环境因素对原生动物群落特征的影响

1999年12月至2000年11月，对华中科技大学华瑜池的原生动物群落进行了研究，共检出原生动物125种，其中植鞭毛虫19种，动鞭毛虫28种，纤毛虫64种，肉足虫14种，对原生动物群落结构和功能的研究表明：1）自然条件下，PFU原生动物群落的种类组成数及原生动物群落的群集速度相对稳定；2）自然条件下，PFU原生动物群落结构和功能不受季节变化的影响；3）当PFU原和动物群落受到外界胁迫时，不管这种胁迫来自物化因素或是生物因素，其群落结构和功能都会发生破坏性变化；4）用PFU法进行原生动物群落生态学和毒理学研究，所得的结构参数及功能参数能反映客观状况，具有环境现实意义。     

铅锌尾矿废水处理系统中PFU原生动物群落变化特征及其与水质净化的关系

应用国家标准《水质—微型生物群落监测—ＰＦＵ法》对位于广东省韶关的凡口铅锌尾矿废水处理系统中的原生动物群落进行了研究．分析了在该处理系统中原生动物群落的结构和群集过程的特征,并结合水质的理化参数对该处理系统的效能进行了评价．结果表明：在该处理系统中,以动物性鞭毛虫和腐生性纤毛虫为原生动物群落的主要组成部分;随着采样点距排污口的距离延长,原生动物群落的种类数和密度明显增加;群落多样性指数也随之上升．通过对原生动物群落组成与污染物浓度的统计学处理,显示出群落的种类数与各污染物的浓度间存在着显著的负线性相关．各采样点ＰＦＵ原生动物群落群集过程也可以反映出各样点环境间的差异．各采样点数据间的差异说明由于该处理系统中香蒲植物的作用,使得废水中大量的颗粒性悬浮物得到沉降,重金属浓度也明显降低,从而促进了原生动物群落在一定程度上的恢复     

铅锌尾矿废水处理系统中PFU原生动物群落变化特征及其与 …

应用国家《水质－微型生物群落监测－ＰＦＵ法》对位 的凡口铅锌尾矿废水处理系统中的原生动物群落进行了研究,分析了在该处理系统中原生动物群落的结构和群集过程的特征,并结合水质的理化参数对该处理系统的效能进行了评价,结果表明：在该处理系统中,以动物性鞭毛虫和腐生性纤毛虫为原生动物群落的主要组成部分;随着采样点距排污口的距离延长,原生动物群落的种类数和密度明显增加;群落多样性也随之上升,通过对原生动物群东     

化学防除薇甘菊对内伶仃岛土壤原生动物群落的影响

在化学防除薇甘菊过程中，对薇甘菊施加不同浓度除莠剂森草净前后两个月内土壤中原生动物群落的种类组成及数量动态变化进行了研究．实验发现施加除莠剂森草净后，肉足虫的种类数及丰度均随着施药浓度的增大而下降，且丰度变化尤为剧烈；低施药浓度下(m=0．001gm^-2)鞭毛虫及纤毛虫的种类数均有所增加；鞭毛虫的丰度随施药浓度增大而急剧增大．结果表明：除莠剂森草净对土壤原生动物群落有较大的影响，在两个月后依然有可能破坏土壤生态环境进而影响土壤肥力及动植物的生长。     

五氯苯酚对原生动物群落的毒性研究

五氯苯酚(PCP)是一种曾被广泛使用的木材防腐剂、杀菌剂和除草剂,目前已经造成了世界范围内土壤和水体的污染.以生物曝气池原生动物群落为靶生物对五氯苯酚进行了12小时急性毒性试验研究,结果表明,此原生动物群落急性中毒的最大无致死和最小全致死浓度范围是0.4￣40mg·L-1,半数致死浓度为2.40mg·L-1.在PCP染毒条件下,原生动物群落结构表现出简单化趋势,随着PCP浓度的增加,原生动物种类越来越少.肉足类原生动物对PCP耐受能力最差,鞭毛类稍强,纤毛类耐受能力最好,且PCP浓度越大,其耐受优势越明显.     

深圳福田红树林底栖纤毛虫的群落生态学

利用活体观察和蛋白银染色方法,对深圳福田红树林鸟类自然保护区内底栖纤毛虫的群落结构进行了研究,包括底栖纤毛虫的种类组成、丰度、优势类群及物种的多样性分析.共观察到隶属于3纲11目24属的土壤纤毛虫44种.统计结果表明,主要优势类群为肾形目(Colpodida)和下毛目(Hypotrichida)的种类,分别占纤毛虫总种类数的45.45%和18.18%.丰度的最高值出现于6月的高潮带,每克风干土壤中的个体数达到60534个;最低值出现于12月的低潮带,每克风干土壤中的个体数为7795个.各个潮间带的Margalef多样性指数介于0.73～2.19之间.丰度与土壤理化因子的相关性分析表明,各理化因子对底栖纤毛虫数量的影响不具显著性.此外,原生动物群落的各结构功能参数反映了其栖息地的环境状况.     

氰戊菊酯对原生动物群落的毒性

以PFU采集的原生动物群落为受试对象，研究了氰戊菊酯48h的急性毒性，得出半数致死浓度LC50为15．83mgL^-1安全浓度LC10为2．09mgL^-1．加入氰戊菊酯后，原生动物的群落结构发生变化，各个功能类群均受到不同程度的损伤，一些食菌和碎屑者类原生动物对氰戊菊酯表现出较高的耐受性，随着氰戊菊酯浓度的增加，其在群落中的优势度更加明显．氰戊菊酯的加入致使原生动物群落结构简单化，对生态系统的物质循环和能量流动产生较大影响．图l表1参16。     

垃圾渗滤液浇灌对红壤原生动物群落的影响

采用“非浸没培养皿法”（non-flooded petri dish method)培养，对李坑垃圾填埋汤垃圾渗液淋灌的土壤中的原生动物群落进行了分析。实验发现4属4种纤毛虫：膨胀肾形虫（Colpoda inflata)、有肋薄咽虫（Leptopharynx costatus)、莫式拟肾形虫（Paracolpoda maupasi)、恼斜板虫（Plagiocampa difficils)。随淋灌中垃圾渗滤液浓度的上升，出现的纤毛虫种类呈递减趋势，从定量实验的结果来看，即使是较低浓度的垃圾渗滤液，也对土壤原生动物群落造成了较大的伤害。25％浓度的垃圾渗滤液淋灌的土样中，原生动物数量仅为CK组的30％；超过50％浓度的渗滤液稀释液淋灌土样，则仅为CK组的10％左右。数据表明污染本身并没有被降解，而是全部（或至少大部分）转移到了受渗滤液影响的土壤中，从而导致土壤中的原生动物群落的结构无论是从数量上还是从种类上均曹到相当大的破坏。表4参15     

停用氧化塘的污染现状

根据国家标准《水质——微型生物群落监测——PFU法》(GB/T12990 -91),两次对湖北鸭儿湖生物氧化塘进行了生物监测与评价.共检出原生动物192种,其中植鞭毛虫48种、动鞭毛虫46种、纤毛虫82种、肉足虫16种.试验所得生物学参数,即PFU原生动物群落结构和功能参数表明:如今Ⅰ号氧化塘整体状况与1982年相比变化较大,Ⅱ号氧化塘相比1982年也有所变化,但不是很大.其它3个氧化塘,第一次试验结果为从Ⅲ号氧化塘到Ⅴ号氧化塘依次变好;第二次试验结果则按Ⅴ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ顺序变好.两次试验所得此三塘的生物学参数之间差别并不大.鸭儿湖氧化塘水体状况与1982年所得结果相比有了很大改善. 图5表3参13     

活性污泥系统原生动物多样性动态及其与运转效能的关系

研究了保定鲁岗污水处理厂活性污泥系统原生动物多样性动态及其与理化参数的关系.结果表明,为附着型纤毛虫的香农-威纳多样性指数最高,平均为2.25.自由游泳型纤毛虫的多样性指数最低,平均为0.27.各类群原生动物多样性指数与理化参数间相关分析的结果表明,匍匐型纤毛虫多样性指数对出水BOD5的指示效果最好,附着型纤毛虫多样性指数高则表明出水P浓度高,肉食型纤毛虫多样性值对出水氨氮及SVI具有较强的指示作用,有壳肉足虫多样性值对SVI的指示效果较好,裸肉足虫多样性值对出水氨氮浓度具有较好的指示作用.     

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.     

Mitigating the effects of climate change on the nests of sea turtles with artificial irrigation

For sea turtles, like many oviparous species, increasing temperatures during development threaten to increase embryonic mortality, alter offspring quality, and potentially create suboptimal primary sex ratios. Various methods are being implemented to mitigate the effects of climate change on reproductive success, but these methods, such as breeding programs, translocations, and shading, are often invasive and expensive. Irrigation is an alternative strategy for cooling nests that, depending on location, can be implemented relatively quickly and cheaply. However, multiple factors, including ambient conditions, nest substrate, and species characteristics, can influence irrigation success. Additionally, irrigation can vary in duration, frequency, and the volume of water applied to nests, which influences the cooling achieved and embryonic survival. Thus, it is critical to understand how to maximize cooling and manage risks before implementing irrigation as a nest-cooling strategy. We reviewed the literature on nest irrigation to examine whether artificial irrigation is feasible as a population management tool. Key factors that affected cooling were the volume of water applied and the frequency of applications. Embryonic responses varied with species, ambient conditions, and the timing of irrigation during development. Nest inundation was the key risk to a successful irrigation regime. Future irrigation regimes must identify clear targets, either primary or adult sex ratios, that maximize population viability. Monitoring population responses and adjusting the irrigation regime in response to population characteristics will be critical. Most studies reported on the manipulation of only one or two variables, further research is required to understand how altering multiple factors in an irrigation regime influences the cooling achieved and embryonic responses.     

Positive and Negative Effects of a Threatened Parrotfish on Reef Ecosystems

Species that are strong interactors play disproportionately important roles in the dynamics of natural ecosystems. It has been proposed that their presence is necessary for positively shaping the structure and functioning of ecosystems. We evaluated this hypothesis using the case of the world's largest parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum), a globally imperiled species. We used direct observation, animal tracking, and computer simulations to examine the diverse routes through which B. muricatum affects the diversity, dispersal, relative abundance, and survival of the corals that comprise the foundation of reef ecosystems. Our results suggest that this species can influence reef building corals in both positive and negative ways. Field observation and simulation outputs indicated that B. muricatum reduced the abundance of macroalgae that can outcompete corals, but they also feed directly on corals, decreasing coral abundance, diversity, and colony size. B. muricatum appeared to facilitate coral advancement by mechanically dispersing coral fragments and opening up bare space for coral settlement, but they also damaged adult corals and remobilized a large volume of potentially stressful carbonate sediment. The impacts this species has on reefs appears to be regulated in part by its abundance—the effects of B. muricatum were more intense in simulation scenarios populated with high densities of these fish. Observations conducted in regions with high and low predator (e.g., sharks) abundance generated results that are consistent with the hypothesis that these predators of B. muricatum may play a role in governing their abundance; thus, predation may modulate the intensity of the effects they have on reef dynamics. Overall our results illustrate that functionally unique and threatened species may not have universally positive impacts on ecosystems and that it may be necessary for environmental managers to consider the diverse effects of such species and the forces that mediate the strength of their influence. Efectos Positivos y Negativos de un Pez Loro Amenazado Sobre Ecosistemas Arrecifales     

Form-specific fragances fromOphrys insectifera L. (Orchidaceae) attract species of different pollinator genera. Evidence of sympatric speciation?

Two closely related forms ofOphrys insectifera were observed in the field to attract different pollinator species selectively.O. i. ssp.insectifera attracted males of two species ofArgogorytes (Sphecidae, Hymenoptera Aculeata) andO. i. ssp.aymoninii attractedAndrena combinata males (Andrenidae, Apoidea, Hymenoptera Aculeata). A third form,O. aff.i. ssp.insectifera, attracted none of these three species. Volatile compounds from flowers and inflorescences of the three forms (originating from Öland, Sweden, and Aveyron, France) were collected, using entrainment, enfleurage, and solvent extraction techniques, and identified by gas chromatography — mass spectrometry. Scent differences between the three forms were confirmed in the amounts of aliphatic hydrocarbons (C₁₁–C₁₉), methyl esters (C₁₄–C₁₈), short chain aliphatic 1-alcohols (C₆–C₁₂), and monoterpene alcohols (C₁₀).     

Estimation of the surface stress from the streamwise pressure gradient: The Kármán Integral Momentum Equation revisited

A method is developed to estimate the stress at the surface in a portable wind tunnel for wind erosion studies. The boundary layer height and the pressure gradient are used in a simple expression from the Kármán Integral Momentum Equation. Values of friction velocity u _* are within 10% of experimental values obtained through correlation techniques, including measurements of differential pressures with the Murdoch Turbulence Probe MTP and the X-wire, hot-wire anemometer XWA. Wind velocity and stress profiles reveal logarithmic trends and a constant stress layer near the surface in the DAWA portable wind tunnel. Realignment of the statistics with the mean wind is essential.     

Using decision science to evaluate global biodiversity indices

Global biodiversity indices are used to measure environmental change and progress toward conservation goals, yet few indices have been evaluated comprehensively for their capacity to detect trends of interest, such as declines in threatened species or ecosystem function. Using a structured approach based on decision science, we qualitatively evaluated 9 indices commonly used to track biodiversity at global and regional scales against 5 criteria relating to objectives, design, behavior, incorporation of uncertainty, and constraints (e.g., costs and data availability). Evaluation was based on reference literature for indices available at the time of assessment. We identified 4 key gaps in indices assessed: pathways to achieving goals (means objectives) were not always clear or relevant to desired outcomes (fundamental objectives); index testing and understanding of expected behavior was often lacking; uncertainty was seldom acknowledged or accounted for; and costs of implementation were seldom considered. These gaps may render indices inadequate in certain decision-making contexts and are problematic for indices linked with biodiversity targets and sustainability goals. Ensuring that index objectives are clear and their design is underpinned by a model of relevant processes are crucial in addressing the gaps identified by our assessment. Uptake and productive use of indices will be improved if index performance is tested rigorously and assumptions and uncertainties are clearly communicated to end users. This will increase index accuracy and value in tracking biodiversity change and supporting national and global policy decisions, such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.     

Assessing the extent and nature of wildlife trade on the dark web

Use of the internet as a trade platform has resulted in a shift in the illegal wildlife trade. Increased scrutiny of illegal wildlife trade has led to concerns that online trade of wildlife will move onto the dark web. To provide a baseline of illegal wildlife trade on the dark web, we downloaded and archived 9852 items (individual posts) from the dark web, then searched these based on a list of 121 keywords associated with illegal online wildlife trade, including 30 keywords associated with illegally traded elephant ivory on the surface web. Results were compared with items known to be illegally traded on the dark web, specifically cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, to compare the extent of the trade. Of these 121 keywords, 4 resulted in hits, of which only one was potentially linked to illegal wildlife trade. This sole case was the sale and discussion of Echinopsis pachanoi (San Pedro cactus), which has hallucinogenic properties. This negligible level of activity related to the illegal trade of wildlife on the dark web relative to the open and increasing trade on the surface web may indicate a lack of successful enforcement against illegal wildlife trade on the surface web.     

Estimating freshwater turtle mortality rates and population declines following hook ingestion

Freshwater turtle populations are susceptible to declines following small increases in the mortality of adults, making it essential to identify and understand potential threats. Freshwater turtles ingest fish hooks associated with recreational angling, and this is likely a problem because hook ingestion is a source of additive mortality for sea turtles. We used a Bayesian‐modeling framework, observed rates of hook ingestion by freshwater turtles, and mortality of sea turtles from hook ingestion to examine the probability that a freshwater turtle in a given population ingests a hook and subsequently dies from it. We used the results of these analyses and previously published life‐history data to simulate the effects of hook ingestion on population growth for 3 species of freshwater turtle. In our simulation, the probability that an individual turtle ingests a hook and dies as a result was 1.2–11%. Our simulation results suggest that this rate of mortality from hook ingestion is sufficient to cause population declines. We believe we have identified fish‐hook ingestion as a serious yet generally overlooked threat to the viability of freshwater turtle populations.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.