The city as a refuge for insect pollinators

Research on urban insect pollinators is changing views on the biological value and ecological importance of cities. The abundance and diversity of native bee species in urban landscapes that are absent in nearby rural lands evidence the biological value and ecological importance of cities and have implications for biodiversity conservation. Lagging behind this revised image of the city are urban conservation programs that historically have invested in education and outreach rather than programs designed to achieve high‐priority species conservation results. We synthesized research on urban bee species diversity and abundance to determine how urban conservation could be repositioned to better align with new views on the ecological importance of urban landscapes. Due to insect pollinators’ relatively small functional requirements—habitat range, life cycle, and nesting behavior—relative to larger mammals, we argue that pollinators put high‐priority and high‐impact urban conservation within reach. In a rapidly urbanizing world, transforming how environmental managers view the city can improve citizen engagement and contribute to the development of more sustainable urbanization.     

Landscape trajectory of natural boreal forest loss as an impediment to green infrastructure

Loss of natural forests by forest clearcutting has been identified as a critical conservation challenge worldwide. This study addressed forest fragmentation and loss in the context of the establishment of a functional green infrastructure as a spatiotemporally connected landscape-scale network of habitats enhancing biodiversity, favorable conservation status, and ecosystem services. Through retrospective analysis of satellite images, we assessed a 50- to 60-year spatiotemporal clearcutting impact trajectory on natural and near-natural boreal forests across a sizable and representative region from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Scandinavian Mountain Range in northern Fennoscandia. This period broadly covers the whole forest clearcutting period; thus, our approach and results can be applied to comprehensive impact assessment of industrial forest management. The entire study region covers close to 46,000 km² of forest-dominated landscape in a late phase of transition from a natural or near-natural to a land-use modified state. We found a substantial loss of intact forest, in particular of large, contiguous areas, a spatial polarization of remaining forest on regional scale where the inland has been more severely affected than the mountain and coastal zones, and a pronounced impact on interior forest core areas. Salient results were a decrease in area of the largest intact forest patch from 225,853 to 68,714 ha in the mountain zone and from 257,715 to 38,668 ha in the foothills zone, a decrease from 75% to 38% intact forest in the inland zones, a decrease in largest patch core area (assessed by considering 100-m patch edge disturbance) from 6114 to 351 ha in the coastal zone, and a geographic imbalance in protected forest with an evident predominance in the mountain zone. These results demonstrate profound disturbance of configuration of the natural forest landscape and disrupted connectivity, which challenges the establishment of functional green infrastructure. Our approach supports the identification of forests for expanded protection and conservation-oriented forest landscape restoration.     

Quantifying forest fragmentation spatial process in the developing State of Selangor,peninsular Malaysia

Forest fragmentation has several phases; thus, the ecological significance of each phase during a particular period of time must be interpreted. To interpret, this study quantifies the magnitude of forest loss and the changes in the temporal pattern of fragmentation in the State of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia. Using the decision tree model of land transformation, five phases of forest fragmentation were identified: perforation, dissection, dissipation, shrinkage and attrition. This analysis showed that the magnitude of forest loss was the highest during the dissipation phase. The patchiness analysis showed that dissipation contributes to the highest environmental uncertainty found for the forest patches. This study can be considered a first step in the exploration of the properties and the behavioural pattern shown by the spatial process of forest fragmentation.     

Mowers versus growers: Riparian buffer management in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains,USA

Despite long-standing knowledge of the benefits of riparian buffers for mitigating nonpoint source pollution, many streams are unprotected by buffers. Even landowners who understand ecological values of buffers mow riparian vegetation to the streambank. Do trends in rural riparian conditions reflect the development of riparian forest science? What motivates residential riparian management actions? Using high-resolution orthoimagery, we quantified riparian conditions and trends between 1998 and 2015 in the rural upper Little Tennessee River basin in Macon County, North Carolina and explored how landowners view riparian zone management and riparian restoration programs. Buffer composition in 2015 was as follows: no buffer (32.5%), narrow (19.3%), forested (26.7%), shrub (7.2%), and intermediate (7.0%). Relative to 1998, the greatest decrease occurred in the no buffer class (−17.7%, 46 km) and the largest increases occurred in the shrub (+72.5%, 20 km) and narrow (12.6%, 14 km) classes. Forested buffer marginally increased. Semi-structured interview data suggest that landowners prioritize recreational and scenic aspects of riparian buffers over ecological functions such as filtration and bank stabilization. Riparian restoration programs might be made more enticing to non-adopters if outreach language appealed to landowner priorities, design elements demonstrated intentional management, and program managers highlighted areas where ecological goals and landowner values align.     

Combined Effects of Levels of Protection and Environmental Variables at Different Spatial Resolutions on Fish Assemblages in a Marine Protected Area

Abstract: The links between species–environment relations and species’ responses to protection are unclear, but the objectives of marine protected areas (MPAs) are most likely to be achieved when those relations are known and inform MPA design. The components of a species’ habitat vary with the spatial resolution of the area considered. We characterized areas at two resolutions: 250 m² (transect) and approximately 30,000 m² (seascape). We considered three categories of environmental variables: substrate type, bottom complexity, and depth. We sought to determine at which resolution habitat characteristics were a better predictor of abundance and species composition of fishes and whether the relations with environmental variables at either resolution affected species’ responses to protection. Habitat features accounted for a larger proportion of spatial variation in species composition and abundances than differences in protection status. This spatial variation was explained best by habitat characteristics at the seascape level than at the transect level. Species’ responses to protected areas were specific to particular seascape characteristics, primarily depth, and bottom complexity. Our method may be useful for prioritizing marine areas for protection, designing MPAs, and monitoring their effectiveness. It identified areas that provided natural shelter, areas acting as buffer zones, and areas where fish species were most responsive to protection. The identification of such areas is necessary for cost‐effective establishment and monitoring of MPAs.     

Structure and activity of thermophilic methanogenic microbial communities exposed to quaternary ammonium sanitizer

Food processing facilities often use antimicrobial quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) sanitizers to maintain cleanliness. These QACs can end up in wastewaters used as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of QAC contamination on biogas production and structure of microbial communities in thermophilic digester sludge. Methane production and biogas quality data were analyzed in batch anaerobic digesters containing QAC at 0, 15, 50, 100 and 150 mg/L. Increasing sanitizer concentration in the bioreactors negatively impacted methane production rate and biogas quality. Microbial community composition data was obtained through 16S rRNA gene sequencing from the QAC-contaminated sludges. Sequencing data showed no significant restructuring of the bacterial communities. However, significant restructuring was observed within the archaeal communities as QAC concentration increased. Further studies to confirm these effects on a larger scale and with a longer retention time are necessary.     

北方高盐景观水体氮磷时空分布特征及富营养化评价

为掌握北方高盐景观水体的水环境状况,选取天津市中新生态城3个景观水体(清净湖、蓟运河和蓟运河故道)为研究对象,于2013年12月—2014年11月对其进行定期取样监测,开展水体氮磷污染特征分析及富营养化评价。结果表明:1)蓟运河、清净湖和蓟运河故道的TDS均值分别为3.42,4.64,20.2 g/L,属于高盐景观水体;2)水体TN和TP浓度逐月变化显著,水质整体上冬春季优于夏秋季,其中蓟运河TP和TN的浓度最大,且波动较大;3)根据TN/TP比值判定,研究区水体除清净湖在短时间表现为氮限制外,水体大部分时间段内表现为磷限制,P为主要限制因子;4)富营养化评价表明:水体均处于富营养状态,且有蓟运河蓟运河故道清净湖;5)相关性结果表明:TDS与电导率、水温及EI呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.905、0.822和0.645,盐度也是影响富营养化的关键因素。     

城市建筑周边绿地景观格局优化方法研究

现有绿地景观格局优化方法,存在梯度变化不规律、边缘斑块密度不均等缺陷.针对该问题,提出基于窗口移动法的新型城市建筑周边绿地景观格局优化方法,通过确定研究区域与数据来源,以边缘斑块密度、梯度、绿地景观格局化指数为绿地景观格局化指数,确立研究方法.模拟研究环境设计实验结果表明,采用改进格局优化方法可改善城市建筑周边绿地景观格局梯度变化不规律问题;在特定空间分布状态下,还可避免边缘斑块密度不均的现象发生.     

新颖性染料脱色菌株的筛选及脱色效果研究

文章首次尝试以新颖筛选方法对台湾及大陆两岸当地微生物自然生态中,以非偶氮染料脱色作为优势筛选条件,以筛选出可有效电子传递于非偶氮染料RB198脱色的混菌,再进行优势纯化分离,以得到可对非偶氮染料具有强电子传递脱色能力的菌株。再藉此特性来研究其对偶氮染料电子传递生物脱色的特性。结果表明,通过脱色测试及蛋白质电泳初步筛选出4种对非偶氮染料RB198具有较优异脱色能力的菌株,并进行16S rRNA分析,此4株纯菌分别为Microvirgula aerodenitrificans,Acinetobacter guillouiae,Pseudomonas sp.,Rahnella aquatilis。其中Rahnella aquatilis DX2b,Microvirgula aerodenitrificans SH7b为脱色新菌株,文章首度发表其具有脱色性能,对非偶氮染料RB198及偶氮染料RB160,OrangeⅠ有优异脱色能力。     

武夷新区土地利用变化及景观格局研究

以2010年的LandsatTM遥感影像图和武夷新区总体规划中新区2030年土地利用规划图为基础数据,在RS和GIS技术支持下,结合马尔科夫模型和景观生态学方法分析了未来武夷新区的土地利用与案观格局变化。结果表明：在规划实施后,建设用地通过占用耕地和林地而大面积增加,使得林地和耕地相应减少,人类活动对景观的干扰强度增大,区域景观斑块形状趋于规则简单化,斑块总数有所减少,平均斑块面积增大,景观连接度增强,破碎化程度降低,景观多样性增加。