采矿地的生态恢复技术

矿藏开采给生态环境带来严重破坏.矿地与尾矿的自然恢复是相当缓慢的,有些甚至是不大可能自然恢复的.本文总结了在过去20年全球发展起来的各种生态恢复技术措施,包括基质的改良,优良物种的选择等,并总结出一套人工恢复的一般步骤,分析了目前所存在的评判人工生态恢复成功与否的几种评价体系的优劣.     

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。     

煤矸石场植被恢复初期生态绩效评价

以山西潞安矿业集团司马煤业有限公司煤矸石场生态恢复5年内(2009—2013年)的植被-土壤系统为研究对象,在固定监测样地调查的基础上,以空间变化代替时间变化,对煤矸石场人工种植乔木层条件下,草本植物自然恢复初期的生态绩效进行了评价,结果表明:1)相较于1a恢复期,煤矸石场植被恢复初期植物群落基本特征、土壤物理性质、土壤化学性质及其综合生态绩效在5a恢复期时均达到了"优"级水平;2)在足够长的恢复期内,人工种植乔木层条件下,草本植物的自然恢复可以实现矿区的植被重建;3)基于AHP-FCE评价模型,以1a恢复期为基准,通过各恢复期生态指标与1a恢复期相比的恢复程度设定绩效等级,对煤矸石场植被恢复初期的生态绩效进行评价,避免了以往选取天然次生群落为恢复目标,但又不确定其是否为最佳恢复效果的盲目性,为生态绩效评价提供了新思路。     

采石场废弃地的生态重建研究进展

采石场的开采严重破坏了植被和土壤,形成了大量的裸露岩石斜坡,造成宏观景观支离破碎和极端的环境条件,限制了植物的生长。由于自然恢复所需时间长久,人工恢复被广泛应用于采石场废弃地的生态重建。自然演替过程是采石场生态重建的理论基础,自然演替理论可以为人工恢复措施提供指导。植物群落演替的早期阶段,非生物因素起主要作用,随着演替的推移,生物因素的重要性增强。邻近自然植被的土壤和繁殖体通过外力的扩散,对恢复起重要作用。除了非生物和其他的限制,先到达恢复地的物种竞争能力的变化能决定了演替过程。演替过程中的干扰因素往往成为演替重要的驱动力。裸露岩石斜坡的物理稳定性对植被恢复有重要影响,有机废物的使用和施肥可以影响恢复演替的方向和生物多样性。播种一定的植物能够改变恢复演替方向,加速演替过程。乡土物种适应了当地气候,能够促进演替。随着修复时间的延长,土壤有机质含量,植被覆盖度和物种丰富度不断增加,土壤微生物生物量随之增加。开展不同地区采石场植物种类的选育、研究乡土物种的功能特性、土壤微生物群落和酶的变化、植被演替过程的定位研究、植物种间的竞争关系、自然演替和人工恢复的比较研究、探索经济高效的采石场生态重建方法是未来的研究方向。     

石林风景区不同石漠化人工修复方式对木本植物群落组成及种群生态位的影响

石漠化是我国西南喀斯特地区生态修复最严重的障碍,植被恢复是石漠化治理的重要途径。近50年来,我国开展了大量石漠化植被恢复的实践与研究,包括自然恢复与人工修复。但是,长期以来缺乏对已完成人工修复的植被的演替特征和修复效果的研究,而人工修复植被的效果评价能为石漠化生态修复提供理论依据与实践经验。以石林风景区中两类人工修复植被——栽植植被(PV)与飞播植被(ASV)为研究对象,以地带性自然植被(ZNV)为对照,研究人工修复植被中木本植物群落组成、群落多样性和种群生态位特征,以期揭示不同人工修复方式下的植被构成规律以及对有限资源的利用程度。结果表明:(1)在地带性自然植被、栽植植被和飞播植被3种植被类型中分别记录到木本植物92种(45科80属)、138种(50科101属)与44种(26科37属),3种植被类型中的共有种12种。(2)3种植被类型的Patrick丰富度指数与Shannon-Wiener多样性指数排序均呈现为地带性自然植被栽植植被飞播植被(P0.01),栽植植被与地带性自然植被之间的Jaccard相似性指数为0.14,飞播植被与地带性自然植被之间的Jaccard相似性指数为0.12;(3)3种植被类型中任意两者之间的生态位宽度均存在较大差异,但是清香木(Pistacia weinmannifolia)在3种植被类型中生态位宽度排位均靠前,利用资源能力较强;(4)生态位重叠程度的排序为地带性自然植被飞播植被栽植植被。综上,与地带性自然植被相比,人工修复植被物种多样性较低,但是人工修复植被的优势种中乡土植物占89.33%,乡土植物生态位较广,生态位重叠值偏低,植被较为稳定。在人工修复植被中,栽植植被的修复效果优于飞播植被。研究结果对未来喀斯特石漠化地区进行人工植被修复的物种规划与群落构建时具有重要的参考价值。     

人工恢复与自然恢复模式下苔草草丘生态特征比较

本研究以哈尔滨太阳岛草丘湿地为对象,对比了人工恢复与自然恢复下苔草草丘个体和种群的生态特征,并分析其与环境因子的关系.结果表明:苔草植株生长随时间呈现先增加后降低的变化趋势(5—8月),初期(5—6月)生长迅速,6月达到峰值.人工恢复和自然恢复模式下,苔草草丘个体和种群特征差异显著:自然恢复下苔草叶面积、叶宽、单株鲜重、单株干重、丘墩高度、直径、丘顶面积、丘墩表面积、丘墩体积等苔草草丘个体特征均显著高于人工恢复,人工恢复下苔草草丘密度、盖度、生物量等种群特征显著高于自然恢复,物种多样性无显著差异.土壤含水量、水深、草丘密度、丘间距离是导致2种恢复模式下苔草草丘生长差异的主要因素,自然恢复区土壤含水量、水深、间距均显著高于人工恢复区,对草丘个体的形成和发育具有促进作用,人工恢复区高移栽密度是导致草丘密度、盖度、生物量高于自然恢复区的主要因素.建议未来开展苔草草丘湿地恢复和保护时,应参考自然恢复湿地中草丘的分布特点,适当调整丘间距离(54.22～117.89 cm)和种群密度(1.9～3.1 墩·m^-2),同时采取干旱区春季适当补水措施,保持适宜的土壤含水量和水深,促进苔草草丘的生长发育和快速恢复,维持其种群长期健康稳定.     

矿山生态恢复研究进展——基于连续三届的世界生态恢复大会报告

最近连续三届世界生态恢复大会都将矿山生态系统列为大会交流的主题之一。为了解矿山生态修复的最新进展,本文采用文献分析方法和统计分析法,全面对比了这三届大会的论文和报告,包括参会国家、主要机构、热点矿区、修复要素、矿山类型、修复技术等。在此基础上,归纳了新开发的生态修复技术,包括植被恢复、土壤修复和景观恢复等新技术;总结了当前的研究热点,主要有复垦的土壤和修复的植物之间相互作用的机理、矿山生态修复的监测新技术、本土物种保持、污染土壤修复新技术、应对全球气候变化的矿山生态修复新思维和矿山生态系统服务价值等;介绍了会议提出的新观点,如自然恢复和人工恢复选择的新标准、矿山生态恢复力新理论、新型矿山生态系统及其设计等。最后对未来研究趋势进行了预测。     

缙云山风灾迹地恢复群落主要乔木树种种间联结性

应用方差比率法,并通过2×2列联表χ2检验法及利用联结系数AC指数测定法研究了缙云山自然保护区风灾迹地恢复群落自然恢复样地和人工恢复样地中主要乔木树种的种间联结性。结果表明:(1)自然恢复样地主要乔木种群间在总体上呈一定的正关联;而人工恢复样地种群间在总体上呈负关联;(2)2×2列联表的χ2检验共有5个(3)种对为显著正关联(括号内为人工恢复群落的种对数,下同),2个(1)种对为显著负关联;(3)联结系数(AC)指数标量出了自然恢复和人工恢复样地中种对间的联结程度和相伴随出现的机率,两种恢复方式中的多数乔木种群间的联结性不显著且联结程度较低,绝大多数乔木树种之间无显著关联,而且人工恢复比自然恢复无关联性更强;(4)种对间的正关联,主要是由于它们具有相近的生物学特性以及对生境具有相似的生态适应性所致,种对间的负关联主要是由于物种间的空间排斥,适应不同的微环境的结果;(5)人工恢复和自然恢复所在的群落处于演替的不稳定阶段。     

让自然做功 事半功倍———正确理解“自然积存、自然渗透、自然净化”

"自然存积、自然渗透、自然净化"是海绵城市建设的要义,体现了"天人合一"的生态智慧,其核心在于正确且充分利用"自然力"。从自然降水规律与城市下垫面的特异性研究出发,采取因地制宜的建设策略与方法,以保护、利用、恢复和完善城市水系为主,人工优化与补充为辅,是"三个自然"的精髓。结合案例研究,从天然海绵体的保护与人工优化、海绵系统与城市排水系统的衔接、因地制宜的人工海绵体建构三个方面阐述了正确理解"三个自然"的方法。     

环境因素对湖泊高等水生植物生长及分布的影响

综述了水质、底质、周丛生物,浮游生物等对湖泊水生高等植物生长的影响,指出:水生高等植物的恢复是湖泊生态功能恢复的关键;水生高等植物恢复,应在营造其合适生境的基础上,以自然恢复为主,人工恢复应遵循自然规律,优化群落结构;草食性鱼类对湖泊水生高等植物负面影响较大,应注意控制.     

Abandoned metalliferous mines: ecological impacts and potential approaches for reclamation

The lack of awareness for timely management of the environment surrounding a metal mine site results in several adverse consequences such as rampant business losses, abandoning the bread-earning mining industry, domestic instability and rise in ghost towns, increased environmental pollution, and indirect long-term impacts on the ecosystem. Although several abandoned mine lands (AMLs) exist globally, information on these derelict mines has not been consolidated in the literature. We present here the state-of-the-art on AMLs in major mining countries with emphasis on their impact towards soil health and biodiversity, remediation methods, and laws governing management of mined sites. While reclamation of metalliferous mines by phytoremediation is still a suitable option, there exist several limitations for its implementation. However, many issues of phytoremediation at the derelict mines can be resolved following phytostabilization, a technology that is effective also at the modern operational mine sites. The use of transgenic plant species in phytoremediation of metals in contaminated sites is also gaining momentum. In any case, monitoring and efficacy testing for bioremediation of mined sites is essential. The approaches for reclamation of metalliferous mines such as environmental awareness, effective planning and assessment of pre- and post-mining activities, implementation of regulations, and a safe and good use of phytostabilizers among the native plants for revegetation and ecological restoration are discussed in detail in the present review. We also suggest the use of microbially-enhanced phytoremediation and nanotechnology for efficient reclamation of AMLs, and identify future work warranted in this area of research. Further, we believe that the integration of science of remediation with mining policies and regulations is a reliable option which when executed can virtually balance economic development and environmental destruction for safer future.     

Restoration of mined lands—using natural processes

Mining causes soil damage and destruction. In the process of removing the desired mineral material, original soils become lost, or buried by wastes. In many countries legislation now requires that surface soils be conserved and replaced, but there is a vast heritage of degraded land left by past mining that requires restoration. Since the industry that created this heritage has often gone and there is no money left, the restoration needs to be achieved as cheaply and yet as effectively as possible. The processes of natural succession demonstrate that nature can achieve restoration unaided, and develop fully functioning soils. Although there are problems set by the processes of dispersal, once they are established plants demonstrate that they can readily provide organic matter, lower soil bulk density, and bring mineral nutrients to the surface and accumulate them in an available form. Most importantly, some species can fix and accumulate nitrogen rapidly in sufficient quantities to provide a nitrogen capital, where none previously existed, more than adequate for normal ecosystem functioning. It will normally (but not always) be necessary to introduce artificially, the plant species most appropriate for the restoration process. But natural ecosystem development can then be left to occur on its own. In mined lands, however, certain extreme soil conditions may occur that prevent plant growth, particularly physical conditions, gross lack of certain nutrients and toxicity. It can be important that these are identified and relieved first, otherwise the whole restoration process may either not begin, or fail after a few years. But even so, ecosystem restoration can be achieved at low cost, and the product be self-sustaining in the long term, ecological engineering of the best kind.     

Deploying microbes as drivers and indicators in ecological restoration

Ecosystem degradation is a major environmental threat. Beyond conservation, restoration of degraded ecosystems is a prerequisite to reinstate their ability to provide essential services and benefits. Most of the restoration efforts focus on aboveground restoration, that is, plants, under the assumption that establishment of plant species will reestablish the faunal and microbial species. While this may be true for some cases, it is not a general rule. Reestablishment of microbial communities by dedicated efforts is also necessary for successful restoration, as cycling of essential nutrients for plant growth and decomposition of organic matter is dependent on them. The role of microbial fertilizers and efficient organisms used in agriculture needs to be explored in restoration. Testing of symbiotic interactions between potential plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria and plants native to a degraded ecosystem can be conducted and utilized for successful establishment of plant species. However, utmost care must be taken while introducing new microbial species or non-native plant species to an area, as they can adversely affect the resident microbial community. Techniques like phospholipid fatty-acid analysis can be used for taxonomic identification of large microbial groups in non-degraded reference ecosystems before introducing microbial species into a degraded ecosystem. For use of microbes in restoration, more studies on microbe-plant interactions need to be conducted. For use of Soil Microbial Community (SMC) as indicators of restoration, their role and function in the ecology of the area need to be elucidated by employing all the available techniques.     

Phytometers are underutilised for evaluating ecological restoration

Ecological restoration increases, but evaluation of restoration efforts is inadequate because reliable performance indicators are lacking. As plants are important actors in ecological restoration, we suggest that they be used as metres, i.e. phytometers, of restoration success. Phytometer plants are transplanted to different conditions to integrate measures of the prevailing conditions. We analysed 109 studies for the use of phytometers and especially their applicability to evaluate ecological restoration. Most studies employed single species and life-stages and focused on habitat conditions and environmental impacts. Most experiments were conducted on grasslands in moist temperate regions. Growth was the dominant response variable, in long-term studies often combined with reproductive output and plant survival. Only five studies specifically evaluated ecological restoration, implying that its potential is not yet realised. We found phytometers promising in evaluating restoration outcomes given that they are easy to measure, can provide rapid results, and serve as integrative indicators of environmental conditions with the ability of covering many aspects of plant life and ecosystem processes. To evaluate restoration success with high resolution and generality, we suggest a combination of different phytometer species, life-forms and life-stages, and experimental periods >1 year to reduce effects of transplantation and between-year variation and to account for time lags in ecological processes and changes after restoration.     

Community assembly of Diptera following restoration of mined boreal bogs: taxonomic and functional diversity

Peat mining causes major degradation to bogs and natural regeneration of these sites is slow and often incomplete. Thus, restoration is an important tool for re-establishing natural ecosystem properties (although perhaps not the original species pool) in mined bogs. Because faunal recovery cannot be taken for granted following plant restoration, we assessed community assembly of higher flies (Diptera: Brachycera) in previously mined bogs 7 years after restoration. Species assemblages in restored sites were compared to those in nearby natural and abandoned mined sites. The three treatment types did not differ significantly in overall species composition, suggesting high resilience to disturbance. However, species richness and evenness were generally lower in abandoned sites than restored and natural sites, which had similar abundance distributions, indicating that restoration enhanced recovery of species diversity and community structure. Functional traits (trophic group, body size) provided a different insight into the status of restored sites. Trophic and small size-class (<5 mm) composition in restored sites were similar to those in abandoned sites. However, high species richness estimates indicated that predators and saprophages successfully colonized restored sites. Species assemblages were mostly affected by coverage of bare peat, Sphagnum mosses and ericaceous shrubs; trophic assemblages were affected by variables directly linked to feeding habits. Our results suggest that active restoration is needed for the renewal of high species and trophic diversity, although it is clear from environmental conditions and functional traits that the restored sites are not yet fully functioning peatlands 7 years after restoration.     

大保高速公路老营段路域植被生态恢复

路域植被生态系统的恢复与重建不仅是道路生态学的重要研究内容,而且也是恢复生态学的重要研究领域.以大保高速公路老营段路域植被生态系统为对象,对比分析了8种植被恢复模式的作用效果与作用机理.研究结果表明,在相同的恢复时间内,自然恢复的植物群落中本土植物的比例相对较高,自然恢复是该区路域植被恢复的理想模式之一.随着恢复演替时间的推移,所有群落中木本植物的比例不断增加,草本植物的比例不断下降,植物群落分层现象明显,植物群落向原生植被发生进展或偏途演替.补播本土植物是促进植被恢复演替进程的主要途径之一,不仅可以增加乡土物种的比例、增加植物群落的多样性和均匀度,而且随着恢复时间的推移,可以形成层次明显、功能群组合合理的植物群落.人工蓝桉经济林不仅降低了植物群落及各功能群的多样性、丰富度和均匀度,而且在一定程度上增加了潜在生态风险.研究结果还表明,植物群落中当地物种的比例、植物群落的物种多样性和植物群落的盖度可以作为植被恢复成功与否的重要判定指标.     

Congruent responses to weather variability in high arctic herbivores

Assessing the role of weather in the dynamics of wildlife populations is a pressing task in the face of rapid environmental change. Rodents and ruminants are abundant herbivore species in most Arctic ecosystems, many of which are experiencing particularly rapid climate change. Their different life-history characteristics, with the exception of their trophic position, suggest that they should show different responses to environmental variation. Here we show that the only mammalian herbivores on the Arctic islands of Svalbard, reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and sibling voles (Microtus levis), exhibit strong synchrony in population parameters. This synchrony is due to rain-on-snow events that cause ground ice and demonstrates that climate impacts can be similarly integrated and expressed in species with highly contrasting life histories. The finding suggests that responses of wildlife populations to climate variability and change might be more consistent in Polar regions than elsewhere owing to the strength of the climate impact and the simplicity of the ecosystem.     

A functional trait perspective on plant invasion

Background and Aims

Global environmental change will affect non-native plant invasions, with profound potential impacts on native plant populations, communities and ecosystems. In this context, we review plant functional traits, particularly those that drive invader abundance (invasiveness) and impacts, as well as the integration of these traits across multiple ecological scales, and as a basis for restoration and management.

Scope

We review the concepts and terminology surrounding functional traits and how functional traits influence processes at the individual level. We explore how phenotypic plasticity may lead to rapid evolution of novel traits facilitating invasiveness in changing environments and then ‘scale up’ to evaluate the relative importance of demographic traits and their links to invasion rates. We then suggest a functional trait framework for assessing per capita effects and, ultimately, impacts of invasive plants on plant communities and ecosystems. Lastly, we focus on the role of functional trait-based approaches in invasive species management and restoration in the context of rapid, global environmental change.

Conclusions

To understand how the abundance and impacts of invasive plants will respond to rapid environmental changes it is essential to link trait-based responses of invaders to changes in community and ecosystem properties. To do so requires a comprehensive effort that considers dynamic environmental controls and a targeted approach to understand key functional traits driving both invader abundance and impacts. If we are to predict future invasions, manage those at hand and use restoration technology to mitigate invasive species impacts, future research must focus on functional traits that promote invasiveness and invader impacts under changing conditions, and integrate major factors driving invasions from individual to ecosystem levels.     

Soil pH influences patterns of plant community composition after restoration with native‐based seed mixes

Reclamation of highly disturbed lands typically includes establishing fast‐growing, non‐native plants to achieve rapid ground cover for erosion control. Establishing native plant communities could achieve ecosystem functions beyond soil erosion, such as providing wildlife habitat. Pipelines, or other disturbed corridors through a landscape, present unique challenges for establishing native plant communities given the heterogeneity of soil environments and invasive plant propagule pressure. We created two structural equation models to address multiple related hypotheses about the influence of soil pH on plant community composition (current diversity and vegetative cover of the original restoration seed mix and background flora, and invasive plant density during mix establishment and current density) of a highly disturbed landscape corridor restored with native species. To test our hypotheses we conducted a plant survey on a gas pipeline crossing two state forests in the north‐central Appalachians that had been seeded with a native‐based mixture 8 years prior. Low soil pH was a strong predictor of density of the invasive annual plant, Microstegium vimineum, and had resulted in lower species diversity and cover of the seeded mix. Overall, our data provide evidence that native‐based grass and forb mixtures can establish and persist on a wide range of soil environments and thrive in competition with invasive plants in moderately acidic to neutral soils. Advancing knowledge on restoration methods using native species is essential to improving restoration practice norms to incorporate multifunctional ecological goals.