Trait space of rare plants in a fire‐dependent ecosystem

The causes of species rarity are of critical concern because of the high extinction risk associated with rarity. Studies examining individual rare species have limited generality, whereas trait‐based approaches offer a means to identify functional causes of rarity that can be applied to communities with disparate species pools. Differences in functional traits between rare and common species may be indicative of the functional causes of species rarity and may therefore be useful in crafting species conservation strategies. However, there is a conspicuous lack of studies comparing the functional traits of rare species and co‐occurring common species. We measured 18 important functional traits for 19 rare and 134 common understory plant species from North Carolina's Sandhills region and compared their trait distributions to determine whether there are significant functional differences that may explain species rarity. Flowering, fire, and tissue‐chemistry traits differed significantly between rare and common, co‐occurring species. Differences in specific traits suggest that fire suppression has driven rarity in this system and that changes to the timing and severity of prescribed fire may improve conservation success. Our method provides a useful tool to prioritize conservation efforts in other systems based on the likelihood that rare species are functionally capable of persisting.     

基于震后低压变化的供水管网功能可靠度分析

供水管网的抗震功能是指供水管网在地震作用下能够满足震后城市特定用水需要(需水量和水压)的能力。地震发生后,供水管网一般处于低压供水状态,使得管网中部分用户的水压和水量不能得到全部满足,导致管网部分节点的实际配水量小于需水量。为此,在传统的管网水力分析基础上考虑节点流量随节点水压的动态变化,通过求解非线性水力方程组,得到管网节点实际流量和水压;同时,借鉴结构可靠度分析方法,引入供水管网系统随机水力模型,给出了震后供水管网功能可靠度分析的一次二阶矩方法。以一实际管网为例,演示了震后低压供水时管网功能可靠度分析的应用方法。     

How farmers develop local ecological knowledge for on-farm tree management: The perspectives of some farming communities of Ghana

Scientific insights into what it means to manage on-farm trees by local farmers, is an essential step towards documenting local ecological knowledge for sustainable landscape management. A study was therefore conducted in the Kumawu Forest District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to assess how farmers conceptualise on-farm tree management and develop local knowledge for it. Using a case study approach, data were collected through informal interviews and focus group discussions with 120 farmers drawn from 15 communities who were involved in the management of three cropping systems; cocoa, maize and cassava-cocoyam-plantain mix. It was observed that the farmers regard on-farm tree management as a continuous process which occurs in three phases of the farming cycle; land preparation, crop cultivation and fallow management. For each of the three phases, farmers are guided by specific principles that ensure enough light penetration in-between tree crowns in the land preparation phase, suitable spacing between trees and crops in the crop cultivation phase and adequate tree regeneration in the fallow phase. The decisions made during the selection of tree species, spacing of trees adjudged suitable for any particular cropping system and recruitment of saplings prior to the fallow phase of farming constitute tree management. Farmers develop tree management knowledge by studying the physical characteristics of species, matching them to ecological functions they could perform and how they are likely to respond to treatments meant to control or enhance their development. Species are then subjected to trial and recommended or otherwise.     

Implications of Macroalgal Isolation by Distance for Networks of Marine Protected Areas

The global extent of macroalgal forests is declining, greatly affecting marine biodiversity at broad scales through the effects macroalgae have on ecosystem processes, habitat provision, and food web support. Networks of marine protected areas comprise one potential tool that may safeguard gene flow among macroalgal populations in the face of increasing population fragmentation caused by pollution, habitat modification, climate change, algal harvesting, trophic cascades, and other anthropogenic stressors. Optimal design of protected area networks requires knowledge of effective dispersal distances for a range of macroalgae. We conducted a global meta‐analysis based on data in the published literature to determine the generality of relation between genetic differentiation and geographic distance among macroalgal populations. We also examined whether spatial genetic variation differed significantly with respect to higher taxon, life history, and habitat characteristics. We found clear evidence of population isolation by distance across a multitude of macroalgal species. Genetic and geographic distance were positively correlated across 49 studies; a modal distance of 50–100 km maintained F_ST < 0.2. This relation was consistent for all algal divisions, life cycles, habitats, and molecular marker classes investigated. Incorporating knowledge of the spatial scales of gene flow into the design of marine protected area networks will help moderate anthropogenic increases in population isolation and inbreeding and contribute to the resilience of macroalgal forests. Implicaciones del Aislamiento por Distancia de Macroalgas para Redes de Áreas Marinas Protegidas     

Systematic Temporal Patterns in the Relationship Between Housing Development and Forest Bird Biodiversity

As people encroach increasingly on natural areas, one question is how this affects avian biodiversity. The answer to this is partly scale‐dependent. At broad scales, human populations and biodiversity concentrate in the same areas and are positively associated, but at local scales people and biodiversity are negatively associated with biodiversity. We investigated whether there is also a systematic temporal trend in the relationship between bird biodiversity and housing development. We used linear regression to examine associations between forest bird species richness and housing growth in the conterminous United States over 30 years. Our data sources were the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the 2000 decennial U.S. Census. In the 9 largest forested ecoregions, housing density increased continually over time. Across the conterminous United States, the association between bird species richness and housing density was positive for virtually all guilds except ground nesting birds. We found a systematic trajectory of declining bird species richness as housing increased through time. In more recently developed ecoregions, where housing density was still low, the association with bird species richness was neutral or positive. In ecoregions that were developed earlier and where housing density was highest, the association of housing density with bird species richness for most guilds was negative and grew stronger with advancing decades. We propose that in general the relationship between human settlement and biodiversity over time unfolds as a 2‐phase process. The first phase is apparently innocuous; associations are positive due to coincidence of low‐density housing with high biodiversity. The second phase is highly detrimental to biodiversity, and increases in housing density are associated with biodiversity losses. The long‐term effect on biodiversity depends on the final housing density. This general pattern can help unify our understanding of the relationship of human encroachment and biodiversity response. Patrones Sistemáticos Temporales en la Relación entre Desarrollos Urbanos y la Biodiversidad de Aves de Bosque     

Applications of Very High‐Resolution Imagery in the Study and Conservation of Large Predators in the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean is one of the most rapidly changing ecosystems on the planet due to the effects of climate change and commercial fishing for ecologically important krill and fish. Because sea ice loss is expected to be accompanied by declines in krill and fish predators, decoupling the effects of climate and anthropogenic changes on these predator populations is crucial for ecosystem‐based management of the Southern Ocean. We reviewed research published from 2007 to 2014 that incorporated very high‐resolution satellite imagery to assess distribution, abundance, and effects of climate and other anthropogenic changes on populations of predators in polar regions. Very high‐resolution imagery has been used to study 7 species of polar animals in 13 papers, many of which provide methods through which further research can be conducted. Use of very high‐resolution imagery in the Southern Ocean can provide a broader understanding of climate and anthropogenic forces on populations and inform management and conservation recommendations. We recommend that conservation biologists continue to integrate high‐resolution remote sensing into broad‐scale biodiversity and population studies in remote areas, where it can provide much needed detail. Aplicaciones de Imágenes de Muy Alta Resolución en el Estudio y Conservación de Grandes Depredadores en el Océano Antártico     

长江口-浙闽沿岸沉积色素的分布特征及其指示意义

利用高效液相色谱法分析了长江口-浙闽沿岸表层沉积物中的色素组成和含量,探讨了海洋初级生产力、浮游植物功能类群和浮游植物色素保存效率的空间分布特征及其影响因素.结果表明,沉积物中的色素类型主要为沉积绿素(chloropigments,Chlorins)[包括叶绿素a(chlorophyll-a,Chl-a)及其降解产物(pheopigments,Pheo-a),如脱镁叶绿素a(pheophytin-a,PHtin-a)、脱镁叶绿酸a(pheophorbide-a,PHide-a)、焦脱镁叶绿素a(p Pheophytin-a,p PHtin-a)、甾醇绿素酯(sterol chlorin esters,SCEs)和胡萝卜醇绿素酯(carotenol chlorin esters,CCEs)].Chlorins高值区呈南北两大斑块状分布,可能主要是受到长江冲淡水及浙闽沿岸泥质区上升流输运的营养盐的影响.研究区域内类胡萝卜素整体上无明显趋势性变化,在长江口以及浙闽沿岸各呈现一个高值区.基于沉积物中特征类胡萝卜素比例估算得到的浮游植物功能类群中硅藻、甲藻、定鞭藻、青绿藻、隐藻和蓝藻的相对贡献分别为48.8%±17.4%、10.7%±11.5%、8.1%±7.2%、18.6%±8.2%、9.4%±6.4%和4.3%±3.2%.对营养盐水平、水体盐度等外界环境的偏好导致硅藻和甲藻比例离岸降低,青绿藻、隐藻和蓝藻比例离岸增加.Chl-a/Pheo-a比值的分布表明,较高的沉积速率以及季节性的底层水体缺氧事件导致了近岸海域(长江口最大浑浊带外缘、杭州湾湾口以及浙闽沿岸上升流区)具有较高的沉积色素保存效率,这些沉积色素保存效率较高的区域可能是进行海洋生态环境历史重建的理想区域,而杭州湾水体通过舟山群岛与外部海水进行水体交换时造成的较差沉积环境可能是导致杭州湾外海具有较低沉积色素含量和较低保存效率的主要原因.     

添加动物源氨基酸水解液研制生物有机肥

为改善生物有机肥性质,提高生物有机肥质量,采取在生物有机肥中添加外源氨基酸水解液以提升生物有机肥中功能微生物的数量.以病死猪酸解制得氨基酸水解液为生物有机肥外加原料,研究了氨基酸水解液添加量、有机肥种类（鸡粪、牛粪、中药渣）、发酵时间对功能菌株SQR9数量的影响.结果表明:当氨基酸水解液添加量为20%时固体发酵效果优于其他接种量,预发酵3 d后接种SQR9的功能菌数量明显高于未预发酵直接接菌,预发酵中肥料（以干质量计,下同）的最高功能菌数量可达4×108 CFU/g,而第0天接菌时肥料的最高功能菌数量仅为1.2×108 CFU/g.以腐熟鸡粪、牛粪、中药渣堆肥为载体,添加酸解氨基酸研制生物有机肥的最优接菌量分别为10.0%、7.5%、10.0%;SQR9菌株生长的最佳含水量为40%.此外,氨基酸水解液的添加可提高生物有机肥的w（TN）.研究显示,氨基酸水解液的添加能有效促进固态发酵过程中功能菌株数量的增加.      

原始红松林退化演替后土壤微生物功能多样性的变化

为了全面了解原始红松林退化演替为次生林后土壤生境及土壤微生物功能多样性的变化规律,以小兴安岭典型的原始阔叶红松林、退化演替后先锋阶段的白桦林及亚顶级阶段的硬阔叶林为研究对象,采用Biolog-ECO微平板检测法,分析三者0~ < 10 cm和10~20 cm表层土的土壤微生物功能多样性变化规律.结果表明:各林型土壤微生物的AWCD值（平均颜色变化率）随培养时间的延长而增加,培养初期表现为原始阔叶红松林>硬阔叶林>白桦林;培养末期表现为原始阔叶红松林>白桦林>硬阔叶林,三者的AWCD值在0~ < 10 cm土层分别为1.06、0.86、0.81,10~20 cm土层分别为0.68、0.47、0.45,原始林显著高于次生林（P < 0.05）,说明原始林土壤微生物对单一碳源的代谢活性显著高于次生林;同一林型下土壤微生物的AWCD值均表现为0~ < 10 cm土层显著高于10~20 cm土层（P < 0.05）. Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson指数、McIntosh指数和Richness丰富度指数也均表现为原始林显著高于次生林（P < 0.05）.原始林土壤微生物对各类碳源的综合利用强度均大于次生林,不同林型下土壤微生物群落的优势碳源类型存在一定的差异,碳水类、氨基酸类、羧酸类和多聚物类碳源是原始林退化演替后土壤微生物群落在碳源利用上发生变化的敏感碳源.      

Amoxicillin effects on functional microbial community and spread of antibiotic resistance genes in amoxicillin manufacture wastewater treatment system

This study aimed to reveal how amoxicillin(AMX) affected the microbial community and the spread mechanism of antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs) in the AMX manufacture wastewater treatment system. For this purpose, a 1.47 L expanded granular sludge bed(EGSB) reactor was designed and run for 241 days treating artificial AMX manufacture wastewater. 454 pyrosequencing was applied to analyze functional microorganisms in the system. The antibiotic genes OXA_(-1), OXA_(-2), OXA_(-10), TEM_(-1), CTX-M_(-1), class I integrons(intI1) and 16 SrRNA genes were also examined in sludge samples. The results showed that the genera Ignavibacterium, Phocoenobacter,Spirochaeta, Aminobacterium and Cloacibacillus contributed to the degradation of different organic compounds(such as various sugars and amines). And the relative quantification of eachβ-lactam resistance gene in the study was changed with the increasing of AMX concentration.Furthermore the vertical gene transfer was the main driver for the spread of ARGs rather than horizontal transfer pathways in the system.