Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Association between plant species diversity and edaphic factors in the lower reaches of the Heihe River,northwestern China

The lower reaches of the Heihe River, in northwestern China, is characterised by unique local edaphic conditions that have influenced the development of local desert riparian forests. This study examines the variations in spatial variation patterns to reveal the relationships between plant species diversity and soil moisture/salinity/texture gradients at different soil depths, providing insights into the management and restoration of vegetation in ecosystems in the study area. The species–environmental relationships are investigated by redundancy analysis based on the plant species diversity matrix and the edaphic gradient matrix. A survey of 61 sampling plots identified 37 plant species in the study area. The distribution pattern of the plant species diversity are mainly affected by soil moisture, soil salinity, and soil texture at different soil depths. These edaphic factors are able to explain 98.47% of the total variation in the analysed vegetation dataset. Soil moisture, salinity, and texture content vary in terms of both the soil depths and the vegetation types in the study area. The plant community Class IV, xeric shrub, has the lowest soil water content among different vegetation types. The surface soil salinity differs for different plants and follows the order: Sophora alopecurides?>?Tamarix chinensis?>?Populus euphratica.     

Contaminants reduce the richness and evenness of marine communities: A review and meta-analysis

Biodiversity of marine ecosystems is integral to their stability and function and is threatened by anthropogenic processes. We conducted a literature review and meta-analysis of 216 studies to understand the effects of common contaminants upon diversity in various marine communities. The most common diversity measures were species richness, the Shannon-Wiener index (H′) and Pielou evenness (J). Largest effect sizes were observed for species richness, which tended to be the most sensitive index. Pollution was associated with marine communities containing fewer species or taxa than their pristine counterparts. Marine habitats did not vary in their susceptibility to contamination, rather a ∼40% reduction in richness occurred across all habitats. No class of contaminant was associated with significantly greater impacts on diversity than any other. Survey studies identified larger effects than laboratory or field experiments. Anthropogenic contamination is strongly associated with reductions in the species richness and evenness of marine habitats.     

Impact of neighbourhood land-cover in epiphytic lichen diversity: analysis of multiple factors working at different spatial scales

The objective of this work was to determine the impact of neighbourhood land-cover in epiphytic lichen diversity. We used geostatistics to analyse the spatial structure of lichen-indicators (number of lichen species and Lichen Diversity Value) and correlate them to land-cover considering different distances from the observed data. The results showed that lichen diversity was influenced by different environmental factors that act in the same territory but impact lichens at different distances from the source. The differences in the distance of influence of the several land-cover types seem to be related to the size of pollutants/particles that predominantly are dispersed by each land-cover type. We also showed that a local scale of analysis gives a deeper insight into the understanding of lichen richness and abundance in the region. This work highlighted the importance of a multiple spatial scale of analysis to deeply interpret the relation between lichen diversity and the underling environmental factors.     

氮添加和地下水位交互作用对通江湖泊湿生植物陌上菅生长的影响

研究地下水位变化和氮沉降对植物功能性状的影响,有助于揭示植物对环境变化的响应和适应规律.采用原位试验的方法,选择不同地下水位梯度〔低水位（-75 cm）、中水位（-69 cm）、高水位（-39 cm）〕和氮添加〔缺氮处理（430 g/m2）、空白对照（0 g/m2）、低氮（4.32 g/m2）、中氮（8.64 g/m2）、高氮（17.28 g/m2）〕（其中缺氮处理添加量以碳元素含量计,其余处理以氮元素含量计）,研究升金湖消落带湿地物种丰富度、陌上菅（Carex thunbergii）地上生物量和根系形态学指标对地下水位和氮添加的响应.结果表明:①双因素方差分析显示,地下水位主要影响物种丰富度、陌上菅地上生物量和根系形态学指标;氮添加主要影响土壤养分含量和陌上菅比根长、根比表面积及根组织密度;地下水位和氮添加的交互作用对陌上菅比根长和根平均直径影响显著（P < 0.05）;相对而言,水位对陌上菅的影响大于氮添加.②地下水位对陌上菅地上生物量和根系形态学指标有显著影响.地下水位升高会降低陌上菅地上生物量、根系比根长和根组织密度,同时增加其根平均直径和根比表面积,且不同处理间差异显著（P < 0.05）.在空白对照处理下,相比于低水位,高水位下陌上菅地上生物量、比根长和根组织密度分别降低了97.6%、46.1%、86.1%,根平均直径和根比表面积分别增加了326.1%、198.5%.③氮添加主要影响陌上菅根系形态学指标.随着施氮水平的增加,陌上菅比根长和根比表面积呈现先减后增的趋势,根组织密度呈现先增后减的趋势.在高水位条件下,相比于空白对照,低氮处理下陌上菅比根长和根比表面积分别减少了36.1%、41.8%,陌上菅根组织密度增加了182.4%,且差异显著（P < 0.05）.研究显示,地下水位升高与氮添加对陌上菅地上生物量和陌上菅比根长的影响呈相互抵消的态势,这体现了土壤水分增加对陌上菅生长的胁迫作用;水位升高和氮添加对根比表面积和根组织密度的影响表现为协同效应,揭示了在水位胁迫条件下陌上菅对养分获取策略的变化.      

中亚热带5种类型森林土壤微生物群落特征

采用PLFA(phospholipid fatty acids,磷脂脂肪酸)分析法研究江西省九连山国家级自然保护区杉木纯林、马尾松纯林、杉木阔叶混交林、马尾松阔叶混交林与天然常绿阔叶林的土壤微生物群落结构特征,探讨植被特征和土壤理化特征对土壤微生物群落的影响. 结果表明:①杉木阔叶混交林土壤细菌、放线菌和总微生物生物量最高,分别为7.77、1.74和18.21 nmol/g,而马尾松纯林均最低. ②针阔混交显著提高了土壤微生物生物量及其丰富度. 土壤微生物生物量及其丰富度均与土壤含水率、w(AN)(AN为有效氮)、w(TC)、w(TN)呈显著正相关(R为0.426~0.701),而与C/N〔w(TC)/w(TN)〕呈显著负相关(R分别为-0.447、-0.518). ③w(AN)对土壤微生物群落结构的解释率达55.8%. 尽管林下灌木、草本层生物量对土壤微生物生物量影响不大,但对微生物群落结构有一定影响,解释率分别为5.5%和6.3%. 灌草层丰富度与土壤微生物生物量及其丰富度呈显著正相关(R为0.369~0.452). 可见,阔叶树种和林下灌草层能够显著影响土壤微生物群落组成.      

物种丰富度格局研究进展

阐明了物种丰富度格局变化及其环境影响因子,并论述了目前研究较多的能量假说、地质历史过程假说、中域效应假说和Rapoport法则4种假说。这些假说对物种丰富度格局成因作出了一定解释,但针对不同的地理区域,其普适性尚需进一步研究。此外,对物种丰富度格局研究中常用的技术方法和影响格局分布的因素加以归纳总结,对我国未来物种丰富度格局研究进行展望,为制定区域生物物种资源保护战略提供参考。     

外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰对植物多样性的影响

采用样方法调查了云南省和四川省5个受紫茎泽兰入侵的样地中草本植物和灌木的种类和数量,分析了其物种丰富度指数、多样性指数和均匀度指数.结果表明,5个样地采得本地植物87种,其中常见本地植物32种,隶属19科31属.紫茎泽兰入侵造成5种生境条件下物种丰富度指数下降显著或极显著.除样地d外,其他样地紫茎泽兰入侵的样方Simpson多样性指数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数下降显著或极显著.而紫茎泽兰入侵对Pielou均匀度指数的影响则没有表现出明显的规律.不同生境条件下,植物群落的季节变化有所不同,以一年生草本植物为主的群落,其多样性指数和均匀度指数下降趋势较以多年生草本植物和灌木为主的群落更为明显.     

新疆鸟类和哺乳动物物种丰富度空间异质性及其多尺度效应

基于新疆维吾尔自治区鸟类和哺乳动10km×10km物种空间分布数据及1km×1km土地利用数据,引入NDVI、海拔和地理纬度等辅助数据,分别对物种和土地利用数据进行尺度变换,计算分析了1～10km尺度下的景观指数,并进一步在生态系统层面进行尺度效应研究,以探究表征物种多样性空间异质性的合理尺度.结果表明:新疆总体的景观...     

Assessment of the impacts of municipal solid waste dumps on soils and plants

The study aimed at evaluating the impacts of open municipal solid wastes dumps on soil and vegetation near the main roads linking major cities in Nigeria. We hypothesised that the metals from the wastes exerted substantial impacts at the dump sites which affect the soil and plants. Data were analysed from five dump sites and five control sites. The result revealed that the effects of the heavy metals (HM) were significant and higher at the dump sites where their concentrations were far above the EU, and Canadian environmental quality permissible limits for agricultural soils and vegetation. In contrast with dump sites, a significant relationship (R²?=?0.70; p??Cr?>?Pb at both dump sites and control sites. Further study on the effects of more HM on soil and plant is recommended in the area. Recycling and bio-phytoremediation processes should also be introduced.