Habitat Use and Life History as Predictors of Bird Responses to Habitat Change

Abstract:  In theory the consideration of life-history characteristics should provide a way of making predictive generalizations about the responses of different species to environmental modification. Nevertheless, few studies have tested the validity of this assumption or attempted to apply it across large numbers of related species. We explored both quantitative and qualitative contrasts between species of waterbirds that have either expanded or contracted their ranges in southern Africa over the past 40 years to test the hypothesis that expansionists and contractionists, respectively, should share life-history characteristics and/or ecological attributes. Similarities and differences in life history and ecology were explored through multivariate statistics. Overall, life-history traits provided an inadequate explanation of whether species would be range expansionists or contractionists. By contrast, ecological attributes of species that related to habitat use correlated well with range changes. In particular, waterbird species that inhabit pans seemed to be preadapted to using human-made dams and impoundments. The ability of many species to use artificial wetlands has aided their westward range expansions into arid regions of southern Africa. By contrast, species that rely on vegetated wetlands and that require reeds for nesting were predisposed to range contraction because their habitats have been severely affected by agricultural development and urbanization. In direct contrast to range expansions, most range contractions were west to east, the eastward contraction reflected the high level of wetland loss and degradation in the eastern lowlands of South Africa. Based on analysis of ecological attributes of regional contractionists, several additional species were identified as of potential conservation concern, although such concern may not as yet have been expressed.     

复合垂直流人工湿地基质氧化还原酶活性研究

对复合垂直流人工湿地系统(IVCW)基质中5种常见的氧化还原酶活性进行了研究.结果表明,氧化还原酶活性存在显著性季节差异,过氧化物酶在春、夏、秋三季的酶活性显著高于冬季的酶活性(P＜0.05);多酚氧化酶和过氧化氢酶的活性最高在秋季;脱氢酶在夏、冬两季时酶活性显著高于秋季和春季的酶活性(P＜0.05);硝酸盐还原酶在春、冬季时显著高于夏、秋季(P＜0.01).空间分布上,除过氧化物酶外,湿地下行流池的酶活性显著高于上行流池,并且随着基质深度的增加递减;但基质硝酸盐还原酶各层之间差异不显著.图6表3参17     

江苏泗洪洪泽湖湿地自然保护区生态服务功能价值评估

在野外实际调查基础上,运用市场价值、影子工程、旅行费用等方法对江苏泗洪洪泽湖湿地自然保护区生态服务功能进行价值评估.结果显示,该保护区生态服务功能年均总价值约为13.97亿元,占泗洪县2005年国民生产总值的20.82%.重要物种栖息地、水分调节以及大气调节生态服务功能价值分别占总价值的27.49%、25.27%、19.33%,是该保护区的主要核心服务功能.泗洪湿地单位面积生态服务功能价值为28 299元·hm-2·a-1,分别为全球和中国湿地平均单位价值的4.09倍、4.85倍.在发展当地经济过程中,必须从该保护区湿地生态系统的基本特征出发,科学合理地保护、开发湿地资源.     

人工湿地基质磷吸附特性与其物理化学性质的关系

对9种垂直流人工湿地基质进行了对磷的等温吸附试验.结果表明,在溶液磷浓度为100～500mg/L条件下,9种基质中以草炭的吸附量为最高,达到2439.56mg/kg;砾石的吸附量最低,仅为188.67mg/kg;其余基质表现出高炉渣土>高炉渣>煤灰渣土>耕层土>煤灰渣>中粗砂土>中粗砂的规律.供试基质的容重和密度与磷吸附量呈极显著性负相关关系;基质的颗粒直径D₈₀和不均匀系数K₈₀与磷吸附量呈显著性正相关关系.基质的CEC、有机质、有效Fe和交换性Al的含量与磷吸附量呈极显著性正相关关系;pH值与磷吸附量呈极显著性负相关关系.     

人工湿地基质中酶活性和细菌生理群的时空动态特征

对复合垂直流人工湿地基质中6种酶酶活性和5种细菌生理类群数量进行了测定.结果表明各种酶酶活性在不同月份存在显著差异(p<0.05):纤维素酶、蛋白酶和磷酸酶在6月、9月和12月时都表现出较高的酶活性,并且都显著地高于3月的酶活性;β-葡萄糖苷酶在6月时酶活性显著地高于其它月;而脲酶活性在9月和12月时极显著地高于3月和6月(p<0.01);脱氢酶酶活性在6月和12月时明显高于3月和9月.相比较而言,6种酶酶活性的空间特征较为一致,下行流池酶活性显著高于上行流池活性(p<0.05),并且随着基质层深度的增加,酶活性亦相对递减.细菌生理类群数量在6月和9月达到高峰,并且所反映出来的空间规律与酶活性有一致性.     

景观生态学及熵模型在荒漠化监测与评价中的应用

在对景观生态学和"熵"的概念及其特征进行分析的基础上,以承德市北部荒漠化地区为例,重点讨论了景观生态学中优势度指数、均匀度指数以及热力学中熵模型在荒漠化土地动态变化及评价中的应用.根据2001年8月31日Landsat卫星遥感TM数据,结合现场调查,通过景观熵值、植被覆盖度等指标综合评判,对研究样地荒漠化程度进行划分.结果表明:通过熵模型计算荒漠化景观系统的熵值,可以判断荒漠化景观发展趋势,也可以比较不同荒漠化景观的荒漠化程度.经过综合指标分析,判定丰宁县小坝乡属于重度荒漠化地区,围场县御道口属于中度荒漠化地区,该结论与实际相符合.      

接触氧化-人工湿地去除印染废水中的COD

采用絮凝沉淀+接触氧化+人工湿地工艺处理印染废水中COD研究。结果表明,斜板沉淀池出水COD平均值为1322mg/L,此间COD去除率为38·6%;二沉池出水COD平均值为71mg/L,此段COD去除率达94·6%;人工湿地出水COD平均值为37mg/L,人工湿地COD去除率为48·0%。处理设施COD总去除率98·3%。     

Past,present, and future of a freshwater fish metapopulation in a threatened landscape

It is well documented that hydropower plants can affect the dynamics of fish populations through landscape alterations and the creation of new barriers. Less emphasis has been placed on the examination of the genetic consequences for fish populations of the construction of dams. The relatively few studies that focus on genetics often do not consider colonization history and even fewer tend to use this information for conservation purposes. As a case study, we used a 3‐pronged approach to study the influence of historical processes, contemporary landscape features, and potential future anthropogenic changes in landscape on the genetic diversity of a fish metapopulation. Our goal was to identify the metapopulation's main attributes, detect priority areas for conservation, and assess the consequences of the construction of hydropower plants for the persistence of the metapopulation. We used microsatellite markers and coalescent approaches to examine historical colonization processes, traditional population genetics, and simulations of future populations under alternate scenarios of population size reduction and gene flow. Historical gene flow appeared to have declined relatively recently and contemporary populations appeared highly susceptible to changes in landscape. Gene flow is critical for population persistence. We found that hydropower plants could lead to a rapid reduction in number of alleles and to population extirpation 50–80 years after their construction. More generally, our 3‐pronged approach for the analyses of empirical genetic data can provide policy makers with information on the potential impacts of landscape changes and thus lead to more robust conservation efforts.     

Importance of dispersal routes that minimize open‐ocean movement to the genetic structure of island populations

Islands present a unique scenario in conservation biology, offering refuge yet imposing limitations on insular populations. The Kimberley region of northwestern Australia has more than 2500 islands that have recently come into focus as substantial conservation resources. It is therefore of great interest for managers to understand the driving forces of genetic structure of species within these island archipelagos. We used the ubiquitous bar‐shouldered skink (Ctenotus inornatus) as a model species to represent the influence of landscape factors on genetic structure across the Kimberley islands. On 41 islands and 4 mainland locations in a remote area of Australia, we genotyped individuals across 18 nuclear (microsatellite) markers. Measures of genetic differentiation and diversity were used in two complementary analyses. We used circuit theory and Mantel tests to examine the influence of the landscape matrix on population connectivity and linear regression and model selection based on Akaike's information criterion to investigate landscape controls on genetic diversity. Genetic differentiation between islands was best predicted with circuit‐theory models that accounted for the large difference in resistance to dispersal between land and ocean. In contrast, straight‐line distances were unrelated to either resistance distances or genetic differentiation. Instead, connectivity was determined by island‐hopping routes that allow organisms to minimize the distance of difficult ocean passages. Island populations of C. inornatus retained varying degrees of genetic diversity (N_A = 1.83 – 7.39), but it was greatest on islands closer to the mainland, in terms of resistance‐distance units. In contrast, genetic diversity was unrelated to island size. Our results highlight the potential for islands to contribute to both theoretical and applied conservation, provide strong evidence of the driving forces of population structure within undisturbed landscapes, and identify the islands most valuable for conservation based on their contributions to gene flow and genetic diversity.     

城市地表形态对热环境的影响——以上海市为例

基于遥感与GIS技术,利用Landsat7-ETM+影像反演地表温度,用社会经济统计数据、土地利用现状数据和道路交通网络数据计算城市景观形态参数以表征地表特征,从行政区(县)、5km间距同心环带和局部区块3个水平上划分空间单元建立数据样本,分析城市地表形态对热环境空间分布格局的影响。结果表明:(1)景观混合度和景观分裂度对地表温度有恒定的负向影响,区块连通性与地表温度负相关;(2)景观分裂度对热环境的影响取决于地类属性:分裂度大的增温地类,地表增温效应弱;分裂度大的降温地类,地表降温效应强;(3)人口密度和经济密度可对地表温度产生恒定正向影响;(4)人口密度、建设用地比例和房屋建筑比例是分布在区(县)尺度、同心圆环尺度和典型区块尺度上影响地表热环境最显著的地表形态要素。