草类在生态环境保护中的地位和作用

从生态学角度综述了草类在生态环境保护中的地位和作用。草类作为r型生态对策的先锋物种，在生态恢复和重建中作用显著，干旱瘦薄地种草明显优于种树。我国草资源丰富，其合理开发利用在生态农业建设中有重要意义，发展果—草复合生态果园已被证明是退化坡地恢复和利用的优化模式。草类还具有美化环境、净化空气、处理废水、降低噪声和辐射污染等功能。     

湖滨带退化生态系统的恢复与重建

湖滨带是水陆生态交错带的一种类型,在湖泊流域生态系统中发挥着重要作用,具有较高的生态、社会和经济价值.湖滨带的功能包括:缓冲带功能、保持生物多样性及生境保护功能、护岸功能和经济美学价值.湖滨带退化的原因主要是人为因素引起的生物群落结构的逆向演替及生态功能下降,退化湖滨带生态恢复与重建的理论基础是恢复生态学,其生态恢复技术可划分为三大类:湖滨带生境恢复与重建技术、湖滨带生物恢复与重建技术、湖滨带生态系统结构与功能恢复技术.云南洱海湖滨带近3年的生态恢复与重建试验的生态调查结果表明,试验区水生植被得到恢复,水质净化作用明显,藻类得到抑制,浮游动物的构成和数量发生变化,湖滨带湿地生态系统的生物多样性和稳定性增加.     

灾后生态恢复评价研究进展

灾后生态恢复评价是恢复生态学重要研究方向之一,从20世纪90年代开始,随着研究手段和防灾减灾意识的提高逐渐成为研究的热点。灾害生态恢复评价以森林火灾、地震及地质灾害、旱灾、采矿及地面沉降、火山喷发、飓风6大灾害为主要研究领域,以不同时间序列生态系统演替、不同条件下受灾生态系统恢复效果差异性和相关性分析以及受灾生态系统生态恢复趋势预测为研究内容,针对退化生态系统的结构、功能、过程进行评估和鉴定。当前,灾害生态恢复评价采用的指标包括遥感和地面两大类,方法分为单因子对比法、综合指数法、模拟预测法、反推法。针对灾后生态恢复评价指标缺乏系统性、参照系过于单一性以及对灾区后续恢复指导性不强等问题,未来应在技术框架流程、指标体系分类归纳、生态恢复标准阈值制定、以及生态恢复评价应用等方面加强研究,以体现灾后生态恢复评价评估结果的科学性、客观性以及对生态系统管理的作用。     

退化次生林恢复过程中群落结构和生态位动态

在海南白沙县南开乡按人为干扰程度的不同依次选取次生演替中植被恢复初期、早期、近中期和后期4个典型群落,分别对群落结构、树种组成、重要值和生态位宽度等指标进行研究。结果表明:中前期次生演替过程中优势种作用明显,具有最大的生态位宽度;随着次生演替的进行,种群生态位宽度趋于均衡,群落表现出物种丰富度和多样性增加、林分结构复杂化、树种的优势作用弱化等正向演替的趋势;此外,该地区由于经营史的特殊性,中前期次生群落保留了很多原始林的痕迹,出现了一些本应在原始林内出现的生态稳定种,这些物种在中前期次生群落中数量少,生态位宽度小,却表现出强大的生活力;在演替中前期次生林的经营中,最大程度地发挥优势树种的作用、增加林内生态稳定种的数量是该地区次生林恢复经营的重要技术方向。     

生态恢复中生态系统服务的演变:趋势、过程与评估

经过10余年的发展,生态系统服务已经成为生态恢复研究关注的前沿和热点。生态恢复改变了生态系统格局与过程,对生态系统服务的产生和提供具有重要影响。但是目前对于生态系统服务在生态恢复过程中的演化仍缺少系统性研究。对国内外相关研究的最新成果进行综述,总结了生态系统服务评估中框架的构建和方法的选择(参数转移法、系统模型法和定量指标法),介绍了生态恢复对生态系统服务的促进作用、生态系统服务的演变过程以及不同生态系统服务间的协同与权衡关系,分析了社会经济因素对生态恢复和生态系统服务维持的影响。最后结合我国生态恢复实践,提出未来生态恢复和生态系统服务研究可以从深化作用机制研究、推动服务评估创新、增强研究成果应用3方面深化和拓展。     

GI引导下的采煤塌陷地生态恢复优先级评价

生态恢复优先级评价是恢复生态学研究的热点之一,而退化生态系统被恢复为何种类型是确定生态恢复优先级的前提和重点。以徐州市为研究区,将城市绿色基础设施(GI)作为塌陷地生态恢复的目标,在GIS技术支撑下,从塌陷斑块恢复为GI的适宜性及其对维持GI景观连接度的重要性两个方面,综合评价了采煤塌陷地生态恢复优先级。研究结果表明,徐州市超过半数的采煤塌陷斑块具有较高的GI生态适宜性,相对集中在5个片区;各塌陷斑块维持景观连接度的重要性分布不均匀,贾汪片区中部及北部塌陷斑块对维持景观连接度的作用非常显著;二者叠加后各塌陷斑块的综合适宜度具有明显差异,将其划分为5个生态恢复优先等级,较高优先等级分布于贾汪片区中部、董庄片区北部、庞庄西片区中部,建议将其纳入城市绿色基础设施予以优先恢复并立法保护。     

华南铅锌尾矿生态恢复的理论与实践

介绍了近年来有关华南地区5个铅锌尾矿生态恢复研究领域的主要研究成果。内容包括：铅锌尾矿的理化性质和影响植物定居的限制因子;尾矿酸化的预测与控制;尾矿的基质改良;尾矿自然定居植物的生态对策;重金属耐性植物的筛选与耐性机理;豆科植物在废弃地植被恢复中的作用;尾矿湿地系统的重建及其废水处理效率;土壤种子库在尾矿生态恢复中的作用;尾矿植被恢复的野外中试研究等。同时,也讨论了尾矿废弃地生态恢复的未来研究方向。     

生态恢复评价研究进展与展望： 第5届国际生态恢复学会大会会议述评

第5届国际生态恢复学会大会于2013年10月6—11日在美国威斯康星州麦迪逊召开.来自50多个国家的约1200位代表参加了本次大会,讨论了生态恢复不同领域的最新进展.会议中关于生态恢复评价的探讨主要从生态恢复评价指标体系的建立、生态恢复的评价方法、生态恢复监测与动态评价三方面展开.会议强调了生态恢复评价在生态恢复过程中的重要地位,关注了生态恢复评价研究中面临的挑战.对我国生态恢复评价研究主要有以下启示： 1)加强构建全面、综合的评价指标体系,注重评价过程的多方参与;2)注重生态恢复评价的尺度效应与尺度转换研究;3)拓展3S技术在生态恢复评价中的应用,促进生态恢复动态监测的发展;4)积极开展国际交流合作,提升我国生态恢复研究的国际影响力.
     

晋陕蒙交界地区生态退化与恢复的研究现状和展望

晋陕蒙交界地区是我国生态环境破坏最严重的地区之一,当地所存在的植被退化、水土流失和土地沙化等一系列生态问题,不但威胁该地区居民的生存与发展,而且也影响我国东部地区的生态环境质量与经济发展。因此,开展针对该地区的生态恢复理论和恢复技术研究就显得非常重要。本文对该地区数十年来在生态恢复方面的理论研究和治理实践工作的历史和现状进行了分析,提出了今后应该加强对植被退化机理、植被恢复目标群落的确定和如何在大尺度地域上开展生态恢复等问题进行研究的建议,以便为更好地开展该地区的生态恢复工作提供帮助。     

关于生态重建和生态恢复的思辨及其科学涵义与发展途径

Ecological restoration是现代生态学最活跃的关键行动之一, 在我国被译为“生态恢复”。经查验其英语涵义和演变过程, 建议正名为“生态重建”, 指在人为辅助下的生态活动。而“生态恢复”(recovery)在国际文献中指没有人直接干预的自然发生过程, 二者不容混淆。作者强调自然恢复和生态重建的三类时间尺度, 即地质年代尺度(千、万、亿年)自然生态系统世代交替和演替尺度(十、百、千年)和生态建设时间尺度(一、十、百年)。前二者为自然恢复尺度。三者相差2-3个数量级或更多。人类不能超尺度地依赖自然恢复能力, 自然与人为时间尺度的不匹配是自然恢复难以满足人类社会生态需求的根本原因。作者质疑“以自然恢复为主”和“从人工建设转向自然恢复为主的转变”提法。认为把生态重建的责任推诿给自然去旷日持久地恢复, 是不负责任和不作为的逻辑和有悖于“谁破坏, 谁补偿; 谁污染, 谁治理; 谁享用, 谁埋单”的全球环保公理和生态伦理观念。除恢复重建自然的生态系统外, 还要发展人工设计生态方案等未来生态重建途径。     

The relationships between soil factors,grass nutrients and the foraging behaviour of wildebeest and zebra

Summary We examined the relationships between soil factors, nutrients in grasses and foraging behaviour of wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and zebra (Equus burchelli) in a semi-arid nature reserve in South Africa. We tested the hypotheses that: (1) Soil nutrient levels determine the abundance and distribution of grass species; (2) nutrient levels within grass species are correlated with soil nutrient levels; (3) the spatial distribution and diet composition of ungulates is influenced by the nutrient availability in grasses. The distribution of soil factors in upper ground levels did explain the differential abundance of grass species in the reserve. Ordination of nutrient levels in grass species showed high levels of particular nutrients in certain species, but no one species showed uniformly high levels of all nutrients. Moreover, grasses on fertile soils did not necessarily accumulate higher nutrient levels than grasses on poor soils. Thus, nutrient levels in grasses were not correlated with soil nutrient levels. Wildebeest and zebra responded to monthly variations in the levels of N and P in grasses by moving seasonally to habitat types characterized by grass communities containing a high proportion of nutritional species, rather than by selecting particularly nutritious species within communities. We suggest that within semiarid savannas, areas with a higher diversity of grass communities will be more likely to have some of these communities containing high nutrient levels at any given season, than a lower diversity area. Therefore, the higher-diversity area would be likely to support more herbivores, and thus diversity would control carrying capacity.     

Effect of soil nitrogen stress on the relative growth rate of annual and perennial grasses in the Intermountain West

A high relative growth rate (RGR) is thought to be an important trait allowing invasive annual grasses to exploit brief increases in nitrogen (N) supply following disturbance in the Intermountain West. Managing soils for low N availability has been suggested as a strategy that may reduce this growth advantage of annual grasses and facilitate establishment of desirable perennials grasses. The objective of this study was to examine the degree to which soil N availability affects RGR and RGR components of invasive annual and desirable perennial grasses. It was hypothesized that (1) invasive annual grasses would demonstrate a proportionately greater reduction in RGR than perennial grasses as soil N stress increased, and (2) the mechanism by which low N availability decreases RGR of annual and perennial grasses would depend on the severity of N stress, with moderate N stress primarily affecting leaf mass ratio (LMR) and severe N stress primarily affecting net assimilation rate (NAR). Three annual and three perennial grasses were exposed to three levels of N availability. RGR and components of RGR were quantified over four harvests. Moderate N stress reduced RGR by decreasing LMR and severe N stress lowered RGR further by decreasing NAR. However, reduction in RGR components was similar between invasive and natives, and as a consequence, annual grasses did not demonstrate a proportionately greater reduction in RGR than perennials under low N conditions. These results suggest managing soil N will do little to reduce the initial growth advantage of annual grasses. Once perennials establish, traits not captured in this short-term study, such as high tissue longevity and efficient nutrient recycling, may allow them to compete effectively with annuals under low N availability. Nevertheless, if soil N management does not facilitate the initial establishment of perennials in annual grass infested communities, then there is little likelihood that such techniques will provide a long-term benefit to restoration projects in these systems.     

Temporal and micro-spatial patterning of seedling establishment. Consequences for patch dynamics in the southern Monte,Argentina

We compared the temporal and micro-spatial patterning of seedling emergence and establishment of two cohorts of perennial grasses and shrubs in the southern Monte, Argentina. Samplings were carried out in two contrasting areas (grazed and non-grazed) during four years. We found lower densities of emerged and established seedlings of perennial grasses in the grazed relative to the non-grazed area. Conversely, emerged seedlings of shrubs did not vary between the grazed and the non-grazed area and densities of established shrub seedlings were higher in the grazed than in the non-grazed area. We only found differences between cohorts in seedling emergence of perennial grasses. These differences could be associated with the amount of precipitation in the year previous to the emergence. Both in the grazed and non-grazed area, seedlings of perennial grasses were concentrated at the periphery of plant patches. We defined a plant patch as a discrete unit of the spatial pattern of vegetation surrounded by, at least, 20 cm of bare soil from the nearest neighbour patch. Emergence in perennial grasses was more frequent at the southern/western patch-periphery than at other patch-periphery locations. Established seedlings of perennial grasses, however, were homogeneously distributed throughout patch periphery. Emergence in shrubs was more frequent at the centre and periphery of patches than at inter-patch microsites. In contrast, established seedlings of shrubs were homogeneously distributed among microsites. Our results suggests that differential seedling establishment between life forms is the outcome of complex biotic and abiotic interactions and feedbacks at the patch level between seedlings and established plants. Both life forms appear to have a different role in the origin, dynamics, and maintenance of spotting vegetation. Because of the ability to establish both at inter-patch and patch microsites, shrubs could be identified as colonizers or initiators of small plant patches in bare soil or they may contribute to increase the cover and size of pre-existing plant patches. Both processes would be promoted in grazed areas. Due to the ability to establish at patch peripheries, perennial grasses would contribute to the isodiametric growth of pre-existing patches, preferentially in non-grazed areas. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Plant–microbe interactions change along a tallgrass prairie restoration chronosequence

Soil microbial communities are critical in determining the performance and density of species in plant communities. However, their role in regulating the success of restorations is much less clear. This study assessed the ability of soil microbial communities to regulate the growth and performance of two potentially dominant grasses and two common forbs in tallgrass prairie restorations. Specifically, we examined the effects of soil microbial communities along a restoration chronosequence from agricultural fields to remnant prairies using experimentally inoculated soils. The two grass species, Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans, grew best with the agricultural inoculates and experienced a decline in performance in later stages of the chronosequence, indicating that the microbial community shifted from being beneficial to grasses in the early stages to inhibiting grasses in the later stages of restoration. Growth of the forb, Silphium terebinthinaceum, varied little with inoculation or position along the restoration chronosequence. Growth of Baptisia leucantha, a legume, appeared limited by nodule formation in agricultural soils, peaked in young restoration soils along with nodule formation, but decreased in older soils as the microbial community became more antagonistic. Overall, negative feedbacks tended to be less important early in restoration, but appeared important in remnant and older restored prairies. Our results provide evidence that it may be advantageous for management practices to take negative soil feedbacks into consideration when trying to recreate the diversity of tallgrass prairies.     

Relationship between plant nitrogen conservation strategies and the dynamics of soil nitrogen in the arid Patagonian Monte, Argentina

During three consecutive years with contrasting precipitation, we analysed the relationship between strategies of N conservation in the dominant plant functional groups (perennial grasses and evergreen shrubs) of the Patagonian Monte and the main components of N cycling in soil. We hypothesised that the different patterns of N conservation in perennial grasses and evergreen shrubs would have direct consequences for soil-N, inorganic-N release and microbial-N flush in soil. In autumn and late spring of 1999, 2000, and 2001, we assessed N and C concentration in green and senesced leaves, N-resorption efficiency and C/N ratio in senesced leaves of three dominant species of each plant functional group. In the soil associated with species of each plant functional group, we determined N and C concentration, potential-N mineralisation, and the associated microbial-N flush. Slow-growing evergreen shrubs exhibited low N-concentration in green leaves, high N-concentration in senesced leaves and low N-resorption from senescing leaves. In contrast, fast-growing perennial grasses showed high N-concentration in green leaves, low N-concentration in senesced leaves, and high N-resorption from senescing leaves. In evergreen shrubs, the maintenance of long-lasting green leaves with low N-concentration was the most important mechanism of N conservation. In contrast, perennial grasses conserved N through high N-resorption from senescing leaves. Soil-N concentration, potential N-mineralisation, and microbial-N flush in the soil were higher underneath evergreen shrubs than beneath perennial grasses. Observed differences, however, were lower than expected considering the quality of the organic matter supplied by each plant fuctional group to the soil. A possible reason for this relatively weak trend may be the capacity of evergreen shrubs to slow down N cycling through low leaf turnover and the presence of secondary compounds in leaves. Alternatively or simultaneously, the weak relationship between plant and soil N could result from shrubs being able to colonise N-poor soils while grasses may preferably occupy fertile microsites previously influenced by the decomposition pathway of evergreen shrubs. Differences between evergreen shrubs and perennial grasses in the mechanisms of plant N-conservation and in components of N cycling in the underlying soil were consistent over the three years of the study with differing precipitation. Inter-annual differences in N concentration in green leaves and in the microbial-N flush in soil indicate that during the wettest year fast-growing perennial grasses would outcompete slow-growing evergreen shrubs and microorganisms for N uptake.     

Effects of plant size on photosynthesis and water relations in the desert shrub Prosopis glandulosa (Fabaceae)

The Jornada del Muerto basin of the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico, USA, has undergone a marked transition of plant communities. Shrubs such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) have greatly increased or now dominate in areas that were previously dominated by perennial grasses. The replacement of grasses by shrubs requires an establishment phase where small shrubs must compete directly with similar-sized grass plants. This is followed by a phase in which large, established shrubs sequester nutrients and water within their biomass and alter soil resources directly under their canopy, creating “islands” of fertility. We hypothesized that these two phases were associated with shrubs having different physiological response capacities related to their age or size and the resource structure of the environment. As a corollary, we hypothesized that responses of small shrubs would be more tightly coupled to variation in soil moisture availability compared to large shrubs. To test these hypotheses, we studied gas exchange and water relations of small (establishing) and large (established) shrubs growing in the Jornada del Muerto as a function of varying soil moisture during the season. The small shrubs had greater net assimilation, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and xylem water potential than large shrubs following high summer rainfall in July, and highest seasonal soil moisture at 0.3 m. High rates of carbon assimilation and water use would be an advantage for small shrubs competing with grasses when shallow soil moisture was plentiful. Large shrubs had greater net assimilation and water-use efficiency, and lower xylem water potential than small shrubs following a dry period in September, when soil moisture at 0.3 m was lowest. Low xylem water potentials and high water-use efficiency would allow large shrubs to continue acquiring and conserving water as soil moisture is depleted. Although the study provides evidence of differences in physiological responses of different-sized shrubs, there was not support for the hypothesis that small shrubs are more closely coupled to variation in soil moisture availability than large shrubs. Small shrubs may actually be less coupled to soil moisture than large shrubs, and thus avoid conditions when continued transpiration could not be matched by equivalent water uptake.     

Resource partitioning between shrubs and grasses in the Patagonian steppe

Summary Experiments were conducted in the Patagonian steppe in southern South America to test the following hypotheses: (a) grasses take up most of the water from the upper layers of the soil and utilize frequent and short-duration pulses of water availability; (b) shrubs, on the contrary, take up most of the water from the lower layers of the soil and utilize infrequent and long-duration pulses of water availability. Grasses and shrubs were removed selectively and the performance of plants and the availability of soil resources were monitored. Results supported the overall hypothesis that grasses and shrubs in the Patagonian steppe use mainly different resources. Removal of shrubs did not alter grass production but removal of grasses resulted in a small increase in shrub production which was mediated by an increase in deep soil water and in shrub leaf water potential. The efficiency of utilization of resources freed by grass removal was approximately 25%. Shrubs used water exclusively from lower soil layers. Grasses took up most of the water from upper layers but they were also capable of absorbing water from deep layers. This pattern of water partitioning along with the lack of response in leaf nitrogen to the removal treatments suggested that shrubs may be at a disadvantage to grasses with respect to nutrient capture and led to questions about the role of nutrient recirculation, leaching, and nitrogen fixation in the steppe.     

Field application of a DNA-based assay to the measurement of roots of perennial grasses

Background and aims

DNA-based methods present new opportunities for overcoming the difficulties of accurately identifying and quantifying roots of different plant species in field soils. In order to quantify species-specific root biomass from measurements of DNA, consideration needs to be given to replication and ability to recover roots for calibration purposes in order to account for spatial, temporal and inter- and intra-species variation in DNA content of roots and distribution of roots within the soil profile.

Methods

This paper develops the field application of a DNA-based technique for direct quantification of roots in soils. The method was applied to a field experiment to investigate differences in root growth of acid-soil resistant and sensitive genotypes of perennial pasture grasses in an acid soil. DNA was extracted directly from soil and species-specific DNA was quantified using quantitative real-time PCR prior to estimation of root biomass.

Results

Root growth of the perennial grasses was quantified using the DNA-based technique, although separate calibration procedures were needed to convert DNA content to root mass for each species, soil layer and sampling date. Compared to acid-soil resistant genotypes, lesser root growth in acid soil layers and reduced above-ground dry matter production was observed for acid-soil sensitive genotypes.

Conclusions

The DNA-based method allowed genotypic differences in root growth to be assessed directly in soil and was advantageous for rapid processing of a large number of samples. However, high replication was still required to overcome spatial variability and separate calibrations were required for different species and soil depths across sampling times. The technique demonstrated greater root growth of acid-soil resistant perennial grasses which was beneficial for their establishment and persistence.     

Differential use of large summer rainfall events by shrubs and grasses: a manipulative experiment in the Patagonian steppe

In the Patagonian steppe, years with above-average precipitation (wet years) are characterized by the occurrence of large rainfall events. The objective of this paper was to analyze the ability of shrubs and grasses to use these large events. Shrubs absorb water from the lower layers, grasses from the upper layers, intercepting water that would otherwise reach the layers exploited by shrubs. We hypothesized that both life-forms could use the large rainfalls and that the response of shrubs could be more affected by the presence of grasses than vice versa. We performed a field experiment using a factorial combination of water addition and life-form removal, and repeated it during the warm season of three successive years. The response variables were leaf growth, and soil and plant water potential. Grasses always responded to experimental large rainfall events, and their response was greater in dry than in wet years. Shrubs only used large rainfalls in the driest year, when the soil water potential in the deep layers was low. The presence or absence of one life-form did not modify the response of the other. The magnitude of the increase in soil water potential was much higher in dry than in humid years, suggesting an explanation for the differences among years in the magnitude of the response of shrubs and grasses. We propose that the generally reported poor response of deep-rooted shrubs to summer rainfalls could be because (1) the water is insufficient to reach deep soil layers, (2) the plants are in a dormant phenological status, and/or (3) deep soil layers have a high water potential. The two last situations may result in high deep-drainage losses, one of the most likely explanations for the elsewhere-reported low response of aboveground net primary production to precipitation during wet years. Received: 23 January 1997 / Accepted: 19 November 1997     

Ecological strategies in a Patagonian arid steppe

The vegetation in the Coironal arid steppe consists of grasses and shrubs. The objective of this paper was to test Walter's hypothesis that woody vegetation and grasses compete for water in the upper layers of the soil, but woody vegetation has exclusive access to a source of water at deeper levels.Analysis of root profiles and patterns of leaf and soil water potential led us to accept the hypothesis for this arid steppe. Additional information on phenology and on the ability of the major grass species to respond to watering permitted to identify two ecological strategies corresponding to grasses and shrubs. Grasses behave as opportunists having always leaves ready to grow as soon as water becomes available. They have a shallow root system and are able to respond very rapidly to increases in soil water availability. In contrast, woody species have a clear-cut periodic pattern of growth and dormancy. They possess thick horizontal roots running below 35–40 cm and utilized water stored in lower layers of the soil.A diagrammatic model summarizes the role of periodic and opportunistic species upon water circulation in the ecosystem. The effect of changes in the proportion of the two groups upon water dynamics is also discussed.Nomenclature follows Nicora (1978) and Cabrera (1971). Acknowledgements. We would like to thank Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria for its valuable support. This work was also supported by Subsecretaría de Ciencia y Técnica and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). E. H. Satorre, A. Nuñez and M. Aguiar helped in data collection in the field and in laboratory sample processing.