云南楚雄彝族的"神树林"与生物多样性保护

所述的“神树林”是广泛意义上的的概念,包括多种因文化信仰面保护的各种森林块,这些森林块不仅有多种的生态功能,也是村社水平生物多样性相对集中的地方,通过对云南楚雄彝族的“神树林”进行了广泛调查,取样比较了自然保护区,村社集体林和“神树林”３种不同管理模式下的森林群落的植物物种多样性,结果表明“神树林”群落的物种总数的植物物种多样性,结果表明“神树林”群落的物种总数（６７）、样方特有种（１７）、Ｓｈａ     

云南高黎贡山神山森林及其在自然保护中的作用

应用参与性农村快速评估(PRA)、田野调查及森林样地调查等方法,对神山森林传统进行了调查研究,结果表明,高黎贡山普遍存在传统的村社防护林、传统的村社水源林、汉族的风水林、护寺林、傈傈族的神山、傣族的龙山、傣族的色树(神树)、勒墨人祭天场周围的森林等形式多样的神山森林,作为传统生态伦理的主要载体,高黎贡山地区广泛存在的神山森林传统在该地区的生物多样性保护中起着重要的作用,神山森林还可以提供多种非木质林产品,实现多种生态功能,促进生物资源的合理利用。加强神山森林文化传统的再教育与政策诱导,是弘扬该文化传统的关键。     

雾灵山国家自然保护区森林群落物种多样性研究

在样方法获取全面资料并用数量方法确定森林群落类型的基础上,对雾灵山国家自然保护区各森林群落的物种多样性(D)、生态优势度(C)、群落均匀度(J)等指标进行了计测;并着重对物种多样性进行评价,分析了物种多样性变化的时空规律,就物种多样性的保护与持续利用进行探讨。分析结果表明：雾灵山国家自然保护区森林群落物种多样性比较丰富,其D值在2.37～4.17之间;在特定高度范围内,随海拔增高D值增大,C值变小;多数森林群落灌木层的D值高于乔木层,C值低于乔木层;地带性群落的D值大于非地带性群落,C值相反。     

云南楚雄彝族植物崇拜的调查研究

本文对云南楚雄彝族传统的植物崇拜进行了广泛的调查,对被崇拜植物及其文化内涵进行了编目,着重植物崇拜文化对当地生物多样性保护的影响,讨论了楚雄彝族的植物文化在当地生物多样性保护和管理中的作用和意义,进一步探讨了在我国利用传统文化进行现代自然保护的必要性、可能性和可行性。     

Soil and climate equally contribute to changes in the species compositions of Brazilian dry forests across 300 km

了解在不同空间尺度上控制生物多样性分布的因素是保护工作面临的一个关键挑战。生物多样性,反映在不同地点物种组成的差异(β多样性),可以通过物种更替(周转率)获得,并受到多种因素的驱动。在本研究中,我们试图通过研究两个与受威胁的巴西季节性干旱森林相关的问题探讨：I)物种周转对β多样性的贡献是什么? II)哪些因素驱动了林块间物种组成的变化?我们在17个相隔近300公里的干燥森林斑块中对树种进行采样,以及采集环境变量(土壤和气候)。我们使用β多样性划分框架来确定周转率的贡献,采用冗余分析和适合的空间结构来评估环境和空间因素对物种组成变化的贡献。斑块间的β多样性主要以周转组分(98.2%)为代表,Simpson相异度优于国内其他地区 (多位点和两两比较的平均值分别为0.89和0.71)。环境因子对物种组成变化的解释多于空间因素,占物种组成变化的30.3%,其中28.1%是非空间结构的。我们建议,300公里代表一个阈值,在这个阈值上,土壤和气候预测因子在决定群落周转方面具有相似的效应(在不考虑空间结构的情况下,分别为14.9%和12.6%)。因此,应该跨景观考虑保护策略,以有效地保护热带森林多样性,因为即使考虑到不同规模的气候差异, 景观化的土壤种类也是物种周转的重要驱动因素。     

云南彝族地区不同城镇化水平区域的古树遗留特征

古树是指树龄在100年以上,因受人类文化影响而保存下来的自然资源,被誉为“绿色文物”,是学者研究区域植被和民族文化变迁的重要依据。为探讨城镇化发展对区域古树遗留特征的影响,并探明城镇化发展、民族文化与古树遗留三者之间的关系,以期建立从少数民族文化传承角度出发的古树保护方案。该文以云南省彝族的主要聚居地楚雄市坝区为研究对象,对形成城镇化水平梯度的7个乡镇开展古树资源调查。结果表明:(1)楚雄市坝区有古树16科22属26种301株,其中黄连木、侧柏和云南山茶古树合计超过总数的75%。(2)城镇化率最高的鹿城镇、东瓜镇以及城镇化率最低的子午镇古树物种多样性在楚雄坝区的7个镇中都较高,但聚集分布于寺庙、学校和公园。(3)鹿城镇和东瓜镇的物种组成和空间分布展现出外来文化影响特征,子午镇则保留了更多的彝族“神树林”原生植被。(4)彝族人口占比高的乡镇并未拥有更高的古树多样性或遗留更多的传统“神木”。综上认为,在城镇化发展过程中,少数民族文化面临逐步丢失的困境,研究古树的组成和空间分布特征对于加强古树保护与提升民族文化传承具有重要意义。     

2010年春季干旱对石林喀斯特植物群落的影响

研究干旱对退化喀斯特植被影响是治理退化喀斯特生态系统或石漠化的基础.为了解2010年春中国西南特大干旱对喀斯特植被的影响,于2010年5月采用记名计数交叉样线法调查了云南石林3种自然恢复植物群落(滇青冈林、栓皮栎林、灌丛)和5种人工恢复植物群落(云南松林、原土旱冬瓜林、客土旱冬瓜林、圣诞树林、墨西哥柏林).选用气象要素距平指数分析此次干旱的特征;用受旱率、死亡率分析植物群落和物种的受旱程度;用受旱(死亡+萎蔫)物种数及其植株数、耐旱(存活)物种数及其植株数、群落(受旱+存活)物种数及其植株数计算生物多样性指数来评估极端干旱对生物多样性的影响.结果表明:此次特大干旱具有持续时间长、程度深的特点.8种群落的平均死亡率、受旱率分别是25.1%和30.6%,不同群落的受旱率和死亡率差异较大.极端干旱后,自然恢复群落的更新层仍维持了物种结构;人工恢复群落差异较大,原土旱冬瓜林、云南松林基本未受影响,墨西哥柏林受到一定影响,客土旱冬瓜林、圣诞树林物种结构基本被破坏.极端干旱一定程度上改变了喀斯特植物群落的径级结构和生物多样性,人工恢复群落结构变化大且耐旱性总体上弱于自然恢复植物群落.因此,退化喀斯特生态系统的植被恢复必须选择合理的物种和恢复方式.     

格氏栲群落林窗边缘效应研究

应用Shannon—Wiener物种多样性指数、Simpson生态优势度指标以及边缘效应强度指数,对福建三明格氏栲保护区森林群落林窗的边缘效应现象进行了研究．格氏栲群落的38个林窗样地不同部位上述指标的测定结果表明,用物种多样性指数测定的林窗边缘效应强度值为0．7～1．3左右;而用生态优势度值测定的林窗边缘效应强度值为0．3～1．8左右,林窗边缘区由于边缘效应的作用有增大物种多样性的趋势,林窗的面积及林窗所在的森林群落类型,都对处于不同发育阶段的林窗的边缘效应强度产生影响．从而为格氏栲群落生物多样性保护与森林经营管理提供理论基础．     

生物多样性保护的一个理论框架——生物最小面积概念

稳定而复杂多样的自然生境有利于多样性的形成和保存,剧变并趋于简单化的干扰生境常使多样性丧失。现实中的森林破碎化使区域物种丧失。多样性保护要求具备促使物种能长久生存的生境。生物最小面积概念集中讨论物种长久生存与群落(景观)面积的关系,是多样性保护的最基本的理论基础。根据自然保护实践,提出最小景观,扩充了生物最小面积概念。讨论了生物最小面积概念在建立自然保护区的理论框架、了解被保护生物及其生境的自然特点以及建立更全面的自然保护网络等方面的应用。     

广州市风水林群落空间异质性及其对区域物种多样性的贡献

以广州地区村边风水林为研究对象,选取了67个风水林斑块,并在每个斑块内建立了一个20m×20m的样方,调查了其胸径大于1cm的植物组成。首先以种面积关系外推法和非参数法估计了风水林群落对区域生物多样性的贡献;然后以加法准则拆分了gamma多样性,以分析风水林群落物种组成的异质性;最后根据每个风水林群落的物种丰富度、稀有种(在所有群落中只出现一次的物种)数目和谱系多样性分析了在保护中需要优先考虑的区域。结果发现：（1）广州地区风水林群落至少保存了32.74%的区域物种多样性;（2）gamma多样性(184)中绝大部分由beta多样性(163.43)构建,只有很小部分来自于alpha多样性(20.57)。这表明风水林群落在物种组成上具有较高的空间异质性,要想尽可能多地保护风水林内物种多样性,就需要尽可能多地保护风水林群落斑块;（3）相对于平原地区,位于山区的风水林群落具有更高的物种丰富度和谱系多样性以及更多的稀有种数目。在保护资金和土地资源有限的情况下,位于山区的风水林群落应该给予优先考虑。     

Socio-cultural protection of endemic trees in humanised landscape

Culturally protected forest patches or sacred groves have been the integral part of many traditional societies. This age old tradition is a classic instance of community driven nature conservation sheltering native biodiversity and supporting various ecosystem functions particularly hydrology. The current work in Central Western Ghats of Karnataka, India, highlights that even small sacred groves amidst humanised landscapes serve as tiny islands of biodiversity, especially of rare and endemic species. Temporal analysis of landuse dynamics reveals the changing pattern of the studied landscape. There is fast reduction of forest cover (15.14–11.02 %) in last 20 years to meet up the demand of agricultural land and plantation programs. A thorough survey and assessment of woody endemic species distribution in the 25 km² study area documented presence of 19 endemic species. The distribution of these species is highly skewed towards the culturally protected patches in comparison to other land use elements. It is found that, among the 19 woody endemic species, those with greater ecological amplitude are widely distributed in the studied landscape in groves as well as other land use forms whereas, natural population of the sensitive endemics are very much restricted in the sacred grove fragments. The recent degradation in the sacred grove system is perhaps, due to weakening of traditional belief systems and associated laxity in grove protection leading to biotic disturbances. Revitalisation of traditional practices related to conservation of sacred groves can go a long way in strengthening natural ecological systems of fragile humid tropical landscape.     

Biodiversity Conservation in Sacred Groves of Manipur, Northeast India: Population Structure and Regeneration Status of Woody Species

Sacred groves are forest patches conserved by the local people intertwined with their socio-cultural and religious practice. These groves harbour rich biodiversity and play a significant role in the conservation of biodiversity. Population structure and regeneration status of woody species were studied during 2001–2002 in the four sacred groves of Manipur, a state in north east India. A total of 96 woody species was recorded from the four groves, the highest being Konthoujam Lairembi sacred grove (55 species) and lowest in Heingang Marjing sacred grove having 42 species. The density–diameter distribution of woody species in the four groves showed highest stand density and species richness in the lowest girth class (30–60 cm) and decreased in the succeeding girth classes. Overall population structure of the groves based on the number of tree seedlings, saplings and adults, displayed a greater proportion of seedlings followed by saplings and adults while for the selected tree species it varied seasonally and recruitment of species increased during rainy season attaining peak during June. Regeneration status of the four sacred groves based on strength of different age groups in their population showed good regeneration. High occurrence of ‘additional species’ to the groves may be due to the invasion through dispersal from other areas. Possibly, the prevailing favourable microenvironmental conditions contributed to their establishment and growth in the groves. Absence of seedlings and saplings of some of the species in the groves may be due to their poor seed germination and establishment of seedlings in the forest.     

Comparing tree diversity and composition in coffee farms and sacred forests in the Western Ghats of India

Expansion of coffee cultivation is one of the causes of deforestation and biodiversity loss. However, shade grown coffee has been promoted as a means for preserving biodiversity in the tropics. In this study we compared tree diversity in two types of coffee management regimes with the sacred groves in the Western Ghats of India. We computed species accumulation curves, species diversity indices and evenness indices to compare the different management regimes. Results of diversity indices showed that shade coffee had less diversity compared to sacred groves. Exotic species dominated the tree diversity in lands where the tree harvesting rights are with the growers. Native trees dominated the tree diversity when growers had no ownership rights on trees. A species accumulation curve suggested that the sacred grove had higher species richness compared to other two habitats. Lack of incentive to preserve endemic species as shade trees is forcing growers to plant more exotic species in shade grown coffee plots. If encouraged, shade grown coffee can preserve some biodiversity, but cannot provide all ecological benefits of a natural forest.     

Sacred groves of Manipur,northeast India:biodiversity value,status and strategies for their conservation

The people of Manipur, a state in northeast India, follow ancestral worship and animism in the form of deity worship, with the central focus on worship in forest patches. The beliefs and taboos associated with the Sylvan deities (Umanglais) in the forest patches are restricted to any sort of disturbance of flora and fauna. These social boundaries help to conserve the entire organism as a whole, which stand the concept of sacred groves. The pleasing of deities is performed every year by the Meiteis, a dominant community of Manipur, in honour of the deities and to gain their favour. Indigenous cultural and rituals practices of the local people in sacred groves serve as a tool for conserving biodiversity. Sacred groves are distributed over a wide ecosystem and help in conservation of rare and endemic species. Well-preserved sacred groves are store houses of valuable medicinal and other plants having high economic value, and serve as a refuge to threatened species. One hundred and sixty-six sacred groves were inventoried in Manipur valley that comprises Imphal east, Imphal west, Thoubal and Bishnupur districts of the state. Detailed studies were carried out in four selected sacred groves, to know the importance of biodiversity status and vegetation characteristics. A total of 173 plant species representing 145 genera under 70 families were recorded through baseline floristic survey. The species diversity indices were compared among the four studied groves. The vegetation composition and community characteristics were recorded. Ethnobotanical uses of species were examined, which reveal that 96% of the species were used as medicine for the treatment of various ailments. Utilization of herbal medicine by the Meiteis is closely related to the cultural and ritual practices. A few of the medicinal plants which have disappeared from the locality are now confined only to the groves. Socio-cultural aspects were investigated taking into account the attitudes of local people, which indicate social beliefs and taboo are eroding, simultaneously degrading the degree of protection of sacred groves. Therefore, conservation measures of sacred groves need to be formulated considering the factor of degradation and the basic necessities of the local people. Until and unless a viable option is provided to the local people (especially those who habitat nearby the adjoining areas) for sustaining their economic condition, no step for conservation of biodiversity will be successful.     

Plant biodiversity of two tropical dry evergreen forests in the Pondicherry region of South India and the role of belief systems in their conservation

Natural vegetation on the south-eastern coast of Peninsular India has now been reduced to patches, some of which are preserved as sacred groves. The plant biodiversity and population structure of woody plants (>20 cm girth at breast height; gbh) in two such groves, Oorani and Olagapuram, occurring on the north-west of Pondicherry have been analyzed. A total of 169 angiosperms have been enumerated from both sites. The Oorani grove (3.2 ha) had 74 flowering plant species distributed in 71 genera and 41 families; 30 of them are woody species, 8 are lianas and 4 are parasites. The Olagapuram grove (2.8 ha) was more species-rich with 136 species in 121 genera of 58 families; woody species were fewer (21) while 9 lianas and 3 parasites occurred. The vegetation structure indicates that the Oorani grove is a relic of tropical dry evergreen forest, whereas Olagapuram is reduced to a thorny woodland. The latter is heavily degraded as it has lost the status of a sacred grove because of its conversion to Eucalyptus plantations. The Oorani grove has an Amman temple in the centre. The attendant cultural rites and religious rituals have perpetuated the status of a sacred grove which has ensured the protection of the grove.     

Richness, Abundance, and Complementarity of Fruit-feeding Butterfly Species in Relict Sacred Forests and Forest Reserves of Ghana

Sacred forest groves in Ghana are centuries old protected areas that were once part of continuous forest cover but now mostly exist as relict forest patches embedded in an agropastoral landscape. We conducted a year-long survey of the fruit-feeding butterfly fauna of four sacred groves and two forest reserves in the moist semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana to characterize resident species diversity and complementarity among communities. Joint analysis of frugivorous butterfly diversity at these six forest fragments, which ranged in size from 6 to 5000 ha, was used to evaluate the conservation potential of these ancient indigenous reserves. A total of 6836 individuals were trapped across all sites, representing 79 species and five subfamilies. Community diversity was characterized in terms of, (a) number of species accumulated versus sampling effort, (b) rarefied species richness, (c) nonparametric richness estimates, (d) species evenness, (e) Simpson’s Index of Diversity, and (f) complementarity of communities. Diversity of the fruit-feeding butterfly communities, quantified in terms of both species evenness and rarefied species richness, was higher at the larger forest reserves than at the small sacred forest groves. Additionally, although all sites had species trapped only at that site, the 5000-ha forest reserve harbored a resident community that was clearly distinctive from and more diverse than the other communities including the other forest reserve. Hence, our findings add to the burgeoning body of data that indicates large reserves are the foundation of successful conservation programs. Nonetheless, we found these small forest patches contribute to biodiversity conservation in at least three ways and these are identified and discussed. We also identify a number of species that appear more or less vulnerable to dynamics of forest fragmentation based on changes in their relative abundance across sites and we interpret these data in the context of potential indicator species and theoretical predictions of at-risk species.     

Floristic composition and biological spectrum of a sacred grove in West Midnapore district,West Bengal,India

Traditional cultural and religious beliefs and practices in the form of sacred groves play a crucial role in environmental conservation and biodiversity. The present study was conducted to explore plant resources, their biological spectrum, leaf size spectrum, sacred grove conservation status, locally known as Kankabati Sitabala Than (KST) in the district of West Midnapore, West Bengal in India. The study's floristic list revealed that the KST vegetation was diverse and composed of 277 species of 238 genera distributed over 77 families under 36 orders according to APG IV classification, of which 87 species were aliens. Poales (23.40%) and Poaceae (15.38%) were the dominant order and family in terms of species wealth. Biological spectrum shows the study area was classified as “thero-crypto-chamaephytic” type of phytoclimate. Leptophyll (26.60%) and ovate (18.91%) were found to be high in the leaf size spectrum and lamina. The vulnerable climber and tree species are Cayratia pedata and Pterocarpus indicus. The vegetation phenology, observed during different seasons revealed that most of the species were dominant in rainy seasons (99.68%), followed by winter (69.87%) and summer (29.81%). The study area being a sacred grove remains fairly undisturbed. For the long-term conservation of germplasm of the grove some recommendations have been suggested.     

Sacred Forest, Hunting, and Conservation in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

In a number of places, sacred forest sites play an important role in conservation and local livelihoods. Here we examine how Iban hunters and animals alike use sacred forest in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. To determine the relative importance of different sites in hunting, we compare hunting effort, animal species and their numbers encountered by hunters, and encounters and captures in a variety of forest sites including sacred groves. We relate the results to the role of such sites in the overall Iban agroforestry system and in the conservation of forest habitat that professional conservationists deem precious. Such land use practices, while having social and religious origins, may be important for local economic purposes, but they may also be valuable in promoting and enhancing the more global goals of biodiversity conservation.