中国蜥蜴类生活史和生态学特征数据集

截至2020年底, 中国共有226种蜥蜴类(不包括外来入侵种), 是世界上蜥蜴类多样性最丰富的国家之一。系统整理中国现有蜥蜴类的特征数据在物种起源与进化、形成与灭绝、保护生物学等研究中具有重要意义。但是, 目前还没有关于我国蜥蜴类生活史、生态学和地理分布等物种特征的完整数据库。本文通过系统查阅文献和数据资料, 共收集整理了中国现有226种本土蜥蜴类19个特征数据: 描述年份、中国受威胁等级、全球受威胁等级、是否中国特有种、是否岛屿特有种、平均体长、平均体重、食性、窝卵数、繁殖模式、四肢发育、活动时间、栖息生境、栖息地类型、栖息地宽度、海拔分布范围、地理分布范围、动物地理界和分布省份。在上述特征中, 除了四肢发育、描述年份、是否中国特有种、是否岛屿特有种和分布省份外, 其余特征数据均存在不同程度的缺失, 数据完整度为47.14%-100%。本数据集是目前关于中国蜥蜴类最新和最全的物种特征数据库, 可为我国蜥蜴类生态学、进化生物学、生物地理学和保护生物学等研究领域提供数据支持。     

中国两栖类生活史和生态学特征数据集

截至2021年底, 中国共记载591种两栖类(不包括外来入侵种), 是世界上两栖类物种数最多的国家之一。物种特征影响和决定了物种在环境中的生存能力, 在进化生物学、生态学和保护生物学研究中具有重要作用。目前, 中国两栖类在线数据库(https://www.amphibiachina.org)已经整理了我国两栖类的形态特征、生物学信息和地理分布等部分物种特征, 但仍缺乏一个完整的、可自由检索的数据集。通过系统查阅文献和数据检索, 本文收集整理了中国全部591种本土两栖类的22个特征数据, 包括物种发现时间(最早发现和描述新物种文章的发表时间)、模式产地、中国受威胁等级、全球受威胁等级、致危因子、是否中国特有种、是否岛屿特有种、雄性体长、雌性体长、窝卵数、卵径、产卵地点、幼体主要生境、成体微生境、活动模式、生殖周期、繁殖时间、是否有亲本照顾、受精方式、海拔范围、分布地区、分布省份数。除了物种发现时间、是否岛屿特有种、分布地区、分布省份数外, 其余特征数据都有不同程度的缺失, 数据完整度为27.92%-100%, 平均完整度为71.72%, 标准差为24%。本数据集是目前我国两栖类最新和最全的物种特征数据库, 希望可以为我国两栖类生态学、保护生物学、生物地理学等研究提供数据支持。     

中国蛇类形态、生活史和生态学特征数据集

截至2023年1月,中国共记录312种蛇类,是世界上蛇类多样性最丰富的国家之一。物种特征决定其在环境中的生存能力,在进化生物学、生态学和保护生物学研究中具有重要作用。但是,目前还没有关于我国蛇类形态学、生活史和生态学等特征的完整数据库。本文通过系统查阅已出版的蛇类专业书籍、已发表的文献和爬行动物数据库,共收集整理了中国现有312种蛇类的41个特征数据。这些特征包括以下3个方面:形态特征(包括鳞片、牙齿等25个特征)、生活史特征(包括体长、食性、捕食方式、繁殖方式、活动时间、有无毒性等11个特征)和生态学特征(包括是否中国/岛屿特有种、成体生境、地理分布范围和海拔分布等5个特征)。在收集的41个特征中,除颏鳞、吻鳞和地理分布范围数据完整外(100%),其余特征数据都有不同程度的缺失(完整度为7.72%–99.70%)。本数据集是目前中国最新和最完整的蛇类特征数据集,可为我国蛇类的生态学、生物地理学和保护生物学等方面的研究提供基础数据支持。     

中国哺乳动物形态、生活史和生态学特征数据集

物种特征是生物对生存环境适应和响应的表现, 反映了物种的生态位、适合度和生态功能。特征数据库的建立和共享是研究生物多样性维持与丧失、物种进化与适应、生态过程与生态系统功能、物种对气候变化和人类干扰响应、种内与种间关系等的基础。中国是世界哺乳动物物种数最多的国家之一, 然而目前中国还没有包含哺乳动物形态、生活史、生态学和地理分布等物种特征的数据库。我们系统查阅了文献和各种数据资料, 共收集整理出中国有分布记录的754种哺乳动物(包括近些年野外绝灭种、分布存疑种)的体重、脑容量、体长、尾长、前臂长(翼手目)、后足长、耳长、性成熟时间、妊娠期、窝崽数、年窝数、世代长度、食性、活动模式、是否特有种、濒危等级、海拔范围、栖息地类型、栖息地宽度、动物地理界、生物群系、分布型、动物地理区划和分布省份或水域等24个生态特征数据。在这些特征中, 除了分布省份或水域及是否特有种外, 其余特征数据均存在不同程度的缺失, 数据的完整度为30%‒100%。本数据库收录的哺乳动物种数为目前中国哺乳动物种数的上限, 为中国哺乳动物研究提供了基础数据, 推进中国哺乳动物多样性信息共享和深度挖掘。     

海洋岛屿生物多样性保育研究进展

海洋岛屿生态系统因具有明显的海域地理隔离而区别于陆地生态系统,被誉为生物地理与进化生态学研究的"天然实验室".陆地或其它邻近岛屿的种源物种迁移到新的岛屿后,经历地理隔离、特征置换或适应辐射等一系列的岛屿进化过程,形成与种源物种具有显著遗传差异的岛屿特有种.岛屿在小面积范围内分化形成大量的特有种,是岛屿生物多样性最为重要的特点之一.但是,岛屿种群由于分布范围局限、生境脆弱且种群规模较小,岛屿种群较陆地种群具有更高的灭绝风险.本文通过对海洋岛屿物种的起源与演化、遗传结构以及岛屿物种的濒危与保护3个热点问题的讨论,阐述岛屿生物多样性的形成机制、濒危肇因以及岛屿生物多样性保育的重要性.     

中国银鱼的多样性及其保护对策

中国是世界银鱼（银鱼科Salangidae的简称）的起源地和主要分布区,在中国东部近海和各大水系的河口共分布有世界17种银鱼中的15种,其中特有种6种。银鱼营养价值和经济价值均很高,是重要的经济鱼类。银鱼生活周期短、世代离散、生殖力和定居能力强。作为典型的r对策者,银鱼对环境变化敏感且反应迅速,种群消长快,在漫长的进化过程中形成了其种间食性、生长和繁殖等生物学和生态学特征的丰富的多样性。然而我国的银鱼天然资源却因围湖造田、过度捕捞、环境污染和生境破碎化等多种因素的影响而持续衰退,各种银鱼的天然资源都不同程度地下降,物种分布范围显著缩小,个别物种渐危。本文在综述我国银鱼生物学、生态学和生物多样性研究的基础上,分析了我国银鱼研究及其物种多样性和种质资源保护工作中所面临的问题;呼吁审视银鱼移植增殖的生态效应,加强银鱼的基本生态学研究和生物多样性保护,并提出我国银鱼资源保护和可持续利用的对策。     

云南被子植物菊类分支的系统发育多样性及其分布格局

全球气候变化与人为活动等因素导致的生物多样性丧失,引起了全球各界对生物多样性保护的高度关注。传统生物多样性保护主要对物种、特有种、受威胁物种的种类组成及其分布模式开展研究,忽视了进化历史在生物多样性保护中的作用。云南是全球生物多样性热点地区的交汇区,生物多样性的保护历来受到广泛关注,为了更好地探讨云南生物多样性的保护措施,该研究以云南被子植物菊类分支物种为研究对象,基于物种间的演化关系,结合其地理分布,从进化历史的角度探讨物种、特有种、受威胁物种的种类组成及系统发育组成的分布格局,并整合自然保护地的空间分布,识别生物多样性的重点保护区域。结果表明:云南被子植物菊类分支的物种、特有种及受威胁物种的物种密度与系统发育多样性均显著正相关; 通过零模型分析发现,由南向北标准化系统发育多样性逐渐降低; 云南南部、东南部、西北部是云南被子植物菊类分支的重点保护区域,加强这些区域的保护,将最大化地保护生物多样性的进化历史和进化潜能。由此可见,融合进化历史信息的植物多样性格局分析不仅有助于更加深入地理解植物多样性的形成与演变,也为生物多样性保护策略的制定提供更多的思路。     

中国鸟类特有种及其分布格局

在广泛搜集有关分布资料、对我国鸟类特有种的地理分布情况进行系统整理并建立数据库的基础上,运用GIS（地理信息系统）技术处理物种分布数据,研究了中国鸟类特有种的多样性及其分布格局。我们分析了我国现有鸟类特有种计100种,隶属于53属、16科、7目,约占我国现有鸟类总种数的8％。我国镳在特有种在水平分布上具有不均匀的特点,有3个分布中心,即：横断山中心、川北、秦岭及陇南山地中心和台湾岛屿中心。在垂直分布上则主要分布于从1800m到3400m的中、高海拔地区。     

中国森林附生维管植物多样性数据集

附生维管植物是热带、亚热带湿性山地森林植物群落中物种最为丰富的类群之一, 在维系森林生物多样性及生态系统功能与服务中发挥着重要作用, 然而附生维管植物调查相对困难, 在多样性调查和统计中往往被忽视, 迄今为止我国尚缺乏全国范围的森林附生维管植物名录。本项研究基于已公开发布的数据库, 搜集并整理了1982-2022年间的关于中国森林附生维管植物研究的文献书籍。首先, 提取文献资料中的有效信息, 依据物种2000中国节点的数据进行标准化校正, 整理出中国森林附生维管植物共计49科246属1,739种, 然后据此编写了相对准确、完整的中国森林附生维管植物物种名录。本名录作为我国第一个全国性森林附生维管植物名录, 可为森林生物多样性保护工作提供重要的数据支持, 并能为深入研究附生维管植物的进化生物学、生物地理学及宏观生态学等领域提供重要的基础信息。     

三江源国家公园鸟类物种多样性研究

三江源国家公园位于青藏高原腹地,是生物多样性最为集中的区域。为了系统掌握公园内的鸟类分布状况,2015—2017年,对三江源国家公园区域进行了长期的野外调查,结合文献资料,发现三江源国家公园内共分布野生鸟类196种,隶属于18目45科121属。各级保护鸟类59种,占公园鸟类总数的30.1%,其中,国家I级重点保护鸟类8种;国家II级重点保护鸟类27种;青海省级保护鸟类24种。另外,还有国家三有鸟类120种。根据中国物种红色名录,受威胁(濒危、易危和近危)物种有39种,占公园鸟类总数的19.9%。中国特有鸟类15种,占园区内鸟类总数的7.65%。在地理分布型上,三江源国家公园位于古北界青藏区,古北界物种有145种;东洋界物种有37种;广布种有14种。利用G-F指数对物种多样性进行评估,三江源国家公园鸟类的G-F指数为0.825,表明公园内的鸟类物种多样性处于较高水平。长江源园区、澜沧江源园区和黄河源园区的平均动物区系相似性结果表明,三个园区之间动物区系关系均为密切关系。三江源国家公园鸟类物种多样性高、特有种及珍稀濒危物种丰富,具有极高的保护价值和意义。     

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.     

Too risky to settle: avian community structure changes in response to perceived predation risk on adults and offspring

Predation risk is widely hypothesized as an important force structuring communities, but this potential force is rarely tested experimentally, particularly in terrestrial vertebrate communities. How animals respond to predation risk is generally considered predictable from species life-history and natural-history traits, but rigorous tests of these predictions remain scarce. We report on a large-scale playback experiment with a forest bird community that addresses two questions: (i) does perceived predation risk shape the richness and composition of a breeding bird community? And (ii) can species life-history and natural-history traits predict prey community responses to different types of predation risk? On 9 ha plots, we manipulated cues of three avian predators that preferentially prey on either adult birds or offspring, or both, throughout the breeding season. We found that increased perception of predation risk led to generally negative responses in the abundance, occurrence and/or detection probability of most prey species, which in turn reduced the species richness and shifted the composition of the breeding bird community. Species-level responses were largely predicted from the key natural-history trait of body size, but we did not find support for the life-history theory prediction of the relationship between species'' slow/fast life-history strategy and their response to predation risk.     

Rarity in Chilean forest birds: which ecological and life‐history traits matter?

While it is a truism that species rarity is non-randomly distributed across regions, habitats, and taxa, there is little consensus on which factors are the best predictors of low abundances and restricted geographical ranges. In this study, we evaluate the effects of ecological and life-history traits, as well as phylogeny, on rarity in the abundance and distribution of land birds inhabiting forest habitats in the Mediterranean and temperate regions of Chile. We use data on abundance collected at 16 sites and data on latitudinal distribution obtained from a literature compilation. Statistical analyses were based on multiple regression and multivariate models. We used Signed Mantel test to analyse the relationship between species ecological and life-history traits and rarity, taking into account the effect of phylogenetic relatedness. We found that rarity, in terms of distribution, is associated with a low investment in reproduction, non-migratory status, and degree of habitat specialization. These ecological and life-history traits, in association with forest loss due to climatic changes and human impacts, may explain the narrow distribution of most endemic forest birds species. Rarity in abundance, on the other hand, is more difficult to explain. However, the fact that large species with an insectivorous diet showed low density in the assemblages studied suggests that abundance is mostly regulated by energy (resource) requirements and availability. Finally, our study shows that there is no phylogenetic influence in the observed patterns.     

Predictors of Species Sensitivity to Fragmentation

We reviewed empirical data and hypotheses derived from demographic, optimal foraging, life-history, community, and biogeographic theory for predicting the sensitivity of species to habitat fragmentation. We found 12 traits or trait groups that have been suggested as predictors of species sensitivity: population size; population fluctuation and storage effect; dispersal power; reproductive potential; annual survival; sociality; body size; trophic position; ecological specialisation, microhabitat and matrix use; disturbance and competition sensitive traits; rarity; and biogeographic position. For each trait we discuss the theoretical justification for its sensitivity to fragmentation and empirical evidence for and against the suitability of the trait as a predictor of fragmentation sensitivity. Where relevant, we also discuss experimental design problems for testing the underlying hypotheses. There is good empirical support for 6 of the 12 traits as sensitivity predictors: population size; population fluctuation and storage effects; traits associated with competitive ability and disturbance sensitivity in plants; microhabitat specialisation and matrix use; rarity in the form of low abundance within a habitat; and relative biogeographic position. Few clear patterns emerge for the remaining traits from empirical studies if examined in isolation. Consequently, interactions of species traits and environmental conditions must be considered if we want to be able to predict species sensitivity to fragmentation. We develop a classification of fragmentation sensitivity based on specific trait combinations and discuss the implications of the results for ecological theory.     

Insular shifts and trade-offs in life-history traits in pond frogs in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China

Island and mainland populations of animal species often differ strikingly in life-history traits such as clutch size, egg size, total reproductive effort and body size. However, despite widespread recognition of insular shifts in these life-history traits in birds, mammals and reptiles, there have been no reports of such life-history shifts in amphibians. Furthermore, most studies have focused on one specific life-history trait without explicit consideration of coordinated evolution among these intimately linked life-history traits, and thus the relationships among these traits are poorly studied. Here we provide the first evidence of insular shifts and trade-offs in a coordinated suite of life-history traits for an amphibian species, the pond frog Rana nigromaculata . Life-history data were collected from eight islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago and neighboring mainland China. We found consistent, significant shifts in all life-history traits between mainland and island populations. Island populations had smaller clutch sizes, larger egg sizes, larger female body size and invested less in total reproductive effort than mainland populations. Significant negative relationships were found between egg size and clutch size and between egg size and total reproductive effort among frog populations after controlling for the effects of body size. Therefore, decreased reproductive effort and clutch size, larger egg size and body size in pond frogs on islands were selected through trade-offs as an overall life-history strategy. Our findings contribute to the formation of a broad, repeatable ecological generality for insular shifts in life-history traits across a range of terrestrial vertebrate taxa.     

MATERNAL EFFECTS AND THE PERVASIVE IMPACT OF NESTLING HISTORY ON EGG SIZE IN A PASSERINE BIRD

Environmental conditions experienced during ontogeny may have important and permanent consequences for life-history traits of individuals. The aim of this work was to determine whether conditions experienced during early life, as expressed by prefledgling condition, have any bearing on the volume of eggs subsequently laid by females in a small passerine bird species, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). I first show a genetic influence on egg volume by dam-offspring regression. The existence of maternal effects is shown by comparing resemblances between average egg volumes of offspring to those of their paternal and maternal grandmothers. Path analysis shows that when controlling for the influence of maternal egg volume, the average volume of eggs produced in a lifetime is positively related to the body condition of a female measured while she is still at the nest. Thus, body condition at fledgling affects egg volume beyond the ability of maternal egg volume to predict offspring egg volume. Although there may be a persistent maternal effect of egg volume on itself or linked to a property correlated with egg volume, the maternal performance trait involved remains unknown, except for maternal egg volume itself. Given the effects that egg volume may have on reproductive success, which are partly determined prior to leaving the nest, maternal effects may have important consequences for lifetime fitness of offspring.     

Non-photoperiodic factors and timing of breeding in blue tits: impact of environmental and social influences in semi-natural conditions

The seasonal development of life-history traits is influenced by many environmental factors. The impact of photoperiodic and non-photoperiodic factors on nest building and egg laying has been rarely investigated in non-domesticated avian species for which long term field data sets are available. Former investigations showed that blue tits originating from geographically close populations in the Mediterranean region do not respond in the same way to photoperiodic factors in semi-natural outdoor conditions. Here we show experimentally that nest building and onset of egg laying in captive blue tits is also proximately influenced by non-photoperiodic factors, including aspects related to aviary characteristics and social interactions between birds of the two sexes originating from different local Mediterranean study populations. In two successive experiments, we show that (1) increasing the volume of the aviary advanced the egg laying period of one specific population by almost 1 month, and (2) crossing pairs of birds from different origins strongly reduced the nest building and egg laying behaviours. These results indicate that obtaining biologically relevant breeding results in captivity with wild birds requires the control and experimental manipulation of a wide array of complex environmental cues.