Thresholds in Songbird Occurrence in Relation to Landscape Structure

Abstract:  Theory predicts the occurrence of threshold levels of habitat in landscapes, below which ecological processes change abruptly. Simulation models indicate that below critical thresholds, fragmentation of habitat influences patch occupancy by decreasing colonization rates and increasing rates of local extinction. Uncovering such putative relationships is important for understanding the demography of species and in developing sound conservation strategies. Using segmented logistic regression, we tested for thresholds in occurrence of 15 bird species as a function of the amount of suitable habitat at multiple scales (150–2000-m radii). Suitable habitat was defined quantitatively based on previously derived, spatially explicit distribution models for each species. The occurrence of 10 out of 15 species was influenced by the amount of habitat at a landscape scale (≥500-m radius). Of these species all but one were best predicted by threshold models. Six out of nine species exhibited asymptotic thresholds; the effects of habitat loss intensified at low amounts of habitat in a landscape. Landscape thresholds ranged from 8.6% habitat to 28.7% (     = 18.5 ± 2.6%[95% CI]). For two species landscape thresholds coincided with sensitivity to fragmentation; both species were more likely to occur in large patches, but only when the amount of habitat in a landscape was low. This supports the fragmentation threshold hypothesis. Nevertheless, the occurrence of most species appeared to be unaffected by fragmentation, regardless of the amount of habitat present at landscape extents. The thresholds we identified may be useful to managers in establishing conservation targets. Our results indicate that findings of landscape-scale studies conducted in regions with relatively high proportions of habitat and low fragmentation may not be applicable in regions with low habitat proportions and high fragmentation.     

A Fine-Scale <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>−ε Model for Atmospheric Flow over Heterogeneous Landscapes

A multi-purpose model for small-scale atmospheric flows over heterogeneous landscapes is being developed. The aim of this research is to build a tool able to predict the dynamical (wind, turbulence) and diffusive (gases, particles) fields over landscapes characterised by heterogeneous plant cover. In its present stage of development the model is based on the numerical integration of neutral atmospheric flow equations, using an energy-dissipation closure scheme and over a domain that may include vegetation layers. Three validation cases of the model are presented: (i) response of the airflow to a change in surface roughness; (ii) airflow within and above a horizontally homogeneous plant canopy; (iii) airflow over two complex forest-to-clearing and clearing-to-forest transitions. All simulations provide results in good agreement with the experimental data, except for turbulent kinetic energy just after a clearing-to-forest transition. This result is not surprising for a statistical k– model in a flow region characterised by strong distorsion and intermittent turbulence. However the overall good performance of the model is promising for environmental research at fine scales over heterogeneous landscapes.     

南京城市环境景观设计与建设的思路及实践

城市环境景观是指能集中体现城市环境状况和整体形象的基础设施、建筑等,它对提高城市的生活质量、文化品味及投资环境具有重要意义,并将成为今后城市之间比较的重要指标。本文以“南京市市容环境卫生发展规划”工作为基础,引入城市环境景观的理念,分析南京城市环境景观的现状及存在的问题,如缺少标志性建筑与雕塑、夜景与亮化无特色,高层建筑外观和户外广告疏于管理等,进而提出南京城市环境景观设计的具体方案和建设思路,包括开发风景带,设计和建设精品建筑,加强绿化,规范户外广告等。     

广州白云山风景区植被景观异质性分析

采用信息论的线性抽样方法对白云山风景区的景观要素进行了景观异质性分析,结果表明,白云山风景区景观的异质性较大,并与景观要素的空间分布密切相关。阔叶林类型的相对频率与平均信息量最大,已在白云山风景区处于景观基质的地位,对白云山的景观结构和景观生态的变化起着决定性的作用。     

绿化树种对大气污染物吸收净化能力的研究

通过熏气试验，研究测定了部分绿化树种对主要大气污染物－SO2，Cl2和HF的吸收净化能力，结果表明：绿化树种对大气污染物具有一定的吸收净化能力，并依污染气体和树种的不同具有明显差异。     

甘肃省景观地球化学特征初探

分析了甘肃省境内的地球化学景观特征 ,将甘肃省划分为 6个不同的地球化学景观区 ,并依据甘肃省地质矿产局 2 0余年的 1:2 0万水系沉积物测量资料 ,统计出各景观区元素含量的算数平均值及标准离差 ,与全国相应元素的水系沉积物背景值进行了对比。     

Conservation for the landscape ecological diversity in Wulingyuan scenic area of China

Wulingyuan is located at the mountainous area of the middle reach of the Yangtze River,it is one of the three nature heritages in China which ranks in the “List of Worls‘s Heritage”by UNESCO.It is characterized by quartz sandstone peaks landform with several landform components(pattern,corridor)and rich in landscape ecological diversity and biodiversity.The main patterns(ecosystem)include mid-height mountain peaks,rift-avlley and streams among peaks,peaks and gullies on slopes,square mountain-platforms and peaks among blind valleys and so on.The corridor system consists of natural corridors and artificial corridors among which the stream corridors account for a major part.The fracturing of habitat is unfavorable for the biodiversity conservation,but meanwhile the habitat diversity leads to an increase in biodiversity.Therefore,it is still rich in landscape ecological diversity in Wulingyuan.The biodiversity at the level of landscape component(ecosystem) and the function of the Wulingyuan complex ecosystem,and the measures for the biodiversity conservation in Wulingyuan ecotourism area are discussed in this paper.     

北江万古流

北江是珠江水系第二大支流，全长582km，流域面积有4.7×105km2。北江是晚第三纪以来形成发育的，塑造了著名的丹霞地貌峡谷。水力、矿产、动植物和旅游资源丰富。     

贵州连续性碳酸盐岩上覆景观特征的定量研究

利用GIS软件,探讨了贵州以连续性碳酸盐岩为基底地区的上覆景观单元、破碎化及斑块分形的特征及其形成原因。研究区域中,受岩性控制景现在整体上体现出一致性的基础上,又存在着明显的内部差异性。一致性表现为以灌木林地为优势景观,森林和草地中以次生景观为主,偏小的斑块占大多数,斑块大小分布全为正偏, 其分布曲线多为尖峭峰,斑块研究不存在面积上尺度域,斑块形状在人为强烈干扰下趋于规则而导致类型分维数的值偏小,人为干扰大的景观中斑块的破碎化更加明显。相比连续性白云岩地区,连续性石灰岩地区的水资源利用率低下,抗干扰能力弱,景观多样性不均衡,退化更严重,分割程度更破碎,空间异质性更强,稳定性差,易向逆向演替的方向发展。