Recommendations for Assessing the Effectiveness of Surrogate Species Approaches

Surrogate species approaches, including flagship, focal, keystone, indicator, and umbrella, are considered an effective means of conservation planning. For conservation biologists to apply surrogates with confidence, they must have some idea of the effectiveness of surrogates for the circumstances in which they will be applied. We reviewed tests of the effectiveness of surrogate species planning to see if research supports the development of generalized rules for (1) determining when and where surrogate species are an effective conservation tool and (2) how surrogate species should be selected such that the resulting conservation plan will effectively protect biodiversity or achieve other conservation goals. The context and methods of published studies were so diverse that we could not draw general conclusions about the spatial or temporal scales, or ecosystems or taxonomic groups for which surrogate species approaches will succeed. The science of surrogate species can progress by (1) establishing methods to compare diverse measures of effectiveness; (2) taking advantage of data-rich regions to examine the potential effectiveness of surrogate approaches; (3) incorporating spatial scale as an explanatory variable; (4) evaluating surrogate species approaches at broader temporal scales; (5) seeking patterns that will lead to hypothesis driven research; and (6) monitoring surrogate species and their target species.     

评世界保护联盟新的物种受威胁分类系统草案

为了进一步了解物种受威胁的情况和发展,以加强物种保护工作,世界保护联盟制定了一个新的物种受威胁分类系统草案,把物种受威胁的程度分为９个级别,即绝灭种、野生状态下的绝灭种、极危种、濒危种、渐危种、敏感种、安全的／危险性小的种、不充分了解的种和未估价的种。本文对这个分类系统草案作了简略的评介。     

Extensive contiguous north–south range expansion of the original population of an invasive lizard in Florida

Florida has one of the two worst non-indigenous invasive species problems in the United States, and all such species are considered by statute to be a potential ecological problem. Unfortunately, little information is available about most of Florida's invasive species. Here, we provide information on range expansion of a population of one of the lesser-known species. The Palm Beach County, Florida, population of the northern curly-tailed lizard, Leiocephalus carinatus armouri, was examined for north–south expansion of its previously documented range. Observations were conducted as contiguous expansion outward from the previously known range. We found a substantial contiguous range expansion by a minimum of 46.3 km to the south and 34.1 km to the north. This species appears to be closely associated with coastal habitat degradation in the form of human infrastructure, especially ageing pavement, sea walls, buildings, and bridge bases.     

生物多样性事业需要科学、可操作的物种概念

物种概念(species concept)是生物学家们持续关注的中心问题。物种概念决定物种划分, 而物种划分的合理性关系到生物多样性的研究、保护和可持续利用。本文把现有较流行的物种概念分为6类, 并对它们予以述评后指出: 虽然生物学物种概念、遗传学物种概念、进化物种概念、系统发生物种概念等从不同方面认识了物种的客观真实性和物种的本质, 但在实践中都难以操作。绝大多数物种是由分类学家划分的, 但目前所有的分类学物种概念都包含有不同程度的主观因素, 从而造成物种划分的人为性, 对生物多样性研究造成负面影响。因此, 生物多样性事业需要科学、可操作的物种概念。本文在吸收了生物学物种概念、遗传学物种概念、进化物种概念以及系统发生物种概念等的长处, 也分析了它们的不足和问题的基础上提出一个新的物种概念, 即形态-生物学物种概念。最后, 以芍药属(Paeonia)几个物种的处理为例, 说明这一新的物种概念是可操作的, 划分的物种在形态上区别分明, 易于鉴别。更重要的是, 其结果得到基于25或26个单拷贝或寡拷贝核基因DNA序列所作的系统发生分析的强有力支持。各个物种在系统发生树上形成单系和独立的谱系, 表明其间各自形成独立的基因库, 没有基因交换, 它们独立进化, 有各自的生态位和独立的分布区。因此, 利用这一新的物种概念能够达到预期目标。     

菌物分类学研究中常见的物种概念

物种是生物多样性与分类学研究的基本单元, 物种识别是生物学研究的基本问题之一。物种的划分一直以来都没有一个明确统一的标准, 这使得分类学多少带有主观的色彩, 并经常被看作艺术而不完全是科学的研究。本文简要概述了菌物分类学研究中常见的3个物种概念, 即形态学种、生物学种和系统发育学种的背景和应用现状, 并通过实例讨论了这3个物种概念的特点及应用中存在的问题, 特别是各个物种概念之间的交错, 以期为菌物分类学研究和物种概念探讨提供参考。     

中国南部亚热带森林地表植被动态变化

系统研究了南方5个亚热带森林生态系统地表植被的动态变化情况.研究方法是:在每个研究区域内,按照地形梯度分别布设50个1m2 的样方,记录样方内所有物种的频度及相关的环境变量,5个研究区域共设250个样方,每个样方分别调查两次.通过单元及多元统计方法分析表明:维管植物物种频度在一个区域明显下降,另二个区域显著增加;苔藓物种频度在一个区域有明显下降,另一个区域明显增加;苔藓物种数量在3个区域显著增加,另二个区域显著下降;维管植物物种数量显著增加在二个区域;物种组成沿着第一个植被梯度轴DCA 1没有显著变化,沿着第二个植被梯度轴DCA 2在二个区域有显著变化.综合分析表明,苔藓对气候变化及其波动反映敏感,是较好的气候变化及气候波动生物指示因子,而管植物数量及频度的变化没有明显证据显示与土壤酸化和大气污染有紧密关系.     

红雪茶基源种的鉴定及资源分布

本研究通过对红雪茶基源种进行考证,并结合品种鉴定及野外生态调查,结果表明,红雪茶的基源种应为金丝刷（Lethariella cladonioides）和金丝带（L.zahlbruckneri）,在这两个种群内,存在化学多态现象。市售的“红雪茶”主要由这两个种的四个化学宗所组成。红雪茶的分布中心主要在藏东南,滇西北及川西地区,目前红雪茶的资源已经受到了极大的破坏,日渐濒危。为加强对野生红雪茶资源的有效保护,提出了开展红雪茶种质资源保护的建议。     

列入《濒危野生动植物物种国际贸易公约》附录的物种的新标准

ＣＩＴＥＳ（濒危野生动植物国际贸易公约）是一个通过控制贸易的方法来维护物种生存及其持续利用的国际法规,其附录中所列的物种是重点管理的对象,主要根据现有的Ｂｅｒｎｅ标准来确定。但是,长期的实践证明,它已不能满足实际的需要。１９９２年６月ＣＩＴＥＳ常务委员会要求世界保护联盟协助制定一个简明、实用、科学和客观的新标准,本文对此作一简介和讨论。     

Increasing numbers of bird species result from taxonomic progress,not taxonomic inflation

The impact and significance of modern taxonomy on other fields in biology have been subjects of much debate. It has been proposed that increasing numbers of vertebrate species are largely owing to ‘taxonomic inflation’. According to this hypothesis, newly recognized species result from reinterpretations of species limits based on phylogenetic species concepts (PSCs) rather than from new discoveries. Here, I examine 747 proposals to change the taxonomic rank of birds in the period 1950–2007. The trend to recognize more species of birds started at least two decades before the introduction of PSCs. Most (84.6%) newly recognized species were supported by new taxonomic data. Proposals to recognize more species resulted from application of all six major taxonomic criteria. Many newly recognized species (63.4%) were not based exclusively on PSC-based criteria (diagnosability, monophyly and exclusive coalescence of gene trees). Therefore, this study finds no empirical support for the idea that the increase in species is primarily epistemological rather than data-driven. This study shows that previous claims about the causes and effects of taxonomic inflation lack empirical support. I argue that a more appropriate term for the increase in species is ‘taxonomic progress’.     

指示种、伞护种与旗舰种:有关概念及其在保护生物学中的应用

指示种、伞护种和旗舰种等的运用常常可以作为解决保护生物学问题的捷径。指示种被用来评价环境中人为干扰因素的程度,监测其他物种的种群动态,或用于确定生物多样性较高的区域;伞护种则常用来确定需保护生境的类型和面积;而旗舰种被用于引起公众对保护行为的关注。本文试图对上述术语和概念在使用上加以明确区分,并对其应用提出一些指导性原则。认为针对上述不同类型的代理种,使用的目的和选择的标准应有所不同,彼此不能混淆使用。     

种间作用对物种分布模拟的影响及建模方法

物种分布模型(SDMs)通过量化物种分布和环境变量之间的关系,并将其外推到未知的景观单元,模拟、预测地理空间中生物的潜在分布,是生态学、生物地理学、保护生物学等研究领域的重要工具.然而,目前物种分布模型主要采用非生物因素作为预测变量,由于数据量化和建模表达困难,生物因素特别是种间作用在物种分布模型中常被忽略,将种间作用...     

Biotransformation of acyclic monoterpenoids by Debaryomyces sp., Kluyveromyces sp., and Pichia sp. strains of environmental origin

Sixty yeast strains, which belong to 32 species of the genera Debaryomyces, Kluyveromyces, and Pichia, and which were isolated from plant-, soil- or insect-associated habitats, were screened for their ability to biotransform the acyclic monoterpenes geraniol and nerol. The aptitude to convert both compounds (from 2.6 to 30.6, and from 2.7 to 29.1%/g cell DW (=dry weight), resp.) was apparently a broad distributed character in such yeasts. Depending upon the substrate used, the production of linalool, alpha-terpineol, beta-myrcene, D-limonene, (E)-beta-ocimene, (Z)-beta-ocimene, or carene was observed. Linalool was the main product obtained from geraniol, whereas linalool and alpha-terpineol were the main products obtained through the conversion of nerol. Yet, differently from nerol, the aptitude to exhibit high bioconversion yields of geraniol to linalool was an apparently genus-related character, whereas the ability to produce other monoterpenes was a both genus- and habitat-related character. The possible pathways of bioconversion of geraniol or nerol to their derivatives were proposed/discussed.     

Species pool size and invasibility of island communities: a null model of sampling effects

The success of alien species on oceanic islands is considered to be one of the classic observed patterns in ecology. Explanations for this pattern are based on lower species richness on islands and the lower resistance of species‐poor communities to invaders, but this argument needs re‐examination. The important difference between islands and mainland is in the size of species pools, not in local species richness; invasibility of islands should therefore be addressed in terms of differences in species pools. Here I examine whether differences in species pools can affect invasibility in a lottery model with pools of identical native and exotic species. While in a neutral model with all species identical, invasibility does not depend on the species pool, a model with non‐zero variation in population growth rates predicts higher invasibility of communities of smaller pools. This is because of species sampling; drawing species from larger pools increases the probability that an assemblage will include fast growing species. Such assemblages are more likely to exclude random invaders. This constitutes a mechanism through which smaller species pools (such as those of isolated islands) can directly underlie differences in invasibility.     

Land use history, hurricane disturbance, and the fate of introduced species in a subtropical wet forest in Puerto Rico

Tropical forests are suffering from increasing intensities and frequency of disturbances. As a result, non-native species accidentally introduced or intentionally planted for farming, plantations, and ornamental purposes may spread and potentially invade undisturbed native forest. It is not known if these introduced species will become invasive, as a result of recurrent natural disturbances such as hurricanes. Using data from three censuses (spanning 15 years) of a 16-ha subtropical wet forest plot, we investigated the impact of two hurricanes on populations of plant species that were planted in farms and plantations that were then abandoned and from the natural spread of species introduced into Puerto Rico in the past. The populations of four species (Citrus paradis, Mangifera indica, Musa sp., and Simarouba glauca) changed little over time. Six species (Artocarpus altilis, Calophyllum calaba, Genipa americana, Hibiscus pernambucensis, Syzygium jambos, and Swietenia macrophylla) declined between the first two censuses after Hurricane Hugo, then increased again in Census 3 after Hurricane Georges. Spathodea campanulata gradually increased from census to census, while Coffea arabica declined. These introduced species represent only a small part of the forest basal area and few show signs of increasing over time. The number of stems per plant, new recruits, and the growth rates of these introduced species were within the ranges of those for native plant species. The mortality rates over both census intervals were significantly lower for introduced species (<5% year⁻¹) than for native ones (15% year⁻¹). Many new recruits established after Hurricane Hugo (prior to this study) had opened the forest canopy and these high mortality rates reflect their death as the canopy recovered. Only Swietenia macrophylla and Syzygium jambos showed an increase in stem numbers in the closed canopy area of forest that had suffered limited human disturbance in the past. A future increase in frequency of disturbance may enable greater stem numbers of introduced species to establish, while lower-mortality rates compared to native species, may allow them to persist during inter-hurricane intervals. An increase in the population of introduced species, especially for those that grow into large trees, may have an impact on this tropical forest in the future.     

Ernst Mayr through time on the biological species concept — a conceptual analysis

Summary An analysis is made of Ernst Mayr’s treatment of the biological species definition over time. To avoid misunderstandings, it is important to distinguish between the varying conceptual assumptions which Mayr associates with this definition and the unchanged wording of the definition. A polytypic species, that is a geographical aggregate of allopatric populations, does not fit the biological species definition very well. There is an undeniable tension between these two aspects [the polytypic and nondimensional] of the word species and from 1942 until the present time, I have never ceased to struggle with this problem (Mayr 1992b, p. 9). ... indeed, I pride myself on having changed my mind on frequent occasions (Mayr 1982a, p. 9).     

物种与物种多样性

本文首先讨论生物物种的科学概念和生物学本质，分析物种客观存在的自然属性和物种概念的局限性，认为物种的生物学属性和物种多样性的科学属性之间有着本质联系。物种多样性研究的实质是研究生物物种的生物学多样性。度量物种多样性程度有多种方法，但物种数目是物种多样性程度最直接、也是最基本的表达，估计物种多样性数目是当前国际上物种多样性研究的核心与热点内容。物种多样性产生的根源是物种形成，物种绝灭速率是维持物种多样性的关键因素。本文简要总结了物种形成与绝灭的基本模式和机制，通过分析生物地理区系与物种多样性研究的密切关系，说明物种的区系成份分析是物种多样性大尺度格局研究的重要内容。     

物种概念及其界定

半世纪以来,物种概念的定义备受关注,不同研究方向的生物学家提出24种不同或至少有分歧的物种概念,根据其不同的物种概念,物种的界定和物种的数量会出现很大的差异。人们普遍认同:物种是进化分离的微居群谱系,但把谱系分离过程中获得的特征如生殖隔离、可鉴定性、单系统发生等视为鉴定物种次级特征却有不同的声音。该文提出统一的物种概念,把谱系进化分离作为物种界定的唯一而又必要的特征,把谱系分离过程中获得的次级特征作为界定谱系分离的证据。鉴于此,物种概念间的分歧就会化解。其一,物种概念化与物种界定明显分开,不再混淆;其二,谱系的次级特征只与物种界定有关,在某种程度上为谱系分离提供证据;第三,若能把合理解释的任何一个特征作为某物种客观存在的证据,这样更多的特征更能确定谱系分离;最后最重要的是,统一物种概念使我们解放思想,扬弃传统的物种界定标准,探求物种界定的新思路。     

外来种入侵与物种多样性

在入侵生态学研究方面 ,物种多样性与生物入侵之间的关系已成为当前研究和争论的焦点。自Elton的经典假说提出以来 ,物种丰富度高的群落比物种贫乏的群落更能抵抗外来种入侵的观点得到广泛接受。一些理论模型和多样性处理实验支持了该假说。但现在越来越多的野外观测和实验研究开始对这一经典假说提出异议 ,甚至反对。同时 ,在入侵生态学广泛受到关注的今天 ,大量的实验研究也提出了一些新的观点。本文对Elton经典假说提出以来全球有关物种多样性与生物入侵关系的主要研究及其观点进行了评述 ,以期为我国有关研究工作的开展提供参考。