PHREATOPHYTE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND ITS POTENTIAL REDUCTION WITHOUT ERADICATION1

ABSTRACT: The continuous availability of ground water to riparian phreatophytic vegetation results in large evapotranspiration (ET) losses in summer. Chemical or physical eradication of this vegetation can have undesirable environmental side effects. Spraying phreatophyte foliage with a nontoxic antitranspirant (AT) may reduce transpiration without eradication. Transpiration rate per unit leaf area was similar for several phreatophyte species, but ET per unit land area of phreatophytes depneds more on stand density than species. The mean ET for saltcedar in June was 8.1 mm/day measured by Bowen ratio, compared with 7.9 mm by lysimeters. ATs and growth-retardants reduced transpiration by over 50 percent in laboratory tests where foliage was thoroughly sprayed. In the field AT sprayed by a back-pack mistblower reduced ET by 20–35 percent initially and 10 percent after a month. No ET reduction occurred when AT was sprayed by helicopter on saltcedar, because excessive droplet size and heavy salt deposits on the foliage resulted in poor spray adherence. Wax-based AT was relatively nontoxic to fish and wildlife. Dissolved oxygen could be reduced for aquatic life, but further AT dilution in streams and ponds would minimize this. Helicopter spraying may affect bird nests and egg hatchability. Although ATs significantly reduce ET, their high cost and spraying difficulties preclude current use on phreatophytes. With improvement they may economically help to conserve water in riparian areas in future years.     

Urban waterfowl population: Ecological evaluation of management and planning

An urban population of ducks in Puyallup, Washington, USA was studied for 14 consecutive months beginning in November 1978. Observations were made weekly from four study sites where ducks would congregate at early morning hours. Factors contributing to the presence of waterfowl in Puyallyup included abundant food supplies and a creek corridor that connected fragmented habitats in the urban area to the larger rural populations of waterfowl. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were the most abundant of the 13 species observed and were the only ducks remaining during the nesting season. Habitat size and complexity were important factors influencing the species diversity of a particular site. Nesting success of mallards was poor due to limited distribution of nesting habitat, intraspecific aggression, and human disturbance. Both site-specific and more broad-based strategies are suggested for managing and planning for duck populations in urban areas.     

Effect of forest fires on the avifauna of the Northern Amur Region

To reveal the effect of forest fires on the avifauna of the Northern Amur Region, bird assemblages of primary dark conifer-deciduous forests, wild rosemary larch forests, and secondary larch-birch forests have been studied in the Komsomol’skii and Norskii nature reserves. It has been shown that the replacement of primary dark conifer-deciduous forests by secondary forests is accompanied by a significant decrease in bird population density, with some species being lost and the composition of the dominant species group being changed. On the other hand, fires lead to increasing patchiness of the environment, which can sometimes provide for an increase in biological diversity.     

Impact of Forestry Practices on Fitness Correlates and Population Productivity in an Open-Nesting Bird Species

Abstract:  In the boreal forests of Fennoscandia, over 99% of forest area has been altered by forestry practices, which has created forest with age structures and stand characteristics that differ from primary forest stands. Although many researchers have investigated how forestry affects species abundance, few have assessed how forestry practices affect fitness correlates of species living in altered habitats, and this has negatively affected management efforts. We experimentally addressed the effect of standard forestry practices on fitness correlates of an open-nesting, long-lived bird species typical to boreal forests of Eurasia, the Siberian Jay ( Perisoreus infaustus ). We used a before-after comparison of reproductive data on the level of territories and found that standard forestry practices had a strong negative effect on the breeding success of jays. Both partial thinning of territories and partial clearcutting of territories reduced future breeding success by a factor of 0.35. Forestry practices reduced territory occupancy. Thus, over the 15 years of the study, productivity of the affected population declined over 50% as a result of territory abandonment and reduced breeding success. Results of previous studies on Siberian Jays suggest that the strong effect of forest thinning on fitness is explained by the fact that most common predators of nests and adults are visually oriented and thus thinning makes prey and nests more visible to predators. The consequences of thinning we observed are likely to apply to a wide range of species that rely on understory to provide visual protection from predators. Thus, our results are important for the development of effective conservation management protocols and for the refinement of thinning practices.     

Effects of Conversion of Dry Tropical Forest to Agricultural Mosaic on Herpetofaunal Assemblages

Abstract: We explored the impact of forest conversion to agricultural mosaic on anuran, lizard, snake, and turtle assemblages of Neotropical dry forests. Over 2 years, we sampled 6 small watersheds on the west coast of Mexico, 3 conserved and 3 disturbed. The disturbed watersheds were characterized by a mosaic of pastures and cultivated fields (corn, beans, squash) intermingled with patches of different successional stages of dry forest. In each watershed, we conducted 11 diurnal and nocturnal time‐constrained searches in 10 randomly established plots. We considered vulnerability traits of species in relation to habitat modification. Eighteen anuran, 18 lizard, 23 snake, and 3 turtle species were recorded. Thirty‐six species (58%) occurred in both forest conditions, and 14 (22%) and 12 species (19%) occurred only in the conserved and disturbed sites, respectively. Assemblages responded differently to disturbance. Species richness, diversity, and abundance of lizards were higher in disturbed forests. Anuran diversity and species richness were lower in disturbed forest but abundance was similar in both forest conditions. Diversity, richness, and abundance of turtles were lower in disturbed forest. The structure and composition of snake assemblages did not differ between forest conditions. We considered species disturbance sensitive if their abundance was significantly less in disturbed areas. Four anuran (22%), 2 lizard (11%), and 3 turtle (100%) species were sensitive to disturbance. No snake species was sensitive. The decline in abundance of disturbance‐sensitive species was associated with the reduction of forest canopy cover, woody stem cover, roots, and litter‐layer ground cover. Anuran species with small body size and direct embryonic development were especially sensitive to forest disturbance. An important goal for the conservation of herpetofauna should be the determination of species traits associated with extinction or persistence in agricultural mosaics.     

The Aging of America's Reservoirs: In‐Reservoir and Downstream Physical Changes and Habitat Implications

Reservoirs are important for various purposes including flood control, water supply, power generation, and recreation. The aging of America's reservoirs and progressive loss of water storage capacity resulting from ongoing sedimentation, coupled with increasing societal needs, will cause the social, economic, environmental, and political importance of reservoirs to continually increase. The short‐ and medium‐term (<50 years) environmental consequences of reservoir construction and operation are well known and include an altered flow regime, lost connectivity (longitudinal, floodplain), an altered sediment regime, substrate compositional change, and downstream channel degradation. In general, reservoir‐related changes have had adverse consequences for the natural ecosystem. Longer term (>50 years) environmental changes as reservoirs enter “old” age are less understood. Additional research is needed to help guide the future management of aging reservoir systems and support the difficult decisions that will have to be made. Important research directions include assessment of climate change effects on aging and determination of ecosystem response to ongoing aging and various management actions that may be taken with the intent of minimizing or reversing the physical effects of aging.     

Quantitative analysis of riparian herbaceous community in Liaohe River Conservation Area and its tributaries北大核心CSCD

Research on community characteristics of riparian herbs is an important scientific basis of riparian vegetation rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate the species diversity and quantitative characteristics of riparian herbs in Liaohe River Conservation Area and its tributaries. Herbaceous communities were investigated by sample line method. Group average clustering analysis and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) were used to find the major environmental factors affecting the distribution pattern of riparian herbaceous communities. The result showed altogether 154 herbaceous species, belonging to 40 families and 96 genera. The riparian herbaceous species diversity was found to be correlated to river slope, sinuosity and stream order, being lower in rivers of mountain area than in rivers of plain area, and higher in tributaries than in Liaohe River Conservation Area. Clustering analysis classified the herbaceous communities into 23 types, being dominated by hygrophytes including communities of Echinochloa crusgalli, Oenanthe javanica, Polygonum hydropiper, Murdannia keisak, Artemisia selengensis, Scirpus triqueter, Heleocharis soloniensis, Pycreus sanguinolentus, Cyperus fuscus, Phragmites australis, Polygonum amphibium, Carex diandra + Artemisia selengensis and Carex diandra + Rorippa islandica. Correlation analysis between DCA ordination axes and environmental factors showed that the altitude, river slope, sinuosity and stream level were the major environmental factors affecting the distribution pattern of herbaceous communities in the riparian zone of Liaohe River Conservation Area and its tributaries. The results of CCA showed that the contribution ratio of stream level was the highest, followed by altitude and slope, with sinuosity the last. The results suggested that riparian herbaceous characteristics are affected by the comprehensive force of altitude, river slope, sinuosity and stream order, and that Calamagrostis epigeios, Triarrhena sacchariflora and Phragmites australis are suitable species for riparian vegetation rehabilitation.     

孑遗植物四合木(Tetraenamongolica)迁地保护中的光合作用日变化特征与生理生态适应性

为了进一步廓清迁地保护条件下孑遗植物四合木（Tetraena mongolica）的光合生理生态适应性,在分析了瞬时光合效率的基础上,应用LI-6400光合作用测定系统测定了迁地保护试验区的四合木以及原生境伴生种白刺（Nitraria tangutorum）的光合作用日变化,并测定了其生长量。结果表明：四合木实生苗的生长南北冠幅大小依次为乌海四合木核心区实生苗（26.48 cm×27.26 cm）>鄂尔多斯实生苗（21.27 cm×21.75 cm）>阿拉善实生苗（19.25 cm×18.27 cm）。在原生境地乌海四合木核心区种植的实生苗与阿拉善实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.01）,与鄂尔多斯实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.05）。迁地保护条件下四合木生实生苗植株叶片光合速率Pn日变化均呈“双峰”曲线。不同试验区四合木光合作用日变化（Pn）、蒸腾速率（Tr）、气孔导度（Gs）和胞间 CO2浓度（Ci）均表现出明显的分异。迁地保护四合木条件下原生境地栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>鄂尔多斯栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>阿拉善栽培的四合木实生苗。鉴此可以作进一步推论,孑遗濒危植物四合木从原生境地西鄂尔多斯核心区（乌海）东移进行迁地保护具有更高的生理生态适应性和生境适宜性。但完成“从种子到种子”进而实现“保存性和代表性”,最终实现四合木迁地保护的“保持性和防止性”,保持其遗传多样性和遗传稳定性,最终成功实现四合木的迁地保护仍有待作进一步探索和深入研究。     

考虑齐口裂腹鱼产卵需求的山区河流生态基流过程确定

在原型观测的基础上,应用生态水力学法与生境模拟法,建立对考虑齐口裂腹鱼产卵需求的山区河流水电工程生态基流过程的确定方法,并以四川中型山区河流杂谷脑河薛城电站为背景,对所构建方法进行应用分析。通过原型观测,对生态水力学的齐口裂腹鱼生境水力参数标准在杂谷脑河应用的适宜性进行分析;应用生态水力学方法,对不同河道流量下薛城电站减水河段的齐口裂腹鱼生境水力参数进行数值模拟,根据模拟结果,结合齐口裂腹鱼生境水力参数标准,分析得到薛城电站满足其生存的最小下泄流量;应用生境模拟法,对齐口裂腹鱼产卵期不同河道流量下薛城电站减水河段集中产卵场的可利用生境面积进行计算,得到最大可利用生境面积对应的下泄流量。综合最小下泄流量值与最大可利用生境面积所对应的下泄流量值,考虑齐口裂腹鱼产卵对水文情势的要求,建立薛城电站考虑齐口裂腹鱼产卵需求的生态基流过程。采用所构建方法得到的考虑鱼类产卵需求的水电工程生态基流过程,由于考虑了鱼类生存对最低流量以及产卵对水文情势的要求,能更好地满足鱼类产卵需求,可作为电站运行调度的约束。