中国兜兰属宽瓣亚属植物地理分布格局及其主导气候因子

为明确兜兰属宽瓣亚属(Paphiopedilum Subgen. Brachypetalum)植物在中国的自然地理分布格局及其主导气候因子,该研究以7种宽瓣亚属植物为研究对象并利用ArcGIS技术提取其在中国194个地理分布点的气候数据, 采用描述性统计分析宽瓣亚属植物在中国分布区的气候特点, 采用逐步回归拟合各气候因子与其经纬度分布的线性关系, 最后通过冗余分析(RDA)和蒙特卡洛(Monte-Carlo)检验量化各气候因子对宽瓣亚属植物地理分布的贡献率。结果表明: (1)宽瓣亚属植物在中国主要分布于滇东南、黔西南、黔南、黔东北、滇西北、桂北与黔南交界处以及桂西北至桂西南地区。(2)该亚属植物在中国分布区的昼夜温差月均值、年平均气温变化范围、最暖季度平均气温、最冷季度平均气温4项热量因子的平均值分别为8.13、23.70、23.62和9.23 ℃, 降水量变异系数、最湿季度降水量、最干季度降水量、干旱指数4项水分因子平均值分别为75.66%、673.10 mm、73.97 mm和26.12%, 整体上具有湿热的气候特点; 各物种间, 狭域分布的物种与广布种间的气候因子存在显著差异。(3)逐步回归分析表明, 各拟合方程均达到极显著水平, 昼夜温差月均值、最暖季度平均气温、最冷季度平均气温、降水量变异系数、最干季度降水量、干旱指数是影响中国宽瓣亚属植物沿经度分布的主要因子; 最冷季度平均气温、最湿季度降水量、年平均气温变化范围、最干季度降水量、降水量变异系数是影响中国宽瓣亚属植物沿纬度分布的主要因子。(4) RDA结果显示, 气候因子在第1轴的解释率为73.32%, 在第2轴的解释率为21.29%, 累计解释率为94.61%, 各气候因子的解释率大小排序为: 昼夜温差月均值(57.8%) >最暖季度平均气温(41.5%) >年平均气温变化范围(38.3%) >最干季度降水量(23.1%) >最冷季度平均气温(16.9%) >降水量变异系数(13.7%) =最湿季度降水量(13.7%) >干旱指数(3.0%)。因此, 昼夜温差月均值、最暖季度平均气温、年平均气温变化范围3个气候因子是影响中国宽瓣亚属植物分布的主导气候因子。     

气候变暖对花叶藓属植物在中国的潜在分布范围影响的预测

文章应用当前和基于RCP45CO2 排放情景下2050 和2070 的11 个生物气候数据, 以及花叶藓属(Calymperes)18个国内分布记录, 应用MaxEnt 模型和ArcGis 9.3 软件, 预测了气候变暖背景下这两属植物在我国南部41 个自然保护区潜在分布范围的变化。结果表明, 当前气候条件下, 花叶藓属植物在我国的海南岛、台湾岛的南部地区有较高的气候适应性。在研究的41 个自然保护区中, 有26 个自然保护区花叶藓属植物的的气候适应指数在阈值以上, 花叶藓属分布与纬度的关系极为明显, 随着纬度(X)的增加, 花叶藓属植物的气候适应指数(Y)呈指数式下降, 两者的关系为: Y =19.9650X(–0.057X) (r=0.9445, P<0.01)。到了2050 年, 有32 个自然保护区的气候适合于花叶藓属植物的分布, 到了2070年, 除了陕西的佛坪和四川贡嘎山保护区外, 其余的39 个自然保护区的气候均适合于花叶藓属植物的分布。就全国范围来讲, 当前、2050、2070 年气候条件下花叶藓属的潜在分布区面积百分比分别为5.39%、7.66%和15.56%, 综合适宜指数分别为0.0682、0.0817 和0.1117。随着气候的变暖, 花叶藓属植物的适生面积在不断地扩大, 综合气候适应指数也在持续地变高。最冷季节的平均温度对我国境内花叶藓属植物的分布受的影响最大, 其次是温度季节变化、年温度变化范围和最干季度平均温度, 四者的贡献率分别是77.1%、10.2%、7.3%和4.8%。花叶藓属植物的分布概率随着最冷季节、最干季节平均温度的上升而上升, 随着温度季节变化值、年温度变化范围和昼夜温差月均值的上升而下降。     

基于MaxEnt模型的中国马尾松分布格局及未来变化

气候因素是影响物种分布的决定性因素之一。根据现有的马尾松分布数据和19个全球气候因子变量数据,依托QGIS 2.18.3和ArcGIS 10.1等软件,运用MaxEnt模型,模拟了马尾松的现分布区,并对其未来分布进行预测,同时对影响马尾松的气候变量进行了分析。结果表明:(1)影响马尾松分布的19个气候变量中,最干燥月的降水量(bio14)和最冷季度的平均温度(bio11)对马尾松分布的影响贡献率超过70%;(2)依托气候数据,对马尾松未来分布进行预测,其未来的分布面积增加,增比为35.82%;(3)使用QGIS 2.18.3软件对未来的气候因子变化进行预测,结果显示,气候变化情况与马尾松未来分布格局相吻合。研究表明,马尾松适应能力较强,未来的气候变化对其分布呈正向影响。     

全球木本植物叶片硅钙生态化学计量学特征

收集全球803种木本植物叶片硅（Si）、钙（Ca）数据,研究不同木本植物生活型（常绿植物以及落叶植物、针叶植物以及阔叶植物）叶片Si、Ca元素的化学计量学特征及其与纬度、气候因子（年平均温度,年平均降水量）间的关系。结果表明：（1）全球尺度上木本植物叶片Si、Ca含量存在较大变异性,且含量均低于中国境内的研究结果;（2）不同生活型树种间存在差异,针叶树叶片Si含量及Ca/Si显著高于阔叶树,落叶树叶片Si、Ca含量及Ca/Si均显著高于常绿树种;（3）随着纬度升高、年平均温度及年平均降水量的下降,全球尺度木本植物叶片Si、Ca含量显著升高,而Ca/Si显著下降;（4）不同生活型木本植物对气候因子的响应不同,除针叶及落叶树种的Ca含量外,其余各生活型树种Si、Ca含量与纬度及气候因子显著相关,随着纬度升高而升高,随年平均温度及年平均降水量的升高而降低,且随着年平均温度的降低,常绿及阔叶树种叶片Si含量下降速度显著高于落叶及针叶树种。研究结果能够为全球尺度生态化学计量学模型的发展提供数据基础,有助于更好地理解和模拟区域乃至全球尺度上纬度和气候因子对植物叶片Si、Ca含量的影响。     

气候变化下2种银胶菊属入侵植物在中国的潜在适生区分析

结合多个时期CMIP6气候变量数据和两种银胶菊属Parthenium物种在全球的分布数据，运用MaxEnt模型和Arc GIS软件，模拟分析两种银胶菊属植物在中国的潜在适生区。结果表明，各时期模拟预测结果的AUC值均大于0.9，模型预测准确，结果可靠；影响银胶菊P. hysterophorus在中国分布的主导因子依次为最湿季降雨量、最冷季平均温度、温度季节性、等温性，影响灰白银胶菊P. argentatum的主导因子为平均气温日较差、等温性、最干月降雨量、最冷季平均温度。在气候变化影响下，银胶菊的潜在适生区在未来有扩大，灰白银胶菊潜在适生区变化不大；银胶菊潜在适生区迁移方向主要为南北方向，纬度有所变化；当前及未来银胶菊的高适生区主要在华南及西南地区，未来气候下银胶菊在华中、华东、华北都存在适生区。相对于灰白银胶菊，银胶菊在我国的入侵危害更严重，应重点关注其入侵动态，加强监测与防控。     

气候变化对全球马缨丹分布影响的空间模拟

【目的】马缨丹是世界10种最有害的入侵杂草之一,预测其潜在适生区变化对入侵植物防控具有重要意义。【方法】以马缨丹为研究对象,采用有效分布点数据1744份和10个气候因子,使用MaxEnt模型和ArcGIS10.4软件,选用当前气候情景以及2050sSSP126、2050sSSP245、2050sRCP5.8、2090sSSP126、2090sSSP245、2090sSSP585 6个不同气候情景,对马缨丹全球潜在分布区进行预测。【结果】温度和降水因子是制约马缨丹入侵的主要因子,其中年降水量(bio12,48.6%)、最干季度的平均温度(bio9,36.4%)、温度季节性(bio4,4.6%)和最热季度的平均温度(bio10,4.2%)是制约马缨丹分布格局的主要环境因子。南美洲、非洲南部、亚洲南部以及澳大利亚北部和东部具有较高的入侵风险。从当前气候情景到2050年气候情景再到2090年气候情景的过渡中,其适生区面积呈增加趋势,其中高适生区面积持续增加。【结论】在水热条件以及生物因素3个层面上严格防控马缨丹入侵,以增加土著生态系统的完整性。     

不同气候变化情境下中国木灵藓属和蓑藓属植物的潜在分布格局

蓑藓属(Macromitrium)和木灵藓属(Orthotrichum)是木灵藓科(Orthotrichaceae)的两个最大的属,前者呈现泛热带分布式样,后者呈偏温带性分布式样。应用当前和基于RCP4.5(Medium-Low Representative Concentration Pathways)二氧化碳排放情景下2050和2070的11个生物气候变量,以及木灵藓属(Orthotrichum)66个、蓑藓属(Macromitrium)131个国内分布记录,应用最大熵模型(Max Ent),预测了气候变暖背景下这两属植物在我国38个自然保护区潜在分布范围的变化。11个生物气候变量包括昼夜温差月均值、年温度变化范围、温度季节变化、最热月份最高温、最干季度平均温度和最冷季度平均温度、最湿月份雨量、最干月份雨量、雨量变化方差和最暖季度平均雨量。选择了10%的遗漏错误对应的累积值作为分布预测阈值,为了更好地展示气候变化下这两个属的潜在分布区变化,选择了我国境内的38个自然保护区并计算了不同气候条件下两种藓类植物属在这些自然保护区的综合气候适应指数。38个自然保护区包括福建武夷山、甘肃祁连山、广东南岭、广西花坪、广西十万大山、贵州梵净山、贵州雷公山、海南尖峰岭、河北五台山、河南鸡公山、河南小秦岭、湖北神农架、湖北星斗山、吉林长白山、江西庐山、辽宁白石砬子、辽宁医巫闾山、内蒙古大黑山、宁夏贺兰山、青海三江源、山东云台山、山西历山、山西芦芽山、陕西佛坪、陕西太白山、四川贡嘎山、四川卧龙、云南哀牢山、云南大围山、云南纳板河、浙江凤阳山、浙江古田山、浙江九龙山、浙江普陀山、浙江清凉峰、浙江天目山、浙江乌岩岭和重庆大巴山。结果表明,随着气候变暖,蓑藓属和木灵藓属在我国的适生面积都将减少,蓑藓属植物在我国的潜在分布区面积从当前的31.5%下降到12.23%,木灵藓属的从当前的65.81%下降到44.94%,气候变化对蓑藓属植物分布的影响要大于木灵藓属。对于蓑藓属植物,当前气候条件下的38个自然保护区中,除了宁夏贺兰山和甘肃祁连山外,其他的36个保护区都有适合于蓑藓属植物分布的气候条件。到了2070,河南鸡公山、山东云台山、浙江普陀山、浙江九龙山、浙江古田山、内蒙古大黑山、山西芦芽山、江西庐山、辽宁医巫闾山、广西花坪、辽宁白石砬子、河北五台山、山西历山、河南小秦岭、陕西佛坪、吉林长白山、贵州梵净山、贵州雷公山和福建武夷山这19个自然保护区不再或几乎不再适合于蓑藓属的分布。对于木灵藓属植物,在当前的气候条件下,38个自然保护区中,除了海南尖峰岭保护区,其余的37个保护区均处于木灵藓属植物潜在分布范围之内。与当前气候条件相比,2070年38个保护区的气候条件均变得不利于木灵藓属分布,其中广西花坪、江西庐山、云南纳板河、广西十万大山、河南鸡公山、山东云台山、浙江普陀山、浙江天目山、浙江古田山、浙江九龙山、福建武夷山、贵州梵净山、辽宁医巫闾山、河南小秦岭和陕西佛坪等15个保护区已不在木灵藓属的潜在分布范围。     

中国芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度分布格局及其驱动因素

明确大尺度物种丰富度的分布格局及其影响因素一直是生态学及生物地理学领域的核心议题之一,其对于预测全球环境变化背景下生物多样性的响应和制定减少生物多样性丧失的保护方案有着重要意义。本文基于全国芦苇(Phragmites australis)沼泽野外调查数据,结合气候、地理、土壤等环境因子,探讨了中国芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度的分布格局及其驱动机制。结果表明:(1)中国的芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度总体表现为亚热带湿润区和温带湿润半湿润区较高,青藏高原区、温带干旱半干旱区和滨海区较低的特点;(2)芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度与年降水、土壤有机碳、土壤总氮、纬度均呈显著正相关,而与年均温、最冷月最低温、土壤pH值、海拔之间表现为显著负相关;(3)土壤因子特别是土壤pH值是影响芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度的最主要因素,其次分别为淹水状况、气候因子和地理因子;(4)结构方程模型结果表明土壤因子、淹水状况和气候因子直接影响植物物种丰富度,而地理因子通过调控土壤因子、淹水状况与气候因子间接影响植物物种丰富度。总体而言,中国芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度具有空间异质性,其分布格局受到多种因素的共同影响,土壤因子是影响植物物种丰富度...     

植物对气候变化生理生态响应的不确定性分析

生态系统对全球气候变化的响应模式有利于人类预测与适应未来生态环境变化,植物作为陆地生态系统的重要组成部分,对全球气候变化的响应具有重要作用.本文通过对近年来植物对气候变化的生理生态响应研究中(包括定点控制实验,空间代替时间样带),植物响应模式的复杂性、多样性及可变性等诸多不确定性进行分析.以探讨预测未来气候情景下植物的动态变化及生理生态响应过程.分析结果认为.造成这些不确定性的主要原因包括:(1)利用空间代替时间的样带研究中,往往忽略了植物的非线性响应,存在明显的阈值;(2)样带及定点研究中,由于各种气候因子的耦合.很难确定各种气候因子对植物生理生态学特性影响的权重;(3)定点控制实验中往往忽略了植物对气候变化的适应性,使实验结果很难代表更长时间尺度上的反映模式;(4)在相同的气候变化条件下,不同植物的响应有可能存在明显差异.提出了今后植物对气候变化生理生态响应研究的建议.     

新疆准噶尔荒漠植物叶片功能性状的进化和环境驱动机制初探

植物功能性状是由遗传因素和环境条件共同决定的。剖析各因素对植物性状变异的相对影响,对揭示植物对环境变化的响应和适应规律至关重要。作者以干旱区植物为研究对象,定量化分析了植物叶片功能性状变异及其与环境梯度的关系。研究区域位于中国新疆准噶尔盆地及其周边区域。在30个样地中,观测了110种植物的叶比重、叶片单位质量氮含量和单位面积氮含量以及叶片干物质含量,通过插值法获得每个样地的生物气候数据。结果表明:物种水平上叶片性状(性状值为每个物种的实际观测值)的变异在很大程度上由植物进化背景所决定,气候因子和功能群的作用次之;在群落尺度上(性状值为每个样地的权重和),叶比重与气候干旱程度呈正相关,单位质量氮含量在水热组合最优的区域出现最大值,而叶片干物质含量和单位面积氮含量与气候因子的相关性较小。叶比重是群落尺度上探讨叶片功能性状与环境梯度关系的一个合适的指标。此外,在研究植物性状-环境关系过程中,尽可能观测多个植物功能性状是必要的。但是,只有排除植物系统背景的影响,关于植物性状-环境关系的研究结论才可能接近真实情况。将来应该加强同一种内不同种群间的叶片性状的采样和分析工作。     

长三角及邻近地区138种草本植物DNA C-值测定及其生物学意义

为了评估DNA C-值和基因组大小(genome size)在植物入侵性评估中的价值,应用流式细胞仪测定了长三角及邻近地区138种草本植物的核DNA含量,其中111种为首次报道。在此基础上比较了不同植物类群这两个值的差异,特别是入侵性与非入侵性植物这两个值的差异。结果表明:(1)138种草本植物平均DNA C-值为1.55 pg,最大者是最小者的37.17倍。127个类群平均基因组大小为1.08 pg,最大者是最小者的34.11倍;(2)统计了菊科(Asteraceae)、禾本科(Poaceae)、石竹科(Caryophyllaceae)、十字花科(Brassicaceae)、玄参科(Scrophulariaceae)、蓼科(Polygonaceae)、唇形科(Labiatae)和伞形科(Umbelliferae)的DNA C-值和基因组大小,发现禾本科植物的这两个值显著地大于其他7个科(P0.01)。单子叶的DNA C-值和基因组极显著地大于双子叶植物(P0.01);(3)杂草比非杂草具有更低的DNA C-值(P0.01)和基因组大小(P0.001);与DNA C-值相比,基因组大小在这两个类群之间的差异更为明显(P0.001),这种现象也体现在菊科植物中。随着基因组(X1)和DNA C-值(X2)由大变小,植物的杂草性(入侵性,Y)由弱变强,两者关系分别符合:Y=2.2334-1.2847 ln(X1)(r=0.4612,P0.01)和Y=2.4421-0.7234 ln(X2)(r=0.2522,P0.01),DNA C-值和基因组大小可以作为植物入侵性评估的一个指标;(4)多倍体杂草的基因组极明显地小于二倍体杂草(P0.01),前者为后者的0.63倍。在非杂草中,多倍体基因组比二倍体的略小,前者仅为后者的0.84倍,差异不显著(P0.5)。菊科植物中多倍体杂草的基因组也显著地小于二倍体杂草(P0.1)。基因组变小和多倍体化相结合,进一步增强了植物的入侵性。在多倍体植物入侵性评估中,基因组大小比DNA C-值更有价值。     

Bioclimatic constraints to Andean cat distribution: a modelling application for rare species

Aim To identify the bioclimatic niche of the endangered Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita), one of the rarest and least known felids in the world, by developing a species distribution model. Location South America, High Andes and Patagonian steppe. Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina. Methods We used 108 Andean cat records to build the models, and 27 to test them, applying the Maxent algorithm to sets of uncorrelated bioclimatic variables from global databases, including elevation. We based our biogeographical interpretations on the examination of the predicted geographic range, the modelled response curves and latitudinal variations in climatic variables associated with the locality data. Results Simple bioclimatic models for Andean cats were highly predictive with only 3–4 explanatory variables. The climatic niche of the species was defined by extreme diurnal variations in temperature, cold minimum and moderate maximum temperatures, and aridity, characteristic not only of the Andean highlands but also of the Patagonian steppe. Argentina had the highest representation of suitable climates, and Chile the lowest. The most favourable conditions were centrally located and spanned across international boundaries. Discontinuities in suitable climatic conditions coincided with three biogeographical barriers associated with climatic or topographic transitions. Main conclusions Simple bioclimatic models can produce useful predictions of suitable climatic conditions for rare species, including major biogeographical constraints. In our study case, these constraints are also known to affect the distribution of other Andean species and the genetic structure of Andean cat populations. We recommend surveys of areas with suitable climates and no Andean cat records, including the corridor connecting two core populations. The inclusion of landscape variables at finer scales, crucially the distribution of Andean cat prey, would contribute to refine our predictions for conservation applications.     

气候变暖背景下春兰和蕙兰的适生区分布预测

为了阐明气候变暖背景下春兰(Cymbidium goeringii)和蕙兰(C. faberi)在我国的适生区分布变化情况,根据157条分布记录和19个生物气候变量,应用最大熵物种分布模型,对2070年4种温室气体排放情景下春兰和蕙兰在我国的适生区分布进行预测,并筛选影响其地理分布的主要气候因子。结果表明:(1)2070年春兰和蕙兰分布点的年均温(bio1)、最冷月最低温度(bio6)和最冷季平均温度(bio11)等均升高,气候有变暖趋势;(2)受试者工作特征曲线下面积(AUC)值在0.9—1.0之间,模型预测结果可信度较高;(3)影响春兰、蕙兰当前和2070年地理分布的限制性气候因子主要有最冷月最低温度(bio6)、最冷季平均温度(bio11)、年均降水量(bio12)和最干月份降水量(bio14);(4)气候变暖将会对春兰和蕙兰的适宜生境范围和面积产生影响。预测2070年春兰的适宜生境面积将会有所减小,而蕙兰的适宜生境面积将会增加,且整体有向北迁移的趋势。研究结果为野生春兰和蕙兰的生态风险评价和引种提供了重要依据。     

Nowhere to Invade: Rumex crispus and Typha latifolia Projected to Disappear under Future Climate Scenarios

Future climate change has been predicted to affect the potential distribution of plant species. However, only few studies have addressed how invasive species may respond to future climate change despite the known effects of plant species invasion on nutrient cycles, ecosystem functions, and agricultural yields. In this study, we predicted the potential distributions of two invasive species, Rumex crispus and Typha latifolia, under current and future (2050) climatic conditions. Future climate scenarios considered in our study include A1B, A2, A2A, B1, and B2A. We found that these two species will lose their habitat under the A1B, A2, A2A, and B1 scenarios. Their distributions will be maintained under future climatic conditions related to B2A scenarios, but the total area will be less than 10% of that under the current climatic condition. We also investigated variations of the most influential climatic variables that are likely to cause habitat loss of the two species. Our results demonstrate that rising mean annual temperature, variations of the coldest quarter, and precipitation of the coldest quarter are the main factors contributing to habitat loss of R. crispus. For T. latifolia, the main factors are rising mean annual temperature, variations in temperature of the coldest quarter, mean annual precipitation, and precipitation of the coldest quarter. These results demonstrate that the warmer and wetter climatic conditions of the coldest season (or month) will be mainly responsible for habitat loss of R. crispus and T. latifolia in the future. We also discuss uncertainties related to our study (and similar studies) and suggest that particular attention should be directed toward the manner in which invasive species cope with rapid climate changes because evolutionary change can be rapid for species that invade new areas.     

Spatial variation of climatic and non-climatic controls on species distribution: the range limit of Tsuga heterophylla

Aim To assess which climatic variables control the distribution of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), how climatic controls vary over latitude and between disjunct coastal and interior sub‐distributions, and whether non‐climatic factors, such as dispersal limitation and interspecific competition, affect range limits in areas of low climatic control. Location North‐western North America. Methods We compared four bioclimatic variables [actual evapotranspiration (AET), water deficit (DEF), mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCO), and growing degree‐days (GDD5)] with the distribution of T. heterophylla at a 2‐km grid cell resolution. The distribution is based on a zonal ecosystem classification where T. heterophylla is the dominant late‐successional species. For each bioclimatic variable and at each degree of latitude, we calculated the threshold that best defines the T. heterophylla distribution and assessed the extent to which T. heterophylla was segregated to one end of the bioclimatic gradient. We also fitted two forms of multivariate bioclimatic models to predict the T. heterophylla distribution: a simple threshold model and a complex Gaussian mixture model. Each model was trained separately on the coastal and interior distributions, and predicted areas outside of the T. heterophylla distribution (overprediction) were evaluated with respect to known outlier populations. Results Actual evapotranspiration was the most accurate predictor across the T. heterophylla distribution; other variables were important only in certain areas. There was strong latitudinal variation in the thresholds of all variables except AET, and the interior distribution had wider bioclimatic thresholds than the coastal distribution. The coastal distribution was predicted accurately by both bioclimatic models; areas of overprediction rarely occurred > 10 km from the observed distribution and generally matched small outlier populations. In contrast, the interior distribution was poorly predicted by both models; areas of overprediction occurred up to 140 km from the observed distribution and did not match outlier populations. The greatest overprediction occurred in Idaho and Montana in areas supporting species that typically co‐exist with T. heterophylla. Main conclusions The high predictive capacity of AET is consistent with this species’ physiological requirements for a mild and humid climate. Spatial variation of MTCO, GDD5 and DEF thresholds probably reflects both the correlation of these variables with AET and ecotypic variation. The level of overprediction in portions of the interior suggests that T. heterophylla has not completely expanded into its potential habitat. Tsuga heterophylla became common in the interior 2000–3500 years ago, compared with > 9000 years ago in the coastal region. The limited time for dispersal, coupled with frequent fires at the margins of the distribution and competition with disturbance‐adapted species, may have retarded range expansion in the interior. This study demonstrates that bioclimatic modelling can help identify various climatic and non‐climatic controls on species distributions.     

Do latitudinal and bioclimatic gradients drive parasitism in Odonata?

Prevalence of parasites in wild animals may follow ecogeographic patterns, under the influence of climatic factors and macroecological features. One of the largest scale biological patterns on Earth is the latitudinal diversity gradient; however, latitudinal gradients may also exist regarding the frequency of interspecific interactions such as the prevalence of parasitism in host populations. Dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata) are hosts of a wide range of ecto- and endoparasites, interactions that can be affected by environmental factors that shape their occurrence and distribution, such as climatic variation, ultraviolet radiation and vegetation structure. Here, we retrieved data from the literature on parasites of Odonata, represented by 90 populations infected by ectoparasites (water mites) and 117 populations infected by endoparasites (intestinal gregarines). To test whether there is a latitudinal and bioclimatic gradient in the prevalence of water mites and gregarines parasitizing Odonata, we applied Bayesian phylogenetic comparative models. We found that prevalence of ectoparasites was partially associated with latitude, showing the opposite pattern from our expectations – prevalence was reduced at lower latitudes. Prevalence of endoparasites was not affected by latitude. While prevalence of water mites was also positively associated with vegetation biomass and climatic stability, we found no evidence of the effect of bioclimatic variables on the prevalence of gregarines. Our study suggests that infection by ectoparasites of dragonflies and damselflies is driven by latitudinal and bioclimatic variables. We add evidence of the role of global-scale biological patterns in shaping biodiversity, suggesting that parasitic organisms may prove reliable sources of information about climate change and its impact on ecological interactions.     

Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms: progress, problems and prospects

BACKGROUND: The nuclear DNA amount in an unreplicated haploid chromosome complement (1C-value) is a key diversity character with many uses. Angiosperm C-values have been listed for reference purposes since 1976, and pooled in an electronic database since 1997 (http://www.kew.org/cval/homepage). Such lists are cited frequently and provide data for many comparative studies. The last compilation was published in 2000, so a further supplementary list is timely to monitor progress against targets set at the first plant genome size workshop in 1997 and to facilitate new goal setting. SCOPE: The present work lists DNA C-values for 804 species including first values for 628 species from 88 original sources, not included in any previous compilation, plus additional values for 176 species included in a previous compilation. CONCLUSIONS: 1998-2002 saw striking progress in our knowledge of angiosperm C-values. At least 1700 first values for species were measured (the most in any five-year period) and familial representation rose from 30 % to 50 %. The loss of many densitometers used to measure DNA C-values proved less serious than feared, owing to the development of relatively inexpensive flow cytometers and computer-based image analysis systems. New uses of the term genome (e.g. in 'complete' genome sequencing) can cause confusion. The Arabidopsis Genome Initiative C-value for Arabidopsis thaliana (125 Mb) was a gross underestimate, and an exact C-value based on genome sequencing alone is unlikely to be obtained soon for any angiosperm. Lack of this expected benchmark poses a quandary as to what to use as the basal calibration standard for angiosperms. The next decade offers exciting prospects for angiosperm genome size research. The database (http://www.kew.org/cval/homepage) should become sufficiently representative of the global flora to answer most questions without needing new estimations. DNA amount variation will remain a key interest as an integrated strand of holistic genomics.     

外来入侵植物和本地植物核DNA C-值的比较及其与入侵性的关系

用流式细胞仪测定了8科10属13种外来入侵植物、6种本地植物和1种外来非入侵植物的核DNAC-值。结果表明:作为整体,外来入侵植物的平均核DNAC-值显著低于本地种和外来非入侵种,但对同属不同类型植物进行比较,未发现一致的规律;在4个既包含外来入侵种又包含本地种的属中,泽兰属(Eupatorium)和鬼针草属(Bidens)外来入侵种的核DNAC-值显著低于同属本地种,莲子草属(Alternanthera)的2种外来入侵植物中仅有1个种的核DNAC-值显著低于同属本地种,而草胡椒属(Peperomia)外来入侵种的核DNAC-值显著高于同属本地种;表明核DNAC-值与外来植物入侵性无必然联系。     

Bioclimatic Modeling of Southern African Bioregions and Biomes Using Bayesian Networks

This study uses Bayesian networks (BNs) to simulate the spatial distribution of southern African biomes and bioregions using bioclimatic variables. Two Tree-Augmented Naïve (TAN) BN models were parameterized from 23 bioclimatic variables using the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Using sensitivity analyses, the relative influence of each variable was determined using the mutual information from which six bioclimatic variables were selected for the final models. Precipitation of the warmest quarter and extra-terrestrial solar radiation was found to be the most influential variables on both bioregion and biome distributions. Isothermality was the least influential bioclimatic variable at both bioregion and biome levels. Overall correspondence was very high at 93.8 and 87.1% for biomes and bioregions, respectively, whereas classification errors were obtained in transition areas indicating the uncertainties associated with vegetation mapping around margins. The findings indicate that southern African bioregions and biomes can be classified and mapped according to key bioclimatic variables. Spatio-temporal, in particular, monthly and quarterly variations in both precipitation and temperature are found to be ecologically significant in determining the spatial distribution of biomes and bioregions. The findings also reflect the hierarchical relationship of biomes and bioregions as a function of local bioclimatic gradients and interactions. The results indicate the ecological significance of bioclimatic conditions in ecosystem science and offer the opportunity to utilize the models for predicting future responses and sensitivities to climatic changes.     

Use of direct gradient analysis to study the climate-vegetation relationships in Galicia,Spain

This paper reports a bioclimatic analysis of plant species in Galicia, NW Spain. A set of floristic data obtained from 150 plots located at euclimatopes (sites with monitored climate) was analysed using direct gradient analysis and clustering with respect to the 8 climatic variables thought to play a major role in regulating the distribution of the species considered in the study area. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering were based on a matrix of species by climatic variables. Indicator taxa for the variables were identified on the basis of their Indicator values (Brisse & Grandjouan 1978) and grouped by cluster analysis. The groups produced were compatible with the results of principal component analysis and the frequential analysis of the species, which identified their phytoclimatic nature. The groups were then characterized by determining their climatic positions and indicator values with respect to the chief climatic variables. The first three PCA axes, which were associated with Oceanity, Mean minimum temperatures and the temperature range in the coldest month, together accounted for 97.2% of the variance of the data.