Influence of the zebra mussel and fish fry on structural and functional characteristics of microorganisms in experimental ecosystems

The interactions of zebra mussels, invertebrates, fish, and microorganisms were studied experimentally. Trends in the distribution of total bacterial biomass, the abundance of heterotrophic organisms, and their functional activities in water and grounds were analyzed. The most favorable conditions for development of bacteria developed in June, in the presence of fish and without zebra mussels. In experimental ecosystems with zebra mussels, a decrease in the abundance and activity of microorganisms and a change of dominant yeast forms were observed.     

Assessment of Environmental Water Demands (EWD) of Forests for Two Distinct Indian Ecosystems

Sustainable use of water and land resources requires that these scarce resources be appropriately allocated among various competing human activities. Worldwide, there is a realization now that sustainable river basin management should be accorded the highest priority, because it deals not only with technical, but also with ecological and socioeconomic aspects, and thus calls for a multidisciplinary and integrated approach. However, most of the policy and planning documents have either remained silent, or have made only implicit reference to the importance of environmental water demand (EWD) and its quantification. Therefore, in the light of its importance, a methodology has been evolved in this article for quantifying EWD for various forested areas in two distinctly different Indian river basins: Brahmani (humid zone) and Sabarmati (dry zone). The article analyzes and discusses EWD estimates at three different spatial levels: river basins, states, and districts within them, and finally presents a comparative analysis of all these results. Findings of the present study will be immensely useful in understanding various ecological issues connected with water resource projects and proposals in these river basins.     

Catastrophic Reproductive Failure, Terrestrial Survival, and Persistence of the Marbled Salamander

Abstract:  Wide variation in reproductive success is common among amphibians that breed in seasonal ponds, but persistence of adults can buffer against these fluctuations, particularly for long-lived species. We hypothesized that the frequent episodes of catastrophic failure of the marbled salamander ( Ambystoma opacum ) enhance the importance of high terrestrial survival. At Rainbow Bay in South Carolina reproductive success was poor (<1 metamorph/breeding female) in nearly half of the 22 years that the species bred. Complete failure occurred in 6 of 22 years. To study catastrophic failure, we adapted an age-structured, individual-based model with density-dependent growth and survival of larvae. The model was based on extensive data from local field studies and experiments. With consistently good survival in the pond stages, the simulated population required survival probabilities in the upland stages (juveniles and adults) near 0.5/year to persist and near 0.8/year to achieve the increases observed. Catastrophic failure, occurring randomly with probability 0.5/year, created additional fluctuations in the population, raised the thresholds of survival required for persistence, and caused extinction under conditions that were otherwise favorable. The marbled salamander at Rainbow Bay is not at great risk of extinction because of catastrophic failure, but the risk increases dramatically if life span is decreased or frequency of failure is increased. Any reduction in terrestrial survival will have deleterious consequences by reducing the breeding populations at equilibrium, even if it does not jeopardize persistence. Our model provides assessments of risk that can be applied to poorly studied species with similar life histories, such as the endangered flatwoods salamander ( A. cingulatum ).     

Implications of a simple competition model for the stability of an intercropping system

It is a common view that intercropping systems of agricultural crops produce more stable yields than do systems in which the same crops are grown in monoculture. This paper discusses a modelling approach which has been used to support the notion that whether or not intercropping is more stable than monoculture depends on the mode of interaction among crops, i.e. whether two different crops suppress or enhance each other. It is shown here that this notion is not supported by the model used. We conclude that the relative merits of the two cropping systems depend on the proportion of land allocated to each crop rather than on the mode of interaction. The model suggests that if the optimum allocation of land is considered, both systems will be equally stable.     

南充市城市生态系统健康评价

城市生态系统是一个综合性、复杂性的大系统,涉及到城市自然环境、社会经济、人群健康状况、资源状况、环境状况和城市基础设施等各个方面,健康的城市生态系统是人类所向往的目标.从生态系统健康的内涵出发,依据城市生态系统的特殊性,建立了城市生态系统健康评价指标体系;运用AHP法确定了城市生态系统健康评价各指标要素之间的权重;采用模糊数学法的原理建立城市生态系统健康评价模型.将该模型方法应用于南充市城市生态系统健康评价,通过评价得出:南充城市生态系统健康状况为"亚健康"状态,其隶属度为0.329.     

海洋陆源污染的产生原因与防治模式

海洋陆源污染是陆域经济社会活动行为及其对海洋生态环境造成的负面影响进而出现的污染性问题。累积性的陆源排污不仅会对海洋环境容量造成不良影响,同时也会对海洋自净能力造成减弱影响,不利于沿海地区的经济发展。目前,关于海洋陆源污染问题的防治工作刻不容缓,本文就从多个方面进行统筹规划与科学部署,通过深入掌握海洋陆源污染的具体成因,提出了针对性防治模式,以期为相关人员提供一定的借鉴价值。     

农业生产措施对土壤碳库的影响

在陆地碳平衡日益成为全球变化科学和生态科学中最为前沿与热点问题的前提下,农业碳平衡问题也受到了强烈的关注,从而促进了农业生产措施对土壤碳库影响的研究。文章综述了农业生产措施对土壤碳库的影响及其效率。从全球不同地区的研究得出,农业措施决定了现阶段农业生态系统是C源还是C汇。目前,影响农田土壤碳库的措施主要有:农业用地面积的扩张;耕地的休耕与利用;农业施肥;耕作方式;作物类型与轮作;秸秆还田。平均不同地区的研究结果,各种措施提高土壤碳积累的效率(CMg·hm-2·a-1)分别为:施用动物肥料0.6(肥料用量10Mg·hm-2·a-1)、施化肥-0.71、耕地转换为草场0.825、改善轮作0.21、实施免耕0.315、秸秆还田0.3。目前研究存在的问题及将来的研究重点应主要集中在:通过改善农业措施提高土壤碳库的可行性;土壤有机碳积累与农业措施间的关系的地区差异性;农业措施提高土壤碳库所产生的环境效益与经济效益。     

Relationships between Plant and Animal Species Richness at a Regional Scale in China

Abstract:  Important questions in conservation biology and ecology include whether species diversities of different groups of organisms are correlated and, in particular, whether plant diversity influences animal diversity. I used correlation and partial regression analyses to examine the relationships between species richness of vascular plants and four major groups of terrestrial vertebrates (mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds) in 28 provinces in China. Species richness data were obtained from the literature. Environmental variables included normalized difference vegetation index, mean January temperature, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, May through August precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, and elevation range. Species richness was strongly and positively correlated among the five groups of organisms. Plant richness was correlated with animal richness more strongly than the richness of different animal groups correlated with each other except for reptile richness, which had a slightly higher correlation with amphibian richness than with plant richness. Plant richness uniquely explained 41 times more variance in the species richness of the four vertebrate groups combined than environmental variables uniquely did, suggesting that plant richness influences terrestrial vertebrate richness at the regional scale examined. Because of strong correlations between the diversity of vascular plants and vertebrates, the diversity of vascular plants may be used as a surrogate for the diversity of terrestrial animals in China. My results have implications for selection of areas to be protected at both regional and local scales.     

Multistate models for monitoring individual trees in permanent observation plots

This interdisciplinary research on forest ecosystems begins with some characteristics of ecosystems which are the basis for the derivation of statistical models for the development and vitality of trees. Several ecological problems which could be solved by longitudinal studies are mentioned. Statistical methods for the evaluation of the crowns of spruce trees (Picea abies Karst) in three permanent observation plots in Switzerland are described. In particular, the time-dependent proportional odds model and a transitional model are used. Through application of these multistate models the data give information on the dependence of an ordered categorical response variable on covariates characterizing the ecosystem. The response variable is observed through infrared aerial photographs. This monitoring system gives insight into the dynamic behaviour of the forest ecosystem. The need for more eco-systematically motivated statistical research using longitudinal studies is identified.     

陆地生物配体模型（t-BLM）初探：镁离子降低铜离子对小麦根的毒性

生物配体模型(BLM)同时考虑了水中金属离子的化学形态以及阳离子与金属离子在生物配体(BL)上的竞争对其毒性的影响,能成功预测水体金属的生物毒性/有效性.最近,BLM呈现出向土壤环境中拓展的趋势,发展能预测重金属对土壤生物毒性的陆地生物配体模型(t-BLM)正成为最新的国际研究热点.论文模拟土壤溶液,以土壤溶液中的主要阳离子Mg2+为例,通过单因素浓度控制-恒pH营养液培养-陆生植物根伸长抑制试验,定量探讨了不同浓度Mg2+存在下,铜离子(Cu2+)对小麦(Triticum aestivum)根的毒性.结果表明,Mg2+浓度升高显著减弱了Cu2+对小麦根的毒性,即呈现出保护效应.证实陆地生态系统中也存在阳离子对重金属植物毒性的保护效应,支持了BLM中阳离子和重金属离子在生物配体上存在竞争结合的假设,即BLM概念适用于陆生植物.定量分析表明,小麦根生长抑制的毒性效应指标EC50(以自由铜离子活度表示)与自由镁离子活度间存在良好的相关性,线性回归方程为:pEC50(Cu2+)=-0.36(Mg2+)+6.47(r2=0.9976),Mg2+对Cu2+毒性的影响强度可以通过该方程进行预测.论文积累了重金属铜对典型陆生受试植物小麦的毒性数据,探讨了t-BLM的构建方法学,并为其发展提供了思路.联合了土壤理化性质、金属形态及生物积累和毒性效应的t-BLM,将提供一个环境风险评价和制定土壤质量标准的新工具.