黄果柑果园不同坡位土壤水文生态功能及其影响因子

坡地果园是大渡河干暖河谷两岸一种常见的土地利用方式.大面积坡地果园垦殖导致了严重的水土流失.为了解坡位是否以及如何影响果园土壤的水源涵养能力,选择大渡河流域典型的2类黄果柑坡地果园为研究对象,比较不同坡位间(下坡、中坡、上坡)的土壤物理性质与持水能力的差异,并探讨土壤颗粒组成、孔隙度、容重以及细根生物量与土壤水源涵养能力的关系.结果显示:与下坡位相比,中坡位和上坡位黏粉粒质量分数分别降低4%-30%和20%-42%,而0.1-2 mm砂粒的质量分数分别增加7%-10%和7%-16%,表明上坡位的土壤有粗骨化的趋势;中坡位和上坡位土壤容重分别增加7%-10%和11%-16%,土壤总孔隙度分别减少3%-12%和19%-25%,最大持水量分别减少2%-12%和4%-13%.在同一坡位,土壤容重随着土层的加深而增加,而土壤总孔隙度和最大持水量呈相反趋势.进一步分析发现,坡位通过影响土壤容重和总孔隙度是决定坡地果园表层土壤持水量的主要因素,而细根生物量对总持水能力也有一定的影响.坡地开垦导致上坡位土壤粗骨化,而下坡位土壤具有良好的水文生态功能;这些结果对于指导坡地种植时控制坡度和坡地的水土流失有一定的理论与实践意义.(图2表7参49)     

南方红壤典型花岗岩侵蚀区主要治理模式的土壤碳汇效应

南方红壤花岗岩严重侵蚀区实施水土保持治理后的土壤碳汇效应尚不清晰。为揭示水土保持综合治理对退化土壤有机碳库的影响效应,该研究选取南方水土保持综合治理试点的样板——江西省兴国县塘背小流域为研究区,设置退化样地(BL)、水平竹节沟+乔灌草补植综合施策的生态恢复模式(F34)、前埂后沟+梯壁植草式反坡台地果园开发治理模式(GY)和周边未受扰动的次生林(UF)4种类型样地,分析不同层次土壤总有机碳(TOC)、土壤活性有机碳组分的变化情况,评价南方典型花岗岩侵蚀区综合治理的土壤碳汇效应。结果表明:F34和GY、UF模式下0—100 cm土壤TOC平均含量分别为5.54、6.05、10.22 g·kg~(-1),比BL增加145%、168%和352%;0—40 cm土壤DOC平均含量分别为46.29、45.91和116.85mg·kg~(-1),比BL增加410%、405%和465%;土壤MBC含量分别为112.34、73.20和251.99 mg·kg~(-1),比BL增加217%、106%和611%;F34和GY模式下0—100 cm土壤碳储量为39.65和53.91 t·hm~(-2),高于BL(19.86 t·hm~(-2)),但低于未受人为干扰的UF样地(75.90 t·hm~(-2)),生态恢复样地和果园开发样地的碳吸存量分别为19.79、34.05 t·hm~(-2),碳吸存速率分别为0.58、1.00 t·hm~(-2)·a~(-1);以当前F34、GY吸存速率推算,分别还需要62 a和22 a才能达到与UF相当的土壤有机碳库储量水平。综上,生态恢复模式和果园开发模式可有效促进土壤有机碳积累和恢复,且果园模式土壤碳素恢复效应更加明显,但距离周边未受扰动的次生林还存在一些差距;其次,侵蚀退化地经治理后,显著增加了土壤活性有机碳含量;同时退化裸地具有较高的碳汇潜力,即使通过F34、GY治理34 a后仍具有较大碳汇潜力。     

生草栽培对三种岭南水果种植系统的生态经济影响评价

综合运用能值、经济与土壤生态学分析方法,以传统清耕模式为对照,定量研究了生草栽培对荔枝（LitchichinensisSonn）、龙眼（DimocarpuslonganLour）和番荔枝（AnnonasquamosaLinn）三种岭南水果种植系统的生态经济影响。整合系统物质流、能量流和货币流,综合分析其自然资源基础、经济发展状况及可持续发展程度,并将土壤有机质的消耗纳入不可更新自然资源能值投入分析,为岭南水果业生草栽培与否提供科学依据。结果表明,生草栽培可以将荔枝和龙眼种植系统的能值可持续性从传统清耕模式的0．16和0．46分别提升到0．17和0．47;而使番荔枝种植系统的能值可持续性从传统清耕模式的0．59降至0．45。同时,生草栽培可提高荔枝和番荔枝种植系统的经济效益,而降低龙眼种植系统的经济效益。所有案例结果均表明,生草栽培可降低果园土壤有机质的消耗。     

生草栽培对三种岭南水果种植系统的生态经济影响评价

综合运用能值、经济与土壤生态学分析方法,以传统清耕模式为对照,定量研究了生草栽培对荔枝(Litchi chinensis Sonn)、龙眼(Dimocarpus longan Lour)和番荔枝(Annona squamosa Linn)三种岭南水果种植系统的生态经济影响。整合系统物质流、能量流和货币流,综合分析其自然资源基础、经济发展状况及可持续发展程度,并将土壤有机质的消耗纳入不可更新自然资源能值投入分析,为岭南水果业生草栽培与否提供科学依据。结果表明,生草栽培可以将荔枝和龙眼种植系统的能值可持续性从传统清耕模式的0.16和0.46分别提升到0.17和0.47;而使番荔枝种植系统的能值可持续性从传统清耕模式的0.59降至0.45。同时,生草栽培可提高荔枝和番荔枝种植系统的经济效益,而降低龙眼种植系统的经济效益。所有案例结果均表明,生草栽培可降低果园土壤有机质的消耗。     

生草和地布覆盖对攀枝花地区芒果园土壤性质及果实品质的影响

为向半干旱区芒果园土壤管理制度的制定提供理论依据,以攀枝花‘凯特’芒果果园为研究对象,设置紫云英生草刈割覆盖模式(雨季生草、旱季刈割覆盖)和地布覆盖模式2个处理,以清耕为对照(CK),于覆盖后第2年测定0-60cm土壤pH、容重、孔隙度、含水量、持水量、贮水量、入渗速率与有机质、速效养分等性状,分析两种地面覆盖模式对芒果叶片叶绿素含量、比叶重及果实品质、产量的影响.结果表明:(1)两种覆盖模式均降低了芒果园土壤pH值、提高土壤水分含量及毛管孔隙度,紫云英生草刈割覆盖还提高了土壤非毛管孔隙度及土壤通气度、降低容重,影响主要集中在0-40cm土层.(2)两种覆盖模式均提高了土壤持水量及贮水量,紫云英生草刈割覆盖优于地布覆盖,0-60 cm土壤最大、毛管、非毛管、田间持水量及吸持贮水量分别较清耕提高27.81%、31.65%、15.16%、10.38%、9.98%,且土壤合理灌溉定额较清耕降低3.80 mm.(3)紫云英生草刈割覆盖区0-60 cm土壤初渗速率、平均渗透速率、稳渗速率和渗透系数较清耕提高18.87%-36.86%,而地布覆盖区土壤入渗性能则无明显提高.(4)地布覆盖区土壤有机质、碱解氮含量与清耕无明显差异,而土壤有效磷、速效钾含量分别较清耕提高31.84%、14.43%;紫云英生草刈割覆盖区土壤有机质、碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾含量分别较清耕提高74.48%、56.60%、84.20%、21.59%.(5)两种地面覆盖模式均提高了芒果叶片叶绿素含量及比叶重,提高了芒果果实可溶性固形物含量及固酸比,紫云英生草刈割覆盖模式还降低了芒果可滴定酸含量、提高了芒果单果重.可见,两种地面覆盖模式在改善土壤理化性质、提高土壤蓄水保墒能力、增强土壤肥力、提高果实品质方面均有良效,攀枝花半干旱区芒果园采用紫云英生草刈割覆盖模式效果更佳.(图3表3参49)     

经营模式对大渡河干暖河谷黄果柑坡地果园土壤养分的影响

坡地果园是大渡河干暖河谷两岸一种常见的土地利用方式,大面积坡地果园垦殖导致了严重的水土流失和一定程度的氮、磷面源污染.为了解经营模式与坡位是否及如何影响果园的土壤养分,选择大渡河流域两类典型经营模式(散户和集体经营)下的黄果柑坡地果园作为研究对象,比较不同坡位(下坡、中坡、上坡)土壤养分的差异,并探讨土壤有机质(SOM...     

长期不同施肥措施对红壤水稻土有机碳和养分含量的影响

将红壤丘陵地区的荒地开垦为水田不仅可以防治土壤侵蚀,而且能增加土壤肥力,提高农田生产力.本文研究了红壤荒地垦殖为稻田,长期定位施肥15年后不同施肥措施下水稻土的有机碳和养分含量特征.结果表明:不同施肥措施包括不施肥条件下,15年水稻垦殖都提高了土壤肥力.不同施肥措施水稻土的pH提高了0.9～1.3个单位.耕层土壤有机碳含龟达到8.19～1O.13 g·kg-1,全氮含量达到0.89～1.20 g·kg-1,有机碳与全氮含最都有明显提高,且有机碳和全氮含量之间相关性极显著.水稻土耕层全磷含量在0.25～0360 g·kg-1之间,有效磷含量在2.2～20.9 mg·kg-1之间,化学磷肥的培肥效果好于有机肥(猪粪),有机无机磷肥配施能显著提高土壤全磷和有效磷库.土壤全钾还未有明显变化,土壤速效钾含量在40.4～142.5 mg·kg-1之间,不同施肥措施除氮钾肥处理外都造成了土壤速效钾含量下降,秸秆还田到目前为止对于土壤速效钾含量还没有明显作用.     

薇甘菊入侵对深圳湾红树林生态系统碳储量的影响

外来植物入侵对生态系统碳过程的影响已经成为入侵生态学研究的热点问题。采用比较研究的方法分析了薇甘菊（MikaniamicranthaH．B．K．）入侵对深圳湾红树林生态系统碳储量的影响,分别设置红树林（Kandelia candel）群落、红树林．薇甘菊群落、薇甘菊群落以及光滩等样地,采集植被、凋落物和土壤剖面样品,分析生态系统各组分的碳储量变化。结果表明,薇甘菊入侵对红树林生态系统碳储量有着显著的影响,碳储量从未被入侵下215．73tC／hm^2减少到轻、高度入侵下的197．56tC／hm2和166．70tC／hm2,分别减少8．42％和22．72％。其中植被和土壤碳储量显著减少,凋落物碳储量显著增加。薇甘菊入侵一方面导致红树林枯萎,减少植被生物量,增加凋落物量,另一方面促进了土壤微生物活动,使土壤有机碳分解释放,降低土壤碳储量。薇甘菊入侵后红树林碳储量的降低将大大削弱生态系统的碳汇功能。     

江西省表层土壤有机碳库储量估算与空间分布特征

土壤中碳较小幅度的变化能引起全球气候较大的变化,而表层土壤有机碳库易受人类活动的影响而发生变化,因此估算土壤有机碳库储量,对土壤碳库变化及土壤固碳潜力的研究具有重大意义.根据2006年江西省各县市典型土壤GPS定点采样样点的理化分析数据计算出有机碳密度并进行空间插值,利用江西省第二次土壤普查相关数据建立土壤空间数据库,结合各土壤类型分布面积,估算表层(0～20 cm)土壤有机碳密度和储量,并探讨其空间分布特征.研究表明:江西省表层土壤平均有机碳密度介于2.655～6.877 kg·m-2之间,有机碳库总储量为640 355.653×106 kg,其中,仅红壤和水稻土的土壤有机碳储量已占90.71%.表层土壤有机碳密度具有高度的空间变异性,赣西、赣东如萍乡、宜春、上饶地区土壤有机碳密度较高,赣南、赣北地区如九江、赣州等地区土壤有机碳密度较低,总体上呈东西走向高,南北走向低的趋势.江西省是一个农业大省,人类干扰下的土壤碳库研究却很少,其碳库动态变化还值得进一步的探讨.     

不同草篱种植模式对土壤侵蚀的控制效应

选取我国南方红壤丘陵区5种等高草篱种植模式,结合径流小区法和稀土元素示踪技术,开展不同草篱控制坡地水土流失、减少地表径流的效应研究,分析等高草篱对坡面侵蚀空间分布的影响.结果发现,径流小区土壤流失量显著受降雨量影响,不同草篱种植模式下,各径流小区的平均土壤流失量和地表径流量较对照组(裸坡)均显著降低(P＜0.05),其中麦冬双行草篱处理平均土壤流失量和地表径流量最小,分别为4 047 g和1 554 L,对照组(裸坡)最大,分别为19 793 g和2 403 L;麦冬双行草篱在控制坡面土壤流失和径流方面效果最佳;通过平均土壤流失量和平均径流量的二次线性拟合模型发现,随着地表径流量的变化,不同处理下土壤流失量的边际值存在差异;坡面中、下部是侵蚀泥沙的主要溯源地,产生了接近总流失量85%的泥沙;草篱改变了降雨过程中坡面内部土壤因沉积作用导致的再分布,但对整个坡面土壤侵蚀的空间分布规律无明显影响.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

Potential for Electropositive Metal to Reduce the Interactions of Atlantic Sturgeon with Fishing Gear

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) populations have been declared either endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Effective measures to repel sturgeon from fishing gear would be beneficial to both fish and fishers because they could reduce both fishery‐associated mortality and the need for seasonal and area closures of specific fisheries. Some chondrostean fishes (e.g., sturgeons and paddlefishes) can detect weak electric field gradients (possibly as low as 5 Μv/cm) due to arrays of electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) on their snout and gill covers. Weak electric fields, such as those produced by electropositive metals (typically mixtures of the lanthanide elements), could therefore potentially be used as a deterrent. To test this idea, we recorded the behavioral responses of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (31–43 cm fork length) to electropositive metal (primarily a mixture of the lanthanide elements neodymium and praseodymium) both in the presence and absence of food stimuli. Trials were conducted in an approximately 2.5 m diameter × 0.3 m deep tank, and fish behaviors were recorded with an overhead digital video camera. Video records were subsequently digitized (x, y coordinate system), the distance between the fish and the electropositive metal calculated, and data summarized by compiling frequency distributions with 5‐cm bins. Juvenile sturgeon showed clear avoidance of electropositive metal but only when food was present. On the basis of our results, we conclude that the electropositive metals, or other sources of weak electric fields, may eventually be used to reduce the interactions of Atlantic sturgeon with fishing gear, but further investigation is needed. El Potencial del Metal Electropositivo para Reducir las Interacciones del Esturión Atlántico con Instrumentos de Pesca Bouyoucos, Bushnell & Brill 13–003     

The role of time and species identities in spatial patterns of species richness and conservation

Many conservation actions are justified on the basis of managing biodiversity. Biodiversity, in terms of species richness, is largely the product of rare species. This is problematic because the intensity of sampling needed to characterize communities and patterns of rarity or to justify the use of surrogates has biased sampling in favor of space over time. However, environmental fluctuations interacting with community dynamics lead to temporal variations in where and when species occur, potentially affecting conservation planning by generating uncertainty about results of species distribution modeling (including range determinations), selection of surrogates for biodiversity, and the proportion of biodiversity composed of rare species. To have confidence in the evidence base for conservation actions, one must consider whether temporal replication is necessary to produce broad inferences. Using approximately 20 years of macrofaunal data from tidal flats in 2 harbors, we explored variation in the identity of rare, common, restricted range, and widespread species over time and space. Over time, rare taxa were more likely to increase in abundance or occurrence than to remain rare or disappear and to exhibit temporal patterns in their occurrence. Space–time congruency in ranges (i.e., spatially widespread taxa were also temporally widespread) was observed only where samples were collected across an environmental gradient. Fifteen percent of the taxa in both harbors changed over time from having spatially restricted ranges to having widespread ranges. Our findings suggest that rare species can provide stability against environmental change, because the majority of species were not random transients, but that selection of biodiversity surrogates requires temporal validation. Rarity needs to be considered both spatially and temporally, as species that occur randomly over time are likely to play a different role in ecosystem functioning than those exhibiting temporal structure (e.g., seasonality). Moreover, temporal structure offers the opportunity to place management and conservation activities within windows of maximum opportunity.     

Main nutrient compounds in food bodies of Mexican <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia</Emphasis> ant-plants

Summary. Myrmecophytic plants use obligate ant mutualists as a constitutive indirect defence mechanism. These plants often produce cellular food bodies (FBs) to nourish their resident ants. Lipids, proteins, and even highly specialised compounds such as glycogen have been reported from FBs, but detailed chemical analyses of FB composition have so far been presented only for Southeast Asian Macaranga and Central American Piper myrmecophytes. Here we report the chemical composition of FBs of five myrmecophytic Acacia (Fabaceae) species from Mexico using HPLC (carbohydrates and proteins) and GC-MS (lipids). Feeding experiments revealed no hints on any use of external food sources by the inhabiting Pseudomyrmex ants. These ants obviously rely completely on FBs and extrafloral nectar provided by their hosts. The total content of nutrients in Acacia FBs was 15-25% of FB dry mass, being much lower than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Proteins were dominating (8-14 % dm) in Acacia FBs and thus were present in higher amounts than in Macaranga FBs, yet in lower amounts than in Piper. Lipids contributed 1-9 % of dry mass, showing a lower proportion than in FBs of Macaranga or Piper. Carbohydrates made up 3-11 % dm, reaching in most Acacia species the same range as observed in Macaranga and in Piper FBs. Water content was 18-24 % of FB fresh mass, and structural tissue obviously made up a much higher proportion in Acacia FBs than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Both characters might represent an adaptation to producing FBs unprotected at the leaf tips under dry conditions. Acacia FBs contain all amino acids and all fatty acids that are considered essential for insects, and their contents of lipids and proteins are higher than in the leaves from which they are ontogenetically derived. This indicates a putatively adaptive enrichment of nutritionally valuable compounds in structures functioning as ant-food.     

Examining the uncertain origin and management role of martens on Prince of Wales Island,Alaska

Conservation biologists are generally united in efforts to curtail the spread of non‐native species globally. However, the colonization history of a species is not always certain, and whether a species is considered non‐native or native depends on the conservation benchmark. Such ambiguities have led to inconsistent management. Within the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, the status of American marten (Martes americana) on the largest, most biologically diverse and deforested island, Prince of Wales (POW), is unclear. Ten martens were released to POW in the early 1930s, and it was generally believed to be the founding event, although this has been questioned. The uncertainty surrounding when and how martens colonized POW complicates management, especially because martens were selected as a design species for the Tongass. To explore the history of martens of POW we reviewed other plausible routes of colonization; genetically and isotopically analyzed putative marten fossils deposited in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene to verify marten occupancy of POW; and used contemporary genetic data from martens on POW and the mainland in coalescent simulations to identify the probable source of the present‐day marten population on POW. We found evidence for multiple routes of colonization by forest‐associated mammals beginning in the Holocene, which were likely used by American martens to naturally colonize POW. Although we cannot rule out human‐assisted movement of martens by Alaskan Natives or fur trappers, we suggest that martens be managed for persistence on POW. More generally, our findings illustrate the difficulty of labeling species as non‐native or native, even when genetic and paleo‐ecological data are available, and support the notion that community resilience or species invasiveness should be prioritized when making management decisions rather than more subjective and less certain conservation benchmarks.