Understanding Interaction Effects of Climate Change and Fire Management on Bird Distributions through Combined Process and Habitat Models

Abstract: Avian conservation efforts must account for changes in vegetation composition and structure associated with climate change. We modeled vegetation change and the probability of occurrence of birds to project changes in winter bird distributions associated with climate change and fire management in the northern Chihuahuan Desert (southwestern U.S.A.). We simulated vegetation change in a process‐based model (Landscape and Fire Simulator) in which anticipated climate change was associated with doubling of current atmospheric carbon dioxide over the next 50 years. We estimated the relative probability of bird occurrence on the basis of statistical models derived from field observations of birds and data on vegetation type, topography, and roads. We selected 3 focal species, Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata), Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), and Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus), that had a range of probabilities of occurrence for our study area. Our simulations projected increases in relative probability of bird occurrence in shrubland and decreases in grassland and Yucca spp. and ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) vegetation. Generally, the relative probability of occurrence of all 3 species was highest in shrubland because leaf‐area index values were lower in shrubland. This high probability of occurrence likely is related to the species’ use of open vegetation for foraging. Fire suppression had little effect on projected vegetation composition because as climate changed there was less fuel and burned area. Our results show that if future water limits on plant type are considered, models that incorporate spatial data may suggest how and where different species of birds may respond to vegetation changes.     

黄河口湿地土壤中正构烷烃分子指标及物源指示意义

对黄河口湿地表层土壤中的总有机碳、正构烷烃等进行了分析,计算了正构烷烃分子指标,探讨了其物源指示意义,并对不同采样区域和采样时间的结果进行了比较.结果表明,黄河口湿地土壤中正构烷烃以高碳奇数烷烃(C25～C33)为主,说明土壤中有机质主要来自于陆地高等植物,而样品中未分离混合物的存在表明土壤可能受到了油类污染.土壤中总的正构烷烃含量有明显的时间和区域差异,总的变化范围在0.57～3.90μg.g-1.在2009年4月(枯水期)总的正构烷烃含量相对6月(调水调沙期间)要高,以黄河口湿地核心恢复区最高,其次是黄河入海前最后一个浮桥下方的黄河北岸,最后是黄河故道区域,而6月的变化趋势与此相反.这一变化趋势与总有机碳是一致的,而与中值粒径的变化趋势相反,反映了两个不同的采样时间水环境条件的差异.基于正构烷烃的分子指标,如平均链长ACL、奇偶优势度OEP、烷烃指数AI、碳优势指数CPI和陆海比TAR等表明黄河口湿地土壤的有机质的成熟度较低,有较强的陆源高等植物输入优势,且主要来自于草本植物.与其他指标相比,陆海比指标TAR更好地反映了水环境条件的变化.     

敦煌阳关湿地的特点及可持续利用的分析

湿地是自然界生物多样性最丰富的生态景观和人类最重要的生存环境之一。敦煌阳关湿地因其特殊的地理环境形成了其明显的特点。人为活动对该湿地资源的过度开发及不合理利用,加之全球气候变化的影响,湿地面临着环境恶化、资源枯竭、生态退化等的严重威胁。这也对该湿地功能的发挥和可持续利用造成了非常大的影响。本文以敦煌阳关湿地为研究对象,分析了阳关自然保护区内湿地保护面临的问题,并提出科学合理规划湿地、开展湿地资源监测、湿地保护与生态旅游开发的协调发展等一系列措施。本文对甘肃敦煌阳关国家级自然保护区湿地资源的保护和可持续发展有一定的参考意义。     

若尔盖高原湿地藻类多样性研究

分别于夏、冬两季采集若尔盖高原湿地水样,利用传统培养及显微镜检的方法和现代分子生物学方法对其藻类多样性进行了研究.结果表明,夏季水样至少培养出4种绿藻,分别为普通小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris Beij.)、浮球藻(Planktosphaeriagelatinosa G.M.Smith)、繁茂栅列藻(Scenedesmus abundans Kirchner)和柱状栅列藻(Scenedesmus bijuga Turp.),均属于绿球藻(Chlorococcales),其中普通小球藻为优势藻种,并被分离纯化.显微镜检结果表明冬季水样中主要的藻类种群为硅藻,此结果符合在低温季节天然水体中常以硅藻为主的常理.蓝藻16S rRNA基因克隆文库中的主要类群为硅藻(Bacillaripiophyta,35.3%),其次为蓝藻,包括色球藻(Chroococcales,5.9%)、念珠藻(Nostocales,11.8%)、颤藻(Oscillatoriales,11.8%)和一些未知种属的蓝藻类群(Unclassified Cyanobacteria,35.3%),还发现一些与低温环境微生物相关的类群,如颤藻目细纤菌属(Leptolyngbya).     

规模化养牛场牛粪污综合利用研究

利用牛粪生产沼气,并将副产物有效利用是处理牛粪污的有效途径,为提高牛粪厌氧发酵的产气效率和副产物的利用率,整体工艺采用牛粪发酵前固液分离,固体进行好氧发酵回填牛卧床,分离液进行厌氧-好氧发酵,厌氧发酵产生沼气为系统增温,最后液体通过人工湿地处理达标排放。结果表明:对牛粪进行发酵前固液分离,降低了物料的粘度,利于微生物的传质,可以取得较好的产气效果,沼气通过沼气燃烧炉转化为热能为系统增温降低了其他能源的供给,同时湿地的利用也有效地改善了养牛场周边环境,为牛粪污生产沼气工程提供新思路。     

崇明东滩湿地沉积物重金属污染的磁诊断

对取自崇明东滩的高潮滩、中潮滩和低潮滩的沉积物柱样进行了磁学、粒度、重金属含量等指标的分析、比较与综合研究. 结果表明:在以粉砂为主的崇明东滩,通过污染负荷指数法进行评价,除低潮滩无污染外,中潮滩和高潮滩均有中度的重金属污染. 选取中度重金属污染的高潮滩沉积物柱样进行粒度、重金属含量以及磁性参数的相关性分析显示,χ_fd,χ_ARM/SIRM与重金属含量和粘土(粒径<4 μm)之间有较高的相关性,并以此建立了磁诊断线性回归模型;χ_fd和χ_ARM/SIRM可作为重金属含量的替代指标.      

沈阳卧龙湖湿地的保护措施

卧龙湖是辽宁西北半干旱区向中部平原湿润区过渡的生态敏感带,本文介绍了卧龙湖的历史与现状,分析了存在的主要问题,并从微观角度提出了保护卧龙湖湿地的具体措施。     

Total and Methylmercury in Soft Tissues of White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Collected in Poland

Mercury (Hg) contamination in piscivorous birds, especially methylmercury (MeHg), has been drawing much attention worldwide in regard to its bioaccumulation and biomagnification in food chains. In this study on Hg in the soft tissues of white-tailed eagles (n = 22) and ospreys (n = 2) from Poland, total Hg (THg) range was 0.15–47.6 while MeHg range was 0.11–8.05 mg kg⁻¹ dry weight. In both species, median THg and MeHg concentrations were lower in the muscle and brain than in the liver and kidney. Median nephric residues were just under 3 and 5 mgTHg kg⁻¹ or 0.9 and 3.7 mgMeHg kg⁻¹ for white-tailed eagle and osprey, respectively. In Norwegian data from the 1970s and in our results, MeHg in the muscle of white-tailed eagle was ~60 % THg (%MeHg = MeHg/THg × 100), lower than in other piscivorous birds. A clear similarity in THg tissue levels was found between Polish and German populations of white-tailed eagles.     

The role of remote sensing in hydrological modelling of the Okavango Delta, Botswana

A coupled surface water-groundwater model of the Okavango Delta has been built based on the United States Geological Survey software MODFLOW 2000 including the SFR2 package for stream-flow routing. It will provide a new tool for evaluating water management and climate change scenarios. The delta's size and limited accessibility make direct, on the ground data acquisition difficult. Remote sensing methods are the most promising source of acquiring spatially distributed data for both model input parameters and calibration. Topography, aquifer thickness, channel positions, evapotranspiration and precipitation data are all based on remote sensing. Simulated flooding patterns are compared to patterns derived from visible to thermal NOAA-AVHRR data and microwave radar ENVISAT-ASAR data.     

Comparison of Function of Created Wetlands of Two Age Classes in Central Pennsylvania

Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment models were used to assess whether function in created wetlands of two ages (1 year old and >12 years old) was equivalent to that of natural (reference) mainstem floodplain wetlands. Reference wetlands scored higher than both created age classes for providing energy dissipation and short-term surface water storage. Reference wetlands scored higher in maintaining native plant community and structure than 1-year-old sites, and 12-year-old wetlands scored higher than reference sites for providing vertebrate habitat structure. Analysis of individual model variables showed that reference wetlands had greater vegetative biomass and higher soil organic matter content than both created wetland age classes. Created wetlands were farther from natural wetlands and had smaller mean forest patch sizes within a 1-km-radius circle around the site than did the reference sites, indicating less hydrologic connectivity. Created wetlands also had less microtopographic variation than reference wetlands. The 1-year-old created sites were placed in landscape settings with greater land use diversity and road density than reference sites. The 12-year-old sites had a higher gradient and a higher percentage of their surrounding area in urban land use. These results show that the created wetlands were significantly structurally different (if not functionally so) from reference wetlands even after 12 years. The most profound differences were in hydrology and the characteristics of the surrounding landscape. More attention needs to be focused on placing created wetlands in appropriate settings to encourage proper hydrodynamics, eliminate habitat fragmentation, and minimize the effects of stressors to the site.