intensification of coffee management will still threaten forest biodiversity, including the genetic diversity of wild coffee. Conservation policy for Ethiopian forests thus needs to develop strategies that acknowledge that forests without coffee production may have higher deforestation risks than forests with coffee production and that forests with coffee production often have lower biodiversity value. Efectos de la Administración Cafetalera sobre las Tasas de Deforestación y la Integridad de los Bosques     

Globalization of the Cashmere Market and the Decline of Large Mammals in Central Asia

As drivers of terrestrial ecosystems, humans have replaced large carnivores in most areas, and human influence not only exerts striking ecological pressures on biodiversity at local scales but also has indirect effects in distant corners of the world. We suggest that the multibillion dollar cashmere industry creates economic motivations that link western fashion preferences for cashmere to land use in Central Asia. This penchant for stylish clothing, in turn, encourages herders to increase livestock production which affects persistence of over 6 endangered large mammals in these remote, arid ecosystems. We hypothesized that global trade in cashmere has strong negative effects on native large mammals of deserts and grassland where cashmere‐producing goats are raised. We used time series data, ecological snapshots of the biomass of native and domestic ungulates, and ecologically and behaviorally based fieldwork to test our hypothesis. In Mongolia increases in domestic goat production were associated with a 3‐fold increase in local profits for herders coexisting with endangered saiga (Saiga tatarica).That increasing domestic grazing pressure carries fitness consequences was inferred on the basis of an approximately 4‐fold difference in juvenile recruitment among blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur)in trans‐Himalayan India. Across 7 study areas in Mongolia, India, and China's Tibetan Plateau, native ungulate biomass is now <5% that of domestic species. Such trends suggest ecosystem degradation and decreased capacity for the persistence of native species, including at least 8 Asian endemic species: saiga, chiru (Pantholops hodgsoni), Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), snow leopard(Panthera uncia), khulan(Equus hemionus), kiang (E. kiang), takhi (E. przewalski), and wild yak (Bos mutus). Our results suggest striking yet indirect and unintended actions that link trophic‐level effects to markets induced by the trade for cashmere. Globalización del Mercado de Cachemira y la Declinación de Mamíferos Mayores en Asia Central     

The lichen-rich coastal heath vegetation on the isle of Anholt, Denmark — conservation and management

The high conservational value of the lichen-rich vegetation and landscape of the marine foreland Ørkenen on the isle of Anholt is treated from a Danish as well as a European perspective. The sensitivity of the lichen-rich vegetation to physical disturbance is emphasized. The impact of invasive species such asPinus mugo as well as the effect of atmospheric deposition of nutrients on the heaths at Anholt is described. Considerations related to the development of a management plan for Ørkenen are presented.     

Behavior and ecology of Old World Luperini beetles of the genusAulacophora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Summary The attraction of Old World leaf beetles in the genusAulacophora to kairomones and parakairomones which are effective lures for New WorldDiabrotica andAcalymma were investigated. Beetles captured on sticky traps baited with single and multicomponent lures were no different from the control traps for two species ofAulacophora. Yellow colored traps and squash blossoms are attractive toAulacophora beetles which detect sub-microgram quantities of cucurbitacins on silica gel. Leaf feeding behavior and flight activity data are correlated with varietal preference of threeAulacophora species. The common response byDiabrotica andAulacophora to cucurbitacins reinforces the two groups' coevolutionary association with the Cucurbitaceae. The apparent lack of a common response toCucurbita blossom volatiles suggests recent evolutionary pathways are substantially different for these two groups of beetles.     

Importance of greater interdisciplinarity and geographic scope when tackling the driving forces behind biological invasions

Invasive non-native species are important drivers of ecosystem change, yet the driving forces of biological invasions themselves are poorly understood. Such information is essential to ensure policies focus on the most relevant drivers, and that future scenarios capture the full range of potential outcomes for invasive non-native species. I carried out a bibliometric analysis of articles published from 2000 to 2020 that address either invasive non-native species or biodiversity and ecosystem services and that also mention 1 or more drivers of ecosystem change. I examined 5 indirect drivers (demographic, economic, governance, sociocultural, and technological) and 6 direct drivers (climate change, invasive non-native species, land-use or sea-use change, natural hazards, pollution, and resource extraction). Using the Web of Science core collection of citation indexes, I undertook searches of article titles and keywords and retrieved 27,462 articles addressing invasive non-native species and 110,087 articles dealing with biodiversity or ecosystem services. Most research to date on biological invasions as well as on biodiversity and ecosystem services has focused on anthropogenic direct drivers of ecosystem change rather than indirect drivers. Yet currently, less than 18% of articles addressing biological invasions examined drivers of ecosystem change, a similar level to that found over 20 years ago for biodiversity or ecosystem services. Knowledge of the drivers of biological invasions is limited, emphasizes tractable drivers over those that require an interdisciplinary approach, and is biased toward developed economies. Drivers generally deemed important for biological invasions, such as governance and resource extraction, accounted for less than 2% of research effort. The absence of a systematic understanding of the forces that drive invasive non-native species and how they interact means that attempts to mitigate or forecast biological invasions are likely to fail. To address biological invasions requires a much better orientation of national and international research on drivers in relation to both their actual importance as well as their policy relevance.