Grassy field margins as potential corridors for butterflies in agricultural landscapes: A simulation study

Over the last decades, agricultural intensification has caused a dramatic reduction of grassy habitats. This habitat loss has had a strong negative effect on many meadow-living insect populations, including butterflies. As a part of the cross-compliance measures of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, subsidies for creation and maintenance of grassy field margins (GFM) have been launched. Among other environmental issues, they may serve as corridors for movement of various meadow-living species between individual meadows. Their role as corridors has, however, not yet been demonstrated at the landscape scale and their characteristics that most significantly increase landscape connectivity are unknown. Empirical data for such studies are missing, as the GFM subsidies were launched only 3 years ago. One possibility to get some predictions of their outcomes is provided by simulation models. Here we present our simulation results, using an extension of the model developed by Kindlmann et al. (2004) for the Meadow Brown butterfly, Maniola jurtina. The extension includes the probability to cross a boundary (Conradt and Roper, 2006) that negatively influences dispersal rates but increases sensitivity to the corridor effect. Our simulations show that GFMs increase the dispersal rates between habitat patches and we predict the optimal combinations of width and number of GFMs in the landscape. This way we provide a decision-making tool for increasing landscape connectivity for M. jurtina and similar species. Although our simulations are based on a particular species, they may be generalized because this species shows dispersal rates that are typical of butterfly metapopulations (Conradt et al., 2000), and a potentially widespread dispersal kernel (i.e. “foray search”) that has been reported in a wide variety of species (see Conradt et al., 2003 for a review).     

Seasonal variation of microbial populations and biomass in Tatachia grassland soils of Taiwan

To investigate the seasonal variations of microbial ecology in grassland of Tatachia forest, soil properties, microbial populations, microbial biomass, and 16S rDNA clone library analysis were determined. The soil had temperatures 6.6–18.4°C, pH 3.6–5.1, total organic carbon 1.11–10.68%, total nitrogen 0.18–0.78%, and C/N ratios 3.46–20.55. Each gram of dry soil contained bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, cellulolytic, phosphate-solubilizing microbes, and nitrogen-fixing microbes 4.54 × 10⁴ to 3.79 × 10⁷, 3.43 × 10² to 2.17 × 10⁵, 5.74 × 10³ to 3.76 × 10⁶, 1.97 × 10³ to 1.34 × 10⁶, 8.49 × 10² to 5.59 × 10⁵, and 3.86 × 10² to 3.75 × 10⁵ CFU, respectively. Each gram of soil contained 117–2,482 μg of microbial biomass carbon, 23–216 μg of microbial biomass nitrogen and 9–29 μg of DNA. The microbial populations, microbial biomass, and DNA decreased stepwise with the depth of soil, and they had low values in winter seasons. The microbial populations, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, and DNA at the BW2 horizon were 8.42–17.84, 19.26–64.40, 16.84–61.11, and 31.03–46.26% of those at the O horizon, respectively. When analyzing 16S rDNA library, members of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, candidate division TM1, candidate division TM7, Gammatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia were identified. Members of Proteobacteria (44.4%) and Acidobacteria (33.3%) dominated the clone libraries. Within the phylum Proteobacteria, α-, β-, and γ-Proteobacteria were most numerous, followed by δ-Proteobacteria.     

Spatial heterogeneity of vegetation under different grazing intensities in the Northwest Heilongjiang Steppe of China

In northern China, recent degradation of semi-arid grasslands caused by overgrazing is serious. At Green Grassland Village, west of Daqing City in Heilongjiang Province, three grasslands with different degrees of degradation were surveyed. In the survey, a new method of vegetation analysis based on the beta-binomial distribution, was adopted to describe the frequency of occurrence and spatial heterogeneity for each plant species.Chenopodium centrorubrum, Cleistogenes squarrosa and a Carex species were commonly found in the three grasslands. Non-degraded grassland with light grazing was dominated by Arundinella hirta, Filifolium sibiricium, Lespedeza hedysaroides, Potentilla verticillaris, Stipa baicalensis and Thymus serpyllum. These species belong to the erect-type or do not develop large clones under light grazing. These species can be used as indicators of a well-managed grassland in this area. On the other hand, the degraded grassland with heavy grazing was dominated by Artemisia spp. and Euphorbia humifusa var. pilosa. Artemisia spp., E. humifusa var. pilosa, Eragrostis pilosa and Setaria viridis belong to the creeping-type or develop rather large stocks or stolons under heavy utilization. These species increased the spatial heterogeneity in the degraded grassland with heavy grazing.Under degraded conditions, species diversity decreased and spatial heterogeneity of the communities tended to increase.     

中等城市居民生活消费生态系统占用的比较分析——以泰州、商丘、铜川、锡林郭勒为例

论文引入生态足迹用于分析城市居民消费,通过选取代表不同经济水平和具有不同消费特点的泰州、商丘、铜川、锡林郭勒4个地级市(盟),从生态系统占用角度计算并分析了不同地区中等城市居民生活消费生态系统占用的差异。结果表明:泰州、商丘、铜川90%左右的生态占用来自人们对吃穿的消费,而锡林郭勒这部分的占用则不到70%,其相当一部分占用是来自为了克服较差的气候条件而产生的取暖用煤量;位于草原地区的锡林郭勒多消费牛羊肉,对草地的人均占用多达0.333hm2,是其他地区的数倍,位于长江流域的泰州水产消费较其他地区多,对水域的人均占用达到了0.116hm2,另外三地仅及其16%～45%。结合4城市的生态空间分析发现,仅商丘、泰州、铜川的城镇居民生活消费所占用的生态空间就已经超出了整个城市地区的生态承载水平,即使是地广人稀的锡林郭勒,城镇居民生活消费的生态占用也已接近全盟生态承载的1/2。显然,城市是一类典型的生态赤字区,如何有效调节城市居民的消费方式与消费结构,对于促进城市的可持续发展具有十分重要的意义。     

生态治理工程对锡林郭勒草地生态系统文化服务感知的影响研究

锡林郭勒近年来草地退化趋势严重,一系列生态治理工程陆续开展。基于问卷调查法,探究草地文化服务牧户感知情况及其影响因素,对比分析不同治理工程区牧户对草地文化服务感知的差异。结果表明：（1）牧户对草地文化服务的感知受其民族、年龄、文化水平的影响（P<0.05）。蒙古族对生理和精神健康、美学价值的感知高于汉族;年龄较高的群体对生理及精神健康服务、教育及研究价值感知较高,对休闲娱乐的感知较低;高文化水平群体对教育及研究价值感知较高。（2）生态工程影响草地文化服务的牧户感知,“草畜平衡+休牧+禁牧”区牧户对草地多项文化服务（生理及精神健康、灵感、精神及宗教信仰、地方感、休闲娱乐）的感知低于其他治理工程区。     

锡林河流域生态系统服务价值变化研究

论文采用Costanza等人的生态系统服务评价方法对锡林河流域生态系统服务功能价值变化进行研究,结果表明,在1987～2000年的13年间,锡林河流域各类生态系统每年提供的服务总价值下降了31.6%,其中,草原生态系统服务价值从5.13×10⁸美元降至4.38×10⁸美元,下降13.3%;湿地生态系统服务的总价值由2.62×10⁸美元下降为0.9×10⁸美元,下降了65.1%;而农田生态系统服务价值由0.01×10⁸美元上升到0.03×10⁸美元,增加了200%。在草原生态系统服务功能总价值中,绣线菊草原、贝加尔针茅草原、羊草杂草类草原和羊草丛生禾草草原等优质草原所占的比重在逐渐减小,克氏针茅草原、冷蒿草原等退化类型所占的比重在逐渐增加,说明锡林河流域草原生态系统退化严重。该流域生态系统服务功能价值的下降与生态系统的退化和面积的减小有关。     

利用马尔柯夫过程预测锡林河流域草原退化格局的变化

以我国北方典型草原模式地段之一的锡林河流域草原为研究对象,根据研究区两个时期遥感影像解译的植被类型图衍生出草原植被退化图。在对草原退化图统一网格化后,计算各网格草原退化指数,并加以分级,确定不同草原退化等级之间转移概率,并应用马尔柯夫模型预测锡林河流域草原退化格局的演变趋势。结果表明:如果不采取防止草地退化的根本性措施,草原退化态势还将继续下去。以每个网格草原退化指数值为各网格草原退化状况划分依据,以3km×3km网格为统计单元,在流域总面积为10701km₂情况下,预测结果是:2005年,锡林河流域草原退化为3级的网格总面积是3776km₂,占流域总面积的35.29%;4、5级网格面积之和为5427km₂,达到流域总面积的50.71%。2025年,锡林河流域草原退化为3级的网格面积总和是3389km₂,占流域总面积的31.67%;4、5级网格面积之和为6406km₂,达到流域总面积的59.86%。     

锡林河流域Cyanobacteria群落空间分化及其与环境因子的关系

为阐明蓝细菌（Cyanobacteria）群落的空间分化及其与环境因子的关系,本研究采集了锡林河流域河床中心湍流区、河床边缘缓流区、牛轭湖滞流区、低河漫滩、高河漫滩、阶地羊草及大针茅草原样带等28个沉积物/土壤样品进行细菌16S rRNA基因高通量测序及生物信息学分析.结果显示,Cyanobacteria群落存在明显的空间分化特征并能对环境因子做出敏感响应.Leptolyngbya和Phormidium等关联的5个种群主要分布在高氨中盐相对中富营养的缓滞流区,其丰度与氨态氮、总有机碳等存在正相关关系,推测与水华形成有关;Caenarcaniphilales关联的种群分布在低氨低盐相对寡营养的湍流区,其丰度仅与砂粒存在正相关关系,推测与固氮作用有关;ML635J-21关联的种群分布在中氨高盐相对全营养的高河漫滩及阶地土壤中,其丰度与粉黏粒及盐度等存在正相关关系,可能与生物土壤结皮形成过程有关.变异权重分析显示,氨态氮、盐度、总有机碳分别解释了Cyanobacteria群落空间分化的51.1%、23.9%、15.1%,说明这些环境因子的变化与Cyanobacteria群落的空间分化密切相关.研究结果可为锡林河流域草原牧区生态安全评价和生物多样性可持续管理提供科学依据.     

InVEST模型对锡林郭勒草原碳储量研究的适用性分析

锡林郭勒草原是我国四大草原之一,也是内蒙古主要的天然草场。近年来,在各种因素影响下,锡林郭勒草原区生态系统发生重大变化,导致草原区碳储量也发生改变。本文尝试应用In VEST模型中的碳储量模块对2013年锡林郭勒草原碳储量进行研究,从而探究In VEST模型在碳储量研究中的适用性。结果表明:(1)锡林郭勒草原各草地类型的地下碳储量明显多于地上碳储量;(2)草甸草原碳储量典型草原碳储量荒漠草原碳储量;(3)应用In VEST模型计算不同草地类型地上和地下碳储量,草甸草原分别为196.7 g?m~(-2)和1385.2 g?m~(~(-2));典型草原的分别为133.4 g?m~(-2)和688.9 g?m~(-2);荒漠草原的分别为56.6 g?m~(-2)和301 g?m~(-2)。应用In VEST模型计算出来的碳储量值与前人采用实地采样得出的结果基本一致,所以In VEST模型对于草原区碳储量的研究具有一定的适用性。     

Carbon exchange between ecosystems and atmosphere in the Czech Republic is affected by climate factors

By comparing five ecosystem types in the Czech Republic over several years, we recorded the highest carbon sequestration potential in an evergreen Norway spruce forest (100%) and an agroecosystem (65%), followed by European beech forest (25%) and a wetland ecosystem (20%). Because of a massive ecosystem respiration, the final carbon gain of the grassland was negative. Climate was shown to be an important factor of carbon uptake by ecosystems: by varying the growing season length (a 22-d longer season in 2005 than in 2007 increased carbon sink by 13%) or by the effect of short- term synoptic situations (e.g. summer hot and dry days reduced net carbon storage by 58% relative to hot and wet days). Carbon uptake is strongly affected by the ontogeny and a production strategy which is demonstrated by the comparison of seasonal course of carbon uptake between coniferous (Norway spruce) and deciduous (European beech) stands.