黄河三角洲自然保护区秋冬季水鸟群落组成与生境关系分析

于2014年10月至2015年1月采用样线调查法对黄河三角洲自然保护区秋季迁徙期和越冬期水鸟群落结构进行调查研究,调查共包括8条样线40个观测点.结果表明:(1)秋季迁徙期共记录水鸟6目14科54种,国家Ⅰ级保护鸟类5种,国家Ⅱ级保护鸟类8种;越冬期共记录水鸟5目7科31种,国家Ⅰ级保护鸟类1种,国家Ⅱ级保护鸟类4种.(2)2个时期雁形目水鸟种类和数量均占优势,豆雁(Anser fabalis)、斑嘴鸭(Anas poecilorhycha)、赤膀鸭(Anas strepera)和绿头鸭(Anas platyrhynchos)为优势物种,丹顶鹤(Grus japonensis)、东方白鹳(Ciconia boyciana)和大大鹅(Cygnus cygnus)等珍稀水鸟也有一定的种群数量.(3)秋季迁徙期水鸟种数、数量和ShannonWiener多样性指数多于或高于越冬期.(4)5种典型生境之间水鸟种类和数量存在差异,天然水域是水鸟群落的主要分布区.(5)自然生境内的水鸟种数、数量和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数一般多于或高于人工生境.相似性分析结果表明,自然生境之间水鸟群落结构相似程度高于人工生境.     

七星河湿地氨氧化古菌多样性和丰度及其与环境因子的相关性分析

以典型东北寒温带沼泽湿地——七星河湿地中芦苇和小叶樟植被下不同深度土壤中氨氧化古菌(Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea,AOA)为研究对象,以编码氨氧化作用关键酶——氨单加氧酶(AMO)的amo A基因为分子标记,通过构建克隆文库和生物信息学方法分析数据,考察了不同植被环境中AOA多样性和丰度的垂直分布规律,及其与环境因子的相关性.研究结果表明,小叶樟植被土壤中AOA amo A基因多样性显著高于芦苇植被土壤中amo A基因多样性,芦苇植被土壤中AOA amo A基因多样性在深度为40~60 cm土层中最高,AOA多样性与NH+4-N、NO-3-N含量呈正相关;小叶樟植被土壤中AOA amo A基因多样性在深度为20~40 cm土层中最高,AOA多样性与NH+4-N、NO-3-N含量呈正相关.芦苇植被土壤中AOA丰度最低值出现于0~20 cm土层中,到20~40 cm土层中出现最高值,随着深度增加AOA丰度下降,AOA丰度则与NO-2-N含量呈正相关.小叶樟植被土壤中AOA丰度变化趋势与芦苇不同,最高值出现于0~20 cm土层中,随着土层深度增加AOA丰度下降,到40~60 cm出现最低值,AOA丰度与NO-2-N、TOC含量呈正相关.两种植被土壤中AOA丰度均在60~90 cm处有升高趋势.芦苇植被土壤中AOA丰度约是小叶樟植被土壤中AOA丰度的1.49倍.以上结果为湿地AOA生态功能及分布模式的研究提供基础数据,对全球氮循环的研究提供补充.     

寒区典型湿地浮游植物功能群季节变化及其与环境因子关系

安邦河湿地是一个典型的寒区湿地,本文运用功能群的方法对其浮游植物季节变化进行研究,并运用多元分析方法分析其与环境因子的关系.安邦河湿地共有浮游植物种8门104种,划分为14个功能群,分别是C、D、E、F、H1、J、Lo、M、MP、N、P、SN、X1和Y.其中重要功能群是C、D、E、J、Lo、N、P和Y.浮游植物的功能群组成季节变化明显,春季以功能群E和Lo生物量所占比例最大,分别为27.45%和20.49%;夏季以功能群D、J、P占优,为28.59%、18.53%和19.47%;秋季以功能群J、P为主,占39.65%和13.34%.可见,安邦河湿地浮游植物功能群的季节变化呈现为E+Lo→D+J+P→J+P的特点,反映了水环境特征:春季低水温低营养盐、夏季高水温高营养盐且水体混浊、秋季水温和营养盐均较高.运用冗余分析(RDA)分析浮游植物功能群与环境因子之间的关系,结果显示水温(WT)、无机氮(DIN)和溶解性磷酸盐(SRP)是安邦河湿地浮游植物功能群季节变化的主要环境因子.     

阿哈水库浮游植物功能群时空分布特征及其影响因子分析

为了解贵州高原阿哈水库的浮游植物功能类群时空分布特征及其影响因素,于2012年至2013年枯水期(11月)、平水期(4月)、丰水期(7月)对浮游植物与水样进行分层采样分析.研究结果表明:浮游植物可分为23个功能群,优势功能群为B、D、J、LO、P、S1和X1,其时空分布特征表现为:枯水期、平水期与丰水期分别以B+D+P+LO、S1+LO以及S1为主,其丰度由枯水期至丰水期依次递增;优势功能群主要在15 m以下水体发生变化,营养物质分布差异及人工放闸泄水是产生该特征的主要原因;采样点大坝和库中的优势功能群季节变化大致相同,但却表现出大坝多于库中,而其丰度却低于库中的特征,水动力条件是导致这一变化的主要原因.经RDA分析得出,优势功能群丰度与水温呈正相关,与总氮、透明度、磷酸盐、硝氮呈负相关,其中水温、透明度为影响浮游植物功能群时空分布的主要因子.     

A time‐lagged investigation of the impact of coworker behavior on the effects of demographic dissimilarity

Although it is clear that coworker absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover can influence an employee's actions, scholars have yet to consider the impact of relational demography on the adoption of these behavioral norms. Inspired by social identity, situational strength, and attraction‐selection‐attrition theories, we proposed that individuals who differ from their coworkers in age, sex, or racioethnicity would feel threatened by their outnumbered status and subsequently motivated to be absent, tardy, or more likely to turnover. However, we expected coworker withdrawal behavior to moderate whether or not dissimilar personnel act on these desires. Results from hierarchical multilevel modeling analyses of data from 470 U.S. call center workers nested in 51 work groups revealed that racioethnic dissimilarity was positively related to time‐lagged changes in absenteeism and tardiness as well as heightened turnover likelihood. These effects emerged only among employees whose coworkers engaged in greater withdrawal behavior. Importantly, racioethnically dissimilar employees working in more permissive climates (i.e., those with high levels of coworker absenteeism, tardiness, or turnover) exhibited the greatest increases in absenteeism and tardiness over three months and had the highest supervisor‐rated turnover likelihood. Implications for diversity management are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at a large-scale antimony mining area in southern China

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have great potential for assisting heavy metal hyperaccumulators in the remediation of contaminated soils. However, little information is available about the community composition of AMF under natural conditions in soils contaminated by antimony (Sb). The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of AMF molecular diversity, and to explore the effects of Sb content and soil properties on the AMF community structure in an Sb mining area. Four Sb mine spoils and one adjacent reference area were selected from around the Xikuangshan mine in southern China. The association of AMF molecular diversity and community composition with the rhizosphere soils of the dominant plant species was studied by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Results from all five studied sites showed that the diversity of AMF decreased with increasing Sb concentration. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the AMF community structure was markedly different among these groups. Further redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that Sb contaminationwas the dominating factor influencing the AMF community structure in the Sb mine area. However, the multivariate analysis showed that, apart from the soil Sb content, extractable nitrogen content and organic matter content also attributed to AMF sequence distribution type. Some AMF sequences were only found in the highly contaminated area and these might be ideal candidates for improving phytoremediation efficiency in Sb mining regions. Gene sequencing analysis revealed that most species were affiliated with Glomus, suggesting that Glomus was the dominant AMF genus in the studied Sb mining area.     

Conservation mycology in Australia and the potential role of citizen science

Fungi are undoubtedly important for ecosystem functioning; however, they have been omitted or given scant attention in most biodiversity policy documents, management plans, and formal conservation schedules throughout the world. This oversight may be due to a general lack of awareness in the scientific community and compounded by a scarcity of mycology‐associated curricula at the tertiary level and a lack of mycologists in research institutions. Although molecular techniques advance the systematic cataloging of fungi and facilitate insights into fungal communities, the scarcity of professional mycologists in the environmental sciences hampers conservation efforts. Conversely, citizen science initiatives are making significant contributions to the mycology discipline by increasing awareness and extending the scope of fungal surveys. Future research by professional and amateur mycologists into the distribution of fungi and their function in ecosystems will help identify wider and more effective conservation goals.     

Association of extinction risk of saproxylic beetles with ecological degradation of forests in Europe

To reduce future loss of biodiversity and to allocate conservation funds effectively, the major drivers behind large‐scale extinction processes must be identified. A promising approach is to link the red‐list status of species and specific traits that connect species of functionally important taxa or guilds to resources they rely on. Such traits can be used to detect the influence of anthropogenic ecosystem changes and conservation efforts on species, which allows for practical recommendations for conservation. We modeled the German Red List categories as an ordinal index of extinction risk of 1025 saproxylic beetles with a proportional‐odds linear mixed‐effects model for ordered categorical responses. In this model, we estimated fixed effects for intrinsic traits characterizing species biology, required resources, and distribution with phylogenetically correlated random intercepts. The model also allowed predictions of extinction risk for species with no red‐list category. Our model revealed a higher extinction risk for lowland and large species as well as for species that rely on wood of large diameter, broad‐leaved trees, or open canopy. These results mirror well the ecological degradation of European forests over the last centuries caused by modern forestry, that is the conversion of natural broad‐leaved forests to dense conifer‐dominated forests and the loss of old growth and dead wood. Therefore, conservation activities aimed at saproxylic beetles in all types of forests in Central and Western Europe should focus on lowlands, and habitat management of forest stands should aim at increasing the amount of dead wood of large diameter, dead wood of broad‐leaved trees, and dead wood in sunny areas.     

Application of the Red List Index for conservation assessment of Spanish vascular plants

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Index (RLI) is used to measure trends in extinction risk of species over time. The development of 2 red lists for Spanish vascular flora during the past decade allowed us to apply the IUCN RLI to vascular plants in an area belonging to a global biodiversity hotspot. We used the Spanish Red Lists from 2000 and 2010 to assess changes in level of threat at a national scale and at the subnational scales of Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, and peninsular Spain. We assigned retrospective IUCN categories of threat to 98 species included in the Spanish Red List of 2010 but absent in the Spanish Red List of 2000. In addition, we tested the effect of different random and taxonomic and spatial Spanish samples on the overall RLI value. From 2000 to 2010, the IUCN categories of 768 species changed (10% of Spanish flora), mainly due to improved knowledge (63%), modifications in IUCN criteria (14%), and changes in threat status (12%). All measured national and subnational RLI values decreased during this period, indicating a general decline in the conservation status of the Spanish vascular flora. The Canarian RLI value (0.84) was the lowest, although the fastest deterioration in conservation status occurred on peninsular Spain (from 0.93 in 2000 to 0.92 in 2010). The RLI values based on subsamples of the Spanish Red List were not representative of RLI values for the entire country, which would discourage the use of small areas or small taxonomic samples to assess general trends in the endangerment of national biotas. The role of the RLI in monitoring of changes in biodiversity at the global and regional scales needs further reassessment because additional areas and taxa are necessary to determine whether the index is sufficiently sensitive for use in assessing temporal changes in species’ risk of extinction.     

Effect of biogeographic history on population vulnerability in European amphibians

The genetic diversity of populations, which contributes greatly to their adaptive potential, is negatively affected by anthropogenic habitat fragmentation and destruction. However, continental‐scale losses of genetic diversity also resulted from the population expansions that followed the end of the last glaciation, an element that is rarely considered in a conservation context. We addressed this issue in a meta‐analysis in which we compared the spatial patterns of vulnerability of 18 widespread European amphibians in light of phylogeographic histories (glacial refugia and postglacial routes) and anthropogenic disturbances. Conservation statuses significantly worsened with distances from refugia, particularly in the context of industrial agriculture; human population density also had a negative effect. These findings suggest that features associated with the loss of genetic diversity in post‐glacial amphibian populations (such as enhanced fixation load or depressed adaptive potential) may increase their susceptibility to current threats (e.g., habitat fragmentation and pesticide use). We propose that the phylogeographic status of populations (i.e., refugial vs. post‐glacial) should be considered in conservation assessments for regional and national red lists.