华南丘陵区针叶林和果园地表CH4通量的日变化

利用静态箱-气相色谱法对华南丘陵区典型土地利用类型(针叶林:马尾松 Pinus massoniana;果园:龙眼Dimocarpus longan Lour)地表CH4通量日变化进行了原位观测.结果表明, 针叶林和果园土壤总体来说为大气CH4的吸收汇.地表CH4通量日变化波动较大,规律不明显.吸收较强的月份为10-11月,较弱的月份为6-9月.针叶林地表CH4吸收通量日平均值变化幅度为-0.093～0.066 mg·m-2·h-1,果园为-0.098～0.146 mg·m-2·h-1.地温和气温对地表CH4通量无明显影响.降雨对地表CH4通量有较大的影响,旱季(10-3月) 地表CH4吸收通量大于雨季(4-9月).凋落物和植被类型对CH4通量没有明显影响.     

温度和土壤含水量对温带森林土壤温室气体排放的影响

全球温带森林土壤是影响陆地主要温室气体——二氧化碳(CO2)、甲烷(CH4)和氧化亚氮(N2O)的重要源和汇,土壤温湿度的交互作用是影响温室气体吸收与释放的重要影响因素,但目前针对温带森林土壤的温湿度变化对温室气体的影响研究甚少。本研究用自动控制温湿度的人工气候箱模拟不同温度(5、10、15℃)和土壤水分含量(最大田间持水量的20%、40%、60%、80%)环境,比较研究3种我国温带典型森林土壤CO2、N2O、CH4的通量动态变化及其综合增温潜势(GWP)。结果表明:温度和土壤含水量增加会导致3种森林土壤的CO2和N2O表现为排放源、CH4为弱吸收汇。其中,阔叶林和针叶林土壤CO2排放通量变化幅度相近,针阔混交林的排放通量波动范围较小于二者;针阔混交林和阔叶林土壤的N2O排放通量变化幅度相近,而针叶林土壤的排放通量波动范围明显高于二者;阔叶林土壤CH4吸收通量随温度和土壤含水量增加的幅度较其他2种林型显著。3种林型土壤GWP受温度和土壤含水量影响的敏感性由高到低依次为阔叶林针叶林针阔混交林。     

三江平原湿地岛状林CH4和N2O排放通量的特征

利用静态箱-气相色谱法对三江平原湿地岛状林生长季N2O、CH4的排放通量进行了为期4个月的原位测定,分析了三江平原湿地岛状林CH4、N2O排放通量的季节特征,并初步探讨了CH4、N2O排放通量与温度和土壤水分的关系.湿地岛状林CH4、N2O通量均呈现出明显的正负交替的变化特征, 通量范围分别为-560.45～706.35 μg/(m2·h)和-28.87～43.59 μg/(m2·h), 季节均值分别为41.88 μg/(m2·h)和11.56 μg/(m2·h).结果表明, 湿地三江平原湿地岛状林土壤是CH4和N2O的汇.相关分析表明,CH4和N2O的排放与箱内温度具有弱相关性.土壤水分是影响湿地岛状林土壤CH4吸收、排放关系的重要因素, 而土壤的干湿交替能促进岛状林土壤N2O的排放.     

水热条件对不同坡位兴安落叶松林土壤CH_4通量的影响

兴安落叶松林是我国北方最大的针叶林,在我国具有重要的碳汇地位,对我国以及全球的气候变化具有重要影响。由于独特的高寒高湿和多年冻土的特殊生态环境,兴安落叶松林土壤中CH4的吸收与释放的规律与众不同。因此,开展对土壤CH4动态及其与环境关系的研究,对揭示兴安落叶松林碳汇能力的形成、碳释放动态以及兴安落叶松林对气候变化的作用具有重要的理论和实践意义。作者于2011年5月到9月间在内蒙古根河国家生态站,在不同坡位的4种典型兴安落叶松林群落中布设样地,采用静态箱-红外气体分析仪收集气体并分析CH4通量的变化,同时测定不同深度的土壤温度,测定土壤含水率。借助SAS方差分析、相关性分析等统计方法,对兴安落叶松林土壤CH4通量的季节变化进行研究,同时分析土壤温度及含水率对CH4通量的影响。结果表明,CH4的季节动态变化规律:坡顶CH4通量为春季释放,夏季吸收,秋季释放,吸收大于释放,通量的平均值为-68.12μg·m-2·h-1;坡上部CH4通量为春夏秋3季均吸收,通量的平均值为-342.49μg·m-2·h-1;坡下部CH4通量为春季释放,夏季吸收,秋季释放,释放大于吸收,通量的平均值为67.8μg·m-2·h-1;坡脚CH4通量为春夏秋3季均释放,通量的平均值为263μg·m-2·h-1。总的来说,在生长季兴安落叶松林土壤甲烷通量吸收大于释放,说明地处寒温带的大兴安岭是CH4的汇。观测期间CH4通量与温度及土壤含水率均有一定的相关性,二者从不同角度影响CH4通量的变化,而随着坡位的变化土壤水热条件也随之改变,这同样是影响CH4通量的一个重要因素。     

水热条件对不同坡位兴安落叶松林土壤CH4通量的影响

兴安落叶松林是我国北方最大的针叶林,在我国具有重要的碳汇地位,对我国以及全球的气候变化具有重要影响。由于独特的高寒高湿和多年冻土的特殊生态环境,兴安落叶松林土壤中 CH4的吸收与释放的规律与众不同。因此,开展对土壤 CH4动态及其与环境关系的研究,对揭示兴安落叶松林碳汇能力的形成、碳释放动态以及兴安落叶松林对气候变化的作用具有重要的理论和实践意义。作者于2011年5月到9月间在内蒙古根河国家生态站,在不同坡位的4种典型兴安落叶松林群落中布设样地,采用静态箱-红外气体分析仪收集气体并分析CH4通量的变化,同时测定不同深度的土壤温度,测定土壤含水率。借助SAS方差分析、相关性分析等统计方法,对兴安落叶松林土壤CH4通量的季节变化进行研究,同时分析土壤温度及含水率对 CH4通量的影响。结果表明,CH4的季节动态变化规律：坡顶 CH4通量为春季释放,夏季吸收,秋季释放,吸收大于释放,通量的平均值为-68.12μg·m^-2·h^-1;坡上部CH4通量为春夏秋3季均吸收,通量的平均值为-342.49μg·m^-2·h^-1;坡下部CH4通量为春季释放,夏季吸收,秋季释放,释放大于吸收,通量的平均值为67.8μg·m^-2·h^-1;坡脚CH4通量为春夏秋3季均释放,通量的平均值为263μg·m^-2·h^-1。总的来说,在生长季兴安落叶松林土壤甲烷通量吸收大于释放,说明地处寒温带的大兴安岭是CH4的汇。观测期间CH4通量与温度及土壤含水率均有一定的相关性,二者从不同角度影响CH4通量的变化,而随着坡位的变化土壤水热条件也随之改变,这同样是影响CH4通量的一个重要因素。     

Effects of long-term nitrogen addition and precipitation changes on CH4 flux in an alpine steppe北大核心CSCD

土壤是甲烷(CH4)重要的源和汇.氮沉降和降水格局变化正在急剧改变土壤碳循环,进而可能对土壤CH4通量造成深刻影响.高寒生态系统是巨大的碳库,对氮沉降和降水变化十分敏感.然而,目前多数研究集中在短期实验上,缺乏对长期氮沉降和降水变化背景下CH4通量的响应及其调控因素的认识.以青藏高原高寒草原为研究对象,在2013年搭建模拟氮沉降和降水格局改变实验平台.基于静态箱–气相色谱法测定2020年生长季(5-10月)土壤CH4通量.结果显示,高寒草原土壤呈CH4的汇.氮添加没有显著改变生长季和植物生长高峰CH4通量.然而,降水变化显著改变了生长季和植物生长高峰CH4通量,其中降水增加(+50%降水)降低了CH4的吸收(分别为–16%和–45%),降水减少(–50%降水)增强了CH4的吸收(分别为+73%和+33%).进一步研究发现,与植物属性和功能基因丰度相比,土壤环境因子主导了CH4通量变化(解释率>90%).其中CH4通量与土壤含水量和温度显著正相关,与土壤pH显著负相关.综上所述,在未来全球变化情景下,降水格局改变更能调节青藏高原高寒草原CH4通量的变化.(图6表1参37)     

北亚热带红壤丘陵区3种土地利用方式下CH_4通量及其影响因素

以北亚热带红壤丘陵区林地、茶园、菜地为对象,采用静态箱-气相色谱法,对3种土地利用方式下CH4通量进行了研究,同时测定了土壤温度、含水量和无机氮含量。旨在探索不同土地利用方式下CH4"源"和"汇"的功能,对评估不同土地利用方式对全球气候变化的贡献具有重要意义。结果表明,不同土地利用方式下土壤甲烷平均通量有显著差异,分别为:林地-15.44μg·m-2·h-1,茶园-1.49μg·m-2·h-1,菜地7.11μg·m-2·h-1;菜地土壤甲烷平均通量最高,茶园其次,林地最低,CH4年累积通量分别为0.52、-0.31和-1.46 kg·hm-2,菜地土壤以排放CH4为主,而茶园和林地土壤是CH4的汇。茶园和菜地土壤CH4通量呈一定的季节性变化,春、秋季CH4通量较高。林地CH4吸收通量与土壤湿度呈显著的负相关关系(P0.05),且当土壤湿度(WFPS)高于70%时,林地土壤才以排放CH4为主;而茶园和菜地土壤CH4吸收通量与土壤含水量无显著相关关系。土壤CH4通量与土壤温度之间未呈显著的相关关系。不同土地利用方式下土壤CH4排放通量与铵态氮含量呈显著的负相关关系(P0.05),而与硝态氮含量未呈显著的相关性。     

三江平原小叶章湿草甸CH4地-气交换特征

用密闭不透明箱-气相色谱法对三江平原小叶章湿草甸进行了为期2 a的现场观测研究.结果表明三江平原季节性积水的小叶章湿草甸全年CH4排放呈明显的双峰型变化.在非冰冻期(5月至10月)CH4排放通量为0.297～18.914 mg·m-2·h-1, 排放峰值出现在6月和8月、9月;冰冻期(11月至次年4月)CH4排放通量为0.048～2.921 mg·m-2·h-1, 排放低值出现在冬季的12月至次年3月之间,以及发生季节性干旱的7月.冰雪覆盖下的小叶章湿地依然有CH4排放,冰冻期CH4排放量约占全年排放总量的4.94%.在季节性积水或过湿的环境中,小叶章湿草甸CH4排放通量的季节变化主要由温度和土壤水分条件共同控制,其日变化特征表现为白天排放通量大,夜间则小.     

华南丘陵区针叶林和果园地表N2O通量的日变化

利用静态箱-气相色谱法对华南丘陵区典型土地利用类型(针叶林:马尾松 Pinus massoniana;果园:龙眼Dimocarpus longan Lour)地表N2O通量日变化进行了原位观测.结果表明, 针叶林和果园土壤总体来说为大气N2O的源.地表N2O通量日变化规律不明显,日变化中最大通量和最小通量出现的时间也没有明显的规律.针叶林地表N2O通量日平均值变化幅度为0.02～0.12 mg·m-2·h-1,果园为0.03～0.37 mg·m-2·h-1,最大值一般出现在6-8月.地温和气温对地表N2O通量日变化无明显影响.降雨对地表N2O通量有较大的影响,雨季(4-9月)地表N2O通量大于旱季(10-3月).不同土地利用方式对地表N2O通量有较大影响,果园地表N2O通量较针叶林大.没有发现凋落物对地表N2O通量有明显影响.     

不同经营方式及生境对大兴安岭高纬度林区生长盛季森林土壤CO_2、CH_4、N_2O通量的影响

为了确定不同森林经营利用方式(原始林、皆伐林、渐伐林)及不同生境(有林地、无林地、湿地)对于森林土壤-大气主要温室气体通量的影响,于2013年生长盛季(7─8月),在内蒙古大兴安岭兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii)林区选取了16块样地,采用静态箱/气相色谱法进行了土壤-大气温室气体通量的原位观测。气体监测的同时,测定了土壤湿度和各层土壤温度以及各样地土壤的物理、化学性质。实验结果表明:大兴安岭兴安落叶松林区生长盛季CH4通量平均值为C(-133.6±62.3)μg·m-2·h-1。沼泽湿地(PD2和PD7)CH4表现为释放,CH4通量平均值为C(130.0±41.0)μg·m-2·h-1,其它14个样地土壤CH4为吸收,吸收通量变化范围为C(-242.0~-42.6)μg·m-2·h-1,变异系数为47%。所有样地CO2的地-气通量变化范围是C(94.9~1164.0)μg·m-2·h-1,平均值为C(671.3±324.3)μg·m-2·h-1,变异系数是48%。所有样地N2O通量的范围是N(1.2~21.6)μg·m-2·h-1,平均值为N(7.3±6.1)μg·m-2·h-1,变异系数为84%。通过数据分析显示,大兴安岭林区生长盛季不同经营方式及不同生境对森林土壤-大气CH4、CO2、N2O通量均无显著相关性。CH4通量与土壤各层温度及各层湿度并未发现有显著相关性,仅显示CH4通量与土壤有机质(SOC)呈正相关关系、土壤全氮(TN)呈负相关关系;CO2通量与土壤5 cm处温度显著相关(P=0.042 3),与土壤0 cm及10 cm处温度无显著相关性,CO2通量与土壤各层温度呈正相关关系,与腐殖质层、0~10 cm以及10~20 cm土壤湿度呈负相关关系,与SOC、TN呈负相关关系;N2O通量与土壤各层温度、湿度及SOC均呈正相关关系,与TN呈负相关关系。     

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.