云南地区种子植物区系过渡性地理分布格局的群落尺度分析

探索植物区系过渡性的地理分布格局,对于理解植物区系的起源、迁移和分布具有重要意义。本研究利用620个植物群落样方,探讨了云南地区植物区系过渡性的地理分布格局及其生物地理意义。研究结果表明,随着纬度、海拔的升高,温带区系成分所占比重呈显著递增趋势,但在经度梯度上呈递减趋势;热带区系成分所占的比重在地理梯度上则表现为相反的变化趋势。地形格局较好地反映了区系成分的地理分布格局;热带区系成分所占比重与温带区系成分所占比重的比值从南到北呈递减趋势。区系过渡性的低值主要出现在滇西北地区和包括滇西南、滇东南与滇南在内的云南南部地区,而高值主要出现在云南中部地区和中海拔地区,这可能与区系迁移过程和海拔梯度有关。热带区系成分在云南地区基带植被中占主导地位;热带区系成分占优势地位的区域主要集中在低海拔地区,占云南土地面积的60％左右,而温带区系成分占优势地位的区域主要集中在高海拔的北部地区,占土地总面积的40％左右。本研究从基带植被的区系性质和温、热带植物区系成分占优势地位的土地面积的构成证实了云南地区可能是一个“热带山原”的假说。区系过渡性随着年平均温度的升高,呈先增强后减弱的单峰格局。当年均温在13．1℃左右时,出现区系平衡点。相对水平分布而言,云南地区植被的垂直分布可能更值得注意。     

Spatial scale affects community concordance among fishes, benthic macroinvertebrates, and bryophytes in streams.

Owing to the lack of information about the distribution patterns of many taxonomic groups, biodiversity conservation strategies commonly rely on a surrogate taxa approach for identifying areas of maximum conservation potential. Macroinvertebrates or fish are the most likely candidates for such a role in many freshwater systems. The usefulness of the surrogate taxa depends largely on community concordance, i.e., the degree of similarity in community patterns among taxonomic groups across a set of sites. We examined the effect of the spatial scale of a. study on the strength of community concordance among macroinvertebrates, bryophytes, and fish by comparing the concordance between ordinations of these groups in 101 boreal stream sites. We specifically asked if communities spanning several drainages are more concordant than those originating from a single drainage system. Our results indicate that community concordance is affected by spatial extent, being variable and generally weak at the scale of individual drainages, but strong across multiple drainage systems and ecoregions. We attribute this finding to different taxonomic groups responding to similar environmental factors and sharing a similar latitudinal gradient of community structure when viewed across large spatial scales. We also identified a "gradient of concordance," with sites contributing disproportionately to community concordance being in relatively large streams with high microhabitat variability. Overall, our results suggest that the degree of community concordance among freshwater organism groups depends critically on the spatial extent of the study, and surrogate groups at the scale of single river systems should be used with caution.     

The role of spatial scale in sustainable development

The role of spatial scale in sustainable development is assessed by dividing the world into multiple spatial units at different levels on a socio-political spatial scale. The basic patterns of sustainable development do not appear to be evident at all spatial levels, owing to the absence of some capital stocks and the conversion processes linking them, but environmental economics theory can be generalized to explain phenomena at various levels. Capital conversion processes influencing the sustainability of development of spatial units are constrained by processes at different levels, e.g. those imposing environmental conditions on development or affecting availability of investment capital. The autonomy of individual spatial units is also compromised by capital transfers to and from other units at the same level, so it is proposed that the sustainability of development of a particular unit should be estimated using net, rather than gross capital trends. Because of uneven development the same degree of sustainability should not be expected at the same time for all spatial units at the same spatial level.     

The scale and cause of spatial heterogeneity in strength of temporal density dependence

The importance of density dependence in natural communities continues to spark much debate because it is fundamental to population regulation. We used temporal manipulations of density to explore potentially stabilizing density dependence in early survivorship among six local populations of a tropical damselfish (Dascyllus flavicaudus). Specifically, we tested the premise that spatial heterogeneity in the strength of temporal density dependence would reflect variation in density of predators, the agent of mortality. Our field manipulations revealed that mortality among successive cohorts of young fishes was density dependent at each reef, but that its strength varied by approximately 1.5 orders of magnitude. This spatial heterogeneity was well predicted by variation among the six reefs in the density of predatory fishes that consume juvenile damselfishes. Because density dependence arose from competition for enemy-free space within a shelter coral, the mortality consequence of the competition depended on the neighborhood density of predators. Thus, the scale of heterogeneity in the density dependence largely reflected attributes of the environment that shaped the local abundance of predators. These results have important implications for how ecologists explore regulatory processes in nature. Failure to account for spatial variation could frequently yield misleading conclusions regarding density dependence as a stabilizing process, obscure underlying mechanisms influencing its strength, and provide no insight into the spatial scale of the heterogeneity. Further, models of population dynamics will be improved when experimental approaches better estimate the magnitude and causes of variation in strength of stabilizing density dependence.     

The problem of ecosystem stability and some applications of one of the stochastic methods in investigation of this problem

This paper describes some possible applications of one of the stochastic methods which may be used in ecological studies. The role of stochastic methods in investigations of the dynamics of ecosystems is gaining in importance. Stochastic methods are very useful for investigating the stability of ecosystems and the criteria of stability of natural systems, especially where the influence of permanent small-scale random disturbances has been noticed. Some criteria have been suggested and examples of use of these criteria are given.     

The influence of spatial and size scale on phylogenetic relatedness in tropical forest communities

The relative importance of biotic, abiotic, and stochastic processes in structuring ecological communities continues to be a central focus in community ecology. In order to assess the role of phylogenetic relatedness on the nature of biodiversity we first quantified the degree of phylogenetic niche conservatism of several plant traits linked to plant form and function. Next we quantified the degree of phylogenetic relatedness across two fundamental scaling dimensions: plant size and neighborhood size. The results show that phylogenetic niche conservatism is likely widespread, indicating that closely related species are more functionally similar than distantly related species. Utilizing this information we show that three of five tropical forest dynamics plots (FDPs) exhibit similar scale-dependent patterns of phylogenetic structuring using only a spatial scaling axis. When spatial- and size-scaling axes were analyzed in concert, phylogenetic overdispersion of co-occurring species was most important at small spatial scales and in four of five FDPs for the largest size class. These results suggest that phylogenetic relatedness is increasingly important: (1) at small spatial scales, where phylogenetic overdispersion is more common, and (2) in large size classes, where phylogenetic overdispersion becomes more common throughout ontogeny. Collectively, our results highlight the critical spatial and size scales at which the degree of phylogenetic relatedness between constituent species influences the structuring of tropical forest diversity.     

Bird‐community responses to habitat creation in a long‐term,large‐scale natural experiment

Ecosystem function and resilience are compromised when habitats become fragmented due to land‐use change. This has led to national and international conservation strategies aimed at restoring habitat extent and improving functional connectivity (i.e., maintaining dispersal processes). However, biodiversity responses to landscape‐scale habitat creation and the relative importance of spatial and temporal scales are poorly understood, and there is disagreement over which conservation strategies should be prioritized. We used 160 years of historic post‐agricultural woodland creation as a natural experiment to evaluate biodiversity responses to habitat creation in a landscape context. Birds were surveyed in 101 secondary, broadleaf woodlands aged 10–160 years with ≥80% canopy cover and in landscapes with 0‐17% broadleaf woodland cover within 3000 m. We used piecewise structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect relationships between bird abundance and diversity, ecological continuity, patch characteristics, and landscape structure and quantified the relative conservation value of local and landscape scales for bird communities. Ecological continuity indirectly affected overall bird abundance and species richness through its effects on stand structure, but had a weaker influence (effect size near 0) on the abundance and diversity of species most closely associated with woodland habitats. This was probably because woodlands were rapidly colonized by woodland generalists in ≤10 years (minimum patch age) but were on average too young (median 50 years) to be colonized by woodland specialists. Local patch characteristics were relatively more important than landscape characteristics for bird communities. Based on our results, biodiversity responses to habitat creation depended on local‐ and landscape‐scale factors that interacted across time and space. We suggest that there is a need for further studies that focus on habitat creation in a landscape context and that knowledge gained from studies of habitat fragmentation and loss should be used to inform habitat creation with caution because the outcomes are not necessarily reciprocal.     

The problem of arsenic disposal in non-ferrous metals production

Arsenic is a minor and inevitable component of all inputs to the non-ferrous metals extraction industry but sales are only a small proportion of input. Safe disposal of the excess is a substantial problem. Public perception exaggerates the toxicity of arsenic and generates emotional reactions, whereas arsenic has a natural cycle in the environment and all life is tolerant to traces with detoxication processes to deal with excess. Toxicity data for overload doses to biota in general are poor when required for the formulation of standards for disposal of waste thus making difficult the legal definition of hazardous wastes for appropriate regulation. Suitable tests to determine the stability of a waste for safe disposal are complex, costly, and uncertain against the need for the waste to be in place for a very long time. Further, there is no universal agreement on the principles which should govern the means of disposal of hazardous wastes. Safe disposal of arsenical wastes is thus difficult but practical and convincing solutions must still be devised, guided by thermodynamics and by natural processes. Much judgement and goodwill are required. However, few if any arsenical substances are so stable to moist air that they will not release unacceptable concentrations of arsenic when left in a thermodynamically open dump. Control of hot spot dumps must therefore start with planning of location and configuration, and the wastes must be sealed to exclude air and water and to contain leachates indefinitely. This is very difficult to ensure. Registration, control and testing of waste stability and dump behaviour must be planned on the assumption that leakage will arise at some time in future millennia, a major and expensive logistical problem. Adsorption of arsenate by soils and aquatic sediments is an important buffering and fixing process for any leakage, but waters can still be polluted. It is, however, argued that deliberate retention of leachate can lead to problems from uncontrolled future leakages, and thus that "hot spot dumps should be designed to allow controlled leakage within the capacity of the receiving environment. Better still would be efficient dilution and dispersal. Marine disposal may be politically unattractive, but the arsenic reports to sediments and the process copies nature. It is probably the best environmental disposal option where practicable.     

The promise of Beijing: Evaluating the impact of the 2008 Olympic Games on air quality

To prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games, China adopted a number of radical measures to improve air quality. Using the officially reported air pollution index (API) from 2000 to 2009, we show that these measures improved the API of Beijing during and a little after the Games, but a significant proportion of the effect faded away by October 2009. For comparison, we also analyze an objective and indirect measure of air quality at a high spatial resolution – aerosol optimal depth (AOD), derived using the data from NASA satellites. The AOD analysis confirms the real but temporary improvement in air quality, it also shows a significant correlation between air quality improvement and the timing and location of plant closure and traffic control. These results suggest that it is possible to achieve real environmental improvement via stringent policy interventions, but for how long the effects of these interventions will last will largely depend on the continuation of the interventions.     

Acute temperature dependency in the cleansing of tarry feathers utilizing magnetic particles

We have conducted temperature-dependent studies on the removal of a solidified tarry residue from feathers using magnetic particles. These studies demonstrate an acute temperature dependency whereby no contaminant at all is removed below a certain temperature but, at and above this temperature, the removal rapidly approaches 100%. Significantly, this temperature is well below the temperature at which the tarry residue becomes a flowing liquid. This demonstrates that it is possible for magnetic cleansing to remove up to 100% of tarry residue from feathers under temperature conditions that would be benign to a bird.     

The genetic effects of larval dispersal depend on spatial scale and habitat characteristics

The intertidal gastropods Bembicium vittatum and Austrocochlea constricta, which have direct and planktonic larval development, respectively, occur sympatrically at sites across a number of islands at the Houtman Abrolhos archipelago and two harbours at Albany in Western Australia. Their distribution provide an opportunity to examine the effect of dispersal ability on levels of genetic subdivision at a number of spatial scales. F _ST (standardised variance in allelic frequencies) values in the range 0.361 to 0.396, determined from allozyme frequencies at 12 to 13 polymorphic loci, confirm isolation of Abrolhos and Albany populations, which are separated by 900 km of coastline, in both species. Within the Abrolhos and Albany, levels of subdivision in B. vittatum were high, but similar, as indicated by F _ST values of 0.091 and 0.090, respectively. In A. constricta, a mean value of 0.160 at the Abrolhos suggests severe restrictions to gene flow, while 0.021 at Albany indicates much stronger connections among populations. F _ST values at the Abrolhos support previous suggestions that this archipelago favours genetic subdivision in both direct and planktonic-developing species. The Albany harbours favoured subdivision only in B. vittatum, the low values of F _ST in A. constricta being attributed to strong mixing between the harbours, thus facilitating gene flow via planktonic larvae. The isolation of A. constricta populations at the Abrolhos can be explained in terms of highly localised recruitment, the result of limited water movement in complex intertidal habitats. The study illustrates the value of examining sympatric direct and planktonic developers in assessing the role of larval dispersal in patterns of genetic subdivision, and concludes that planktonic larvae may not promote gene flow over broad or even some fine spatial scales.     

The vertical structure of a pelagic community in the tropical ocean

The vertical structure of the ecosystem in the euphotic zone of the western Equatorial Pacific has been studied. The studies were based on a continuous sounding of the bioluminescence field, with simultaneous, vertically aimed sampling made with the aid of a 5l water bottle and plankton nets. The bioluminescence field has a two-maxima structure with a more pronounced and permanent lower maximum found in the oligotrophic regions as deep as 60 to 100 m. In the narrow (10 m) layer of maximum bioluminescence, the concentration of zooplankton, as well as the concentration, activity and production of bacteria and phytoplankton, are several times higher than those in immediately adjacent waters at greater or lesser depth. At the same time, the concentration of nutrient salts in that layer diminishes sharply and approaches zero in the overlying water. Analysis of the data obtained shows that the production processes above the lower maximum layer are dependent not only on the turbulent influx of nutrient salts from the underlying layers, but also on the horizontal supply from the zone of upwelling. A pelagic community, in its different time aspects from the moment of water ascending until its sinking in the convergence zone, is suggested as a common system for modelling.     

The interaction of cannibalism and omnivory: consequences for community dynamics

Although cannibalism is ubiquitous in food webs and frequent in systems where a predator and its prey also share a common resource (intraguild predation, IGP), its impacts on species interactions and the dynamics and structure of communities are still poorly understood. In addition, the few existing studies on cannibalism have generally focused on cannibalism in the top-predator, ignoring that it is frequent at intermediate trophic levels. A set of structured models shows that cannibalism can completely alter the dynamics and structure of three-species IGP systems depending on the trophic position where cannibalism occurs. Contrary to the expectations of simple models, the IG predator can exploit the resources more efficiently when it is cannibalistic, enabling the predator to persist at lower resource densities than the IG prey. Cannibalism in the IG predator can also alter the effect of enrichment, preventing predator-mediated extinction of the IG prey at high productivities predicted by simple models. Cannibalism in the IG prey can reverse the effect of top-down cascades, leading to an increase in the resource with decreasing IG predator density. These predictions are consistent with current data. Overall, cannibalism promotes the coexistence of the IG predator and IG prey. These results indicate that including cannibalism in current models can overcome the discrepancy between theory and empirical data. Thus, we need to measure and account for cannibalistic interactions to reliably predict the structure and dynamics of communities.     

广州市莲塘村风水林群落特征及植物多样性

风水林是极具南方地域特色的植被景观与物种储存库,是接近地带性植被特性的一种群落类型.研究风水林,对丰富和发展环境科学、生态科学、林业科学和园林科学,具有重要意义.本研究在广州市莲塘村村后风水林设立了样带、标准地和样方,对其乔木层、灌木层和草本层植物进行详细调查,结果表明,该区共有植物73种,隶属于33个科57个属.其植物种类丰富,以茜草科、樟科、大戟科、壳斗科、莎草科、桃金娘科植物占优势.该群落具有南亚热带常绿阔叶林群落的典型群落结构,垂直结构分层现象明显,层次清晰.文章对树种丰富度、Shannon-Winner指数、Simpson多样性指数、种间相遇机率以及均匀度等多样性指标的研究表明:该群落具有较大的物种丰富度,植物多样性较高,物种分布均匀,不同种之间相遇几率较大,其生物多样性各项指标远远大于尾叶桉人工纯林.该风水林群落是目前广州市保存较完好的具有典型地带特色的少数自然林之一,它的研究成果对以后生态公益林造林有极大的参考价值.     

The Wahlund effect and the geographical scale of variation in the intertidal limpet Siphonaria sp.

Samples of Siphonaria sp. were collected between 1978 and 1982 from sites covering its known geographic range, from Kalbarri, Western Australia to Port Robe, South Australia. Geographic variation of 7 polymorphic enzymes was examined in this intertidal pulmonate limpet, and was found to be consistently small, indicating a large-scale influence of gene flow due to planktonic dispersal. Despite this large-scale uniformity, there is fine-scale genetic patchiness, which is repeated, rather than accumulated, on the larger scale. Throughout its geographic range, Siphonaria sp. shows deficits of heterozygotes for all 7 loci. The consistency among loci indicates that the causes of the deficits are populational, rather than locus-specific. A Wahlund effect, the departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium due to mixing of individuals from groups with different allelic frequencies, is the simplest explanation of such deficits. The limited geographic variation of allelic frequencies, however, is grossly inadequate to produce these deficits through a Wahlund effect. Similarly, temporal variation in allelic frequencies in recruits does not explain the deficits. The largest contributor to a Wahlund effect appears to be binomial sampling variance among small local breeding groups. Thus, mixing of larvae on a scale of metres, rather than among geographical areas, apparently produces the deficits of heterozygotes.     

土壤动物群落生态学与土壤微生态环境的关系

主要综述了国内外蚯蚓种群、捕食性线虫、蚂蚁、跳虫、螨类等土壤动物与土壤理化性质的关系,以及蚯蚓、白蚁、蜗牛、线虫等土壤动物与土壤酶活性的相关性研究;提出了该学科今后的研究趋势。该学科未来要融合土壤动物和整个农林生态系统的研究为一体,把农林的土壤动物群落生态学及其与土壤微生态环境关系结合起来,耦合土壤动物与植物根系-根际微生态环境,链接农林土壤动物与土壤健康及其害虫生态调控,分析探究它们内在的联系和机制,加强立地调控措施,为森林健康和土壤健康提供科学基础资料。     

The minimal area problem in invertebrate communities of Mediterranean rocky substrata

Different ways of obtaining information about minimal area are studied. The classical species-area curve lacks objectivity. Curves based on similarity indices are objective, in so far that a critical threshold can be defined, where one admits that the minimal area is reached. Comparison is made between Sørensen's qualitative similarity index (based on presence-absence) and Kulczynski's quantitative similarity index (based on numbers of individuals and/or percent cover). In the shallowwater rocky habitats studied, two types of community were distinguished. The first, miniaturized communities are found in dark caves. Their minimal area is about 4,000 cm². The second, coarser, communities occur on open rocks, either horizontal, sloping or vertical. Their minimal area is 20,000 cm². Calculations were based mainly on Octocorallia (Coelenterata) which are assumed to be characteristic of the community as a whole.     

The problem of estimating recent genetic connectivity in a changing world

Accurate understanding of population connectivity is important to conservation because dispersal can play an important role in population dynamics, microevolution, and assessments of extirpation risk and population rescue. Genetic methods are increasingly used to infer population connectivity because advances in technology have made them more advantageous (e.g., cost effective) relative to ecological methods. Given the reductions in wildlife population connectivity since the Industrial Revolution and more recent drastic reductions from habitat loss, it is important to know the accuracy of and biases in genetic connectivity estimators when connectivity has declined recently. Using simulated data, we investigated the accuracy and bias of 2 common estimators of migration (movement of individuals among populations) rate. We focused on the timing of the connectivity change and the magnitude of that change on the estimates of migration by using a coalescent‐based method (Migrate‐n) and a disequilibrium‐based method (BayesAss). Contrary to expectations, when historically high connectivity had declined recently: (i) both methods over‐estimated recent migration rates; (ii) the coalescent‐based method (Migrate‐n) provided better estimates of recent migration rate than the disequilibrium‐based method (BayesAss); (iii) the coalescent‐based method did not accurately reflect long‐term genetic connectivity. Overall, our results highlight the problems with comparing coalescent and disequilibrium estimates to make inferences about the effects of recent landscape change on genetic connectivity among populations. We found that contrasting these 2 estimates to make inferences about genetic‐connectivity changes over time could lead to inaccurate conclusions.