Responses of freshwater ecosystems to global change: research progress and outlook

全球变化已经通过提高水温、改变降水格局和水流状况、促进物种入侵、增加极端事件, 对不同的淡水生态系统造成严重的威胁。该文将全球变化背景下淡水生态学的主要研究内容归纳为: (1)全球变化各要素对个体、种群、群落及至生态系统水平的影响; (2)全球变化过程中生态系统生物地球化学循环的改变; (3)淡水生态系统对全球变化的适应对策。最近10-15年淡水生态系统与全球变化研究快速发展, 取得的重要突破有: (1)阐明淡水生态系统结构与功能对全球气候变化尤其是水温升高的响应过程与机制; (2)揭示淡水生态系统(湿地、湖泊、河流等)是全球碳循环的重要组成部分, 在全球变化因素的影响下呈现有机碳埋藏减少和矿化速率提高。今后的研究中, 需要进一步加强对淡水生态系统全要素的系统观测与整合; 开展以“河流”为介质耦合多系统的碳输运和转化过程研究; 强化基础理论研究揭示淡水生态系统对全球变化的适应机制。     

淡水生态系统对全球变化的响应:研究进展与展望

全球变化已经通过提高水温、改变降水格局和水流状况、促进物种入侵、增加极端事件,对不同的淡水生态系统造成严重的威胁。该文将全球变化背景下淡水生态学的主要研究内容归纳为:(1)全球变化各要素对个体、种群、群落及至生态系统水平的影响;(2)全球变化过程中生态系统生物地球化学循环的改变;(3)淡水生态系统对全球变化的适应对策。最近10–15年淡水生态系统与全球变化研究快速发展,取得的重要突破有:(1)阐明淡水生态系统结构与功能对全球气候变化尤其是水温升高的响应过程与机制;(2)揭示淡水生态系统(湿地、湖泊、河流等)是全球碳循环的重要组成部分,在全球变化因素的影响下呈现有机碳埋藏减少和矿化速率提高。今后的研究中,需要进一步加强对淡水生态系统全要素的系统观测与整合;开展以"河流"为介质耦合多系统的碳输运和转化过程研究;强化基础理论研究揭示淡水生态系统对全球变化的适应机制。     

基于BIOLOG技术分析氮沉降和降水对土壤微生物功能多样性的影响

土壤微生物是有机物分解和养分循环的主要介质,因此在维持土壤的功能多样性和持续性方面发挥着关键作用。气候变化驱动因素会影响土壤微生物的生理活动,引起其群落结构和功能多样性的改变,并对生物地球化学循环和气候―生态系统反馈产生连锁效应,其中氮沉降和降水是全球气候变化的研究热点。土壤氮(N)的有效性有可能通过改变微生物的群落组成以调节微生物对降水变化的响应,但目前关于N沉降和降水及其交互作用对土壤微生物群落功能多样性的影响机制仍不清楚。为了准确预测未来气候条件下生态系统的功能状况,需要更好地了解土壤微生物对环境变化的响应。基于BIOLOG技术综述了氮沉降和降水变化及其交互作用对土壤微生物功能多样性影响的相关研究进展,可以为进一步研究全球气候变化背景下地下生态学的发展提供参考。另外,分析阐述了当前工作中存在的一些主要瓶颈,并对未来的研究热点进行了探讨和展望。     

植物功能性状研究进展

植物功能性状是指植物体具有的与其定植、存活、生长和死亡紧密相关的一系列核心植物属性,且这些属性能够显著影响生态系统功能,并能够反映植被对环境变化的响应.越来越多的研究表明,相比大多数基于植物分类和数量的研究,植物功能性状在种群、群落和生态系统尺度上,都已成为解决重要生态学问题的可靠途径.本文回顾了植物功能性状研究的发展历程,总结了近10年来基于植物功能性状研究的前沿科学问题,包括功能性状的全球分布格局和内在关联,沿环境梯度的变化规律,功能多样性的定义及应用,与群落物种共存机制和群落动态变化的关系,与系统发育的关系,对生态系统功能的影响以及对各类干扰的影响和响应.尽管功能性状研究已经延伸到生态学领域的各个方面,有力推动了各个前沿科学问题的研究发展,仍然有很多值得关注和着重研究的方向.本文也对未来基于植物功能性状的研究,从性状测量和选取、研究方法以及研究方向上提出了展望,并指出,在当前全球气候变化背景下,功能性状也可应用于指导生物多样性保护和生态系统管理政策的制定.     

鱼类群落多样性研究的理论与方法

我国水域面积巨大,生物多样性居世界第三。然而因水体污染、水生植被破坏、湖泊围垦、江湖阻隔、过度捕捞等因素影响,目前我国许多水体的鱼类群落多样性不断下降,水生生态系统功能逐渐退化。通过鱼类群落多样性的相关研究,可在群落水平上反映水域生态系统结构与功能对生态环境变化的响应。为此,综述了鱼类群落研究中水下观察、蹦网、罩网、刺网、电捕、拖网、围网、定置张网等各种采样方法的特点,测度鱼类群落多样性的各种指数类型,距岸距离、水生植物、水深、底质、溶氧、温度、盐度等环境因子对鱼类群落多样性的影响,以及鱼类群落多样性与生态系统功能间的关系,旨在为鱼类群落多样性的研究提供理论参考,推动渔业生产与环境保护的协调发展。     

淡水鱼类功能多样性及其研究方法

目前,群落功能多样性备受生态学界关注,被认为是能解决生态问题的一种重要途径。我国对于群落功能多样性主要集中在植物群落和微生物群落,而在鱼类群落方面的研究几乎是空白。我国鱼类资源正面临着严重威胁,包括水坝建设导致的鱼类通道受阻、水库形成造成鱼类产卵场功能消失、过度捕捞、水质恶化和富营养化加重、外来种入侵等因素,导致渔业资源急剧衰退,水生生态系统功能下降。以淡水鱼类群落为例,对鱼类功能多样性的数据获取及处理分析与评价、测定指标及计算方法与研究难点等进行综述,以期为鱼类资源保护提供新的理论依据和切入点。     

我国土壤线虫生态学研究进展和展望

土壤线虫生态学主要探讨土壤线虫群落和其周围环境(包括生物和非生物)的相互关系, 包括不同生态系统中土壤线虫群落的分布和结构组成、线虫群落与土壤环境及其他土壤生物之间的相互作用等。本文回顾了我国研究者近年来在土壤线虫生态学研究领域的研究现状, 包括不同生态系统土壤线虫群落的分布、组成和多样性及其影响因素, 土壤线虫群落与全球气候环境变化的关系, 土壤线虫群落的生态功能以及土壤线虫群落生态学分析方法的发展及应用。重点评述近年来我国土壤线虫生态学的发展现状, 同时分析和比较了国内外土壤线虫生态学的发展态势, 提出建设全国范围的监测网络的重要性。未来我国土壤线虫生态学的发展方向应继续加强小尺度下土壤微食物网联通性和大尺度下全球气候变化对土壤线虫群落影响的研究以及加强相关新的研究技术方法的应用。     

淡水生态系统水溶性有机碳对全球变化的响应研究进展

淡水生态系统水溶性有机碳(dissolved organic carbon,DOC)是全球碳循环的重要组成部分,也是淡水生态系统异养生物物质和能量来源,其对全球变化的响应很大程度上影响着全球碳汇的大小和淡水生态系统结构和功能。过去对陆地生态系统碳循环的研究较多,而有关淡水生态系统碳循环,特别是淡水生态系统DOC在全球碳循环中的作用及其对气候变化的响应研究相对缺乏。本文综述了近年全球变化对淡水生态系统DOC的影响,以及淡水生态系统DOC对全球变化的反馈。指出了全球变化各因子对淡水生态系统DOC的影响存在交互作用,各因子的影响程度也会随时间、空间而变化。淡水生态系统DOC对全球变的反馈程度也存在时空变异,但该方面的研究十分有限,反馈机制不十分清楚。基于目前研究,本文提出今后值得深入研究的三个方面,即:(1)扩展研究区域和范围,了解DOC在不同区域淡水生态系统中的动态变化特征;(2)加强全球变化对淡水生态系统DOC的组成和结构特征影响的研究;(3)深入研究淡水生态系统DOC对全球变化的反馈程度和机制。     

微生物生态学理论框架

微生物是生态系统的重要组成部分,直接或间接地参与所有的生态过程。微生物生态学是基于微生物群体的科学,利用微生物群体DNA/RNA等标志物,重点研究微生物群落构建、组成演变、多样性及其与环境的关系,在生态学理论的指导和反复模型拟合下由统计分析得出具有普遍意义的结论。其研究范围从基因尺度到全球尺度。分子生物学技术的发展,使人们可以直接从基因水平上考查其多样性,从而使得对微生物空间分布格局及其成因的深入研究成为可能。进而可以从方法学探讨微生物生物多样性、分布格局、影响机制及其对全球变化的响应等。在微生物生态学研究中,群落构建与演化、分布特征(含植物-微生物相互关系)、执行群体功能的机理(生物地球化学循环等)、对环境变化的响应与反馈机理是今后需要关注的重点领域。概述了微生物生态学的概念,并初步提出其理论框架,在对比宏观生态学基础理论和模型的基础上,分析微生物多样性的研究内容、研究方法和群落构建的理论机制,展望了今后研究的重点领域。     

青藏高原高寒草地生物多样性与生态系统功能的关系

生物多样性和生态系统功能(BEF)之间的关系是目前陆地生态系统生态学研究的热点, 对于生态系统的高效利用与管理意义重大, 而且对于退化生态系统功能的恢复及生物多样性的保护有重要的指导作用。高寒草地是青藏高原生态系统的主体, 近年来, 在气候变化与人为干扰等因素的驱动下, 高寒草地生态系统功能严重衰退。为此, 本文在综述物种多样性和生态系统功能及其相互关系研究进展的基础上, 首先从地下生态学过程研究、全球变化对生态系统多功能性的影响等方面解析了目前关于草地生物多样性和生态系统功能研究中存在的问题。继而, 从不同草地类型、草地退化程度、放牧、模拟气候变化、刈割、施肥、封育和补播等干扰利用方式对高寒草地物种多样性与生态系统功能的影响进行了全面的评述。并指出了高寒草地BEF研究中存在的不足, 今后应基于物种功能多样性开展高寒草地BEF研究, 全面且综合地考虑非生物因子(养分资源、外界干扰、环境波动等)对生物多样性与生态系统功能之间关系的影响, 关注尺度效应和要素耦合在全球气候变化对高寒草地BEF研究中的作用。最后, 以高寒草地BEF研究进展和结论为支撑依据, 综合提出了高寒草地资源利用和生物多样性保护的措施与建议: 加强放牧管理, 保护生物多样性; 治理退化草地, 维持生物多样性功能; 加强创新保护理念, 增强生态系统功能。     

Spatio-temporal dynamics of multi-trophic communities reveal ecosystem-wide functional reorganization

Large-scale alterations in marine ecosystems as a response to environmental and anthropogenic pressures have been documented worldwide. Yet, these are primarily investigated by assessing abundance fluctuations of a few dominant species, which inadequately reflect ecosystem-wide changes. In addition, it is increasingly recognized that it is not species identity per se, but their traits that determine environmental responses, biological interactions and ecosystem functioning. In this study, we investigated long-term, spatio-temporal variability in trait composition across multiple organism groups to assess whether functional changes occur in a similar way across trophic levels and whether shifts in trait composition link to environmental change. We combined extensive trait datasets with long-term surveys (30–40 yr) of four organism groups (phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates and fish) in three environmentally distinct areas of a large marine ecosystem. We found similar temporal trajectories in the community weighted mean trait time-series of the different trophic groups, revealing ecosystem-wide functional changes. The traits involved and their dynamics differed between areas, concurrent with climate-driven changes in temperature and salinity, as well as more local dynamics in nutrients and oxygen. This finding highlights the importance of considering both global climate, as well as local external drivers when studying ecosystem changes. Using a multi-trophic trait-based approach, our study demonstrates the importance of integrating community functional dynamics across multiple trophic levels to capture ecosystem-wide responses which could, ultimately, help moving towards a holistic understanding, assessment and management of marine ecosystems.     

Climate change and freshwater biodiversity: detected patterns, future trends and adaptations in northern regions

Current rates of climate change are unprecedented, and biological responses to these changes have also been rapid at the levels of ecosystems, communities, and species. Most research on climate change effects on biodiversity has concentrated on the terrestrial realm, and considerable changes in terrestrial biodiversity and species’ distributions have already been detected in response to climate change. The studies that have considered organisms in the freshwater realm have also shown that freshwater biodiversity is highly vulnerable to climate change, with extinction rates and extirpations of freshwater species matching or exceeding those suggested for better‐known terrestrial taxa. There is some evidence that freshwater species have exhibited range shifts in response to climate change in the last millennia, centuries, and decades. However, the effects are typically species‐specific, with cold‐water organisms being generally negatively affected and warm‐water organisms positively affected. However, detected range shifts are based on findings from a relatively low number of taxonomic groups, samples from few freshwater ecosystems, and few regions. The lack of a wider knowledge hinders predictions of the responses of much of freshwater biodiversity to climate change and other major anthropogenic stressors. Due to the lack of detailed distributional information for most freshwater taxonomic groups and the absence of distribution‐climate models, future studies should aim at furthering our knowledge about these aspects of the ecology of freshwater organisms. Such information is not only important with regard to the basic ecological issue of predicting the responses of freshwater species to climate variables, but also when assessing the applied issue of the capacity of protected areas to accommodate future changes in the distributions of freshwater species. This is a huge challenge, because most current protected areas have not been delineated based on the requirements of freshwater organisms. Thus, the requirements of freshwater organisms should be taken into account in the future delineation of protected areas and in the estimation of the degree to which protected areas accommodate freshwater biodiversity in the changing climate and associated environmental changes.     

Climate change threats to the global functional diversity of freshwater fish

Climate change impacts on freshwater ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity show strong spatial variability, highlighting the importance of a global perspective. While previous studies on biodiversity mostly focused on species richness, functional diversity, which is a better predictor of ecosystem functioning, has received much less attention. This study aims to comprehensively assess climate change threats to the functional diversity of freshwater fish across the world, considering three complementary metrics—functional richness, evenness and divergence. We built on existing spatially explicit projections of geographical ranges for 11,425 riverine fish species as affected by changes in streamflow and water temperature extremes at four warming levels (1.5°C, 2.0°C, 3.2°C and 4.5°C). To estimate functional diversity, we considered the following four continuous, morphological and physiological traits: relative head length, relative body depth, trophic level and relative growth rate. Together, these traits cover five ecological functions. We treated missing trait values in two different ways: we either removed species with missing trait values or imputed them. Depending on the warming level, 6%–25% of the locations globally face a complete loss of functional diversity when assuming no dispersal (6%–17% when assuming maximal dispersal), with hotspots in the Amazon and Paraná River basins. The three facets of functional diversity do not always follow the same pattern. Sometimes, functional richness is not yet affected despite species loss, while functional evenness and divergence are already reducing. Other times, functional richness reduces, while functional evenness and/or divergence increase instead. The contrasting patterns of the three facets of functional diversity show their complementarity among each other and their added value compared to species richness. With increasing climate change, impacts on freshwater communities accelerate, making early mitigation critically important.     

Effects of pasture conversion to sugarcane for biofuel production on stream fish assemblages in tropical agroecosystems

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Net effects of multiple stressors in freshwater ecosystems: a meta‐analysis

The accelerating rate of global change has focused attention on the cumulative impacts of novel and extreme environmental changes (i.e. stressors), especially in marine ecosystems. As integrators of local catchment and regional processes, freshwater ecosystems are also ranked highly sensitive to the net effects of multiple stressors, yet there has not been a large‐scale quantitative synthesis. We analysed data from 88 papers including 286 responses of freshwater ecosystems to paired stressors and discovered that overall, their cumulative mean effect size was less than the sum of their single effects (i.e. an antagonistic interaction). Net effects of dual stressors on diversity and functional performance response metrics were additive and antagonistic, respectively. Across individual studies, a simple vote‐counting method revealed that the net effects of stressor pairs were frequently more antagonistic (41%) than synergistic (28%), additive (16%) or reversed (15%). Here, we define a reversal as occurring when the net impact of two stressors is in the opposite direction (negative or positive) from that of the sum of their single effects. While warming paired with nutrification resulted in additive net effects, the overall mean net effect of warming combined with a second stressor was antagonistic. Most importantly, the mean net effects across all stressor pairs and response metrics were consistently antagonistic or additive, contrasting the greater prevalence of reported synergies in marine systems. Here, a possible explanation for more antagonistic responses by freshwater biota to stressors is that the inherent greater environmental variability of smaller aquatic ecosystems fosters greater potential for acclimation and co‐adaptation to multiple stressors.     

Interdecadal changes in ichthyofauna in a tropical bay with high anthropogenic influences: functional stability despite turnover predominance

Functional characteristics of species are of great importance for understanding their roles in ecosystems and can be used to detect long-term chances in the environment. We evaluated temporal changes (1983–1985 and 2017–2019) in taxonomic and functional indices of the fish fauna in shallow areas of a tropical bay heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities in recent decades. The hypothesis that functional indices change over time as a result of environmental degradation was tested. Our results showed a significant decrease in species richness and abundance over time, and in functional richness, while others functional diversity indices (divergency, evenness, and originality) remained stable. Thirteen functional groups were detected, some of which contained only one species, raising concerns about the loss of ecosystem functions due to ongoing changes. We also observed an increase in beta diversity over time, which may be the result of a decrease in local richness without leading to regional extinctions. Turnover was the most important process in structuring the fish fauna at the evaluated time scale. The relative stability of the functional structure and the higher levels of turnover seem to be related to the dominance of functional groups, within which species replace each other according to their responses to environmental filters that select for specific functional traits. Incorporating functional diversity indices and beta diversity variations in the fish community helped to enhance the existing information about this coastal system by offering improved estimates of biological diversity through diverse approaches. The predominance of turnover identified in the preset study suggests a dynamic and fluctuating species composition within the habitat. In this sense, habitat preservation should prioritize the protection of diverse habitats to accommodate a broad spectrum of species.     

Mass coral bleaching causes biotic homogenization of reef fish assemblages

Global climate change is altering community composition across many ecosystems due to nonrandom species turnover, typically characterized by the loss of specialist species and increasing similarity of biological communities across spatial scales. As anthropogenic disturbances continue to alter species composition globally, there is a growing need to identify how species responses influence the establishment of distinct assemblages, such that management actions may be appropriately assigned. Here, we use trait‐based analyses to compare temporal changes in five complementary indices of reef fish assemblage structure among six taxonomically distinct coral reef habitats exposed to a system‐wide thermal stress event. Our results revealed increased taxonomic and functional similarity of previously distinct reef fish assemblages following mass coral bleaching, with changes characterized by subtle, but significant, shifts toward predominance of small‐bodied, algal‐farming habitat generalists. Furthermore, while the taxonomic or functional richness of fish assemblages did not change across all habitats, an increase in functional originality indicated an overall loss of functional redundancy. We also found that prebleaching coral composition better predicted changes in fish assemblage structure than the magnitude of coral loss. These results emphasize how measures of alpha diversity can mask important changes in the structure and functioning of ecosystems as assemblages reorganize. Our findings also highlight the role of coral species composition in structuring communities and influencing the diversity of responses of reef fishes to disturbance. As new coral species configurations emerge, their desirability will hinge upon the composition of associated species and their capacity to maintain key ecological processes in spite of ongoing disturbances.     

Multiple stressors,nonlinear effects and the implications of climate change impacts on marine coastal ecosystems

Global climate change will undoubtedly be a pressure on coastal marine ecosystems, affecting not only species distributions and physiology but also ecosystem functioning. In the coastal zone, the environmental variables that may drive ecological responses to climate change include temperature, wave energy, upwelling events and freshwater inputs, and all act and interact at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. To date, we have a poor understanding of how climate‐related environmental changes may affect coastal marine ecosystems or which environmental variables are likely to produce priority effects. Here we use time series data (17 years) of coastal benthic macrofauna to investigate responses to a range of climate‐influenced variables including sea‐surface temperature, southern oscillation indices (SOI, Z4), wind‐wave exposure, freshwater inputs and rainfall. We investigate responses from the abundances of individual species to abundances of functional traits and test whether species that are near the edge of their tolerance to another stressor (in this case sedimentation) may exhibit stronger responses. The responses we observed were all nonlinear and some exhibited thresholds. While temperature was most frequently an important predictor, wave exposure and ENSO‐related variables were also frequently important and most ecological variables responded to interactions between environmental variables. There were also indications that species sensitive to another stressor responded more strongly to weaker climate‐related environmental change at the stressed site than the unstressed site. The observed interactions between climate variables, effects on key species or functional traits, and synergistic effects of additional anthropogenic stressors have important implications for understanding and predicting the ecological consequences of climate change to coastal ecosystems.     

淡水鱼类入侵种的分布、入侵途径、机制与后果

生物入侵已经成为全球面临的三大环境问题之一。鱼类入侵现象也随全球经济一体化的进程日益严重。本文综述了全球淡水鱼类入侵的现状和研究进展, 包括鱼类入侵的定义及分布、入侵途径和机制、产生的生态和社会经济影响以及预防措施等。据统计, 目前全球外来鱼类达624种, 该数量超过30年前的两倍。外来鱼类主要通过水产养殖(51%)、观赏渔业(21%)、休闲垂钓(12%)、渔业捕捞运输(7%)等多种途径被引进。入侵鱼类对本地种产生了捕食、种内种间竞争、杂交和疾病传播等负面影响, 破坏本地生态系统, 但是其正面的生态及社会经济影响也不可忽略。近20年来全球鱼类入侵日益受到重视, 相关论文发表数量翻了8倍。值得提出的是, 近10年来全球鱼类入侵风险评价系统的研究显著增加, 一些鱼类入侵模型已应用于五大洲的多个国家。我国淡水外来鱼类共计439种。然而, 我国关于鱼类入侵的研究起步较晚, 发表文献数仅占全球的3.7%, 且主要研究方向仍集中在入侵物种的分布及生物学特性等基础研究上, 缺乏对于鱼类入侵机制及风险评价预测的研究。因此, 我们建议: (1)开展全国范围的本底调查并建立数据库, 实现数据共享, 明确鱼类入侵的历史与分布现状; (2)联合多个政府部门和机构, 对鱼类入侵进行长期观测, 从整个水生生态系统的角度出发, 深入了解其入侵机制及其产生的正面和负面生态和社会经济影响; (3)加强增殖放流的科学研究和管理; (4)构建区域性外来鱼类入侵风险评价系统, 有效预测鱼类入侵活动, 评价入侵种的危害, 并为相关政府部门的决策提供科学依据。