Applying the zoo model to conservation of threatened exceptional plant species

Maintaining a living plant collection is the most common method of ex situ conservation for plant species that cannot be seed banked (i.e., exceptional species). Viability of living collections, and their value for future conservation efforts, can be limited without coordinated efforts to track and manage individuals across institutions. Using a pedigree-focused approach, the zoological community has established an inter-institutional infrastructure to support long-term viability of captive animal populations. We assessed the ability of this coordinated metacollection infrastructure to support the conservation of 4 plant species curated in living collections at multiple botanic gardens around the world. Limitations in current practices include the inability to compile, share, and analyze plant collections data at the individual level, as well as difficulty in tracking original provenance of ex situ material. The coordinated metacollection framework used by zoos can be adopted by the botanical community to improve conservation outcomes by minimizing the loss of genetic diversity in collections. We suggest actions to improve ex situ conservation of exceptional plant species, including developing a central database to aggregate data and track unique individuals of priority threatened species among institutions and adapting a pedigree-based population management tool that incorporates life-history aspects unique to plants. If approached collaboratively across regional, national, and global scales, these actions could transform ex situ conservation of threatened plant species.     

Effects of amusing memes on concern for unappealing species

There is limited knowledge of the mechanisms that can inspire people's concern and engagement in the protection of unpopular and unappealing species. We analyzed Polish people's interest in themed internet memes featuring the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) and the consequences of this interest for conservation marketing. We examined Google Trends data, used Google Search, and searched popular media materials to estimate interest in the proboscis monkey in Poland. Photos of the proboscis monkey when presented with humor in internet memes attracted as much interest as usually more popular species (e.g., koala, panda, and orangutan) used in marketing by nongovernmental organizations. Amusing internet memes spread by social media positively correlated with increasing interest in the unappealing species, such as proboscis monkey. Interest in amusing internet memes positively correlated with individuals’ decisions to donate to 6 crowdfunding actions. Thus, conservation marketing that includes amusing memes and social media may provide a worthwhile complement to traditional campaigns and are likely to influence individuals who are unaffected by the usual means.     

Boosting freshwater fish conservation with high-resolution distribution mapping across a large territory

The lack of high-resolution distribution maps for freshwater species across large extents fundamentally challenges biodiversity conservation worldwide. We devised a simple framework to delineate the distributions of freshwater fishes in a high-resolution drainage map based on stacked species distribution models and expert information. We applied this framework to the entire Chinese freshwater fish fauna (>1600 species) to examine high-resolution biodiversity patterns and reveal potential conflicts between freshwater biodiversity and anthropogenic disturbances. The correlations between spatial patterns of biodiversity facets (species richness, endemicity, and phylogenetic diversity) were all significant (r = 0.43–0.98, p < 0.001). Areas with high values of different biodiversity facets overlapped with anthropogenic disturbances. Existing protected areas (PAs), covering 22% of China's territory, protected 25–29% of fish habitats, 16–23% of species, and 30–31% of priority conservation areas. Moreover, 6–21% of the species were completely unprotected. These results suggest the need for extending the network of PAs to ensure the conservation of China's freshwater fishes and the goods and services they provide. Specifically, middle to low reaches of large rivers and their associated lakes from northeast to southwest China hosted the most diverse species assemblages and thus should be the target of future expansions of the network of PAs. More generally, our framework, which can be used to draw high-resolution freshwater biodiversity maps combining species occurrence data and expert knowledge on species distribution, provides an efficient way to design PAs regardless of the ecosystem, taxonomic group, or region considered.     

Validating graph-based connectivity models with independent presence–absence and genetic data sets

Habitat connectivity is a key objective of current conservation policies and is commonly modeled by landscape graphs (i.e., sets of habitat patches [nodes] connected by potential dispersal paths [links]). These graphs are often built based on expert opinion or species distribution models (SDMs) and therefore lack empirical validation from data more closely reflecting functional connectivity. Accordingly, we tested whether landscape graphs reflect how habitat connectivity influences gene flow, which is one of the main ecoevolutionary processes. To that purpose, we modeled the habitat network of a forest bird (plumbeous warbler [Setophaga plumbea]) on Guadeloupe with graphs based on expert opinion, Jacobs’ specialization indices, and an SDM. We used genetic data (712 birds from 27 populations) to compute local genetic indices and pairwise genetic distances. Finally, we assessed the relationships between genetic distances or indices and cost distances or connectivity metrics with maximum-likelihood population-effects distance models and Spearman correlations between metrics. Overall, the landscape graphs reliably reflected the influence of connectivity on population genetic structure; validation R² was up to 0.30 and correlation coefficients were up to 0.71. Yet, the relationship among graph ecological relevance, data requirements, and construction and analysis methods was not straightforward because the graph based on the most complex construction method (species distribution modeling) sometimes had less ecological relevance than the others. Cross-validation methods and sensitivity analyzes allowed us to make the advantages and limitations of each construction method spatially explicit. We confirmed the relevance of landscape graphs for conservation modeling but recommend a case-specific consideration of the cost-effectiveness of their construction methods. We hope the replication of independent validation approaches across species and landscapes will strengthen the ecological relevance of connectivity models.     

长江口海域近50a来营养盐的变化及其对浮游植物群落演替的影响

本文根据收集到的1960s到2000s年间东海长江口附近海域(30.5～32°N,122～123°E)的营养盐数据,分析了长江口海域营养盐的季节变化及历史变化趋势。其中根据1959～1960年,1985～1986年和2002～2003年长江口海域营养盐的季节变化数据,发现50 a来,营养盐的季节变化差异不大,均呈现出春夏低,秋冬高的季节变化趋势,其中2002～2003年四个季节之间营养盐含量的变化幅度较其它两年略小。从1960s～2000s年的历史变化可以看出,调查海域的DIN含量呈现出显著上升的趋势,但是在2000年以后,DIN的年平均含量略有降低但变化不大,基本保持在18μmol/L。DIP年平均浓度变化不明显,浓度范围维持在0.39～0.60μmol/L之间。SiO3-Si的年平均含量呈现出明显的降低趋势。就营养盐组成变化来说,DIN/P比例和Si/DIN比值的变化趋势相反,DIN/P比例呈现出升高的趋势而Si/DIN呈现出降低的趋势。生物数据表明从1980s以后该海域赤潮优势种有从硅藻演变为甲藻的趋势,结合营养盐的变化分析认为过量的DIN和持续升高的DIN/P是造成这一藻种长期演变现象的主要原因。     

天津汉沽海域表层沉积物中P的赋存特征分析

利用连续分级提取方法,对天津汉沽海域表层沉积物中P的含量水平、赋存形态、及其生物有效性进行了分析。结果表明:表层沉积物中TP的含量在525.68×10-6～688.39×10-6之间,平均含量约为618.18×10-6,其中86.98%以IP的形式存在;而在IP中,FA-P是其主要的赋存形态,平均约占TP的59.54%;IP含量范围为48.52×10-6～146.72×10-6,平均约占TP的13.02%。P的生物有效性分析结果显示,潜在的生物有效P主要包括Ads-P、Fe-P和OP等3种赋存形态,而天津汉沽海域表层沉积物中潜在的生物有效P含量约为465.87×10-6～609.79×10-6,平均约占沉积物TP的89.14%,表明研究区域内沉积物具有很强的释P潜力。     

氨氮浓度对苦草上附植藻类定植的影响

为了认识水体富营养化过程中附植藻类群落定植演替规律,利用显微计数法,通过室内静态模拟实验,研究了水体中不同氨氮浓度对太湖常见沉水植物苦草上附植藻类的影响。结果表明:采集的样品在以硅藻门中脆杆藻属、直链藻属、桥弯藻属、舟行藻属以及蓝藻门的色球藻属为优势种的样品在放置到不同浓度氨氮的实验组后,最后群落演变成为在低浓度氨氮营养盐下以舟行藻和脆杆藻为优势属,中高浓度的氨氮营养盐下以绿藻门的毛枝藻和硅藻门的小环藻和舟行藻为优势属的附植藻类群落结构;生物量在低浓度范围内与氨氮营养盐呈正相关。表明氨氮营养盐对附植藻类群落结构影响非常明显。     

中美淡水生物区系中汞物种敏感度分布比较

通过收集无机汞对中国与美国淡水水生生物的毒性数据,构建了脊椎动物(包括鱼类)、无脊椎动物(包括节肢动物和非节肢无脊椎动物)及所有物种对汞的物种敏感度分布(SSD:species sensitivity distributions)曲线,并在此基础上对中国和美国不同类别生物对汞的敏感性分布进行了分析.结果表明:中国与美国各类生物及所有物种对汞的SSD敏感性分布曲线没有显著差异.然而,中国淡水水生物种对汞短期暴露的HC5(hazardous concentration for 5% of the species)较美国淡水物种的阈值小,尤其是非节肢无脊椎动物,汞对美国非节肢动物的HC5值是我国对应物种的7.4倍.在保护95%的物种水平下,中国不同类别试验生物对汞的敏感性排序为无脊椎动物>脊椎动物,其中节肢动物>非节肢无脊椎动物>鱼类;而对应的美国生物对汞的敏感性排序无脊椎动物>脊椎动物,其中节肢动物>鱼类>非节肢无脊椎动物.另外,中美所有节肢动物对汞的敏感性要强于所有鱼类和所有非节肢无脊椎动物.所以在使用所有物种推导水质基准时应考虑其中各类别物种敏感度分布的影响,且需要注意采用美国淡水水生物种推导的水质基准可能会对我国淡水水生物种造成"保护不足".     

三江平原水田灌溉-排水过程中铁形态变化及输出贡献

采集三江平原农田灌溉地下水、稻田积水、渠系排水、土壤侧渗水,并采用切向超滤技术分离水体中不同形态铁,分析在灌溉排水及地下侧渗水中铁的迁移特征,并估算水田排水中铁的输出贡献.结果表明,在灌溉排水过程中,铁主要以低分子量形态和酸性不稳定形态迁移,地下水中Fe2+含量占可溶态铁的80.45%;地下水抽取到稻田后Fe2+含量显著降低,络合态铁含量升高,稻田积水中络合态铁占可溶态铁的75.50%;稻田积水排入渠系后,络合态铁中不稳定弱配位铁含量降低13.58%,其他铁形态变化不大.稻田积水通过地下侧渗进入渠系,随侧渗水体深度加深,Fe2+含量升高,络合态和胶体态铁含量降低,地下侧渗水向渠系水主要提供络合态和胶体态铁.三江平原湿地水田化改变了水体中铁的输出形态,同时,排水过程中铁的输出也对河流形成补给,水田灌溉排水过程可溶态铁的输出通量约为390kg.a-.1km-2,输出系数为0.186,灌溉-排水过程中残留在稻田土壤中铁的量约为1460kg.a-.1km-2,残留在排水渠系土壤中铁的量约为250kg.a-.1km-2,这对三江平原水土环境产生了深远影响.     

纳米复合聚硅酸铝的颗粒粒度效应:Al_(13)与氧化硅的相互作用及其混凝特征

为了研究纳米复合聚硅酸铝(PASC)混凝剂的颗粒粒度效应,以实验室提纯的Al13溶液和活化水玻璃为原料,制备一系列不同粒度分布的PASC.以Al-Ferron法测定的铝水解形态表明,在该混凝剂中,Al13作为混凝优势形态具有较好的稳定性.氧化硅聚集度的测定和粒度分析结果表明,活化硅酸的加入能显著提高混凝剂的平均粒度,同时,Si/Al比(物质的量比)是影响平均粒度的主要因素.在活化硅酸不过量的前提下,Si/Al比和混凝剂的平均粒度呈正相关.混凝实验结果表明,在保证电中和能力的前提下,混凝剂的颗粒粒度越大,混凝剂的除浊能力越强.