Disturbance-Mediated Mammal Persistence and Abundance-Area Relationships in Amazonian Forest Fragments

Abstract:  Few researchers have investigated the synergistic effects of tropical forest fragmentation and disturbance on species persistence and abundance. We examined effects of both forest-patch metrics and forest disturbance in determining richness and abundance of midsized to large-bodied mammal species in a highly fragmented Amazonian forest landscape. Twenty-one forest fragments, ranging from 2 to 14,480 ha, and two continuous forest sites were sampled based on sightings, tracks, line-transect censuses, armadillo burrow censuses, and camera trapping. Patch occupancy of 37 species recorded ranged from 4% to all forest sites surveyed. Forest fragment size was the strongest predictor of species persistence, explaining 90% of the variation in species richness. Information-theoretic analysis confirmed that fragment area was the most important explanatory variable for the overall species richness and abundance of mammal species, followed by surface fires, which affected the abundance of seven species. Large mammal species were typically absent from fragments <100 ha, whereas some ubiquitous species were favored by fragmentation, exhibiting hyperabundance in small patches. Our findings highlight the importance of large (>10,000 ha), relatively undisturbed forest patches to maximize persistence and maintain baseline abundances of Neotropical forest mammal species.     

城市河道表层水及沉积物中微塑料的污染现状与污染行为

河流是微塑料从陆地向海洋传输的关键路径,在近年来得到了越来越多的研究重视.但实际上,目前关于城市不同区域河道表层水及沉积物中微塑料的污染现状及污染行为研究仍十分有限,相关问题依然不甚清晰.本文以上海市中心城区及郊区城镇区域的8条河道作为研究对象,共采集16个河道表层水及沉积物样品,采用高速摄像仪和傅立叶红外变换光谱仪鉴定样品中微塑料的丰度、尺寸、颜色、形状和类型等特征.结果表明,上海市城市河道表层水中微塑料的平均丰度为(7.5±2.8)个·L~(-1),而沉积物中微塑料的平均丰度(以湿重计)则达到了(1 575.5±758.4)个·kg~(-1).微塑料尺寸越小丰度越高.其中,低于500μm、纤维状、透明色和聚酯类的微塑料始终在上海市城市河道中占据主导地位,但沉积物中的微塑料分布更具多样性.相对于国内外其他城市河道中的微塑料污染,上海市城市河道中的微塑料污染较为严重.不同城市河道中,微塑料的形状和聚合物类型分布受到来源(主要为洗衣废水、个人护理产品和塑料废弃物等)、水动力学条件和本身理化性质等各种因素的较大影响.还进一步讨论了城市河道中微塑料的污染行为(来源、传输与归趋),并解析了各种环境因子对其造成的潜在影响.     

Evaluation of Local Ecological Knowledge as a Method for Collecting Extensive Data on Animal Abundance

Abstract:  The use of local ecological knowledge (LEK) has been advocated for biodiversity monitoring and management. To date, however, it has been underused in studying wild populations of animals and, particularly, in obtaining quantitative abundance estimates. We evaluated LEK as a tool for collecting extensive data on local animal abundance and population trends. We interviewed shepherds in southeastern Spain, asking them to estimate the local abundance of the terrestrial tortoise Testudo graeca . We quantified reliability of abundance estimates derived from interviews by comparing them with those obtained from standard field-sampling protocols (distance sampling). We also explored the complementarity of these 2 approaches. LEK provided high-quality and low-cost information about both distribution and abundance of T. graeca . Interviews with shepherds yielded abundance estimates in a much wider range than linear transects, which only detected the species in the upper two-thirds of its abundance range. Abundance estimates from both methodologies showed a close relationship. Analysis of confidence intervals indicated local knowledge could be used to estimate mean local abundances and to detect mean population trends. A cost analysis determined that the information derived from LEK was 100 times cheaper than that obtained through linear-transect surveys. Our results should further the use of LEK as a standard tool for sampling the quantitative abundance of a great variety of taxa, particularly when population densities are low and traditional sampling methods are expensive or difficult to implement.     

Declines in Common, Widespread Butterflies in a Landscape under Intense Human Use

Abstract:  Analyses of species' population losses typically show a dichotomy between strongly affected, rare, and localized species and apparently unaffected, common, and widespread species. We analyzed 16 years (1992–2007) of butterfly transect count data from The Netherlands in a reevaluation of the trends of common, widespread species. Fifty-five percent (11 of 20 species) of these species suffered severe declines in distribution and abundance. Overall, cumulative butterfly abundance declined by around 30%. Some of the species in decline used to be omnipresent in gardens and parks, and 2 of the species were previously considered agricultural pests. Based on their declines over the last 16 years, 2 of the 20 species ( Lasiommata megera and Gonepteryx rhamni ) reached endangered status in The Netherlands under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) population-decline criterion, and 2 species ( Inachis io and Thymelicus lineola ) met vulnerable criterion. Butterflies in farmland, urban, and particularly woodland areas showed the largest decline in species abundance. The abundance of species associated with vegetation types found mainly in nature reserves (dunes, heathland, and, to a lesser extent, seminatural grassland) increased or remained stable. The decline of widespread species requires additional conservation strategies in the wider landscape.     

Long-Term Effects of Group-Selection Timber Harvesting on Abundance of Forest Birds

Abstract:  Relatively few studies have examined the ecological effects of group-selection timber harvesting, and nearly all have been short-term and have lacked experimental manipulations that allow pre- and posttreatment comparisons. We have been documenting the effects of a group-selection timber harvest on bird abundance in a Maine forest for 24 years (preharvest, 1983–1987; postharvest, 1988–2006). Here we characterized the trends in bird abundance over the first 20 years of the study in the managed and control halves of the 40-ha study area. Species responses to the group-selection harvest were idiosyncratic, but in general the mature-forest bird community was retained and species dependent on early successional habitat temporarily (≤8 years) benefited. The Eastern Wood-Pewee ( Contopus virens ) , Winter Wren ( Troglodytes troglodytes ) , Pine Warbler ( Dendroica pinus ) , and White-throated Sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis ) increased in abundance in the managed half of the study area following timber harvest, whereas the Veery ( Catharus fuscescens ) decreased. The Black-and-White Warbler ( Mniotilta varia ) , Nashville Warbler ( Vermivora ruficapilla ) , and Common Yellowthroat ( Geothlypis trichas ) responded positively to harvesting, as indicated by decreases in abundance in the control area and more protracted declines or stable abundances in the managed area. This study constitutes the longest experimental investigation to date of the effects of a group-selection harvest on birds and thus provides important information on the strength, direction, and duration of temporal changes in bird populations following forest management.     

处理水产养殖污水潜流湿地中的厌氧氨氧化菌群特征

厌氧氨氧化(anaerobic ammonium oxidation,ANAMMOX)是潜流湿地净化污水的重要功能,目前关于潜流湿地厌氧氨氧化特征还不清楚.为了解处理水产养殖污水潜流湿地中的厌氧氨氧化特点,采用16S rRNA基因克隆文库和实时荧光定量PCR技术以及多样性分析等方法,对处理水产养殖污水潜流湿地中ANAMMOX菌的结构、多样性和丰度进行了研究分析.结果表明,处理水产养殖污水潜流湿地中存在Candidatus brocadia和Candidatus kuenenia这2类已知的ANAMMOX菌和3类未知的ANAMMOX菌,其优势种群为Candidatus brocadia;在不同季节中,秋季潜流湿地中ANAMMOX菌的多样性最高(H',1.21),春季最低(H',0.64);在养殖周期内,潜流湿地中ANAMMOX菌的丰度(以鲜重计,下同)在8.0×104~9.4×106copies·g-1之间,总细菌丰度在7.3×109~9.1×1010copies·g-1之间;在潜流湿地不同层面以及不同季节中,ANAMMOX菌的丰度存在着明显的差异,总细菌丰度则差异不明显,ANAMMOX菌的丰度在不同层面上的差异没有随时间变化的规律性.根据潜流湿地中ANAMMOX菌的分布特征,改变养殖污水布水方式和调整湿地结构可以提高潜流湿地的反硝化效果.该研究为进一步优化潜流湿地结构,提高净化养殖污水效率提供了依据.     

河蚬（Corbicula fluminea）扰动对表层沉积物中氨氧化菌群落结构和丰度的影响

为研究不同生物量河蚬(Corbicula fluminea)的生物扰动对表层沉积物中氨氧化菌群落结构和丰度的影响,本研究设计了沉积物-水微宇宙的模拟体系,通过构建克隆文库、实时荧光定量PCR(real-time qPCR)等分子生物学方法比较不同密度河蚬扰动的沉积物中氨氧化古菌(ammonia-oxidizing archaea,AOA)和氨氧化细菌(ammonia-oxidizing bacteria,AOB)群落结构和丰度差异.结果表明,河蚬的生物扰动作用对表层沉积物氮素释放有明显的促进作用.氨氧化菌(AOA和AOB)amoA基因克隆文库中,AOA的amoA基因序列包含了已知的海洋和土壤环境中的两个分支,AOB的amoA基因绝大部分序列都属于变形菌门β亚纲(β-Proteobacteria)中的亚硝化单细胞菌属(Nitrosomonas).3个处理组表层沉积物中细菌amoA基因丰度均高于古菌amoA基因丰度,且河蚬密度越高则细菌amoA的丰度越低.同时,河蚬的添加使得微宇宙体系中氨氧化菌(AOA和AOB)的多样性降低.综上,河蚬的生物扰动对表层沉积物中氨氧化菌群落结构和丰度产生了一定的影响.     

Use of Community‐Composition Data to Predict the Fecundity and Abundance of Species

Abstract: Species distribution models are critical tools for the prediction of invasive species spread and conservation of biodiversity. The majority of species distribution models have been built with environmental data. Community ecology theory suggests that species co‐occurrence data could also be used to predict current and potential distributions of species. Species assemblages are the products of biotic and environmental constraints on the distribution of individual species and as a result may contain valuable information for niche modeling. We compared the predictive ability of distribution models of annual grassland plants derived from either environmental or community‐composition data. Composition‐based models were built with the presence or absence of species at a site as predictors of site quality, whereas environment‐based models were built with soil chemistry, moisture content, above‐ground biomass, and solar radiation as predictors. The reproductive output of experimentally seeded individuals of 4 species and the abundance of 100 species were used to evaluate the resulting models. Community‐composition data were the best predictors of both the site‐specific reproductive output of sown individuals and the site‐specific abundance of existing populations. Successful community‐based models were robust to omission of data on the occurrence of rare species, which suggests that even very basic survey data on the occurrence of common species may be adequate for generating such models. Our results highlight the need for increased public availability of ecological survey data to facilitate community‐based modeling at scales relevant to conservation.     

Dynamics of abundance and population structure of sea otters, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enhydra lutris</Emphasis> L., on the Commander Archipelago and activity of their migrations between Islands

Fluctuations in the abundance of insular groups of sea otters on the Commander Archipelago are analyzed with regard to changes in meteorological conditions. The main factors responsible for the abrupt decline of the Bering Sea group between 2002 and 2004 are discussed. A statistically significant correlation has been revealed between fluctuations of sea otter abundance and the cycles of solar activity in the period since 1992. Changes in the age and sex structure of the insular groups of sea otters are evaluated.