Scientists' opinions on the global status and management of biological diversity

The large investments needed if loss of biological diversity is to be stemmed will likely lead to increased public and political scrutiny of conservation strategies and the science underlying them. It is therefore crucial to understand the degree of consensus or divergence among scientists on core scientific perceptions and strategies most likely to achieve given objectives. I developed an internet survey designed to elucidate the opinions of conservation scientists. Conservation scientists (n =583) were unanimous (99.5%) in their view that a serious loss of biological diversity is likely, very likely, or virtually certain. Scientists' agreement that serious loss is very likely or virtually certain ranged from 72.8% for Western Europe to 90.9% for Southeast Asia. Tropical coral ecosystems were perceived as the most seriously affected by loss of biological diversity; 88.0% of respondents familiar with that ecosystem type agreed that a serious loss is very likely or virtually certain. With regard to conservation strategies, scientists most often viewed understanding how people and nature interact in certain contexts and the role of biological diversity in maintaining ecosystem function as their priorities. Protection of biological diversity for its cultural and spiritual values and because of its usefulness to humans were low priorities, which suggests that many scientists do not fully support the utilitarian concept of ecosystem services. Many scientists expressed a willingness to consider conservation triage, engage in active conservation interventions, and consider reframing conservation goals and measures of success for conservation of biological diversity in an era of climate change. Although some heterogeneity of opinion is evident, results of the survey show a clear consensus within the scientific community on core issues of the extent and geographic scope of loss of biological diversity and on elements that may contribute to successful conservation strategies in the future.     

基于生态保护的道路规划策略

分析了路段与景观两个尺度上的道路生态环境影响,结合当今景观生态学、道路生态学的研究成果,系统论述了与道路交通规划建设相关的生态策略：（1）在区域尺度上,依据生态敏感度规划路网密度、保持大型自然空间的生态完整性、提倡非生态敏感地段的交通集中、增加路网的区域水平渗透性;（2）在路段规模上,自然空间的生境避让、保持重要地段的自然连续性、打破交通生态瓶颈、减少道路交通的环境影响、补偿道路建设的生态影响等。这些策略旨在为可持续道路交通提供基于生态合理性的规划原则与方法。     

鼎湖山20公顷森林样地单个物种对群落的构建

大型固定监测森林样地已成为研究森林群落组织机制的一个重要平台。群落里个体之间的相互作用对群落的构建有相当重要的作用。以往的研究主要针对于物种之间的相互作用,而用群落里单个物种与其它所有个体之间相互关系来解释群落构建的研究还很少。采用单个物种-面积关系（ISAR）这一指标对鼎湖山20 hm2样地和BCI 50 hm2样地数据分析,来研究不同样地单个物种是如何对森林群落进行构建的。结果显示,与BCI样地和Sinharaja样地不同,鼎湖山样地大树对周围其它个体的作用几乎是中性的;而对于小树（胸径小于10 cm）来说,鼎湖山样地和BCI样地一样,随着尺度的增加＂吸引型＂物种减少,而＂中性＂物种增加。说明了不同的群落在不同的发育阶段,单个物种对群落结构的构建有重要的作用不同,将来的研究应该结合群落其它方面的因素来分析群落内个体之间相互作用,例如从时间尺度的谱系和空间因素去分析。     

4种动物养殖场空气中抗生素耐药菌的生物多样性及群落结构

动物集约化养殖场可向空气环境释放大量微生物,包括抗生素耐药菌甚至是耐药致病菌,危害动物和工人健康并污染周边空气环境.针对以上问题,本研究以四环素和红霉素耐药菌为例,对动物养殖场空气颗粒物负载抗生素耐药菌的生物多样性以及群落结构展开研究.基于高通量测序技术,对比分析动物舍内与舍外颗粒物,以及粪便样品中抗生素耐药菌的生物学差异,并研究驱动以上差异的关键菌属.结果表明,整体上养殖场空气颗粒物负载红霉素耐药菌的生物多样性高于四环素耐药菌,舍内空气颗粒物负载生物的多样性高于粪便样品.细颗粒物和粗颗粒物负载抗生素耐药菌的生物多样性和群落结构均无显著差异.Actinobacteria是导致红霉素耐药菌和其他细菌群落差异的关键菌门之一,Staphylococcus是四环素耐药菌群区别于红霉素耐药菌和全部细菌菌群的关键菌属之一.群落结构研究结果显示,四环素和红霉素耐药菌的优势菌群和群落结构没有显著差异.但粪便和空气颗粒物负载生物的群落结构在属水平上差异显著,优势菌门也有所不同.本研究结果将为准确评估动物养殖场空气环境中抗生素耐药菌污染现状及其生态风险提供基础数据.     

基于高通量测序分析的生物修复石油污染土壤菌群结构变化

利用高通量测序技术对微生物修复石油污染土壤过程中的微生物群落结构变化进行研究.结果表明,经修复处理的土壤微生物群落结构及多样性发生明显变化.利用生物强化修复处理(BA)的土壤中,微生物丰富度与均匀度明显降低,土著菌群受到抑制,外加变形菌门(Proteobacteria)成为主要的优势菌门,相对丰度由修复前的37. 44%增加为87. 44%.假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)成为土壤中的优势菌属,丰度由2. 99%增加为76. 37%;进行生物刺激修复处理的土壤(BS)菌群丰富度和均匀度与原污染土壤相比略有降低.菌群结构组成上,原优势菌门变形菌门(Proteobacteria)丰度由37. 44%降低为10. 90%,厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)丰度由9. 16%增加为35. 32%,属水平上,原优势菌属微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium)和原小单胞菌属(Promicromonospora)丰度由8. 49%和18. 96%分别降低为2. 19%和14. 97%,诺卡氏菌属(Nocardioides)和芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)丰度由5. 56%和0. 29%分别增加至28. 95%和22. 70%,成为主要优势菌属.生物强化修复处理引起土壤菌群多样性和结构发生明显变化,生物刺激修复处理可基本保持土壤菌群结构多样性不被破坏,土壤菌群结构的稳定有利于石油烃的生物降解.     

N. europaea/Nc. mobilis谱系在垃圾渗滤液处理中的脱氨贡献

为了解垃圾渗滤液处理系统中菌群结构与脱氨效果的关系,采用16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术分析了15个实际垃圾渗滤液处理系统中的自养氨氧化细菌（AOB）的群落结构,监测了其中1个处理系统中的AOB群落结构的周年变化,并采集实际垃圾渗滤液开展了为期45d的模拟试验.结果表明,Nitrosomonas属是垃圾渗滤液处理系统中的优势自养氨氧化细菌,其相对丰度与脱氨活性呈显著正相关（P<0.05）.在此菌属中,N.europaea、N.eutropha和N.halophila的相对丰度与脱氨活性显著正相关（P<0.05）,这3种菌在系统发育上同属于N.europaea/Nitrosococcus mobilis谱系,说明该谱系是实际垃圾渗沥液处理系统中的优势AOB类群,并对垃圾渗滤液脱氨有重要贡献.     

A landscape-scale framework to identify refugia from multiple stressors

From a conservation perspective, quantifying potential refugial capacity has been predominantly focused on climate refugia, which is critical for maintaining the persistence of species and ecosystems. However, protection from other stressors, such as human-induced changes in fire and hydrology, that cause habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation is also necessary to ensure that conservation efforts focused on climate are not undermined by other threats. Thus, conceptual and methodological advances for quantifying potential refugia from multiple anthropogenic stressors are important to support conservation efforts. We devised a new conceptual approach, the domains of refugia, for assessing refugial capacity that identifies areas where exposure to multiple stressors is low. In our framework, patterns of environmental variability (e.g., increased frequency of warm summers), thresholds of resilience, and extent and intensity of stressors are used to identify areas of potential refugia from a suite of ongoing anthropogenic stressors (e.g., changes in fire regime). To demonstrate its utility, we applied the framework to a Southern California landscape. Sites with high refugial capacity (super-refugia sites) had on average 30% fewer extremely warm summers, 20% fewer fire events, 10% less exposure to altered river channels and riparian areas, and 50% fewer recreational trails than the surrounding landscape. Our results suggest that super-refugia sites (∼8200 km²) for some natural communities are underrepresented in the existing protected area network, a finding that can inform efforts to expand protected areas. Our case study highlights how considering exposure to multiple stressors can inform planning and practice to conserve biodiversity in a changing world.     

Studying ecological communities from a neutral standpoint: A review of models’ structure and parameter estimation

Neutral models provide an alternative to niche-based assembly rules of ecological communities by assuming that communities’ properties are shaped by the stochastic interplay between ecological drift, migration and speciation. The recent and ongoing interest about neutral assumptions has produced many developments on the theoretical side, with nevertheless limited echoes in terms of analyses of real-world data. The present review paper aims to help bridge the widening gap between modellers and field ecologists through two objectives. First, to provide a multi-criteria typology of the main neutral models, including those from population genetics that have not yet been transposed to ecology, by considering how the fundamental processes of ecological drift, speciation and migration are modelled and, specifically, how space is taken into account. Second, to review methods recently proposed to estimate models parameters from field data, a point that should be mastered to allow for broader applications.     

Plant Diversity Hotspots in the Atlantic Coastal Forests of Brazil

Abstract:  Plant-diversity hotspots on a global scale are well established, but smaller local hotspots within these must be identified for effective conservation of plants at the global and local scales. We used the distributions of endemic and endemic-threatened species of Myrtaceae to indicate areas of plant diversity and conservation importance within the Atlantic coastal forests ( Mata Atlântica ) of Brazil. We applied 3 simple, inexpensive geographic information system (GIS) techniques to a herbarium specimen database: predictive species-distribution modeling (Maxent); complementarity analysis (DIVA-GIS); and mapping of herbarium specimen collection locations. We also considered collecting intensity, which is an inherent limitation of use of natural history records for biodiversity studies. Two separate areas of endemism were evident: the Serra do Mar mountain range from Paraná to Rio de Janeiro and the coastal forests of northern Espírito Santo and southern Bahia. We identified 12 areas of approximately 35 km² each as priority areas for conservation. These areas had the highest species richness and were highly threatened by urban and agricultural expansion. Observed species occurrences, species occurrences predicted from the model, and results of our complementarity analysis were congruent in identifying those areas with the most endemic species. These areas were then prioritized for conservation importance by comparing ecological data for each.     

Biofuel Plantations on Forested Lands: Double Jeopardy for Biodiversity and Climate

Abstract: The growing demand for biofuels is promoting the expansion of a number of agricultural commodities, including oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). Oil‐palm plantations cover over 13 million ha, primarily in Southeast Asia, where they have directly or indirectly replaced tropical rainforest. We explored the impact of the spread of oil‐palm plantations on greenhouse gas emission and biodiversity. We assessed changes in carbon stocks with changing land use and compared this with the amount of fossil‐fuel carbon emission avoided through its replacement by biofuel carbon. We estimated it would take between 75 and 93 years for the carbon emissions saved through use of biofuel to compensate for the carbon lost through forest conversion, depending on how the forest was cleared. If the original habitat was peatland, carbon balance would take more than 600 years. Conversely, planting oil palms on degraded grassland would lead to a net removal of carbon within 10 years. These estimates have associated uncertainty, but their magnitude and relative proportions seem credible. We carried out a meta‐analysis of published faunal studies that compared forest with oil palm. We found that plantations supported species‐poor communities containing few forest species. Because no published data on flora were available, we present results from our sampling of plants in oil palm and forest plots in Indonesia. Although the species richness of pteridophytes was higher in plantations, they held few forest species. Trees, lianas, epiphytic orchids, and indigenous palms were wholly absent from oil‐palm plantations. The majority of individual plants and animals in oil‐palm plantations belonged to a small number of generalist species of low conservation concern. As countries strive to meet obligations to reduce carbon emissions under one international agreement (Kyoto Protocol), they may not only fail to meet their obligations under another (Convention on Biological Diversity) but may actually hasten global climate change. Reducing deforestation is likely to represent a more effective climate‐change mitigation strategy than converting forest for biofuel production, and it may help nations meet their international commitments to reduce biodiversity loss.