基于景观中性模型的不同竞争力外来种入侵对栖息地毁坏的响应

栖息地毁坏和生物入侵被认为是全球物种多样性的两大威胁,也是当前研究的热点。同时,两者的共同作用将比单独作用所带来的物种多样性丧失更大。本文基于竞争-扩散均衡机制,考虑了外来种的不同竞争力,结合景观中性模型和元胞自动机模型,模拟了外来种入侵对栖息地毁坏（栖息地破碎和面积丧失）的响应。研究结果表明：1）外来种入侵成功将首先威胁竞争力与其相邻的弱物种;2）栖息地毁坏与种间竞争共同决定着外来种入侵的成功与否。当栖息地破碎促进了与外来种竞争力相邻的本地强物种时,将会抑制入侵;当其抑制了与外来种竞争力相邻的本地强物种时,则会促进入侵。当栖息地丧失促进了外来种相邻的本地强物种时,将会抑制入侵;当栖息地丧失抑制了外来种相邻的本地强物种,将一定程度地促进入侵,但随着丧失面积的增加,则转为抑制。因此,为了抑制不同竞争力的外来种入侵,应采取不同的栖息地保护策略,并保护和促进其竞争力相邻的本地强物种。     

物种灭绝中的连环效应

人类的行为正在通过污染、土地利用的变化和其他形式的生境破坏引起植物和动物物种的灭绝。然而,如果一旦“最弱”的物种灭绝后剩余的物种对环境退化的抵抗力会变得更强时,事情也许不会这么糟。但实际情况似乎并不是这样。Ives和Cardinale用分析一个生态系统中物种间相互作用网络的数学模型进行研究,结果表明,当其他物种灭绝时,一种有抵抗力的物种会突然对环境退化变得敏感起来。由于这种无法预测的灭绝效应,生态系统即使是失去最脆弱的物种,也可能会仍然保持不稳定。(摘自Nature, 2004, 429: 174) 物种灭绝中的连环效应@肖辉林…     

中国穿山甲受危状况评估

中国穿山甲主要分布在我国长江以南地区，少量分布在与我国广西、云南接壤的国家．分析了中国穿山甲(Manis pentadactyla)的各种致危因素共19种，并以此评估了它的受危状况．结果表明，中国穿山甲属易受危物种，潜在的绝灭危险较大．较高的受危指数(Ti=0．6947)表明它处于高度受危状态，已成为濒危物种(En)．最关键的外在致危因素是过度狩猎、利用和走私，其次是栖息地的丧失、改变、岛屿化和种群分布格局的片断化．上世纪60年代后至今，估计中国穿山甲种群数量已下降了88．88％～94．12％，栖息地内的种群密度已低至0．001134～0．056头／km^2，较高的狩猎压力以及栖息地的丧失、改变、岛屿化和走私还将持续，受危程度将进一步加重，潜在的绝灭危险继续上升．要缓解中国穿山甲当前的受危状况，减轻狩猎压力，保护好现有栖息地，打击走私是当务之急．依据IUCN红色名录(Red List，version3．1)和我国濒危动物红皮书对受危物种等级标准的定义，以及CITES附录物种等级标准、我国重点保护动物等级标准，中国穿山甲应当从我国濒危动物红皮书中的易危级(Vu)和IUCN红色名录里的低危接近易危(LR／nt)上调为濒危级(En)，由CITES附录Ⅱ上升为附录Ⅰ，由国家Ⅱ级保护动物上升为Ⅰ级保护．图3表1参40     

以大熊猫为代表的多物种廊道有效性评估——以拖乌山大熊猫廊道为例

大熊猫作为旗舰种和伞护种,以其为代表开展保护活动能在保护大熊猫的同时保护其同域物种.与大熊猫一样,大熊猫同域物种也面临着栖息地破碎化而导致的隔离问题,因而需要建立廊道连通被隔离的种群.目前全国已经规划了多条大熊猫廊道,为评估大熊猫廊道能否缓解其他同域物种栖息地破碎化问题,探索以大熊猫为代表的多物种廊道规划方法,以已经规划的拖乌山大熊猫廊道为例,分析4种同域物种(豹猫、中华鬣羚、毛冠鹿和小熊猫)的廊道需求与大熊猫廊道的关系,探讨多物种廊道的规划方案.结果表明,研究区域4种同域物种的栖息地均存在不同程度的破碎化,而108国道和G5高速是造成栖息地破碎化的最大隔离因子.共识别出32条廊道需求,其中豹猫2条、中华鬣羚9条、毛冠鹿10条、小熊猫11条,而大熊猫廊道仅与中华鬣羚的1条廊道重叠,各同域物种之间廊道的重叠范围也较小.可见,以大熊猫廊道为基础规划的多物种廊道只能满足少数物种的部分廊道需求;因此在实际保护工作中,不能简单地以大熊猫廊道代替其他物种的廊道.(图3表1参28)     

工业动态

对北美洲渔业的研究发现灭绝的威胁 由美国渔业协会（ＡＦＳ）进行的一项为期三年的研究得出结论,由于捕捞过度和生活环境的破坏,北美洲水域的８２种海洋物种可能会遭到灭绝．由科学家和渔场专业管理人员组成的ＡＦＳ调查了它们的稀有程度、生活环境要求和种群恢复力．受到威胁的生物包括商业鱼类,如鲟鱼、鳕鱼、鲶科鱼、大西洋鲑和大西洋大比目鱼,还有海马和一些鲨鱼种类．２２个物种可能正面临着全球性灭绝． 他们确定了五个地理“危险区”,那里的一些物种正处于危险中：印度河（佛罗里达）泻湖、佛罗里达珊瑚礁、佛罗里达湾、皮吉特…     

岷江上游林草交错带祁连山圆柏群落的物种多样性及乔木种群的分布格局

应用5种多样性指数对祁连山圆柏群落的物种多样性进行了研究，并采用相邻格子样方法测定了乔木种群及其各立木级的分布格局．结果表明，灌木层的物种多样性偏低，而草本层多样性较高，群落总的物种多样性(以丰富度表示)较高．群落总的物种多样性较高是由于较低的灌木层多样性与较高的草本层多样性综合作用的结果，与放牧影响、阳坡的干燥环境有关，可能是林草交错区固有的特点．乔木种群的分布格局呈现出集群分布，但在其发育过程中显示了动态变化的特征，即在幼苗和小树阶段为集群分布，到了大树阶段转变为随机分布或均匀分布．表6参32     

两栖动物种群衰退研究进展

过去50a中，全球范围内许多两栖动物种群显著衰退，一些种类已经灭绝．研究发现，这类现象的出现与人类活动日益加强密切相关，生态环境的破坏，污染的排放、气候的改变、野生动植物疾病的流行等因素是导致这一现象的主要原因.本文总结介绍了近年来国际上本领域的最新研究成果与动态，并对我国的研究现状和未来作了讨论．图1参40     

气候变化将导致大量动植物灭绝

很多动植物不可能经受住气候变化。新的分析表明,在一个由1103种陆地植物和动物组成的样本中,有15%~37%的物种预计到2050年将因气候变化而灭绝。这些物种中,有些将没有任何地方适合它们生存;另一些将不能到达适合它们生存的地方。迅速改用不产生温室气体的技术,并与碳的吸收技术相结合,有可能使15%~20%的物种避免灭绝气候变化将导致大量动植物灭绝@肖辉林     

江西鄱阳湖国家级自然保护区两栖动物资源现状及保护对策

近年来我国两栖动物受胁迫物种增多,并且总体数量呈下降趋势,两栖动物及其栖息地保护迫在眉睫。为阐明鄱阳湖国家级自然保护区两栖动物资源现状,于2018年4、6和8月,运用样线法调查该区域两栖动物物种组成、种群数量及栖息地利用状况,以期为鄱阳湖国家级自然保护区两栖动物保护提出针对性建议。该研究共观测到两栖动物8种,隶属于1目4科,其中包括1种国家Ⅱ级保护动物[虎纹蛙(Hoplobatrachus chinensis)]及5种国家"三有"保护动物。泽陆蛙(Fejervarya multistriata)为保护区优势种(共计3 432只,占总个体数的64.93%)。两栖动物物种数、个体数和物种多样性在调查月份间无显著差异。而栖息地类型对两栖动物数量和Pielou均匀度指数具有显著影响。两栖动物对栖息地的偏好及自身生态位宽度是影响该地区两栖动物分布的主要因素。     

毛竹混交林主要种群多维生态位特征

应用生态位空间分割法，分别考虑资源利用率与否测定毛竹混交林多维资源空间中主要种群多维生态位宽度及多维生态位重叠，结果表明：考虑资源利用率与否对多维生态位宽度的测定有较大的影响，毛竹混交林中主要种群的多维生态位宽度与物种的生物学特性及竞争力密切相关，同一生境中物种的多维生态位重叠可通过生态位分化而减少竞争，研究毛竹混交林主要种群多维生态位特征对毛竹混交林营造具有指导作用．表8参24．     

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.     

Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation

Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza‐Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land‐use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon‐dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon‐based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development.     

Human Influence and Classical Biogeographic Predictors of Rare Species Occurrence

Biogeographic theory predicts that rare species occur more often in larger, less‐isolated habitat patches and suggests that patch size and connectivity are positive predictors of patch quality for conservation. However, in areas substantially modified by humans, rare species may be relegated to the most isolated patches. We used data from plant surveys of 81 meadow patches in the Georgia Basin of Canada and the United States to show that presence of threatened and endangered plants was positively predicted for patches that were isolated on small islands surrounded by ocean and for patches that were isolated by surrounding forest. Neither patch size nor connectivity were positive predictors of rare species occurrence. Thus, in our study area, human influence, presumably due to disturbance or introduction of competitive non‐native species, appears to have overwhelmed classical predictors of rare species distribution, such that greater patch isolation appeared to favor presence of rare species. We suggest conservation planners consider the potential advantages of protecting geographically isolated patches in human‐modified landscapes because such patches may represent the only habitats in which rare species are likely to persist. Influencia Humana y Predictores Biogeográficos Clásicos de la Ocurrencia de Especies Raras     

Seasonal dynamics of macro-algae in the South Lake of Tunis

The macro-algae communities observed in the south lake of Tunis are characterized by the predominance of nitrophilous algae which are in the order of biomass importance:Ulva, Cladophora andEnteromorpha. We have noted seasonal changes of alga distribution. The wind appears to be one of the most important factors influencing this distribution. The total biomass reaches a maximum in the spring. Rapid decomposition of the biomass leads to a severe ecological imbalance, resulting in crises of anoxia and fish death. A restoration project has already started. It aims at removal of contaminated muds and the introduction of a new circulation system. The main objectives of this work were to collect information on the distribution and biomass of the phytobenthic communities as a first step in the constitution of a database for further comparison.     

Patterns and biases of climate change threats in the IUCN Red List

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments rely on published data and expert inputs, and biases can be introduced where underlying definitions and concepts are ambiguous. Consideration of climate change threat is no exception, and recently numerous approaches to assessing the threat of climate change to species have been developed. We explored IUCN Red List assessments of amphibians and birds to determine whether species listed as threatened by climate change display distinct patterns in terms of habitat occupied and additional nonclimatic threats faced. We compared IUCN Red List data with a published data set of species’ biological and ecological traits believed to infer high vulnerability to climate change and determined whether distributions of climate change‐threatened species on the IUCN Red List concur with those of climate change‐threatened species identified with the trait‐based approach and whether species possessing these traits are more likely to have climate change listed as a threat on the IUCN Red List. Species in some ecosystems (e.g., grassland, shrubland) and subject to particular threats (e.g., invasive species) were more likely to have climate change as a listed threat. Geographical patterns of climate change‐threatened amphibians and birds on the IUCN Red List were incongruent with patterns of global species richness and patterns identified using trait‐based approaches. Certain traits were linked to increases or decreases in the likelihood of a species being threatened by climate change. Broad temperature tolerance of a species was consistently related to an increased likelihood of climate change threat, indicating counterintuitive relationships in IUCN assessments. To improve the robustness of species assessments of the vulnerability or extinction risk associated with climate change, we suggest IUCN adopt a more cohesive approach whereby specific traits highlighted by our results are considered in Red List assessments. To achieve this and to strengthen the climate change‐vulnerability assessments approach, it is necessary to identify and implement logical avenues for further research into traits that make species vulnerable to climate change (including population‐level threats).     

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