A climatic driver for abrupt mid-Holocene vegetation dynamics and the hemlock decline in New England

The mid-Holocene decline of eastern hemlock is widely viewed as the sole prehistorical example of an insect- or pathogen-mediated collapse of a North American tree species and has been extensively studied for insights into pest-host dynamics and the consequences to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of dominant-species removal. We report paleoecological evidence implicating climate as a major driver of this episode. Data drawn from sites across a gradient in hemlock abundance from dominant to absent demonstrate: a synchronous, dramatic decline in a contrasting taxon (oak); changes in lake sediments and aquatic taxa indicating low water levels; and one or more intervals of intense drought at regional to continental scales. These results, which accord well with emerging climate reconstructions, challenge the interpretation of a biotically driven hemlock decline and highlight the potential for climate change to generate major, abrupt dynamics in forest ecosystems.     

Use of historical and contemporary distribution of mammals in China to inform conservation

A systematic understanding of dynamic animal extinction trajectories for different regions in a nation like China is critically important to developing practical conservation strategies. We explored historical and contemporary changes in terrestrial mammalian diversity to determine how diversity in each of the 5 regions in China has changed over time and to examine the conservation potential of these regions. We used records from databases on Pleistocene mammalian fossils and historical distribution records (1175–2020) for Primates (as a case study) to reconstruct evolutionary and historical distribution trajectories of the 11 orders of terrestrial mammals and to predict their prospective survival based on the national conservation strategy applied. The results indicated that since the Pleistocene, 4–5 mammalian orders have been lost in the northeast, 3 in central China, 2 along the coast, and 1 in the northwest. In the southwest, all 11 orders were maintained. Contemporarily, the coast and southwest had the highest and second-highest species densities. The southwest region and southeastern sections of the northwest region were the most historically and contemporarily diverse areas, which suggests that they should be the first priority for protected area (PA) designation. The central and coastal areas should be secondarily prioritized. In these 2 regions, conservation should focus on human coexistence with nature. Less attention should be paid to the PA in the northeast and western northwest because in these areas ecosystems are depauperate and the climate is harsh. Conservation in these areas should focus principally on avoiding further human encroachment on natural areas. Article impact statement: Historical and contemporary patterns of extinction can be a basis for mammalian conservation strategies.     

Endangered Cacti in the Chihuahuan Desert: II. Biogeography and Conservation

The distributions of the majority of the endangered cacti in the Chihuahuan Desert Region are concentrated in the southeastern and eastern segments of the area, where the predominance of narrow endemism is a remarkable phytogeographic phenomenon. We used three criteria—species richness, conservation value, and complementarity—to evaluate 37 cactus-rich area units in the Chihuahuan Desert. The evaluation of these three quantitative parameters together allowed us to determine that seven of these areas (Huizache, Tolimán, Ciudad Victoria, Metztitlán, Cuatro Ciénegas, Jaumave, and Xichú) should be considered conservation priorities because they hold the most significant assemblage of endangered species, in terms of their numbers and their rarity. Conservation actions in these seven areas would protect 52 (55.9%) of the 93 endangered species studied here, most of which have extremely narrow distributions. Geographically, these critical areas are located in the Queretaroan-Hidalgoan arid zone (in the States of Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Guanajuato), in the Jaumave Valley (Tamaulipas), and in two disjunct areas (San Luis Potosí and Coahuila) in the interior of the Chihuahuan Desert.     

Trihalomethanes formation in water treatment plants and distribution lines: a monitoring and modeling scheme

Monitoring and modeling of the concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs) within four water treatment plants (WTPs) and distribution lines in Fayoum City, Egypt, were studied. Sampling sites for raw and treated waters were determined by global positioning system and the Arc geographic information system software was used for mapping. THMs were monitored using 25 sampling points located at the plant exit and through the distribution lines up to the plant extremity. Results indicated that the THMs concentration varied significantly but it was very rarely higher than the allowed maximum contaminant level of 100 μg L^?1. However, at the dead zones in the distribution lines, the THMs increased by about 160% compared to in-plant level. Furthermore, the level of THMs in hot months was about 1.3 times higher than in cold ones. The influence of some independent variables such as temperature, pH, ammonia concentration, total organic carbon and color were investigated by Pearson model to find their correlation with the rate of THMs formation in WTPs. The resulted R values ranged from 0.81 to 0.98. Successful application of the model to a selected region on the distribution lines has resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.98.     

珍稀植物濒危机制及保育策略中的营养条件

首先简要论述了珍稀植物濒危的原因、濒危机制的各种理论和研究方法，包括就地保护和迁地保护两个方面的保育策略的制定与实践。然后着重从营养条件的角度对这些理论和现状进行了分析。认为濒危物种在其历史演化过程中存在的脆弱环节以及活植物迁地保护的评价标准均与营养条件密切相关，营养条件可能是某些物种濒危机制中的一个重要组成部分；营养条件方面的研究可以为保护区设立的大小提出指导性意见；珍稀植物迁地保护过程中应密切关注营养条件的影响；营养条件在一定程度上决定了对某些物种保育策略的制定；将分子生物学与植物营养学的研究方法相结合，将能成为珍稀植物濒危机制及保育策略研究中的一种有效手段。     

Trait space of rare plants in a fire‐dependent ecosystem

The causes of species rarity are of critical concern because of the high extinction risk associated with rarity. Studies examining individual rare species have limited generality, whereas trait‐based approaches offer a means to identify functional causes of rarity that can be applied to communities with disparate species pools. Differences in functional traits between rare and common species may be indicative of the functional causes of species rarity and may therefore be useful in crafting species conservation strategies. However, there is a conspicuous lack of studies comparing the functional traits of rare species and co‐occurring common species. We measured 18 important functional traits for 19 rare and 134 common understory plant species from North Carolina's Sandhills region and compared their trait distributions to determine whether there are significant functional differences that may explain species rarity. Flowering, fire, and tissue‐chemistry traits differed significantly between rare and common, co‐occurring species. Differences in specific traits suggest that fire suppression has driven rarity in this system and that changes to the timing and severity of prescribed fire may improve conservation success. Our method provides a useful tool to prioritize conservation efforts in other systems based on the likelihood that rare species are functionally capable of persisting.     

Multi-model analysis of tree competition along environmental gradients in southern New England forests.

Robust predictions of competitive interactions among canopy trees and variation in tree growth along environmental gradients represent key challenges for the management of mixed-species, uneven-aged forests. We analyzed the effects of competition on tree growth along environmental gradients for eight of the most common tree species in southern New England and southeastern New York using forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data, information theoretic decision criteria, and multi-model inference to evaluate models. The suite of models estimated growth of individual trees as a species-specific function of average potential diameter growth, tree diameter at breast height, local environmental conditions, and crowding by neighboring trees. We used ordination based on the relative basal area of species to generate a measure of site conditions in each plot. Two ordination axes were consistent with variation in species abundance along moisture and fertility gradients. Estimated potential growth varied along at least one of these axes for six of the eight species; peak relative abundance of less shade-tolerant species was in all cases displaced away from sites where they showed maximum potential growth. Our crowding functions estimate the strength of competitive effects of neighbors; only one species showed support for the hypothesis that all species of competitors have equivalent effects on growth. The relative weight of evidence (Akaike weights) for the best models varied from a low of 0.207 for Fraxinus americana to 0.747 for Quercus rubra. In such cases, model averaging provides a more robust platform for prediction than that based solely on the best model. We show that predictions based on the selected best models dramatically overestimated differences between species relative to predictions based on the averaged set of models.     

Neighborhood analyses of canopy tree competition along environmental gradients in New England forests.

We use permanent-plot data from the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program for an analysis of the effects of competition on tree growth along environmental gradients for the 14 most abundant tree species in forests of northern New England, USA. Our analysis estimates actual growth for each individual tree of a given species as a function of average potential diameter growth modified by three sets of scalars that quantify the effects on growth of (1) initial target tree size (dbh), (2) local environmental conditions, and (3) crowding by neighboring trees. Potential growth of seven of the 14 species varied along at least one of the two environmental axes identified by an ordination of relative abundance of species in plots. The relative abundances of a number of species were significantly displaced from sites where they showed maximum potential growth. In all of these cases, abundance was displaced to the more resource-poor end of the environmental gradient (either low fertility or low moisture). The pattern was most pronounced among early successional species, whereas late-successional species reached their greatest abundance on sites where they also showed the highest growth in the absence of competition. The analysis also provides empirical estimates of the strength of intraspecific and interspecific competitive effects of neighbors. For all but one of the species, our results led us to reject the hypothesis that all species of competitors have equivalent effects on a target species. Most of the individual pairwise interactions were strongly asymmetric. There was a clear competitive hierarchy among the four most shade-tolerant species, and a separate competitive hierarchy among the shade-intolerant species. Our results suggest that timber yield following selective logging will vary dramatically depending on the configuration of the residual canopy, because of interspecific variation in the magnitude of both the competitive effects of different species of neighbors and the competitive responses of different species of target trees to neighbors. The matrix of competition coefficients suggests that there may be clear benefits in managing for specific mixtures of species within local neighborhoods within stands.     

Macroinfauna of a Southern New England salt marsh: seasonal dynamics and production

The animal-habitat relationships and seasonal dynamics of the benthic macroinfauna were investigated from November 1986 to October 1988 in the Great Sippe-wissett salt marsh (Massachusetts, USA). Total macrofaunal abundance varied seasonally, displaying a peak in late spring and early summer, then declining sharply during late summer and recovering briefly in fall before collapsing in winter. Three macroinfaunal assemblages were found in the marsh, distributed along gradients of environmental factors. These included a sandy non-organic sediment assemblage, a sandy organic sediment assemblage and a muddy sediment assemblage. The species groups characteristic of unstable sandy non-organic sediments included the polychaetes Leitoscoloplos fragilis, Aricidea jefreyssi, Magelona rosea and Streptosyllis verrilli, the oligochaete Paranais litoralis, and the crustacean Acanthohaustorius millsi. Sandy organic sediments were characterized by the polychaetes Marenzelleria viridis, Capitella capitata, Neanthes succinea, N. arenaceodonta, Polydora ligni and Heteromastus filiformis, the oligochaete Lumbricillus sp., and the mollusc Gemma gemma. In muddy sites, the polychaete Streblospio benedicti and the oligochaetes Paranais litoralis and Monopylephorus evertus were the dominant species. Secondary production of benthic macroinfauna in each of these habitats was estimated. The highest values of biomass and production were recorded in the sandy organic sediments. Secondary production was estimated to be 1850 kJ m^-2 yr^-1 in sandy organic areas, but only 281 kJ m^-2 yr^-1 in sandy non-organic areas and 113 kJ m^-2 yr^-1 in muddy areas. This results in an area-weighted average production of 505 kJ m^-2 yr^-1 for the unvegetated areas of the marsh. The Great Sippewissett salt marsh has an area of 483800 m², the total secondary production of the macroinfauna for the whole unvegetated area of the marsh was estimated as 4651 kg dry wt yr^-1, expressed as somatic growth. This production value seems consistent with production data obtained for other intertidal North Atlantic environments.     

Effects of life history and reproduction on recruitment time lags in reintroductions of rare plants

Reintroductions are important components of conservation and recovery programs for rare plant species, but their long-term success rates are poorly understood. Previous reviews of plant reintroductions focused on short-term (e.g., ≤3 years) survival and flowering of founder individuals rather than on benchmarks of intergenerational persistence, such as seedling recruitment. However, short-term metrics may obscure outcomes because the unique demographic properties of reintroductions, including small size and unstable stage structure, could create lags in population growth. We used time-to-event analysis on a database of unusually well-monitored and long-term (4–28 years) reintroductions of 27 rare plant species to test whether life-history traits and population characteristics of reintroductions create time-lagged responses in seedling recruitment (i.e., recruitment time lags [RTLs]), an important benchmark of success and indicator of persistence in reintroduced populations. Recruitment time lags were highly variable among reintroductions, ranging from <1 to 17 years after installation. Recruitment patterns matched predictions from life-history theory with short-lived species (fast species) exhibiting consistently shorter and less variable RTLs than long-lived species (slow species). Long RTLs occurred in long-lived herbs, especially in grasslands, whereas short RTLs occurred in short-lived subtropical woody plants and annual herbs. Across plant life histories, as reproductive adult abundance increased, RTLs decreased. Highly variable RTLs were observed in species with multiple reintroduction events, suggesting local processes are just as important as life-history strategy in determining reintroduction outcomes. Time lags in restoration outcomes highlight the need to scale success benchmarks in reintroduction monitoring programs with plant life-history strategies and the unique demographic properties of restored populations. Drawing conclusions on the long-term success of plant reintroduction programs is premature given that demographic processes in species with slow life-histories take decades to unfold.     

Beyond Biogeography: a Framework for Involving the Public in Planning of U.S. Marine Protected Areas

Abstract:  Planning of marine protected areas (MPAs) is highlighted in the conservation literature but is not explored in much detail. Many researchers acknowledge the importance of involving the public in MPA planning, but there is limited guidance on how to do this in an effective manner. I present a framework for involving the public in planning of U.S. MPAs. Derived from empirically and theoretically based research on public participation in U.S. natural resource management, this framework is composed of factors that influence the success of participatory processes: active participant involvement, complete information exchange, fair decision making, efficient administration, and positive participant interactions. Processes incorporating these factors will produce decisions that are more likely to be supported by stakeholders, meet management objectives, and fulfill conservation goals. This framework contributes to the MPA social science literature and responds to calls in the conservation literature to increase the use of social science research to inform conservation decision making.     

中国植物园保护稀有濒危植物的现状和若干对策

针对中国植物园稀有濒危植物的保护现状和存在问题进行分析,重点讨论了稀有濒危植物在植物园迁地保护的有效性问题,涉及稀有濒危植物在植物园迁地保护的生长和适应问题、稀有濒危植物在植物园重复栽培问题、稀有濒危植物在植物园迁地保护的有效种群大小问题、科学记录系统和监测中心的建立问题。就稀有濒危植物在植物园迁地保护的可持续发展提出了若干对策与建议:以植物园为基础形成保护的网络系统;加强稀有濒危植物迁地保护规划并突出重点;加强科学记录系统和监测中心的建立;多方筹措资金,加强支持强度;加强人才培训与学术交流。     

Countryside Biogeography of Moths in a Fragmented Landscape: Biodiversity in Native and Agricultural Habitats

Abstract: Studies of fragmented landscapes, especially in the tropics, have traditionally focused on the native fragments themselves, ignoring species distributions in surrounding agricultural or other human-dominated areas. We sampled moth species richness within a 227-ha forest fragment and in four surrounding agricultural habitats (coffee, shade coffee, pasture, and mixed farms) in southern Costa Rica. We found no significant difference in moth species richness or abundance among agricultural habitats, but agricultural sites within 1 km of the forest fragment had significantly higher richness and abundance than sites farther than 3.5 km from the fragment. In addition, species composition differed significantly between distance classes ( but not among agricultural habitats), with near sites more similar to forest than far sites. These results suggest that (1) different agricultural production regimes in this region may offer similar habitat elements and thus may not differ substantially in their capacities to support native moth populations and (2) that the majority of moths may utilize both native and agricultural habitats and move frequently between them, forming "halos" of relatively high species richness and abundance around forest fragments. Correlations between species richness and the amount of nearby forest cover, measured over circles of various radii around the sites, suggest that halos extend approximately 1.0–1.4 km from the forest edge. The extent of these halos likely differs among taxa and may influence their ability to survive in fragmented landscapes.     

稀土尾矿区土壤重金属污染与优势植物累积特征

矿山废弃地不仅占用大量土地,而且还是严重的污染源,因此,矿山废弃地的生态恢复己成为一项紧迫而重要的研究课题。对广东省河源市和平县下车镇内的稀土矿区土壤的重金属污染情况进行调查,并对该区优势植物对重金属的富集特征进行分析,以期对稀土尾矿区的生态系统的恢复和重建提供理论依据。主要研究的3种植物分别是：马唐草（Digitaria sanguinalis）,香根草（Vetiveria zizanioides）,望江南（Cassia occidentalis）。采用原子吸收分光光度法测定稀土矿区废弃地土壤和植被中Mn、Pb、Zn的含量,并计算优势植物对重金属的生物富集系数BAC（Biological Accumulating Coefficient）和生物转移系数BTC（Biological Transfer Coefficient）。结果表明：研究区域的土壤中重金属含量Mn、Pb、Zn的平均含量均超出广东省土壤背景值和中国土壤背景值,土壤受Mn污染最严重,其次是Pb、Zn的污染。3种草本植物对于Pb的BAC和BTC均小于1,说明这3种植物对Pb的富集和运输能力都很弱。香根草对于Mn和Zn的BAC分别为0.9和0.4,小于1,BTC分别为3.7和1.1,大于1,说明香根草对Mn和Zn的富集能力不强,但吸收后的运输能力很强。马唐草和望江南2种植物对于Mn和Zn的BAC和BTC均大于1,说明它们对重金属Mn和Zn具有较强的吸收和转移能力,是Mn和Zn的超富集植物。马唐草覆盖率高,抗病虫能力强,可作为该矿区生态恢复的先锋植物,望江南可以间作种植。     

Ecological studies of Codium fragile in New England,USA

The seasonal growth and reproduction of Codium fragile were studied at Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and at Woods Hole and Wings Neck, Massachusetts (USA), in relation to several environmental parameters. Maximum growth and reproduction occur during periods of highest water temperatures and insolation. The effects of various light intensities and temperatures on the photosynthesis rates of C. fragile were determined and correlated with the field results. Optimal conditions for net photosynthesis are 21° to 24°C and 900 to 1100 foot-candles. It is suggested that C. fragile is a warm-temperate plant that is growing near its northern limits in New England, but one that has not extended to its potential southern limits.Published with the approval of the Director of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station as Scientific Contribution Number 625.     

广西壮族自治区自然保护区建设与珍稀植物保护

广西地区自然分布有国家稀有濒危植物１２１种，是我国濒危植物资源最丰富的省份之一。本文在评价广西的自然保护区建设现状、保护区类型和结构布局以及对濒危植物资源保护情况的基础上，提出了广西的自然保护区建设和濒危植物资源有效保护的建议和对策。     

Role of Crab Herbivory in Die-Off of New England Salt Marshes

Abstract:  Die-offs of cordgrass are pervasive throughout western Atlantic salt marshes, yet understanding of the mechanisms precipitating these events is limited. We tested whether herbivory by the native crab , Sesarma reticulatum , is generating die-offs of cordgrass that are currently occurring on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (U.S.A.), by manipulating crab access to cordgrass transplanted into die-off areas and healthy vegetation. We surveyed 12 Cape Cod marshes to investigate whether the extent of cordgrass die-off on creek banks, where die-offs are concentrated, was related to local Sesarma grazing intensity and crab density. We then used archived aerial images to examine whether creek bank die-off areas have expanded over the past 2 decades and tested the hypothesis that release from predation, leading to elevated Sesarma densities, is triggering cordgrass die-offs by tethering crabs where die-offs are pervasive and where die-offs have not yet been reported. Intensity of crab grazing on transplanted cordgrass was an order of magnitude higher in die-off areas than in adjacent vegetation. Surveys revealed that Sesarma herbivory has denuded nearly half the creek banks in Cape Cod marshes, and differences in crab-grazing intensity among marshes explained >80% of variation in the extent of the die-offs. Moreover, the rate of die-off expansion and area of marsh affected have more than doubled since 2000. Crab-tethering experiments suggest that release from predation has triggered elevated crab densities that are driving these die-offs, indicating that disruption of predator–prey interactions may be generating the collapse of marsh ecosystems previously thought to be exclusively under bottom-up control .     

Eutrophication and Consumer Control of New England Salt Marsh Primary Productivity

Abstract:  Although primary productivity in salt marshes is thought to be controlled by physical forces, recent evidence suggests that human disturbances can drive a switch to consumer control in these ecologically valuable ecosystems. We tested the hypothesis that nitrogen enrichment can trigger consumer control in salt marshes in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, with (1) a field experiment in which we manipulated nutrient availability (with nutrient additions) and insect herbivory (with insecticide application), (2) a survey of 20 salt marshes that examined the relationship between marsh nutrient status and herbivore pressure, and (3) insect herbivore removal at high and low nutrient input sites to directly test the hypothesis that nutrient enrichment is increasing insect herbivory in these marshes. Experimental nitrogen eutrophication initially increased plant productivity but eventually led to reduced plant biomass due to insect herbivory, and our surveys revealed that marsh nitrogen supply was a good predictor of herbivore damage to plants. Insects had minimal impacts on primary productivity in pristine marshes, but suppressed primary productivity in eutrophic salt marshes by 50–75%. Thus, eutrophication is currently triggering consumer suppression of primary productivity in New England salt marshes and may ultimately jeopardize the ecological and societal services these systems provide.     

中国东南部丹霞地貌区珍稀濒危保护物种的初步分析

根据野外调查和丹霞地貌申遗委员会提供的各丹霞地貌区的资料,中国东南部丹霞地貌区共有各类珍稀濒危保护植物178种,隶属于39科93属;其中国家重点保护植物27科,34属,41种,Ⅰ级5种,Ⅱ级36种;被中国植物红皮书<中国物种红色名录>(2004)收录128种,隶属33科、77属,极危2种,濒危7种,易危65种;被(2006)收录的植物共14科15属17种,濒危种(EN)3种、易危种(VU)6种,极危种(CR)1种;CITES(野生动植物保护国际贸易公约)收录的有5科,46属,107种.根据国家重点保护野生动物名录(1999),国家重点保护动物71种,其中Ⅰ级重点保护10种,Ⅱ级重点保护61种;被IUCN收录85种,其中,濒危种8种,易危种20种,极危种2种,其他为低危种;CITES收录100种,隶属于14目29科,其中单目单科单种的有5种;中国动物红皮书的动物有72种,其中,濒危种(EN)7种、易危种(VU)26种,极危种(CR)1种,其他为低危种.珍稀濒危动植物资源极其丰富.通过比较可以看出,丹霞地貌区的野生重点保护植物数目高于黄山、神农架、武夷山,与三清山的相近.但从被子植物的野生重点保护植物来看,要比黄山、武夷山丰富,说明了丹霞地貌植物区系的丰富性和独特性,丹霞山可能是历史变迁过程中一个重要的避难所.