Inferring National and Regional Declines of Rare Orchid Species with Probabilistic Models

Abstract: Fragmentation of natural habitats can increase numbers of rare species. Conservation of rare species requires experts and resources, which may be lacking for many species. In the absence of regular surveys and expert knowledge, historical sighting records can provide data on the distribution of a species. Numerous models have been developed recently to make inferences regarding the threat status of a taxon on the basis of variation in trends of sightings over time. We applied 5 such models to national and regional (county) data on 3 red‐listed orchid species (Cephalanthera longifolia, Hammarbya paludosa, and Pseudorchis albida) and 1 species that has recently come to the attention of conservation authorities (Neotinea maculata) in the Republic of Ireland. In addition, we used an optimal linear estimate to calculate the time of extinction for each species overall and within each county. To account for bias in recording effort over time, we used rarefaction analysis. On the basis of sighting records, we inferred that these species are not threatened with extinction and, although there have been declines, there is no clear geographical pattern of decline in any species. Most counties where these orchid species occurred had a low number of sightings; hence, we were cautious in our interpretation of output from statistical models. We suggest the main drivers of decline in these species in Ireland are modification of habitats for increased agricultural production and lack of appropriate management. Our results show that the application of probabilistic models can be used even when sighting data are scarce, provided multiple models are used simultaneously and rarefaction is used to account for bias in recording effort among species over time. These models could be used frequently when making an initial conservation assessment of species in a region, particularly if there is a relatively constant recording rate and some knowledge of the underlying recording process. Regional‐scale analyses, such as ours, complement World Conservation Union criteria for assessment of the extinct category and are useful for highlighting areas of under recording and focusing conservation efforts of rare and endangered species.     

Expanding the Global Network of Protected Areas to Save the Imperiled Mediterranean Biome

Abstract:  Global goals established by the Convention on Biological Diversity stipulate that 10% of the world's ecological regions must be effectively conserved by 2010. To meet that goal for the mediterranean biome, at least 5% more land must be formally protected over the next few years. Although global assessments identify the mediterranean biome as a priority, without biologically meaningful analysis units, finer-resolution data, and corresponding prioritization analysis, future conservation investments could lead to more area being protected without increasing the representation of unique mediterranean ecosystems. We used standardized analysis units and six potential natural vegetation types stratified by 3 elevation zones in a global gap analysis that systematically explored conservation priorities across the mediterranean biome. The highest levels of protection were in Australia, South Africa, and California-Baja California (from 9–11%), and the lowest levels of protection were in Chile and the mediterranean Basin (<1%). Protection was skewed to montane elevations in three out of five regions. Across the biome only one of the six vegetation types—mediterranean shrubland—exceeded 10% protection. The remaining vegetation types—grassland, scrub, succulent dominated, woodland, and forest—each had <3% protection. To guard against biases in future protection efforts and ensure the protection of species characteristic of the mediterranean biome, we identified biodiversity assemblages with <10% protection and subject to >30% conversion and suggest that these assemblages be elevated to high-priority status in future conservation efforts.     

Biodiversity Conservation in Local Planning

Abstract:  Local land-use policy is increasingly being recognized as fundamental to biodiversity conservation in the United States. Many planners and conservation scientists have called for broader use of planning and regulatory tools to support the conservation of biodiversity at local scales. Yet little is known about the pervasiveness of these practices. We conducted an on-line survey of county, municipal, and tribal planning directors (n = 116 ) in 3 geographic regions of the United States: metropolitan Seattle, Washington; metropolitan Des Moines, Iowa; and the Research Triangle, North Carolina. Our objectives were to gauge the extent to which local planning departments address biodiversity conservation and to identify factors that facilitate or hinder conservation actions in local planning. We found that biodiversity conservation was seldom a major consideration in these departments. Staff time was mainly devoted to development mandates and little time was spent on biodiversity conservation. Regulations requiring conservation actions that might benefit biodiversity were uncommon, with the exception of rules governing water quality in all 3 regions and the protection of threatened and endangered species in the Seattle region. Planning tools that could enhance habitat conservation were used infrequently. Collaboration across jurisdictions was widespread, but rarely focused on conservation. Departments with a conservation specialist on staff tended to be associated with higher levels of conservation actions. Jurisdictions in the Seattle region also reported higher levels of conservation action, largely driven by state and federal mandates. Increased funding was most frequently cited as a factor that would facilitate greater consideration of biodiversity in local planning. There are numerous opportunities for conservation biologists to play a role in improving conservation planning at local scales.     

新疆沙冬青和蒙古沙冬青叶片及其生境土壤中15种无机元素的含量比较

采用单道扫描等离子体发射光谱仪(ICP)和微波消解仪测定了新疆沙冬青和蒙古沙冬青两种珍稀植物的叶片及生境土壤环境中15种无机元素(Al、B、Ca、Cu、Fe、Mg、Mn、Na、Ba、La、Co、Ni、Pb、Rb和Ti)的含量,其中两种沙冬青叶片及生境土壤中含量最大的元素均为Ca,最小的均为Co.应用两个独立样本检验(Independent-samples T Test)中的曼-惠特尼U检验法(Mann-Whitney U)分析15种无机元素的差异性,结果显示,两种沙冬青的土壤环境相似;叶片的无机元素除了5种元素(B、Fe、Co、Ni和Ti)呈现显著性差异以外,其余元素含量差异不显著;通过比较叶片和土壤的元素含量发现,15种元素均呈现显著性差异;通过叶片内无机元素的浓度与生境土壤中该元素浓度的比值比较,发现Pb和Ti两种元素的叶片内浓度与生境土壤中浓度比值存在显著差异.图1表7参25     

冶勒自然保护区林麝对生境选择研究

1995年在相岭山系的冕宁冶勒自然保护区,采用作者新近提出的临时空间样方法,以Vanderloeg和Scavia选择指数对林麝对生境的选择进行了研究,结果表明7～8月份,林麝喜欢活动于竹子密度不大（n＝0～15m     

崇明东滩鸟类生境适宜性空间模糊评价

利用模糊数学方法、地理信息系统（GIS）和遥感（RS）技术,采用定性和定量相结合的方法构建了鸟类生境适宜性空间模糊评价模型,解决了隶属函数的空间化问题,扩展了模糊数学方法在自然保护区空间地理事物评价中的应用。通过评价几种鸟类的生境适宜性,结果表明：大多数鸟类在海三棱藨草外带和光滩适宜性最好,由此向内陆或水域方向适宜性降低,这一显著变化与崇明东滩环境演化趋势有着密切的关系;由于鸟类生活习性的差异,不同鸟类的空间适宜性范围存在一定的差异性;已有的保护区功能区划未能充分考虑当前鸟类生境适宜性情况,生境适宜性的评价结果可以为崇明东滩保护区的功能区划提供技术性指导。     

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River,Mississippi1

Shields, F. Douglas, Jr. and Scott S. Knight, 2011. Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 170‐186. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00606.x Abstract: Degraded streams draining low‐relief, intensively cultivated watersheds may experience periods of hypoxia or anoxia. A three‐year study of water chemistry, fish, and physical habitat in the Big Sunflower River in northwestern Mississippi coupled with continuously logged physicochemical and hydrology data provided by others showed prolonged periods of hypoxia associated with higher flows. Fish species richness was directly related to dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (r² = 0.35, p = 0.00004), and ordination using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) indicated strong association between fish community structure and DO. Low‐head weirs supported relatively dense and diverse fish communities and thus provided local habitat enhancement, but may create stagnant zones upstream due to backwater effects that exacerbate low DO problems. Although hypoxia has been reported for some lightly degraded rivers and floodplains, our observations suggest hypoxia in Big Sunflower River and similar systems alters fish species composition and should be remediated. Cost‐effective remediation will require better understanding of autotrophic and heterotrophic processes that control DO and the relationship of these processes to discharge.     

茶园土壤速效磷乡镇尺度下空间异质性对比分析——以江浙地区优质名茶种植区为例

土壤中磷素的含量对土壤肥力和茶叶品质起着至关重要的作用,探讨土壤磷素含量的空间分布特征及其影响因素,可以为茶园管理和茶叶品质的提升提供理论指导。以江苏省东山镇和浙江省溪龙乡两个优质名茶种植区为例,在遥感影像和DEM数据的基础上,应用地统计学方法,对比研究了两个茶园土壤速效磷含量的空间异质性特征。结果表明:(1)按土壤肥力等级标准,东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷含量的平均水平均较高,利于茶叶生长;(2)东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷含量的变异系数分别为0.46和0.52,均属于中等强度变异;(3)空间插值结果显示,东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷在空间上都具有相连成片的特征,但东山镇速效磷呈阶梯状分布特征,而溪龙乡速效磷则呈辐射状分布特征;(4)东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷的块基比值分别为0.343和0.142,表明溪龙乡速效磷受随机性因素的影响较东山镇的小,而受结构性因素的影响较东山镇的大。     

Using discrete choice experiments to value preferences for air quality improvement: the case of curbing haze in urban China

China's top legislature amended a law that “sets environmental protection as the country's basic policy”, which planned to force regulators to make improvements in air quality. Limited studies have attempted to estimate separate values for attributes of air quality improvements from the perspective of how residents value the reduction of haze and health benefits. We apply a discrete choice experiment to estimate the economic benefits involved in these changes. The analysis demonstrates that residents from urban areas are positively willing to pay for air quality improvement. We further employ a mixed logit model and a latent class model to investigate potential heterogeneity in preferences. The preference heterogeneity is significantly related to individuals' exposure to health risks relating to air quality, which is represented by whether the residence location of the respondent is covered by haze/smog on the interview day.     

DNAPL distribution in the source zone: effect of soil structure and uncertainty reduction with increased sampling density

This paper focuses on parameters describing the distribution of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminants and investigates the variability of these parameters that results from soil heterogeneity. In addition, it quantifies the uncertainty reduction that can be achieved with increased density of soil sampling. Numerical simulations of DNAPL releases were performed using stochastic realizations of hydraulic conductivity fields generated with the same geostatistical parameters and conditioning data at two sampling densities, thus generating two simulation ensembles of low and high density (three-fold increase) of soil sampling. The results showed that DNAPL plumes in aquifers identical in a statistical sense exhibit qualitatively different patterns, ranging from compact to finger-like. The corresponding quantitative differences were expressed by defining several alternative measures that describe the DNAPL plume and computing these measures for each simulation of the two ensembles. The uncertainty in the plume features under study was affected to different degrees by the variability of the soil, with coefficients of variation ranging from about 20% to 90%, for the low-density sampling. Meanwhile, the increased soil sampling frequency resulted in reductions of uncertainty varying from 7% to 69%, for low- and high-uncertainty variables, respectively. In view of the varying uncertainty in the characteristics of a DNAPL plume, remedial designs that require estimates of the less uncertain features of the plume may be preferred over others that need a more detailed characterization of the source zone architecture.