Using environmental heterogeneity to plan for sea‐level rise

Environmental heterogeneity is increasingly being used to select conservation areas that will provide for future biodiversity under a variety of climate scenarios. This approach, termed conserving nature's stage (CNS), assumes environmental features respond to climate change more slowly than biological communities, but will CNS be effective if the stage were to change as rapidly as the climate? We tested the effectiveness of using CNS to select sites in salt marshes for conservation in coastal Georgia (U.S.A.), where environmental features will change rapidly as sea level rises. We calculated species diversity based on distributions of 7 bird species with a variety of niches in Georgia salt marshes. Environmental heterogeneity was assessed across six landscape gradients (e.g., elevation, salinity, and patch area). We used 2 approaches to select sites with high environmental heterogeneity: site complementarity (environmental diversity [ED]) and local environmental heterogeneity (environmental richness [ER]). Sites selected based on ER predicted present‐day species diversity better than randomly selected sites (up to an 8.1% improvement), were resilient to areal loss from SLR (1.0% average areal loss by 2050 compared with 0.9% loss of randomly selected sites), and provided habitat to a threatened species (0.63 average occupancy compared with 0.6 average occupancy of randomly selected sites). Sites selected based on ED predicted species diversity no better or worse than random and were not resilient to SLR (2.9% average areal loss by 2050). Despite the discrepancy between the 2 approaches, CNS is a viable strategy for conservation site selection in salt marshes because the ER approach was successful. It has potential for application in other coastal areas where SLR will affect environmental features, but its performance may depend on the magnitude of geological changes caused by SLR. Our results indicate that conservation planners that had heretofore excluded low‐lying coasts from CNS planning could include coastal ecosystems in regional conservation strategies.     

Fine‐resolution conservation planning with limited climate‐change information

Climate‐change induced uncertainties in future spatial patterns of conservation‐related outcomes make it difficult to implement standard conservation‐planning paradigms. A recent study translates Markowitz's risk‐diversification strategy from finance to conservation settings, enabling conservation agents to use this diversification strategy for allocating conservation and restoration investments across space to minimize the risk associated with such uncertainty. However, this method is information intensive and requires a large number of forecasts of ecological outcomes associated with possible climate‐change scenarios for carrying out fine‐resolution conservation planning. We developed a technique for iterative, spatial portfolio analysis that can be used to allocate scarce conservation resources across a desired level of subregions in a planning landscape in the absence of a sufficient number of ecological forecasts. We applied our technique to the Prairie Pothole Region in central North America. A lack of sufficient future climate information prevented attainment of the most efficient risk‐return conservation outcomes in the Prairie Pothole Region. The difference in expected conservation returns between conservation planning with limited climate‐change information and full climate‐change information was as large as 30% for the Prairie Pothole Region even when the most efficient iterative approach was used. However, our iterative approach allowed finer resolution portfolio allocation with limited climate‐change forecasts such that the best possible risk‐return combinations were obtained. With our most efficient iterative approach, the expected loss in conservation outcomes owing to limited climate‐change information could be reduced by 17% relative to other iterative approaches.     

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.     

葛洲坝至古老背江段鱼类的水声学调查

2004年10月~2006年5月利用Bisonics DT-X科学回声探测仪(200 kHz)对葛洲坝至古老背-葛洲坝下游中华鲟(Acipenser sinensis Gray)自然保护区核心江段(30 km)的鱼类进行了5次水声学调查。结果表明：鱼类在该江段中分布呈现不均一性,深潭处分布集中,而急流处分布很少,葛洲坝至艾家河江段鱼的密度明显大于艾家河至古老背江段;在中华鲟产卵日,鱼类在葛洲坝至庙咀江段高度密集,2004年的平均密度达到62.62±24.77尾/1 000 m3,2005年的平均密度达到70.58±37.45尾/1 000 m3;整个江段中,体长60~106 mm的鱼类占有较高比例,约7.0%以上,53 mm以下的鱼类和750 mm以上的鱼类占较低比例,均小于2.0%;调查期间,探测到中华鲟产卵亲鱼,初步估算2004年的资源量约为1 453尾,2005年的资源量约为789尾;95%置信度下分别为1 370~1 537尾、775~803尾。     

西双版纳自然保护区与周边社区的共管研究

自然保护区社区共管的实施,缓解了保护区与社区的矛盾,在促进生物多样性保护与社区经济发展方面取得了显著的效果。然而,由于管理目标冲突、经费不足、宣传教育力度不足等问题,限制了共管的实施范围及可持续性。通过采取构建科学的共管运行机制、激励机制,生态教育等措施,突破共管的制约因素,促进了自然保护区及其社区的可持续发展。     

自然保护区的建立与持续发展的关系

自然保护区的建立已被世界公认是一种保护自然资源最有效的方法之一。但是长期以来,人们把对维持生物种类的持续发展以及生态系统的完整性都归功于较为传统的封闭式保护。事实证明这已导致保护与持续发展长期处于矛盾状态而得不到解决。自从联合国教科文组织人与生物圈计划提出“生物圈保护区”的概念以来,打破了长期以来对自然保护区的封闭式管理。强调通过保护自然资源而发展和利用资源,并使这些资源能够持续发展。注重把自然保护与科学研究,环境监测、示范、环境教育与当地人民的参与结合起来。     

怀洪新河太湖新银鱼国家级水产种质资源保护区生境及渔业群落多样性研究

根据2014年6月和12月在怀洪新河太湖新银鱼国家级水产种质资源保护区现场调查数据,对保护区生境及渔业群落进行了研究。保护区主要水质指标达到Ⅲ类标准,TN为制约因素。保护区共分布有水生维管束植物24种,其中沉水植物、挺水植物、漂浮植物和浮叶植物分别占41.67%、33.33%、16.67%和8.33%。现场调查共采集到鱼、虾类37种,包括鱼类33种、虾类4种,分别隶属于8目15科35属。群落结构以淡水定居性物种及杂食性物种占优,夏季优势种为日本沼虾、红鳍原鲌和刀鲚,冬季为鲫、鲢和鳙。夏季各种网具中采集的渔获物均重变幅为0.12~114.32 g,冬季为4.07~696.70 g。保护区成鱼(虾)资源密度为20.18万尾/km2和10 440.8 kg/km2,幼鱼资源密度为534.58万尾/km2和587.8 kg/km2。冬季资源密度显著低于夏季,数量及重量密度仅分别为夏季的6.94%和30.93%。基于渔获尾数的多样性特征值为:丰富度指数(R)3.812 0,信息指数(H’)1.496 0,优势度指数(D)0.409 9,均匀度指数(E)0.124 0。克氏原螯虾在保护区内广泛分布,对其危害性应加以重视。     

Connotation and principles of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas based on the theory of externality

Understanding the connotation and principles of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas is the basis and guarantee for establishing and improving the ecological compensation mechanism of water source reserve areas. First, this paper reviews the three stages of ecological compensation research progress. Based on the review, using the theory of externality, the ecological environment system of water source reserve areas is then analyzed. This paper argues that the connotation of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas is a kind of institutional arrangement, which is designed to internalize externalities. Finally, based on the understanding of the connotation of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas, five principles for establishing and improving the ecological compensation mechanism are proposed, including the principle of fairness and justice, the principle of equivalence of equality and responsibility, the principle of flexibility and effectiveness, the principle of “earmark funds, and implementation by law,” and the principle of government compensation supplemented with market compensation.     

汶川地震对自然保护区的生态影响评估及对策

四川汶川地震给人们的生命财产造成了巨大损失,同时也严重破坏了当地的生态环境,尤其对该区域分布的大量具有国际意义的自然保护区造成严重威胁,给区域生态安全带来巨大的隐患。本文在对受灾省份自然保护区损失调查结果统计分析的基础上,初步掌握灾区自然保护区基础状况,分析比较震前和震后生态环境变化,调查地震造成的自然保护区损失情况,分析了面临的生态风险,并相应提出了自然保护区恢复重建的对策建议。