水电开发对河岸植被影响研究进展

河岸植被是河流生态系统的重要组成部分,在维持河流生态系统完整性和河岸生物多样性保护方面具有重要作用。目前,水电开发影响下河岸植被的物种组成、多样性、种间关联等几方面日益受到关注,是河流生态学研究中的重要热点。文章阐述了水电开发后河流水文、河岸生境、繁殖体扩散、外来物种入侵等影响下河岸植被的响应机制。探讨了河岸植被与生态环境的相关性,提出了今后河岸植被与水电开发相互作用机制,及水电开发的正负生态效应综合影响研究。     

恢复生态学研究的一些基本问题探讨

对恢复生态学的研究概况、基本概念、内涵与研究内容以及生态恢复的目标、原则、程序与技术进行了分析与探讨．指出恢复生态学应加强基础理论研究（包括生态系统的演替理论及干扰条件下生态系统的受损过程与响应机制研究等）和应用技术研究（包括土壤、水体、大气和植被恢复技术、生物多样性保护技术以及生态系统的组装与集成技术等）．生态恢复与重建是指根据生态学原理,通过一定的生物、生态以及工程的技术,人为地切断生态系统退化的主导因子和过程,调整和优化系统内部及其与外界的物质、能量和信息的流动过程及其时空秩序,使生态系统的结构、功能和生态学潜力尽快地成功地恢复到原有的乃至更高的水平．     

河岸带生态系统退化机制及其恢复研究进展

恢复和重建自然和人为干扰导致的退化河岸带生态系统是目前恢复生态学、流域生态学等学科研究的重要内容之一．对河岸带生态系统的干扰表现在河流水文特征改变、河岸带直接干扰和流域尺度干扰3个方面,分别具有不同的影响机制．河流水文特征改变通过改变河岸土壤湿度、氧化还原电位、生物生存环境以及沉积物传输规律对河岸带生态系统产生影响;河岸带直接干扰通过人类活动及外来物种入侵而直接影响河岸带植被多样性;流域尺度干扰则主要表现在河道刷深、河道淤积、河岸带地下水位降低和河流冲刷过程改变等．河岸带生态恢复评价对象包括河岸带生态系统各要素,评价指标已从单一的生态指标转向综合性指标．河岸带生态恢复应在景观或者流域尺度上进行考虑,识别对其影响的生物和物理过程以及导致其退化的干扰因子,通过植被重建与水文调控来进行．扩展研究尺度和研究对象及采用多学科的研究方法将是今后相关研究中的重要问题．     

河岸植被缓冲带主要生态服务功能研究的现状与展望

河岸植被缓冲带是河流生态系统和陆地生态系统之间的生态交错带,具有独特的生态系统结构和服务功能,也是近年来生态学和环境科学研究的热点之一.本文对河岸带的生态系统结构及其在生物多样性维持、非点源氮素污染防治等主要生态服务功能方面的研究进行了系统总结和分析.由于岸边缓冲带具有结构复杂、系统内外干扰因子多、时空异质性强等特征,要实现对河岸带生态系统的科学有效管理,还需要进行大量的理论和案例研究.从系统生态学和景观生态学的角度,展望了该领域的研究前景:(1)加强人类活动干扰如土地利用的时空变化对河岸区域生物多样性分布特征和生态环境效应的影响研究;(2)加强不同河岸植被缓冲带结构和区域环境特征对非点源氮素污染净化机理和控制过程的研究;(3)在小尺度长期定位观测和机理研究的基础上,综合运用数学方法、遥感(RS)和地理信息系统(GIS)等工具,开发适合我国地域特点和环境特征的生态系统管理模型,定量研究河岸带生态系统结构、过程与功能动态变化及其与人类活动干扰之间的相互关系和影响机制,为区域社会经济的可持续发展提供科学依据和管理对策.     

河岸植被缓冲带与河岸带管理

河岸带是水陆交错带的一种景观表现形式,即岸边陆地上同河水发生作用的植被区域,是介于河溪和高地植被之间的生态过渡带,目前,河岸带的保护和管理日益为人们所关注,并成为自然资源经营及管理中不可缺少的部分,本文对国外河岸带管理有关的研究和实践进行了总结,对河岸带管理的目标、作用、一般途径、面临的问题以及将来发展趋势进行了讨论,并详细地介绍了USDA－FS的河岸植被缓冲带系统,文章最后指出,有必要在国内尽快开展河岸带管理的研究和实践。     

荒漠区植被对地下水埋深响应研究进展

荒漠区植被包括以旱生植物为主的荒漠植被和以中生植物为主的荒漠河岸林。综述了荒漠区植被对地下水埋深在个体、种群、群落以及斑块尺度上响应的研究成果,指出:荒漠区植物对地下水埋深的响应并不是简单的线性关系,而是植物适应气候、土壤、地下水等环境因素综合作用的结果,应在地下水与植被达到平衡态的基础上充分考虑生境土壤异质性、植被可塑性并采用长期定位和控制试验相结合的方法进行综合研究。强调在今后的研究中,加强同位素示踪技术和高光谱遥感技术的应用,开展植物水力提升及其机理研究;加强荒漠区植被对地下水响应机理研究特别是微观尺度(分子水平)和响应过程长期定位研究;重视植被响应地下水位波动和水质变化的研究;强化在景观尺度和生态系统尺度集成研究,以便为管理包括地下水在内的荒漠生态系统提供依据。     

植被生态系统恢复及其在华南的研究进展

介绍了恢复生态学常用的理论,并指出恢复生态学研究大多涉及植被生态系统恢复。植被恢复的目标就是要恢复植被的合理结构、功能和动态过程,从而为人类提供生态系统服务。植被恢复可以把区域的地带性植被生态系统作为参考生态系统,但目前的植被恢复工作绝大部分只是恢复了植被生态系统的部分组成、结构和功能。植被生态系统恢复研究主要从退化的原因与过程、恢复的过程与机理,以及从生境恢复、种群恢复、群落恢复、生态系统和景观恢复等不同尺度上的恢复开展。在介绍华南地区的植被生态系统现存问题的基础上,对华南地区开展的植被生态系统恢复,尤其是华南植物研究所(园)开展的植被生态系统恢复研究进行了介绍。最后,提出了华南地区植被生态系统恢复的方向及发展趋势。     

河道生态系统特征及其自净化能力研究现状与发展

河道生态系统包括河道水体和河岸带两大部分,具有净化水体、降低污染物浓度的功能.研究河道生态系统的自净化能力对河道生态系统的健康评价及水环境管理具有重要的意义.目前该领域的研究主要侧重于两个方面:一方面是运用水质模型的方法模拟评价河道水体的自净化能力,另一方面则是研究河岸植被缓冲带对净化水体的作用.系统总结了目前研究的特点与不足,指出了今后应该重视的研究领域,主要包括:(1)应加强研究陆地生态系统空间异质性对河道自净化能力的影响研究;(2)需要系统解剖河道剖面形态结构与空间布局对河道水质自净化能力的影响;(3)重视面向外部复杂环境的参数获取方法的研究;(4)综合河岸生态系统与河道水体生态系统,系统研究非点源污染在陆-水迁移和水体运移中河道生态系统自净化能力的时空变化特征,从而为开展河道生态系统健康评价,河道生态系统管理提供科学的依据.     

江西省不同类型退化荒山生态系统植被恢复与重建措施

对江西省 5种不同类型退化荒山生态系统进行综合治理 ,开展植被恢复与重建技术及理论研究。研究结果表明 :优选的植物组合及合理的配置并辅以工程措施是快速启动植被恢复进程 ,控制水土流失、重建退化荒山生态系统的有效措施。一林多用的树种组合 ,合理的生物体系设计和针、阔叶树种混交是改良地力 ,改善环境 ,促进退化荒山生态系统进展演替的优良途径。先进造林技术的应用和林农牧业结合的复合经营方式是提高综合治理效益 ,促进并维持生态恢复过程稳定的先决条件     

受损河岸生态修复工程的土壤生物学评价

为探索受损河岸生态修复的理论与技术，以修复4年的河岸生态修复工程为研究对象，从土壤生物学角度评价了人工构建的河岸生境缀块对受损河岸生态系统的修复作用.结果表明，经过4年的恢复，修复区土壤中各种微生物的数量明显高于对照区；修复区土壤动物种类、数量、生物多样性指数以及土壤有机质、N、P、K含量均高于对照区.修复后，受损河岸的土壤性状得到了明显改善，土壤生物多样性及河岸生态系统稳定性得到了提高.人工构建生境缀块的河岸生态修复工程不仅经济成本低，而且具有生态、景观和社会价值，为已建混凝土河岸的生态改造和受损河岸的近自然修复提供了新模式.     

Applying ecological site concepts and state‐and‐transition models to a grazed riparian rangeland

Ecological sites and state‐and‐transition models are useful tools for generating and testing hypotheses about drivers of vegetation composition in rangeland systems. These models have been widely implemented in upland rangelands, but comparatively, little attention has been given to developing ecological site concepts for rangeland riparian areas, and additional environmental criteria may be necessary to classify riparian ecological sites. Between 2013 and 2016, fifteen study reaches on five creeks were studied at Tejon Ranch in southern California. Data were collected to describe the relationship between riparian vegetation composition, environmental variables, and livestock management; and to explore the utility of ecological sites and state‐and‐transition models for describing riparian vegetation communities and for creating hypotheses about drivers of vegetation change. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to classify the environmental and vegetation data (15 stream reaches × 4 years) into two ecological sites and eight community phases that comprised three vegetation states. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to determine the influence of abiotic site variables, annual precipitation, and cattle activity on vegetation clusters. Channel slope explained the greatest amount of variation in vegetation clusters; however, soil texture, geology, watershed size, and elevation were also selected as important predictors of vegetation composition. The classification tree built with this limited set of abiotic predictor variables explained 90% of the observed vegetation clusters. Cattle grazing and annual precipitation were not linked to qualitative differences in vegetation. Abiotic variables explained almost all of the observed riparian vegetation dynamics—and the divisions in the CART analysis corresponded roughly to the ecological sites—suggesting that ecological sites are well‐suited for understanding and predicting change in this highly variable system. These findings support continued development of riparian ecological site concepts and state‐and‐transition models to aid decision making for conservation and management of rangeland riparian areas.     

Managing riparian zones for river health improvement: an integrated approach

Riparian zones are among the most valuable ecosystems on the earth. They act as the ecological engineers that improve river health through delivering a range of ecosystem functions. Stream bank stabilization, pollutant and sediment buffering, temperature regulation, provision of energy to river food webs and communities, groundwater recharge and provision of ecological corridors and habitat for wildlife, are among major ecosystem functions of riparian zones that play a great role in river health. Besides these ecosystem functions, riparian zones also provide various ecosystem goods and services for human well-being. But in the current scenario, riparian zones are under severe threat due to agricultural activities, urbanization, river flow alteration, overexploitation, climate change, pollution, and biological invasion. In the present and probable future scenarios of declining river health and global environmental changes, there is a pressing need of an integrated approach for managing riparian zones. This review article aims to advocate an integrated approach for riparian zone management based on various components such as riparian condition assessment, policy framework, stakeholder’s participation, management practices, legislation, and awareness. Authors also discussed riparian zones in context of their concepts, features, functions, and threats.

     

Toward Conceptual Cohesiveness: a Historical Analysis of the Theory and Utility of Ecological Boundaries and Transition Zones

Ecological transition zones are increasingly recognized as systems that play a critical role in controlling or modifying flows of organisms, materials, and energy across landscapes. Many concepts describing transitional areas have been proposed over the years, such as the prevalent and durable ecotone concept. Confusion among ecologists and land managers about transition zone concepts and the isolation of studies that use only one transition concept can hinder unified progress in understanding these key systems. Currently, a movement toward conceptual synthesis under the umbrella concept of ‘ecological boundary’ is underway. Here we examine the history and theoretical baggage of the ecotone, riparian zone, and several other concepts. Subsequently, we present a conceptual cluster analysis, which facilitates a better understanding of the similarities and differences between boundary and transition concepts. We emphasize the hierarchical nature of these concepts: higher-level synthetic concepts can be used in the development of theory, whereas lower-level concepts allow more specificity and the formulation of operational definitions. Finally, we look briefly at the utility and future use of boundary and transition zone concepts.     

Restoration and management of riparian ecosystems: a catchment perspective

1. We propose that strategies for the management of riparian ecosystems should incorporate concepts of landscape ecology and contemporary principles of restoration and conservation. A detailed understanding of the temporal and spatial dynamics of the catchment landscape (e.g. changes in the connectivity and functions of channel, riparian and terrestrial components) is critical. 2. This perspective is based upon previous definitions of riparian ecosystems, consideration of functional attributes at different spatial scales and retrospective analyses of anthropogenic influences on river catchments. 3. Restoration strategies must derive from a concise definition of the processes to be restored and conserved, recognition of social values and commitments, quantification of ecological circumstances and the quality of background information and determination of alternatives. 4. The basic components of an effective restoration project include: clear objectives (ecological and physical), baseline data and historical information (e.g. the hydrogeomorphic setting and the disturbance regime), a project design that recognizes functional attributes of biotic refugia, a comparison of plans and outcomes with reference ecosystems; a commitment to long-term planning, implementation and monitoring and, finally, a willingness to learn from both successes and failures. 5. Particularly important is a thorough understanding of past natural disturbances and human-induced changes on riparian functions and attributes, obtained by a historical reconstruction of the catchment.     

河岸带研究及其退化生态系统的恢复与重建

河岸带是指水陆交界处的两边,直至河水影响消失为止的地带。河岸带是湿地的重要组成部分,在流域生态系统中发挥着重要的作用,具有较大的生态、社会、经济和旅游价值。河岸带研究以生态学、水文学和地貌学炎基础,涉及多种学科和技术方法。由于自然和人为因素的影响,退化河岸带的生态恢复与重建较为复杂,通过安徽潜山县潜水退化河岸带滩地近6a的生态恢复与重建试验,研究结果表明：恢复与重建后的河岸带滩地生态系统的生物多样性和稳定性增加;土训结构和养分条件得到改善,其中,小于0.002mm的粘粒含量的平均值由恢复前的4.53％,上升到恢复后的11.71％,土壤容重由恢复前的1.455g/cm^2下降到恢复后的1.2g/cm^2,土壤有机质的平均值由恢复前的1.25g/kg上升到恢复后的9.44g/kg;河滩地泥沙淤积量增加;植物抗风浪作用增强,有效地保护了河岸,改善了河岸带地区的小气候。河岸带研究在我国起步较晚,因此,今后应加强河岸带的管理和对退化河岸带生态系统的恢复与重建工作,使河岸带生态系统可持续地为人类提供丰富多样的生产、生活和观光旅游产品。     

Influence of herbaceous riparian buffers on physical habitat, water chemistry, and stream communities within channelized agricultural headwater streams

Herbaceous riparian buffers (CP 21 grass filter strips) are a widely used agricultural conservation practice in the United States for reducing nutrient, pesticide, and sediment loadings to agricultural streams. The ecological impacts of herbaceous riparian buffers on the channelized agricultural headwater streams that are common throughout the midwestern United States have not been evaluated. We sampled riparian habitat, geomorphology, instream habitat, water chemistry, fishes, and amphibians for 4 years from three channelized agricultural headwater streams without herbaceous riparian buffers and three channelized streams with herbaceous riparian buffers in central Ohio. Only seven of 55 response variables exhibited differences between buffer types. Riparian widths were greater in channelized headwater streams with herbaceous riparian buffers than streams without herbaceous riparian buffers. Percent insectivores and minnows were greater in channelized streams without herbaceous riparian buffers than streams with herbaceous riparian buffers. Percent clay, turbidity, specific conductance, and pH differed between buffer types only during one sampling period. No differences in geomorphology and amphibian communities occurred between buffer types. Our results suggest channelized agricultural headwater streams with and without herbaceous riparian buffers are similar physically, chemically, and biologically. Installation of herbaceous riparian buffers alone adjacent to channelized agricultural headwater streams in central Ohio and other parts of the midwestern United States may only provide limited environmental benefits for these stream ecosystems in the first 4-6 years after establishment. Alternative implementation designs combining the use of herbaceous riparian buffers with other practices capable of altering nutrient and pesticide loads, riparian hydrology, and instream habitat are needed.     

Keystone Interactions: Salmon and Bear in Riparian Forests of Alaska

The term “keystone species” is used to describe organisms that exert a disproportionately important influence on the ecosystems in which they live. Analogous concepts such as “keystone mutualism” and “mobile links” illustrate how, in many cases, the interactions of two or more species produce an effect greater than that of any one species individually. Because of their role in transporting nutrients from the ocean to river and riparian ecosystems, Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and brown bear (Ursus arctos) have been described as keystone species and mobile links, although few data are available to quantify the importance of this interaction relative to other nutrient vectors. Application of a mass balance model to data from a southwestern Alaskan stream suggests that nitrogen (N) influx to the riparian forest is significantly increased in the presence of both salmon and bear, but not by either species individually. The interactions of salmon and bear may provide up to 24% of riparian N budgets, but this percentage varies in time and space according to variations in salmon escapement, channel morphology and watershed vegetation characteristics, suggesting interdependence and functional redundancy among N sources. These findings illustrate the complexity of interspecific interactions, the importance of linkages across ecosystem boundaries and the necessity of examining the processes and interactions that shape ecological communities, rather than their specific component parts.     

Fire in the Riparian Zone: Characteristics and Ecological Consequences

We review the current understandings of the frequency, spatial distributions, mechanisms, and ecological consequences of fire in riparian zones. Riparian zones are well known for influencing many ecological processes at local to landscape scales, and fire can have an important ecosystem-scale influence on them. Riparian zones differ from surrounding uplands in their biophysical templates, moisture regimes and disturbance regimes; as a consequence the characteristics and effects of fire are different than in adjacent uplands. Fire impacts on riparian zones vary proportionally with the severity and extent of burning in the catchment and are affected by stream size. Riparian zones can act as a buffer against fire and therefore as a refuge for fire-sensitive species. However, under some circumstances, such as dry pre-fire climatic conditions and the accumulation of dry fuel, riparian areas become corridors for fire movement. Fire incursion into riparian zones creates canopy gaps and drier conditions, which allow subsequent build up of dead wood and establishment of fire adapted species. In concert, this increases fuel loads and the probability of another fire. Secondary effects of riparian fire include altering nutrient fluxes and cycling, increasing sediment loads, and stimulating erosion. We conclude that riparian fires are potentially important in shaping ecological characteristics in many regions, but this is poorly quantified. A better understanding of riparian fire regimes is essential to assess the effects of fire in helping shape the complex ecological characteristics of riparian zones over the longer-term.     

Butterflies as an indicator group of riparian ecosystem assessment

Riparian ecosystems play an important role in modulating a range of ecosystem processes that affect aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Butterflies are a major herbivore in terrestrial ecosystems and are also common in riparian ecosystems. Since butterflies use plants for larval food and adult nectar sources in riparian ecosystems, butterfly diversity can be utilized to evaluate riparian ecosystems. We compiled butterfly data from 33 sites in three riparian ecosystem types across the country and compared butterfly diversity in terms of number of species and quality index in relation to riparian environmental variables. Number of butterfly and plant species was not different among three riparian habitat types. Additionally, there was no significant ecological variable to distinguish the butterfly communities on three riparian habitats. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling ordination showed that butterfly communities in three riparian ecosystem types differed from each other, and butterfly riparian quality index was the main variable for butterfly assemblages. Five indicator species for moor and another five species for riverine riparian ecosystems were identified. Three and one indicator species for moor and riparian ecosystems, respectively, were plant specialists, while 44 butterflies were general feeders, feeding on a wide range of hostplants in several habitats. These results suggest that butterfly species use actively riparian habitats for nectar and larval food, and the butterfly riparian quality index can be employed to track faunal change in riparian habitats, which are frequently threatened by disturbances such as water level and climate changes, and invasive species.