中国哺乳类物种与科属的数量关系

利用中国三种地理类型(自然保护区、行政省和动物地理亚区)的哺乳类名录,分析物种与高等分类阶元(属、科)的数量关系,旨在为利用高等分类阶元替代物种预测生物多样性提供理论依据,研究结果显示:1)不同地理类型中物种-属-科在数量上具有相似的增长趋势,且物种-属、物种-科的数量关系呈极显著相关(P < 0.01)。利用模型对哺乳类物种与科和属的数量关系模拟,乘幂模型拟合效果最佳。2)物种在属间、科间的频次均呈非均匀分布,对结果进行拟合发现对数、乘幂、指数和线性四种模型中,乘幂模型对哺乳类物种与科和属的数量关系模拟效果最佳。综合以上内容认为,哺乳类物种与高级分类阶元在数量和频次分布上存在规律,且可用模型进行很好拟合,这种关系适用于生物多样性预测、评价和保护。     

毛竹林节肢动物群落的组成与结构

通过对福建三明和沙县23块毛竹林试验标准地节肢动物群落1a的系统调查,结果表明:竹冠层节肢动物隶属于3纲、21目、124科、332种,林下层节肢动物隶属于3纲、22目、130科、349种。竹冠层和林下层类群分别有92.77%和94.54%的物种为稀有种或偶见种,林下层类群种-丰盛度关系符合对数正态分布。二类群目或功能集团的科、物种的数量分布相近,个体数量分布差异大。竹冠层类群以蜱螨目和同翅目为主,林下层类群以蜘蛛目、膜翅目、同翅目和双翅目为主。前者的科、物种以及个体数的益害比分别为1∶1.18、1∶0.83和1∶4.62,后者为1∶0.91、1∶0.85和1∶0.55。竹冠层类群的物种多样性和均匀度均显著低于林下层类群,植食性集团多样性在林下层类群各功能集团中最高,在竹冠层类群中则最低。群落和功能集团各参数对二类群多样性的影响均以相应类群总体的均匀度最大,功能集团因子中均以相应类群蜘蛛类的均匀度最大。人为排除群落优势种后,二类群的多样性均显著增加,但林下层类群增加的幅度显著低于竹冠层类群。植食性和中性集团作为空间食物种类资源能显著促进群落容纳较多天敌物种,天敌对二集团的空间数量跟随效应强,二集团与天敌的多样性之间相互促进。     

菲律宾海脊索动物多样性评估: 基于OBIS数据库

菲律宾海邻近全球生物多样性和进化的中心, 分布着多种重要生物资源。了解本区生物多样性及受威胁物种的分布特征可对掌握其生物多样性现状, 以及未来实施有效的生物多样性保护管理策略提供重要依据。本文利用海洋生物地理信息系统(Ocean Biogeographic Information System, OBIS)数据库, 并参考世界自然保护联盟濒危物种红色名录(IUCN Redlist)的物种濒危程度评估结果, 构建了菲律宾海脊索动物生物多样性和受威胁物种数据库, 结合海洋生态因子特征对该海区脊索动物的物种多样性和不同等级受威胁物种的数量空间分布格局进行了初步分析, 并对脊索动物不同分类阶元生物多样性与生态因子的关系进行了相关性分析。结果表明, 本区海洋脊索动物门已报道11纲56目320科1,171属2,876种。其中在菲律宾海的边缘区域, 特别是菲律宾群岛、台湾岛、日本群岛、马里亚纳群岛及中央的九州-帕劳海脊附近海域, 生物多样性水平相对较高, 而中央海盆区的生物多样性较低。本海域鱼类生物多样性尤其丰富, 共计4纲45目292科1,105属2,768种, 在物种水平上占本区脊索动物物种数的96%。各分类阶元水平的多样性与初级生产力呈显著正相关, 而与水深呈显著负相关。本区脊索动物门受威胁物种共计54种, 其中极危3种、濒危5种、易危22种、近危24种, 分别约占全区脊索动物总种数的0.10%、0.17%、0.76%、0.83%。与本区生物多样性分布格局相似, 受威胁物种多分布于菲律宾海边缘区域, 在中央海脊和深水盆地区域分布较少。本研究表明, 对菲律宾海脊索动物特别是受威胁物种的保护应当以边缘区域优先; 但考虑到当前菲律宾海深海区域生物多样性数据的不足, 也应加强对中央海脊和深水盆地等区域的生物多样性普查。     

全球变化情景下的中国木本植物受威胁物种名录

生物多样性正面临快速丧失的风险, 气候和土地利用变化已成为生物多样性的主要威胁之一。受威胁物种名录是区域和全球生物多样性保护的重要基础数据, 也是保护区规划的基础。作为一个生物多样性大国, 中国已开展了高等植物受威胁状况的系统性评估, 建立了受威胁植物名录, 为植物多样性保护规划提供了支撑。但由于数据和方法限制, 现有受威胁植物名录制定时未定量考虑全球变化对植物分布的潜在影响, 因而可能低估物种的受威胁等级及未来生物多样性的丧失风险。本研究基于高精度的木本植物分布数据和物种分布模型, 评估了未来气候和土地利用变化对木本植物分布的潜在影响。基于每个物种适宜分布区大小的变化, 并依据IUCN红色名录评估指标A3c的阈值标准, 更新了木本植物的受威胁等级, 补充了未来中国潜在受威胁木本植物名录。结果显示: 综合不同的气候变化情景(RCP 2.6、RCP 6.0和RCP 8.5)和扩散情景(完全扩散、20 km/10年、不扩散), 约12.9%-40.5%的木本植物被评估为受威胁物种。该名录将为制定木本植物保护优先级、开展保护区规划、提升全球变化情景下的生物多样性保护成效提供基础数据, 也为其他类群制定全面的受威胁物种名录提供参考。     

长白山阔叶红松林物种多度和空间分布格局的关系

应用随机分布多度模型和聚集分布多度模型,探讨不同研究尺度下物种多度和空间分布格局的关系.结果表明,预测的物种多度不仅受物种分布面积大小的影响,还受其聚集程度的影响.物种多度和空间分布格局的关系存在着明显的尺度效应,即随着研究尺度的增加,无论是随机分布多度模型还是聚集分布多度模型,通过物种空间分布格局来预测物种多度的准确度都在下降.聚集分布多度模型预测物种多度的结果要好于随机分布多度模型,这表明该区大多数物种是聚集分布的.由于物种的空间分布格局不同,不同物种多度的预测值和真实值之间的差异也不同.因此,为了进一步提高模型预测的准确性,进一步考虑不同物种的生活史特性是必要的.     

通过红色名录评估研究中国哺乳动物受威胁现状及其原因

依据中国哺乳类野生种群与生境现状, 我们利用IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (Version 3.1), Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria和Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels (Version 4.0), 评价了中国所有已知的673种哺乳动物的濒危状况。本次评估了71种《IUCN濒危物种红色名录(2015)》没有评估的哺乳动物, 还评估了60种《IUCN濒危物种红色名录(2015)》误认为中国没有分布的哺乳动物。发现中国有3种哺乳动物“野外灭绝”, 3种“区域灭绝”。受威胁中国哺乳动物共计178种, 约占评估物种总数的26.4%, 高于IUCN濒危物种红色名录的物种平均受威胁率(21.8%)。中国哺乳动物1/4的特有种属于受威胁物种。受威胁比例最高的目是灵长目、食肉目与鲸偶蹄目。多数省区的受威胁哺乳动物物种占本省区哺乳动物总数的20-30%。中国哺乳动物种类多分布在中国第二级地理阶梯。生活在高海拔地区的哺乳动物虽然种类少, 但是受威胁哺乳动物的种类比例高。过度利用、生境丧失和人类干扰名列受威胁哺乳动物致危因子的前3位。自从1989年《中华人民共和国野生动物保护法》实施以来, 一些中国濒危哺乳动物的生存状况得到了改善。然而, 鉴于中国哺乳动物区系的独特性和多样性, 以及中国地形地貌的复杂性, 如何拯救这些濒危物种仍是中国生物多样性保护的一项艰巨任务。     

福建省4种兰科植物分布新记录

兰科( Orchidaceae)植物是一类特殊且具有较高研究价值的植物类群[1],物种数量多、生活型多样且进化水平高,中国分布有兰科植物194属1388余种[2]1,是单子叶植物中种类数量最多的一个科;同时,野生兰又是受威胁最为严重的类群之一,全部种类都被列入《野生动植物濒危物种国际贸易公约》,约占该公约涵盖的保护植物数量的90%以上,是名副其实的保护植物中的“旗舰”类群[3]。     

吉林省中西部平原区土壤线虫群落生态特征

于 2 0 0 3年 7月和 9月 ,在吉林省中西部平原区进行土壤线虫取样 ,10个采样区 2 8个调查样地 2次共捕获线虫 10 2 2 0只 ,个体密度平均 182 5 0只 /m2 ,分别隶属于线形动物门 2纲 7目 2 0科 32属。真滑刃属、短体属和垫刃属为优势类群 ,是吉林省中西部平原区土壤线虫群落最重要的类群 ,稀有类群个体数量尽管很少 ,但分布的范围并不狭小 ,线虫各类群空间分布的广狭与个体数量的多寡在吉林省中西部平原区并末呈现出明显的一致性。土壤线虫群落垂直分布 ,受人类活动扰动的生境土壤线虫类群数和个体密度表聚性较差 ,土壤线虫向土壤下层移动明显 ;水平分布 ,天然林和受人类活动扰动生境土壤线虫类群数和个体密度差异显著 ;农田土地利用方式对土壤线虫群落特征影响总体是负面的 ,而居民点园地可能增加土壤线虫的类群数和生物多样性。 PPI/MI值对于不同人类活动对土壤生态环境的变化反映更敏感     

新疆山地森林乔木和草地草本植物个体大小分布特征

个体大小是植物重要的特征之一,目前其受环境因子的影响还不十分清楚。基于样地实际调查数据,我们分析了新疆山地森林乔木和草地草本植物个体大小的特征(统称为乔木和草本,分别以平均胸径和平均株高表示),并在物种和区域尺度,分析了其与分布区特征和植物多样性的关系。研究发现:(1)在物种尺度上,森林植被中乔木物种的个体大小与其分布区特征正相关,即分布范围较广的乔木倾向于个体更大;草地植被中草本植物的特征与此类似;(2)在区域尺度上,乔木平均个体越大,区域植物平均分布区越小,反之亦然;草本植物的平均个体大小与区域植物分布区特征无显著相关性;(3)在区域尺度上,森林乔木和草地草本植物的个体大小与植物多样性均呈正相关关系,即森林乔木和草地草本植物平均个体较大时,其区域多样性更高。     

茅口期■类动物的灭绝过程——灭绝选择性与物种个体大小关系的验证

对茅口期类动物群灭绝过程的分析揭示 ,若将类物种按壳体大小分为两类 ,从动物群物种分异度、物种净增速率的变化来看 ,大个体 (壳长 >6mm)物种与小个体 (壳长≤ 6mm)物种的灭绝过程并无明显的区别。根据壳壁等特征 ,茅口期类可分为南京类、希瓦格类、费伯克类和新希瓦格类 4个主要类群 ,各主要类群及其壳体大小不同的物种灭绝过程有明显的差异。在灭绝事件早期 ,各类群及其壳体大小不同的两类物种所受的影响有所不同。在早期的灭绝中 ,南京类、新希瓦格类、希瓦格类中壳长 >6mm和费伯克类中壳长≤ 6mm的物种显著减少 ,而希瓦格类中壳长≤ 6mm以及费伯克类中壳长 >6mm的物种则未受明显的影响。在茅口期晚期 ,由于灭绝压力的增大 ,除南京类外 ,所有类群及其物种无论个体大小均受到重创 ,导致类动物群物种分异度陡然下降研究结果证明 ,在灭绝强度较小时 ,类动物的生物学特征 ,如壳体大小、壳壁特征对物种的存活率有一定影响 ,而在集群灭绝的高峰期间 ,这些特征则不能发挥有效的作用     

Ecological correlates of extinction risk in Chinese birds

China is one of the countries with the richest bird biodiversity in the world. Among the 1372 Chinese birds, 146 species are considered threatened and three species are regionally extinct according to the officially released China Biodiversity Red List in 2015. Here, we conducted the first extensive analysis to systematically investigate the patterns and processes of extinction and threat in Chinese birds. We addressed the following four questions. First, is extinction risk randomly distributed among avian families in Chinese birds? Second, which families contain more threatened species than would be expected by chance? Third, which species traits are important in determining the extinction risk in Chinese birds using a multivariate phylogenetic comparative approach? Finally, is the form of the relationship between traits additive or nonadditive (synergistic)? We found that the extinction risk of Chinese birds was not randomly distributed among taxonomic families. The families that contained significantly more threatened species than expected were the hornbills, cranes, pittas, pheasants and hawks and eagles. We obtained eleven species traits that are commonly hypothesized to influence extinction risk from the literature: body size, clutch size, trophic level, mobility, habitat specificity, geographical range size, nest type, nest site, flocking tendency, migrant status and hunting vulnerability. After phylogenetic correction, model selection based on Akaike's information criterion identified the synergistic interaction between body size and hunting vulnerability as the single best correlate of extinction risk in Chinese birds. Our results suggest that, in order to be effective, priority management efforts should be given both to certain extinction‐prone families, particularly the hornbills, pelicans, cranes, pittas, pheasants and hawks and eagles, and to bird species with large body size and high hunting vulnerability.     

Human overexploitation and extinction risk correlates of Chinese snakes

China is one of the countries with the richest snake biodiversity in the world. However, about one‐third of all 236 species are now considered threatened, partially due to the intense human overexploitation. Despite that, to date, no study has explicitly investigated the patterns and processes of extinction and threats of Chinese snakes, or between human exploited and unexploited snake subgroups. We addressed the following three questions: 1) which snake families proportionally include more human exploited species than expected by chance? 2) Which species traits and extrinsic factors are correlated with their extinction risk? 3) Are there differences between human exploited and unexploited species in terms of patterns and processes of extinction? We found that the family Elapidae contained a significantly higher number of exploited species. Considering eight species traits and four extrinsic factors, we performed phylogenetic correlation tests, finding that small geographic range size, large body length, oviparous reproduction, diurnal activity and high human exploitation were important in determining the extinction risk of all Chinese snakes. Moreover, human exploited snakes had a higher percentage of threatened species and large‐bodied species than unexploited snakes. Extinction risk of human exploited species was related to body length, reproduction mode and activity period, whereas that of human unexploited species were associated with geographic range size, microhabitat and annual temperature. Overall, we highlight the phylogenetic non‐random exploitation of snakes, and different factors underlying species response to human overexploitation. We suggest that conservation priority should be given to exploitation‐prone families and species with extinction‐prone traits, as identified in this study. Moreover, human exploited and unexploited species should be managed considering different strategies since their extinction risk was associated with different ecological traits. Conservation actions should also focus on preventing human threats, such as human overexploitation and habitat loss, for the effective preservation of Chinese snakes.     

Macroecology and extinction risk correlates of frogs

Aim  Our aim was to test whether extinction risk of frog species could be predicted from their body size, fecundity or geographical range size. Because small geographical range size is a correlate of extinction risk in many taxa, we also tested hypotheses about correlates of range size in frogs.
Location  Global.
Methods  Using a large comparative data set ( n  = 527 species) compiled from the literature, we performed bivariate and multiple regressions through the origin of independent contrasts to test proposed macroecological patterns and correlates of extinction risk in frogs. We also created minimum adequate models to predict snout–vent length, clutch size, geographical range size and IUCN Red List status in frogs. Parallel non-phylogenetic analyses were also conducted. We verified the results of the phylogenetic analyses using gridded data accounting for spatial autocorrelation.
Results  The most threatened frog species tend to have small geographical ranges, although the relationship between range and extinction risk is not linear. In addition, tropical frogs with small clutches have the smallest ranges. Clutch size was strongly positively correlated with geographical range size ( r ² = 0.22) and body size ( r ² = 0.28).
Main conclusions  Our results suggest that body size and fecundity only affect extinction risk indirectly through their effect on geographical range size. Thus, although large frogs with small clutches tend to be endangered, there is no comparative evidence that this relationship is direct. If correct, this inference has consequences for conservation strategy: it would be inefficient to allocate conservation resources on the basis of low fecundity or large body size; instead it would be better to protect areas that contain many frog species with small geographical ranges.     

Is research effort allocated efficiently for conservation? Felidae as a global case study

Some species face greater anthropogenic threats than others, and have increased need for scarce conservation resources. Yet how resources are allocated for conservation remains little known. I examined the distribution of research effort, an index of resource allocation, across Felidae (the cat family), a diverse, widely-distributed, and threatened taxon. I performed complete searches of the published literature for all cat species from 1986 to 2007, collecting a total of 2,462 papers, of which 926 represented in situ studies. Threat status, as ranked by a World Conservation Union report in 1996, was significantly correlated with geographical range size, with narrowly distributed species tending to be more at risk. Unlike in many other taxa, threat status was not correlated with body size. The number of total and in situ publications (“research effort”) per species was significantly and positively related to body size, but not to threat status or geographical range size. Research effort, rather than being distributed according to actual threat status, is highly skewed towards large species. However, the ratio of the number of studies on the 10 smallest cat species to the number on the 10 largest species has increased significantly since 1986. Yet many species remain severely understudied; I identify 14 cat species that are threatened and have <10 in situ publications each. These species critically require a greater share of the conservation research effort.     

The taxonomic distribution of rare and common species among families in the vascular plant flora of Fennoscandia

Many plant traits are not randomly distributed among families. The question considered here is ‘are rarity and commonness of vascular plants in Fennoscandia randomly distributed among families?’ If more rare or more common species are found within a family, this may give some initial indications about which traits may predict rarity and commonness of species. A species was defined as rare or common based on its abundance and on the number of grid squares it occupies. 1521 naturally occurring species in 229 75×75 km grid squares were used. Permutation tests were performed to assess statistically if rarity and commonness are randomly distributed among families. Several families can be identified as having more rare or more common species than would be expected under a random allocation model. However, there are little deviations from what would be expected if rarity and commonness were randomly distributed among families in the whole Fennoscandian flora. It is proposed that the arbitrary geographical limits of the study area may account for the lack of any clear patterns of rarity and commonness among and between families.     

Profiling a besieged flora: endemic and threatened plants of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa

The Cape Peninsula (area: 471 km²), situated at the south-western extremity of the Cape Floristic Region, has exceptionally high plant species richness (2285 species and infraspecific taxa) and numbers of endemic (90; 88 species and two infraspecific) and threatened (141; 138 species and three infraspecific) taxa (termed species from here on). This biodiversity is threatened by urban development and the spread of invasive alien plants. Peninsula endemics are concentrated in a few, predominantly species-rich families and these correspond well with endemic-rich families in other areas of the Cape Floristic Region. A high level of similarity exists between families with threatened and families with endemic species. A frequency analysis of the biological traits of both endemic and threatened species shows that low growing, ant-dispersed shrubs are over-represented in both groups. Endemics are most likely to be non-sprouters, but threatened plants do not have a specific post-fire regeneration strategy. Threatened species have higher frequencies of geophytes, sprouters and wind-dispersed species compared to endemic species. Numbers of endemic and threatened species are not randomly distributed with regard to occurrence in vegetation types and patterns are similar for both groups. The habitat and biological profiles of both endemic and threatened species suggest that they are highly vulnerable to extinction as a result of increasing rates of alien plant infestation, urbanization and inappropriate fire regimes.     

Assessment of the status of wild populations of land snail (escargot) Helix pomatia L. in Moldova: the effect of exploitation

Helix pomatia L., the Roman snail, is a species faced with growing commercial interest in Moldova. Its life history characteristics (slow maturation and recruitment, high mortality among juveniles and low fecundity) along with its strong spatial aggregation, makes it especially vulnerable to exploitation. In this study, differences in density, shell size and age distribution were assessed in 7 unexploited and 10 exploited sites in the northern and central parts of Moldova. A significant impact of exploitation on snail population densities, shell size of adult snails and age distribution was revealed. Exploited sites had much lower densities than unexploited ones and in two places no live snails were found. This may suggest that exploitation is currently carried out at an unsustainable level, but additional information on the demography of populations and intensity of exploitation is required in order to make inferences regarding sustainability and long-term population management. There was a higher proportion of adult snails in exploited sites than in non-exploited, because of the collection strategies: not only adults, but also all other age groups are gathered. Bigger adult shell size in exploited sites may be related to lower population density, but further study is required to confirm this. Establishing of well-organized population monitoring systems and development of snail breeding enterprises are proposed in order to conserve the species in Moldova.     

Phylogenetic distributions of British birds of conservation concern

Recent studies suggest that species' life histories and ecology can be used to forecast future extinction risk. Threatened species often share similar traits such that if a trait predisposing a species to decline or extinction is evolutionarily conserved, then close relatives of threatened species are themselves likely to be at risk. The phylogenetic distribution of current threat has been argued to provide insight into the species that could be threatened in the future when trait data are not available. Conservation criteria are typically based on multiple indices that capture different symptoms of threat including population trends and range contraction. However, there is no reason to assume consistent phylogenetic distributions of different symptoms. I construct a molecular phylogeny of 249 species of British birds (more than 93% of the breeding and wintering species) and use this to show that the species that are threatened due to population declines are phylogenetically more closely related than expected by chance alone. However, species that are listed for other reasons, including range contraction, are distributed randomly with respect to phylogeny. I suggest that while phylogeny can be informative with respect to identifying clades that are susceptible to some measures of extinction risk, such patterns are likely to be idiosyncratic with respect to symptom and taxa.     

Does responsiveness to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi depend on plant invasive status?

Differences in the direction and degree to which invasive alien and native plants are influenced by mycorrhizal associations could indicate a general mechanism of plant invasion, but whether or not such differences exist is unclear. Here, we tested whether mycorrhizal responsiveness varies by plant invasive status while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness among plants with two large grassland datasets. Mycorrhizal responsiveness was measured for 68 taxa from the Northern Plains, and data for 95 taxa from the Central Plains were included. Nineteen percent of taxa from the Northern Plains had greater total biomass with mycorrhizas while 61% of taxa from the Central Plains responded positively. For the Northern Plains taxa, measurable effects often depended on the response variable (i.e., total biomass, shoot biomass, and root mass ratio) suggesting varied resource allocation strategies when roots are colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In both datasets, invasive status was nonrandomly distributed on the phylogeny. Invasive taxa were mainly from two clades, that is, Poaceae and Asteraceae families. In contrast, mycorrhizal responsiveness was randomly distributed over the phylogeny for taxa from the Northern Plains, but nonrandomly distributed for taxa from the Central Plains. After controlling for phylogenetic similarity, we found no evidence that invasive taxa responded differently to mycorrhizas than other taxa. Although it is possible that mycorrhizal responsiveness contributes to invasiveness in particular species, we find no evidence that invasiveness in general is associated with the degree of mycorrhizal responsiveness. However, mycorrhizal responsiveness among species grown under common conditions was highly variable, and more work is needed to determine the causes of this variation.     

Biology of extinction risk in marine fishes

We review interactions between extrinsic threats to marine fishes and intrinsic aspects of their biology that determine how populations and species respond to those threats. Information is available on the status of less than 5% of the world's approximately 15500 marine fish species, most of which are of commercial importance. By 2001, based on data from 98 North Atlantic and northeast Pacific populations, marine fishes had declined by a median 65% in breeding biomass from known historic levels; 28 populations had declined by more than 80%. Most of these declines would be sufficient to warrant a status of threatened with extinction under international threat criteria. However, this interpretation is highly controversial, in part because of a perception that marine fishes have a suite of life history characteristics, including high fecundity and large geographical ranges, which might confer greater resilience than that shown by terrestrial vertebrates. We review 15 comparative analyses that have tested for these and other life history correlates of vulnerability in marine fishes. The empirical evidence suggests that large body size and late maturity are the best predictors of vulnerability to fishing, regardless of whether differences among taxa in fishing mortality are controlled; there is no evidence that high fecundity confers increased resilience. The evidence reviewed here is of direct relevance to the diverse criteria used at global and national levels by various bodies to assess threat status of fishes. Simple life history traits can be incorporated directly into quantitative assessment criteria, or used to modify the conclusions of quantitative assessments, or used as preliminary screening criteria for assessment of the approximately 95% of marine fish species whose status has yet to be evaluated either by conservationists or fisheries scientists.