The Value of Primary, Secondary, and Plantation Forests for a Neotropical Herpetofauna

Abstract:  Plantation forests and second-growth forests are becoming dominant components of many tropical forest landscapes. Yet there is little information available concerning the consequences of different forestry options for biodiversity conservation in the tropics. We sampled the leaf-litter herpetofauna of primary, secondary, and Eucalyptus plantation forests in the Jari River area of northeastern Brazilian Amazonia. We used four complementary sampling techniques, combined samples from 2 consecutive years, and collected 1739 leaf-litter amphibians (23 species) and 1937 lizards (30 species). We analyzed the data for differences among forest types regarding patterns of alpha and beta diversity, species-abundance distributions, and community structure. Primary rainforest harbored significantly more species, but supported a similar abundance of amphibians and lizards compared with adjacent areas of second-growth forest or plantations. Plantation forests were dominated by wide-ranging habitat generalists. Secondary forest faunas contained a number of species characteristic of primary forest habitat. Amphibian communities in secondary forests and Eucalyptus plantations formed a nested subset of primary forest species, whereas the species composition of the lizard community in plantations was distinct, and was dominated by open-area species. Although plantation forests are relatively impoverished, naturally regenerating forests can help mitigate some negative effects of deforestation for herpetofauna. Nevertheless, secondary forest does not provide a substitute for primary forest, and in the absence of further evidence from older successional stands, we caution against the optimistic claim that natural forest regeneration in abandoned lands will provide refuge for the many species that are currently threatened by deforestation .     

The Paradox of the Long‐Term Positive Effects of a North American Crayfish on a European Community of Predators

Abstract: Invasions of non‐native species are one of the major causes of losses of native species. In some cases, however, non‐natives may also have positive effects on native species. We investigated the potential facilitative effects of the North American red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on the community of predators in southwestern Spain. To do so, we examined the diets of predators in the area and their population trends since introduction of the crayfish. Most predator species consumed red swamp crayfish, which sometimes occurred in over 50% of their diet samples. Moreover, the abundance of species preying on crayfish increased significantly in the area as opposed to the abundance of herbivores and to predator populations in other areas of Europe, where those predators are even considered threatened. Thus, we report the first case in which one non‐native species is both beneficial because it provides prey for threatened species and detrimental because it can drive species at lower trophic levels to extinction. Increases in predator numbers that are associated with non‐native species of prey, especially when some of these predators are also invasive non‐natives, may increase levels of predation on other species and produce cascading effects that threaten native biota at longer temporal and larger spatial scales. Future management plans should include the complexity of interactions between invasive non‐natives and the entire native community, the feasibility of successful removal of non‐native species, and the potential social and economic interests in the area.     

Closure of Disputes in Assessments of Climate Change in The Netherlands

2 greenhouse gases in assessment studies. For the cases studied, we identify variability in the assessment reports in the Netherlands during the pre-IPCC period. In the Netherlands arena, the assessments in this period can be seen as exponents of two different lines, a Netherlands line and an international line. We seek to identify what factors were decisive in the selection processes that resulted in the closure of visible disputes (visible in or across the assessment reports) for both cases. Our analysis reveals a remarkable difference in the adoption behavior of two Dutch assessment groups despite a large overlap in membership. We provide evidence that it is not the paradigmatic predisposition of the experts in the committee that was decisive for the closure of visible disputes, but it was the context in which the experts operated and the commitments they had made in each setting.     

盘锦地区稻田田面水氮素动态变化及化学氮肥投入阈值研究

以水稻为供试作物,水稻土为供试土壤,采用田间定位试验的方法,以施肥后田面水中的总氮（TN）、NH4^＋-N和NO3^--N浓度为指标,进行了施氮后田面水中氮素释放规律研究。结果表明,施肥后田面水中的总氮（TN）、NH4＋-N和NO3--N浓度随着施肥量的增加而增加,随着时间的推移三者的浓度呈先上升后下降的趋势,一周后趋于稳定;以氮素表观盈余率和植株吸氮量为指标,从环境安全角度研究水稻生产化学氮肥投入阈值,初步确定试验区环境安全化学氮肥投入阈值为189.22～218.98 kg·hm^-2;以水稻产量为指标,进行了粮食安全氮肥投入阈值研究,初步确定试验区水稻生产粮食安全化学氮肥投入阈值为202.24～288.89 kg·hm^-2。综合考虑粮食安全和环境安全,试验区化学氮肥投入阈值为202.24～218.98 kg·hm^-2。     

Assessment of the Conservation Efforts to Prevent Extinction of the Iberian Lynx

Abstract: The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) may be the first charismatic felid to become extinct in a high‐income country, despite decades of study and much data that show extinction is highly probable. The International Union for Conservation of Nature categorizes it as critically endangered; about 200 free‐ranging individuals remain in two populations in southern Spain. Conservation measures aimed at averting extirpation have been extensively undertaken with 4 of the former 10 Iberian lynx populations recorded 25 years ago. Two of the four populations have been extirpated. The number of individuals in the third population have declined by 83%, and in the fourth the probability of extirpation has increased from 34% to 95%. Major drivers of the pending extinction are the small areas to which conservation measures have been applied; lack of incorporation of evidence‐based conservation, scientific monitoring, and adaptive management into conservation efforts; a lack of continuity in recovery efforts, and distrust by conservation agencies of scientific information. In contrast to situations in which conservation and economic objectives conflict, in the case of the Iberian lynx all stakeholders desire the species to be conserved.     

Demographic Side Effects of Selective Hunting in Ungulates and Carnivores

Abstract:  Selective harvesting regimes are often implemented because age and sex classes contribute differently to population dynamics and hunters show preferences associated with body size and trophy value. We reviewed the literature on how such cropping regimes affect the demography of the remaining population (here termed demographic side effects ). First, we examined the implications of removing a large proportion of a specific age or sex class. Such harvesting strategies often bias the population sex ratio toward females and reduce the mean age of males, which may consequently delay birth dates, reduce birth synchrony, delay body mass development, and alter offspring sex ratios. Second, we reviewed the side effects associated with the selective removal of relatively few specific individuals, often large trophy males. Such selective harvesting can destabilize social structures and the dominance hierarchy and may cause loss of social knowledge, sexually selected infanticide, habitat changes among reproductive females, and changes in offspring sex ratio. A common feature of many of the reported mechanisms is that they ultimately depress recruitment and in some extreme cases even cause total reproductive collapse. These effects could act additively and destabilize the dynamics of populations, thus having a stronger effect on population growth rate than first anticipated. Although more experimental than observational studies reported demographic side effects, we argue that this may reflect the quite subtle mechanisms involved, which are unlikely to be detected in observational studies without rigorous monitoring regimes. We call for more detailed studies of hunted populations with marked individuals that address how the expression of these effects varies across mating systems, habitats, and with population density. Theoretical models investigating how strongly these effects influence population growth rates are also required.     

春玉米产量、氮肥效率及土壤矿质氮对施氮的响应

为了提高氮肥增产效益,减少对环境的污染,通过田间试验研究了施氮量对春玉米产量、氮肥效率及土壤矿质氮的影响。结果表明,施氮量较低时,春玉米籽粒产量随施氮量增加显著增加,当施氮量高于180kg·hm2时,产量保持不变或有减少趋势。氮肥农学利用率、氮素吸收效率、氮素偏生产力和氮收获指数均随着施氮量增加显著降低,氮肥表观利用率和氮肥生理利用率均先增加后降低。从苗期到收获期,施氮处理0～60cm土层硝态氮含量呈现“上升一下降一上升一下降一稳定”的变化趋势,而60～120cm土层硝态氮在春玉米生长后期有增加的趋势。随着土层加深,土壤硝态氮含量呈波浪式下降,施氮量240kg·hm-2和300kg·hm-2处理在60～100cm土层硝态氮含量均显著高于其他处理。随着施氮量增加,0～120cm土层硝态氮累积量显著增加,当施氮量超过240kg·hm-2时,土层中累积的硝态氮存在着较大的淋溶风险。综合考虑产量、氮肥效率和环境效应,179—209kgN·hm。是本试验条件下春玉米的合理施氮量。