Defining and Evaluating the Umbrella Species Concept for Conserving and Restoring Landscape Connectivity

Conserving or restoring landscape connectivity between patches of breeding habitat is a common strategy to protect threatened species from habitat fragmentation. By managing connectivity for some species, usually charismatic vertebrates, it is often assumed that these species will serve as conservation umbrellas for other species. We tested this assumption by developing a quantitative method to measure overlap in dispersal habitat of 3 threatened species—a bird (the umbrella), a butterfly, and a frog—inhabiting the same fragmented landscape. Dispersal habitat was determined with Circuitscape, which was parameterized with movement data collected for each species. Despite differences in natural history and breeding habitat, we found substantial overlap in the spatial distributions of areas important for dispersal of this suite of taxa. However, the intuitive umbrella species (the bird) did not have the highest overlap with other species in terms of the areas that supported connectivity. Nevertheless, we contend that when there are no irreconcilable differences between the dispersal habitats of species that cohabitate on the landscape, managing for umbrella species can help conserve or restore connectivity simultaneously for multiple threatened species with different habitat requirements. Definición y Evaluación del Concepto de Especie Paraguas para Conservar y Restaurar la Conectividad de Paisajes     

Landscape trajectory of natural boreal forest loss as an impediment to green infrastructure

Loss of natural forests by forest clearcutting has been identified as a critical conservation challenge worldwide. This study addressed forest fragmentation and loss in the context of the establishment of a functional green infrastructure as a spatiotemporally connected landscape-scale network of habitats enhancing biodiversity, favorable conservation status, and ecosystem services. Through retrospective analysis of satellite images, we assessed a 50- to 60-year spatiotemporal clearcutting impact trajectory on natural and near-natural boreal forests across a sizable and representative region from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Scandinavian Mountain Range in northern Fennoscandia. This period broadly covers the whole forest clearcutting period; thus, our approach and results can be applied to comprehensive impact assessment of industrial forest management. The entire study region covers close to 46,000 km² of forest-dominated landscape in a late phase of transition from a natural or near-natural to a land-use modified state. We found a substantial loss of intact forest, in particular of large, contiguous areas, a spatial polarization of remaining forest on regional scale where the inland has been more severely affected than the mountain and coastal zones, and a pronounced impact on interior forest core areas. Salient results were a decrease in area of the largest intact forest patch from 225,853 to 68,714 ha in the mountain zone and from 257,715 to 38,668 ha in the foothills zone, a decrease from 75% to 38% intact forest in the inland zones, a decrease in largest patch core area (assessed by considering 100-m patch edge disturbance) from 6114 to 351 ha in the coastal zone, and a geographic imbalance in protected forest with an evident predominance in the mountain zone. These results demonstrate profound disturbance of configuration of the natural forest landscape and disrupted connectivity, which challenges the establishment of functional green infrastructure. Our approach supports the identification of forests for expanded protection and conservation-oriented forest landscape restoration.     

Quantifying forest fragmentation spatial process in the developing State of Selangor,peninsular Malaysia

Forest fragmentation has several phases; thus, the ecological significance of each phase during a particular period of time must be interpreted. To interpret, this study quantifies the magnitude of forest loss and the changes in the temporal pattern of fragmentation in the State of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia. Using the decision tree model of land transformation, five phases of forest fragmentation were identified: perforation, dissection, dissipation, shrinkage and attrition. This analysis showed that the magnitude of forest loss was the highest during the dissipation phase. The patchiness analysis showed that dissipation contributes to the highest environmental uncertainty found for the forest patches. This study can be considered a first step in the exploration of the properties and the behavioural pattern shown by the spatial process of forest fragmentation.     

Combined Effects of Levels of Protection and Environmental Variables at Different Spatial Resolutions on Fish Assemblages in a Marine Protected Area

Abstract: The links between species–environment relations and species’ responses to protection are unclear, but the objectives of marine protected areas (MPAs) are most likely to be achieved when those relations are known and inform MPA design. The components of a species’ habitat vary with the spatial resolution of the area considered. We characterized areas at two resolutions: 250 m² (transect) and approximately 30,000 m² (seascape). We considered three categories of environmental variables: substrate type, bottom complexity, and depth. We sought to determine at which resolution habitat characteristics were a better predictor of abundance and species composition of fishes and whether the relations with environmental variables at either resolution affected species’ responses to protection. Habitat features accounted for a larger proportion of spatial variation in species composition and abundances than differences in protection status. This spatial variation was explained best by habitat characteristics at the seascape level than at the transect level. Species’ responses to protected areas were specific to particular seascape characteristics, primarily depth, and bottom complexity. Our method may be useful for prioritizing marine areas for protection, designing MPAs, and monitoring their effectiveness. It identified areas that provided natural shelter, areas acting as buffer zones, and areas where fish species were most responsive to protection. The identification of such areas is necessary for cost‐effective establishment and monitoring of MPAs.     

北方高盐景观水体氮磷时空分布特征及富营养化评价

为掌握北方高盐景观水体的水环境状况,选取天津市中新生态城3个景观水体(清净湖、蓟运河和蓟运河故道)为研究对象,于2013年12月—2014年11月对其进行定期取样监测,开展水体氮磷污染特征分析及富营养化评价。结果表明:1)蓟运河、清净湖和蓟运河故道的TDS均值分别为3.42,4.64,20.2 g/L,属于高盐景观水体;2)水体TN和TP浓度逐月变化显著,水质整体上冬春季优于夏秋季,其中蓟运河TP和TN的浓度最大,且波动较大;3)根据TN/TP比值判定,研究区水体除清净湖在短时间表现为氮限制外,水体大部分时间段内表现为磷限制,P为主要限制因子;4)富营养化评价表明:水体均处于富营养状态,且有蓟运河蓟运河故道清净湖;5)相关性结果表明:TDS与电导率、水温及EI呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.905、0.822和0.645,盐度也是影响富营养化的关键因素。     

城市建筑周边绿地景观格局优化方法研究

现有绿地景观格局优化方法,存在梯度变化不规律、边缘斑块密度不均等缺陷.针对该问题,提出基于窗口移动法的新型城市建筑周边绿地景观格局优化方法,通过确定研究区域与数据来源,以边缘斑块密度、梯度、绿地景观格局化指数为绿地景观格局化指数,确立研究方法.模拟研究环境设计实验结果表明,采用改进格局优化方法可改善城市建筑周边绿地景观格局梯度变化不规律问题;在特定空间分布状态下,还可避免边缘斑块密度不均的现象发生.     

武夷新区土地利用变化及景观格局研究

以2010年的LandsatTM遥感影像图和武夷新区总体规划中新区2030年土地利用规划图为基础数据,在RS和GIS技术支持下,结合马尔科夫模型和景观生态学方法分析了未来武夷新区的土地利用与案观格局变化。结果表明：在规划实施后,建设用地通过占用耕地和林地而大面积增加,使得林地和耕地相应减少,人类活动对景观的干扰强度增大,区域景观斑块形状趋于规则简单化,斑块总数有所减少,平均斑块面积增大,景观连接度增强,破碎化程度降低,景观多样性增加。     

Distribution characteristics of dissolved organic carbon in annular wetland soil-water solutions through soil profiles in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

Overwhelming evidence reveals that concentrations of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） have increased in streams which brings negative environmental impacts. DOC in stream flow is mainly originated from soil-water solutions of watershed. Wetlands prove to be the most sensitive areas as an important DOC reserve between terrestrial and fluvial biogeosystems. This reported study was focused on the distribution characteristics and the controlling factors of DOC in soil-water solutions of annular wetland, i.e., a dishing wetland and a forest wetland together, in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results indicate that DOC concentrations in soilwater solutions decreased and then increased with increasing soil depth in the annular wetland. In the upper soil layers of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, DOC concentrations in soil-water solutions linearly increased from edge to center of the annular wetland （R^2 = 0.3122 and R^2 = 0.443）. The distribution variations were intimately linked to DOC production and utilization and DOC transport processes in annular wetland soil-water solutions. The concentrations of total organic carbon （TOC）, total carbon （TC） and Fe（II）, DOC mobility and continuous vertical and lateral flow affectext the distribution variations of DOC in soil-water solutions. The correlation coefficients between DOC concentrations and TOC, TC and Fe（II） were 0.974, 0.813 and 0.753 respectively. These distribution characteristics suggested a systematic response of the distribution variations of DOC in annular wetland soil-water solutions to the geometry of closed depressions on a scale of small catchments. However, the DOC in soil pore water of the annular wetland may be the potential source of DOC to stream flow on watershed scale. These observations also implied the fragmentation of wetland landscape could bring the spatial-temporal variations of DOC distribution and exports, which would bring negative environmental impacts in watersheds of the Sanjiang Plain.     

应用景观生态学原理构建城市河道生态护岸

首先分析了传统水工设计中护岸的弊端,然后从景观生态学角度介绍了岸坡生态系统的主要特征、生态护岸的多种功能和景观生态学内涵;介绍了国内外生态护岸的研究现状,提出了城市河道在生态护岸设计中应在保证稳定安全的前提下,坚持生态优先的原则,重视其景观性和亲水性;最后对生态护岸的材料与植物群落的选择进行了分析。旨在探讨河流生态治理的方法,为生态护岸的构建与河流、洪泛区的治理提供一定的思路和参考。     

基于多期遥感数据对岱海湿地的景观格局分析

文章提取了3期遥感数据的湿地类型,通过对景观格局的动态变化分析,说明了人为干扰和气候因素对岱海湿地的影响,为湿地管理提供了依据。