珠海淇澳岛红树林和芦苇湿地底栖硅藻群落比较

研究了珠海淇澳岛红树林湿地和芦苇湿地2007年3月至2008年1月间底栖硅藻群落的结构及其动态特征.结果表明,两种湿地共有底栖硅藻28属113种(变种),其中红树林中检出23属95种(变种),明显高于芦苇湿地的21属42种(变种).底栖硅藻的丰度为14.3～553.5 celk cm-3,不同样地和采样期的多样性指数和均匀度指数不同,但红树林湿地高于芦苇湿地.两种湿地底栖硅藻群落的属种结构存在显著差异,红树林湿地中多以羽纹藻类,如布纹藻属(Gyrosigma)、斜纹藻属(Pleurosigma)和羽纹藻属(Pinnularia)等占优势,而芦苇湿地主要以中心藻类,如圆筛藻属(Coscinodiscus)和小环藻属(Cyclotella)等占优势.相似性分析显示,样地基质对底栖硅藻群落的影响大于季节变化的影响.     

广西北海西村港互花米草对红树林湿地大型底栖动物群落的影响

为了解互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)入侵红树林的生态影响, 作者对位于北海市西村港的红树林湿地以及周边互花米草盐沼的大型底栖动物群落多样性和群落结构进行了研究。2012年10月至2013年9月连续4次取样, 按照取样时间研究大型底栖动物的种类、物种组成、生物量和生物多样性等群落特征的差异, 探讨互花米草入侵红树林湿地对大型底栖动物的影响。本研究共采集底栖动物16种, 隶属于5门7纲15科, 其中互花米草群落10种, 红树林湿地12种。研究发现互花米草入侵后中国绿螂(Glauconome chinensis)个体数量剧增, 导致不同采样时间互花米草盐沼的大型底栖动物生物量均显著高于红树林湿地; 除个别月份外, 红树林湿地大型底栖动物的Margalef丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数均显著高于互花米草群落。基于生境-采样时间的双因素方差分析结果表明, Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Simpson指数在两种生境间差异显著; 两种生境的Margalef丰富度和Pielou均匀度指数在不同采样时间差异显著; 大型底栖动物生物量和物种数量在两种生境间和不同采样时间差异均显著。基于多元回归分析的研究结果表明, 互花米草密度是影响大型底栖动物生物量的关键因子, 而互花米草株高可以解释物种个体数量、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Simpson指数在两种生境的变化。对不同采样时间大型底栖动物群落结构的非度量多维度(non-metric multidimensional scaling, NMDS)分析结果表明, 红树林与互花米草群落的大型底栖动物群落相似性很低。总而言之, 在西村港地区, 互花米草入侵虽然增加了大型底栖动物的生物量, 但由于优势物种的凸显, 显著降低了大型底栖动物群落的多样性, 且种类组成与群落结构与红树林群落相比已有差异。由此可见, 互花米草入侵红树林对当地的大型底栖动物群落多样性造成影响。     

湿地中的藻类生态学研究进展

从湿地中藻类的种群结构、藻类在湿地中的功能、湿地中的藻类生产力及其影响因素等方面综述了天然湿地中的藻类生态学研究进展．湿地植物区系主要有附泥藻类、附植藻类、后周丛藻类和浮游植物4种类型,其中常见的是附泥藻类的硅藻、绿藻和蓝藻．藻类最显著的作用是作为湿地食物网中的初级生产者,也作为湿地环境污染的生物指示物．影响藻类生产力的因素有水力学因素、营养、温度、光、大型植物及草食动物和其它动物．未来对藻类的研究应侧重于湿地藻类生物多样性、藻类生物量、生产力、种群组成的环境控制及其相互关系,以及藻类作为水环境及湿地污染程度指标的研究,“基因治藻”也将是未来研究的新方向．     

深圳湾不同生境湿地大型底栖动物次级生产力的比较研究

以深圳湾红树林为例,于2010年1—12月每月1次对红树林和3种对照生境(芦苇鱼塘,基围鱼塘和光滩)的大型底栖动物进行了采样调查,并对其次级生产力、P/B值(次级生产力与生物量的比值)、优势种和生物多样性进行了计算与分析。结果表明,不同生境大型底栖动物群落次级生产力和P/B值差异明显,芦苇鱼塘、基围鱼塘、光滩和红树林生境的次级生产力分别为:6.81、147.50、74.70和105.78 g.m-.2a-1;P/B值分别为:1.10、1.53、1.41和3.58 a-1。红树林生境的次级生产力较高,仅次于基围鱼塘,P/B值显著高于其他3种生境,周转速率最快。结合大型底栖动物优势种和生物多样性的季节变化分析表明,红树林生境大型底栖动物生物多样性最丰富,生态系统抵抗力和恢复力最高,生态系统最稳定。由此说明城市化地区红树林生境对大型底栖动物周转速率和物种多样性有明显促进作用,可以增加生态系统营养的保持力和生态系统的稳定性,对于缓解城市化对湿地生态系统造成的威胁具有重要作用。     

红树林植被对大型底栖动物群落的影响

大型底栖动物是红树林生态系统的重要组成部分,从红树林大型底栖动物种类、红树林与其周边生境大型底栖动物群落的比较,以及生境变化对动物群落的影响等方面阐述了红树林植被与大型底栖动物群落的关系.从物种数量上看,软体动物和甲壳类动物构成了红树林大型底栖动物的主要部分.影响大型底栖动物分布的环境因素包括海水盐度、潮位和土壤特性等,但在小范围区域,林内动物的分布更多地与红树林植被特性和潮位有关.因此,由于红树林植被破坏或者恢复引起的生境变化,将导致大型底栖动物群落和常见物种种群的变化,尤其对底上动物影响明显;随着人工恢复红树林的发育,林内底栖动物的多样性相应增加,优势种也发生变化.相比位于相同潮位的无植被滩涂,红树林可促进潮间带生物多样性.     

底栖动物对红树林生态系统的影响及生态学意义

底栖动物是红树林生态系统的重要组成部分。本文总结了近年来国内外红树林底栖动物的生物多样性、分布模式及其影响因素的研究进展,并从以下5个方面阐述了底栖动物(尤其是相手蟹)对红树林生态系统的影响:1)维持系统初级生产;2)丰富系统有机物生产;3)影响红树植物生长;4)降低幼苗竞争压力;5)改变沉积物性质。除传统的群落结构、生物多样性和个体生物学研究外,目前红树林底栖动物生态学的研究正逐步向红树林沙蟹等其他海洋无脊椎动物的种间关系、底栖生物区系与栖息地间相互关系研究发展。有必要重新认识蟹类的生物扰动对红树林更新和红树林生态系统能量流动的积极意义。     

红树植物秋茄替代互花米草的生态修复评估——以浙江温州为例

互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)已经大面积入侵并威胁我国滨海湿地生态系统。利用红树植物替代法控制互花米草入侵的生态修复模式已得到广泛关注。本研究选取浙江温州鳌江口红树植物秋茄(Kandelia obovata)替代互花米草的生态修复区,在3年修复期前后,对修复区和对照区进行植物群落结构和大型底栖动物群落多样性监测,结合沉积物质量与水质变化监测,对生态修复的效果进行评价。结果表明:生态修复区的秋茄群落虽结构单一、但生长良好;红树林生境大型底栖动物物种多样性指数为0～2.055;而在互花米草生境中为1.053～2.805,说明对大型底栖动物而言互花米草生境的生态环境状况优于红树林生境。这可能是由于恢复的早期阶段,秋茄树龄小且对水质污染的改善作用不显著,其大型底栖动物的种类偏少。本研究是红树林高纬度分布区生态替代法控制互花米草的典型案例;随着植株的生长,秋茄群落的生态效益将进一步显现。     

中国红树林湿地物种多样性及其形成

目前中国红树林湿地共记录了2854种生物,包括真菌136种、放线菌13种、细菌7种、小型藻类441种、大型藻类55种、维管束植物37种、浮游动物109种、底栖动物873种、游泳动物258种、昆虫434种、蜘蛛31种、两栖类13种、爬行类39种、鸟类421种和兽类28种。这些动物中有8种国家一级保护动物,75种二级保护动物。中国红树林湿地是中国濒危生物保存和发展的重要基地,并在跨国鸟类保护中起着重要作用。中国红树林湿地单位面积的物种丰度是海洋平均水平的1766倍。从初级生产物质基础、食物关系多样性、宏观尺度和微观尺度的空间异质性、生境利用的时序性等方面分析了中国红树林湿地物种多样性极其丰富的原因。     

光强和光质对底栖藻类群落影响Ⅱ.群落和种群的动态和适应模式

将原始河口底栖藻类群落移植至实验室进行培养.底栖藻类群落分别由占细胞总量93.33%的硅藻类群、5.42%的绿藻类群和仅占1.25%的单一蓝藻种群组成.通过对底栖藻类群落总体、不同藻类类群和单一种群在不同光照强度的白光和单色光下的适应模式和增长动态的研究发现,底栖藻类群落总体增长动态为弱光适应型、红光敏感型和蓝光抑制型,其细胞生长的敏感光照依次为红光＞低光强＞中光强＞高光强＞绿光＞蓝光.底栖藻类群落总体对不同光照的适应模式由底栖硅藻类群增长动态所决定.底栖绿藻类群总体增长的敏感光照依次为低光强＞红光＞中光强＞绿光＞高光强＞蓝光,绿藻类群在不同的光照处理下呈现3种适应模式.硅藻类群总体对不同光照的敏感状况与底栖藻类群落总体趋同,在不同光照处理下仅呈现一种适应模式.蓝藻Oscillatoria tenuis种群的增长的敏感光照为红光＞白光＞绿光＞蓝光,其对光的适应模式有3种.7种绿藻种群在不同光强的白光、红光和绿光表现出2种适应模式,在蓝光下基本皆呈衰退型.21种硅藻种群对不同光照的适应模式可分为4种类型,强竞争型、弱竞争型、增长型和衰退型.     

云南高原湖泊沿岸带底栖藻类群落的分布

对云南6个高原湖泊沿岸带底栖藻类的群落结构、现存量等进行了调查,研究期间发现底栖藻类群落主要由绿藻门的刚毛藻(Cladophora spp.)和硅藻门的一些附植种类组成,除硅藻群落在泸沽湖占优势外,其它湖泊中绿藻群落的相对比率高于硅藻.底栖藻类现存量(chl a)以星云湖最高(24 μg·cm-2);底栖硅藻密度以泸沽湖的鸟岛最高,为9.3×106 cells·cm-2.分析不同湖泊底栖硅藻的群落结构发现:底栖硅藻Epithemia sorex和Cocconeis klamathensis分别是泸沽湖和抚仙湖的绝对优势种,Amphora pediculus是阳宗海和滇池金宝的绝对优势种,洱海、星云湖和滇池又一村的优势种类较多,其中相对丰富度较高的主要是一些附植性种类.结果表明沿岸带的光照、营养水平和基质类型可能是影响底栖藻类群落分布的主要环境因子.     

A comparison of natural and human determinants of phytoplankton communities in the Kentucky River basin,USA

Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the Kentucky River and its tributaries were assessed for one year to compare effects of seasonal, spatial, and human environmental factors on phytoplankton. Phytoplankton cell densities were highest in the fall and summer and lowest in the winter. Cell densities averaged 1162 (± 289 SE) cells m1^–1. Cell densities were positively correlated to water temperature and negatively correlated to dissolved oxygen concentration and to factors associated with high-flow conditions (such as, suspended sediment concentrations). Chrysophytes, diatoms, and blue-green algae dominated winter, spring, and summer assemblages, respectively. Ordination analyses (DCCA) indicated that variation in taxonomic composition of assemblages was associated with stream size as well as season.Spatial variation in phytoplankton assemblages and effects of humans was investigated by sampling 55 sites in low flow conditions during August. Phytoplankton density increased with stream size. Assemblages shifted in composition from those dominated by benthic diatoms upstream to downstream communities dominated by blue-green algae and small flagellates. Human impacts were assumed to cause higher algal densities in stream basins with high proportions of agricultural or urban land use than in basins with forested/mined land use. While density and composition of phytoplankton were positively correlated to agricultural land use, they were poorly correlated to nutrient concentrations. Phytoplankton diversity changed with water quality: decreasing with nutrient enrichment and increasing with conditions that probably changed species composition or inhibited algal growth. Human impacts on phytoplankton in running water ecosystems were as great or greater than effects by natural seasonal and spatial factors. Our results indicated that phytoplankton could be useful indicators of water quality and ecosystem integrity in large river systems.     

Temperature indirectly affects benthic microalgal diversity by altering effects of top–down but not bottom–up control

Understanding the ecological mechanisms that underlie species diversity decline in response to environmental change has become an urgent objective in current ecological research. Not only direct (lethal) effects on single species but also indirect effects altering biotic interactions between species within and across trophic levels comprise the driving force of ecosystem change. In an experimental marine benthic microalgae–grazer system we tested for indirect effects of moderate temperature change on algal diversity by manipulation of temperature, nutrient supply and grazer density. In our model system warming did not exert indirect effects on microalgal diversity via effects on resource competition. However, moderate warming strengthened consumer control and thereby indirectly affected algal community structure which ultimately resulted in decreased diversity. Only in low temperature and low nutrient regimes did the antagonizing mechanisms of bottom–up and top–down regulation establish a balancing effect on algal diversity within 29 days (corresponding to 15–29 algae generations). Effects of thermal habitat change did not appear before 9–18 algae generations, which points to the relevance of longer‐term experiments and ecological monitoring in order to separate transient biotic responses and subtle changes of community dynamics in consequence to global change.     

Environmental context determines multi‐trophic effects of consumer species loss

Loss of biodiversity and nutrient enrichment are two of the main human impacts on ecosystems globally, yet we understand very little about the interactive effects of multiple stressors on natural communities and how this relates to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Advancing our understanding requires the following: (1) incorporation of processes occurring within and among trophic levels in natural ecosystems and (2) tests of context‐dependency of species loss effects. We examined the effects of loss of a key predator and two groups of its prey on algal assemblages at both ambient and enriched nutrient conditions in a marine benthic system and tested for interactions between the loss of functional diversity and nutrient enrichment on ecosystem functioning. We found that enrichment interacted with food web structure to alter the effects of species loss in natural communities. At ambient conditions, the loss of primary consumers led to an increase in biomass of algae, whereas predator loss caused a reduction in algal biomass (i.e. a trophic cascade). However, contrary to expectations, we found that nutrient enrichment negated the cascading effect of predators on algae. Moreover, algal assemblage structure varied in distinct ways in response to mussel loss, grazer loss, predator loss and with nutrient enrichment, with compensatory shifts in algal abundance driven by variation in responses of different algal species to different environmental conditions and the presence of different consumers. We identified and characterized several context‐dependent mechanisms driving direct and indirect effects of consumers. Our findings highlight the need to consider environmental context when examining potential species redundancies in particular with regard to changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, non‐trophic interactions based on empirical evidence must be incorporated into food web‐based ecological models to improve understanding of community responses to global change.     

The microbial landscape in bioturbated mangrove sediment: A resource for promoting nature-based solutions for mangroves

Globally, soils and sediments are affected by the bioturbation activities of benthic species. The consequences of these activities are particularly impactful in intertidal sediment, which is generally anoxic and nutrient-poor. Mangrove intertidal sediments are of particular interest because, as the most productive forests and one of the most important stores of blue carbon, they provide global-scale ecosystem services. The mangrove sediment microbiome is fundamental for ecosystem functioning, influencing the efficiency of nutrient cycling and the abundance and distribution of key biological elements. Redox reactions in bioturbated sediment can be extremely complex, with one reaction creating a cascade effect on the succession of respiration pathways. This facilitates the overlap of different respiratory metabolisms important in the element cycles of the mangrove sediment, including carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and iron cycles, among others. Considering that all ecological functions and services provided by mangrove environments involve microorganisms, this work reviews the microbial roles in nutrient cycling in relation to bioturbation by animals and plants, the main mangrove ecosystem engineers. We highlight the diversity of bioturbating organisms and explore the diversity, dynamics and functions of the sediment microbiome, considering both the impacts of bioturbation. Finally, we review the growing evidence that bioturbation, through altering the sediment microbiome and environment, determining a ‘halo effect’, can ameliorate conditions for plant growth, highlighting the potential of the mangrove microbiome as a nature-based solution to sustain mangrove development and support the role of this ecosystem to deliver essential ecological services.     

Positive feedbacks between bottom-up and top-down controls promote the formation and toxicity of ecosystem disruptive algal blooms: A modeling study

Harmful algal blooms that disrupt and degrade ecosystems (ecosystem disruptive algal blooms, EDABs) are occurring with greater frequency and severity with eutrophication and other adverse anthropogenic alterations of coastal systems. EDAB events have been hypothesized to be caused by positive feedback interactions involving differential growth of competing algal species, low grazing mortality rates on EDAB species, and resulting decreases in nutrient inputs from grazer-mediated nutrient cycling as the EDAB event progresses. Here we develop a stoichiometric nutrient–phytoplankton–zooplankton (NPZ) model to test a conceptual positive feedback mechanism linked to increased cell toxicity and resultant decreases in grazing mortality rates in EDAB species under nutrient limitation of growth rate. As our model EDAB alga, we chose the slow-growing, toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, whose toxin levels have been shown to increase with nutrient (nitrogen) limitation of specific growth rate. This species was competed with two high-nutrient adapted, faster-growing diatoms (Thalassiosira pseudonana and Thalassiosira weissflogii) using recently published data for relationships among nutrient (ammonium) concentration, carbon normalized ammonium uptake rates, cellular nitrogen:carbon (N:C) ratios, and specific growth rate. The model results support the proposed positive feedback mechanism for EDAB formation and toxicity. In all cases the toxic bloom was preceded by one or more pre-blooms of fast-growing diatoms, which drew dissolved nutrients to low growth rate-limiting levels, and stimulated the population growth of zooplankton grazers. Low specific grazing rates on the toxic, nutrient-limited EDAB species then promoted the population growth of this species, which further decreased grazing rates, grazing-linked nutrient recycling, nutrient concentrations, and algal specific growth rates. The nutrient limitation of growth rate further increased toxin concentrations in the EDAB algae, which further decreased grazing-linked nutrient recycling rates and nutrient concentrations, and caused an even greater nutrient limitation of growth rate and even higher toxin levels in the EDAB algae. This chain of interactions represented a positive feedback that resulted in the formation of a high-biomass toxic bloom, with low, nutrient-limited specific growth rates and associated high cellular C:N and toxin:C ratios. Together the elevated C:N and toxin:C ratios in the EDAB algae resulted in very high bloom toxicity. The positive feedbacks and resulting bloom formation and toxicity were increased by long water residence times, which increased the relative importance of grazing-linked nutrient recycling to the overall supply of limiting nutrient (N).     

POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND PERSISTENCE OF ECOSYSTEM DISRUPTIVE ALGAL BLOOMS1

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have occurred with increasing frequency in recent years with eutrophication and other anthropogenic alterations of coastal ecosystems. Many of these blooms severely alter or degrade ecosystem function, and are referred to here as ecosystem disruptive algal blooms (EDABs). These blooms are often caused by toxic or unpalatable species that decrease grazing rates by planktonic and benthic herbivores, and thereby disrupt the transfer of nutrients and energy to higher trophic levels, and decrease nutrient recycling. Many factors, such as nutrient availability and herbivore grazing have been proposed to separately influence EDAB dynamics, but interactions among these factors have rarely been considered. Here we discuss positive feedback interactions among nutrient availability, herbivore grazing, and nutrient regeneration, which have the potential to substantially influence the dynamics of EDAB events. The positive feedbacks result from a reduction of grazing rates on EDAB species caused by toxicity or unpalatability of these algae, which promotes the proliferation of the EDAB species. The decreased rates also lower grazer‐mediated recycling of nutrients and thereby decrease nutrient availability. Since many EDAB species are well‐adapted to nutrient‐stressed environments and many exhibit increased toxin production and toxicity under nutrient limitation, positive feedbacks are established which can greatly increase the rate of bloom development and the adverse effects on the ecosystem. An understanding of how these feedbacks interact with other regulating factors, such as benthic/pelagic nutrient coupling, physical forcing, and life cycles of EDAB species provides a substantial future challenge.     

Taxonomy and palaeoecology of dinoflagellate cysts from Upper Oligocene freshwater sediments of Lake Enspel, Westerwald area, Germany

Freshwater dinoflagellates play an important role as primary producers in the lacustrine environment. A new species of dinoflagellates, Cleistosphaeridium lacustre, is described from Upper Oligocene sediments of palaeo-lake Enspel. They are associated with other phytoplankton, such as diatoms, chrysophytes, green algae and benthic cyanobacteria. Mass occurrences of this species are interpreted as algal blooms and may partly reflect seasonal successions. This phenomenon was controlled by volcanic activities in the depositional area, which led to an increase in nutrient supply.     

Unexpected resilience of a seagrass system exposed to global stressors

Despite a growing interest in identifying tipping points in response to environmental change, our understanding of the ecological mechanisms underlying nonlinear ecosystem dynamics is limited. Ecosystems governed by strong species interactions can provide important insight into how nonlinear relationships between organisms and their environment propagate through ecosystems, and the potential for environmentally mediated species interactions to drive or protect against sudden ecosystem shifts. Here, we experimentally determine the functional relationships (i.e., the shapes of the relationships between predictor and response variables) of a seagrass assemblage with well‐defined species interactions to ocean acidification (enrichment of CO₂) in isolation and in combination with nutrient loading. We demonstrate that the effect of ocean acidification on grazer biomass (Phyllaplysia taylori and Idotea resecata) was quadratic, with the peak of grazer biomass at mid‐pH levels. Algal grazing was negatively affected by nutrients, potentially due to low grazer affinity for macroalgae (Ulva intestinalis), as recruitment of both macroalgae and diatoms were favored in elevated nutrient conditions. This led to an exponential increase in macroalgal and epiphyte biomass with ocean acidification, regardless of nutrient concentration. When left unchecked, algae can cause declines in seagrass productivity and persistence through shading and competition. Despite quadratic and exponential functional relationships to stressors that could cause a nonlinear decrease in seagrass biomass, productivity of our model seagrass—the eelgrass (Zostera marina)‐ remained highly resilient to increasing acidification. These results suggest that important species interactions governing ecosystem dynamics may shift with environmental change, and ecosystem state may be decoupled from ecological responses at lower levels of organization.     

168 Cell Wall Proteomics of the Green Alga Haematococcus Pluvialis (Chlorophyceae)

Coral reefs of US-held islands in the central Pacific Ocean are among the most pristine in the world and represent over 93% of the reef systems under United States jurisdiction. The remote location of many islands has limited past algal research, resulting in incomplete understanding of species diversity, quantity, and ecology. Starting in 2000, the Coral Reef Ecosystem Investigation (CREI) began rapid ecological assessments on many Pacific island reefs to monitor ecological changes in reef biota over time. During the past year, algal efforts have concentrated on the French Frigate Shoals (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) where we have increased the number of algal species reported by 1000%. Additionally, species new to science, including Acrosymphyton brainardii and Scinaia huismanii, have been described. Quantitative field sampling using a photoquadrat method is revealing species of the green algae Halimeda and Microdicyton to be ecological dominants in many areas during late summer/early autumn. Preliminary analyses with Primer software show species composition and abundance of all benthic organisms to differ significantly between most field sites sampled. Additional benthic habitat mapping of Pacific island reefs by CREI researchers is breaking the long-held paradigm that macroalgal cover is minimal in healthy tropical reef systems. Videotape analyses of benthic communities often find over 50% algal cover from 1 to 20 meter depths in many locations. Common ratios of macroalgae, turf algae, and crustose coralline algae to corals, other benthic organisms and substrate types on US Pacific reefs are being calculated for the first time.