不同干扰荒漠生境中子午沙鼠的繁殖及种群动态特征

子午沙鼠(Merionesmeridianus)广泛分布于我国西北部地区,是荒漠啮齿动物群落的优势鼠种。种群繁殖特征是动物生活史参数中的一个重要组成部分,是种群数量补充的重要来源,而干扰是影响繁殖特征的重要因素。本研究于2012~2014年,在位于蒙古阿拉善左旗南部典型荒漠的野外实验区,设置禁牧、开垦、过牧、轮牧4种不同干扰样地,使用铗日法对实验样地子午沙鼠相对数量及繁殖特征进行调查。4种不同干扰生境中的子午沙鼠种群数量具有显著差异,禁牧过牧轮牧开垦;雌雄性比在轮牧生境中最高,开垦生境次之,禁牧生境最低;4种干扰生境中,轮牧样地子午沙鼠雌鼠怀孕率显著高于禁牧、过牧和开垦样地;雄鼠的睾丸下降率在过牧干扰样地显著高于其他3种干扰方式样地,轮牧样地雄鼠睾丸下降率最低;雌鼠平均胎仔数在4种干扰生境间无显著性差异;轮牧干扰样地繁殖指数显著高于其他3种干扰方式样地;繁殖指数、怀孕率及睾丸下降率对密度的反馈作用最为明显,但在不同的干扰生境中其反馈特征有差异。综上,子午沙鼠在轮牧生境中各繁殖特征指数最高,繁殖能力最强,种群密度相对较高,更适合其生存,其密度制约效应表现最为明显。     

荒漠景观破碎化条件下啮齿动物群落beta 多样性变化特征

2002 ～2010 年,采用夹日法对内蒙古阿拉善荒漠区禁牧、轮牧、过牧和开垦4 种不同人为干扰生境中啮齿动物群落β 多样性进行了研究,同时分析不同生境的灌木植物群落特征来探讨人为干扰下的景观破碎化。依据人为干扰下景观破碎的情况将研究区域内生境梯度的变化按照:禁牧到轮牧、轮牧到过牧、过牧到开垦、禁牧到过牧、禁牧到开垦、轮牧到开垦进行划分,分别利用Jaccard 指数、Sorenson 指数和Cody 指数分析景观破碎化条件下啮齿动物群落β 多样性变化特征。结果表明,不同生境梯度间3 种β 多样性指数差异均显著(P <0. 05),禁牧到过牧梯度β 多样性差异最大。不同干扰生境间的灌木植物群落特征差异极显著(P < 0. 01),Shannon-Wiener 指数、Simpson 指数和物种数均表现为轮牧区> 过牧区> 禁牧区> 开垦区。环境变化程度与β 多样性变化的程度一致。人为干扰是该区域景观破碎化的主要原因,特别是放牧活动,导致环境异质性显著增加。在荒漠区,这种随环境梯度造成异质性加大而增加的β 多样性,并不是由物种增加较大导致,而是由啮齿动物群落物种组成差异和变化增大所致.     

集合种群的似Allee效应

从局域种群出发,建立了一个既包括局域种群动态,又包含集合种群侵占率的整合模型,并在这两个层次上进行了计算机模拟,结果表明：（1）同局域种群的Allee效应相类似,集合种群的斑块（适宜生境）侵占比例也存在一个临界值,即使有足够的适宜生境,当斑块的侵占比例低于这个临界值时,集合种群优将趋于灭绝。（2）这个临界值与局域种各的Allee效应密切相关,这将给自然保护,尤其稀有生物的保护以很大的启示。     

炔雌醚对内蒙古农牧交错带长爪沙鼠(Meriones unguiculatus)家群大小和巢域行为的影响

为检验施用炔雌醚对农牧交错带长爪沙鼠家群大小与巢域行为的影响,于2006年5月至9月对内蒙古锡林郭勒盟锡林浩特市农牧交错区域分布的长爪沙鼠家群使用炔雌醚进行种群不育控制实验。分设投药区和对照区两个组别,分别于5月、7月与9月份采用1/4样圆面积有效洞口计数法,随机选取24个长爪沙鼠家群,调查对照区域和投药区内沙鼠的家群洞口数量以及家群大小。另在对照区和投药区,随机测定了30个沙鼠的家群活动范围,对比使用炔雌醚前后长爪沙鼠巢域平均半径和活动面积的影响。结果为:对照区家群平均洞口数58个,投药区仅23个,在炔雌醚投药区长爪沙鼠家群受炔雌醚影响,洞口数仅为23个,表明其对长爪沙鼠家群大小控制效果显著。投药区内长爪沙鼠家群密度在投药后连续下降,最大下降幅度较对照区家群密度低70%,表明炔雌醚对长爪沙鼠的家群密度影响较大,可显著降低长爪沙鼠家群密度(P<0.05)。炔雌醚对长爪沙鼠家群平均半径和活动面积的研究结果显示,施用炔雌醚后家群巢域半径与活动面积均显著缩小(P<0.05),与对照区巢域平均面积相比缩小15%、平均活动半径缩小30%。通过以上结果可得出:单独施用炔雌醚对控制野外长爪沙鼠家群以及降低长爪沙鼠巢域、活动面积效果显著。炔雌醚可有效降低农牧交错带长爪沙鼠种群数量和有效活动范围,这对于农牧交错带的鼠害防控,同时降低鼠源性疾病,包括鼠疫的传播都有一定的意义。     

炔雌醚对长爪沙鼠种群数量和性比的影响

炔雌醚是一种激素类新型鼠类不育剂,已有研究表明,炔雌醚对某些鼠类种群繁殖具有良好的控制成效。为检验新型不育剂对长爪沙鼠种群的控制效果,2006年5月在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟锡林浩特市农牧交错带开展了炔雌醚对野外长爪沙鼠种群的控制实验,本次实验设投药区和对照区2个组别,5—8月开展逐月的夹线调查以及四分之一圆洞口计数法,对样地内长爪沙鼠进行系统的追踪调查,分析炔雌醚对长爪沙鼠种群数量以及种群性比的作用。结果显示:投药1个月之后,投药区雌鼠比例(16.3%)不及对照组雌鼠比例(51.9%)的三分之一,投药区的雌鼠比例(16.3%)仅为雄鼠比例(83.7%)的五分之一;与对照区相比,投药区长爪沙鼠的密度下降达60%以上。这表明:炔雌醚对野外长爪沙鼠种群的不育控制具有良好效果,且炔雌醚对长爪沙鼠的种群性比影响很大,过量投放炔雌醚可造成雌鼠死亡,单独使用炔雌醚可降低野外不育剂的药物成本。     

不同干扰条件下荒漠啮齿动物生态位特征

2002和2003年的4、7、10月份在内蒙古阿拉善荒漠区设开垦区、轮牧区、过牧区和禁牧区4个不同类型的干扰区,每个干扰区布设4个固定样方,对荒漠啮齿动物的空间生态位及其季节特征进行了研究。结果表明:五趾跳鼠和子午沙鼠的空间生态位宽度指数最高,分别为0.925和0.908;短尾仓鼠、小毛足鼠和草原黄鼠的次之,分别为0.789、0.782和0.711;五趾心颅跳鼠的最低,为0.003。草原黄鼠与小毛足鼠等6个种对的空间生态位重叠指数最高,均大于0.9,接近于1,生态位几乎完全重叠。长爪沙鼠与五趾心颅跳鼠、三趾心颅跳鼠的空间生态位重叠指数均为0,不存在资源利用竞争。在荒漠生境中,啮齿动物不仅对不同干扰条件的适应性较强,而且对资源利用存在较大程度的趋同性。在不同干扰条件下荒漠啮齿动物的生态位宽度会随着不同季节的变化出现明显的改变。同样,生态位重叠和生态位分化随着不同生态季节的变化也会发生明显的改变,春、秋季的生态位重叠程度低,分化程度高,秋季较春季略强;夏季的生态位重叠程度高,而分化程度低。     

集合种群的理论框架与应用研究进展

集合种群的研究是当今国际生态学的重要前沿与热点。随着全球范围的生境破坏和破碎化,集合种群的研究方法已成为数学生态学、理论生态学和保护生物学的重要手段。由于其迅速的发展,集合种群的概念与理论得到迅速扩展与丰富。为了能总观集合种群进展的全局并开展进一步的工作．首先对集合种群的已有概念、理论和模型做了全面的分析和总结;其次对集合种群的发展和概念进行了探讨,以集合种群模型的中心框架：Levins的斑块占据模型为基础,展开对其它原理、效应和机制的探讨;主要包括了Levins原理．即当生境遭到破坏时,空斑块比例在集合种群灭绝前保持不变,然后还分析了Allee效应(集合种群的Allee效应主要是由于建群困难和扩散损失造成的);第三,分析了援救效应：迁入个体可以降低斑块中现有局域种群的灭绝风险。援救效应会增强集合种群的生存力,使空斑块比例下降。第四,探讨了两竞争集合种群的共存机制,即竞争,侵占妥协,其共存机制为空间生境中物种共存提供了有力的理论解释。最后,对集合种群群落中的灭绝债务进行了讨论。并给出了2种最为主要的集合种群空间模拟方法。     

不同干扰下荒漠啮齿动物群落多样性的多尺度分析

尺度问题是生态学的核心问题。本文将荒漠啮齿动物群落主要特征参数Shannon-Wiener多样性指数作为信息,来探究其在人为干扰下对尺度变化的响应,目的是为了揭示不同干扰条件下荒漠区啮齿动物群落多样性随尺度变化的趋势,为动物群落格局—过程研究的尺度推绎提供生态学基础。2003~2008年每年7月,在内蒙古阿拉善荒漠禁牧、轮牧、过牧和开垦4种不同干扰生境中,选择了1.25hm2,2.5hm2,5hm2和10hm2等4个空间尺度,应用铗日法统计样地中的啮齿动物群落种数及各物种的捕获数据,计算Shannon-Wiener多样性指数,将其作为原始信号进行小波分解。研究结果表明：在荒漠区≤10hm2内,除过牧区外,在其他干扰类型中啮齿动物群落多样性随空间尺度增加均呈上升趋势。啮齿动物群落多样性的原始信号中存在规则的周期性干扰,这种干扰可能是由群落的年际波动造成的。在4种尺度下,各干扰区啮齿动物群落多样性除在开垦区未表现出明显周期外,其余干扰区各自均具有相同的周期：轮牧区4年,禁牧区3年,过牧区2年。荒漠区4种干扰类型中随着空间尺度的增加啮齿动物群落多样性变动幅度减小,抗干扰能力逐渐增强。但不同干扰中啮齿动物多样性的变动幅度和抗干扰能力是不同的。禁牧区与开垦区的啮齿动物多样性在≤2.5hm2范围内较易受到扰动;过牧区在≤5hm2的范围内较不稳定;轮牧区在整个10hm2范围内都易受到扰动。     

生境破坏的模式对集合种群动态和续存的影响

构建了空间关联的集合种群模型,该模型不但包含了种群的空间结构信息,而且引入了破坏生境的全局密度和局部密度两个指标,它们描述了破坏生境的模式.模型揭示了破坏生境的空间分布格局复杂地影响了集合种群的动态和续存,破坏和未破坏生境斑块的均匀混合不利于集合种群的增长和续存,而生境类型聚集分布可以促进集合种群的快速增长和长期续存;对于两种斑块类型相对均匀混合的生境来说,均匀场假设可能会高估集合种群的续存,对于相对斑块类型高度聚集的生境,均匀场假设可能会低估集合种群的续存;物种的迁移范围也会影响集合种群的续存,迁移范围越大的物种越容易抵御生境的破坏而免遭灭绝.这意味着在生物保护中不能仅仅考虑生境的恢复和斑块质量的改善,生境结构的构建也是很重要的,加强生境斑块之间的连通性也有利于物种的长期续存.     

基于线粒体细胞色素b基因的中国大沙鼠系统地理格局

通过内蒙、新疆、甘肃的41个大沙鼠样品和1个伊朗撒拉克大沙鼠的mtDNA Cytb基因全序列的遗传分析,对我国大沙鼠(Rhombomys opimus)的分子系统地理学进行了初步探讨。结果表明,我国41个大沙鼠样品的Cytb基因包含了50个核苷酸变异位点(占全序列的4.39%),其中转换48个,颠换2个,共定义23个单倍型。在四个地理种群中,内蒙古中部半荒漠区和阿拉善荒漠区的单倍型多样性最高,甘新荒漠区的单倍型多样性最低;北疆荒漠区的核苷酸多样性最高,内蒙古中部半荒漠区的核苷酸多样性最低。分子变异分析(AMOVA)表明,种群间的遗传变异占51.68%,种群内的遗传变异占48.32%。FST统计结果表明,除内蒙古中部半荒漠区与阿拉善荒漠区地理种群之间差异显著外(P<0.05),其它地理种群间的差异均极显著(P<0.01)。基于单倍型的系统树显示,42只大沙鼠形成三支。其中,伊朗撒拉克地区大沙鼠和中国地区大沙鼠之间的亲缘关系比中国两支大沙鼠之间的亲缘关系远;分析表明,中国分布的大沙鼠两支之间分歧时间估计在0.093Ma前。嵌套支分析表明,大沙鼠历史种群曾发生过异域片段化、受阻碍基因流和持续种群扩张事件。种群扩张分析提示大沙鼠在0.0119Ma前曾经历过一次种群扩张事件,种群可能受到末次冰期波动的影响。     

不同干扰下荒漠啮齿动物种群动态的空间同步性

荒漠啮齿动物是动物生态学研究中的重要类群,对于丰富种群和群落生态学理论具有重要意义.国外关于荒漠啮齿动物的研究较多,尤以北美的研究较为深入,涉及群落组成(Brown,1973)、生态位(Harris, 1984;Kenagy and Bartholomew, 1985)、物种共存(Brown and Munger,1985)、资源分享及微生境选择(Brown and Lieberman,1973;Price,1978)等方面;而国内关于荒漠啮齿动物研究相对较少.     

Both population size and patch quality affect local extinctions and colonizations

Currently, the habitat of many species is fragmented, resulting in small local populations with individuals occasionally dispersing between the remaining habitat patches. In a solitary bee metapopulation, extinction probability was related to both local bee population sizes and pollen resources measured as host plant population size. Patch size, on the other hand, had no additional predictive power. The turnover rate of local bee populations in 63 habitat patches over 4 years was high, with 72 extinction events and 31 colonization events, but the pollen plant population was stable with no extinctions or colonizations. Both pollen resources and bee populations had strong and independent effects on extinction probability, but connectivity was not of importance. Colonizations occurred more frequently within larger host plant populations. For metapopulation survival of the bee, large pollen plant populations are essential, independent of current bee population size.     

Do invasive species undergo metapopulation dynamics? A case study of the invasive Caspian gull,Larus cachinnans,in Poland

Aim The mechanisms of initial dispersal and habitat occupancy by invasive alien species are fundamental ecological problems. Most tests of metapopulation theory are performed on local population systems that are stable or in decline. In the current study we were interested in the usefulness of metapopulation theory to study patch occupancy, local colonization, extinction and the abundance of the invasive Caspian gull (Larus cachinnans) in its initial invasion stages. Location Waterbodies in Poland. Methods Characteristics of the habitat patches (waterbodies, 35 in total) occupied by breeding pairs of Caspian gulls and an equal sample of randomly selected unoccupied patches were compared with t‐tests. Based on presence–absence data from 1989 to 2006 we analysed factors affecting the probability of local colonization, extinction and the size of local populations using generalized linear models. Results Occupied habitat patches were significantly larger and less isolated (from other habitat patches and other local populations) and were located closer to rivers than empty patches. The proximity of local food resources (fish ponds, refuse dumps) positively affected the occurrence of breeding pairs. The probability of colonization was positively affected by patch area, and negatively by distances to fish ponds, nearest habitat patch, nearest breeding colony and to a river, and by higher forest cover around the patch boundaries. The probability of extinction was lower in patches with a higher number of breeding pairs and with a greater area of islets. The extinction probability increased with distances to other local populations, other habitat patches, fish ponds and to refuse dumps and with a higher cover of forest around the patch boundaries. The size of the local population decreased with distances to the nearest habitat patch, local population, river, fish pond and refuse dump. Local abundance was also positively affected by the area of islets in the patch. Main conclusions During the initial stages of the invasion of Caspian gulls in Poland the species underwent metapopulation‐like dynamics with frequent extinctions from colonized habitat patches. The results prove that metapopulation theory may be a useful conceptual framework for predicting which habitats are more vulnerable to invasion.     

Spatially-correlated extinction in a metapopulation model of Leadbeater's Possum

The importance of considering spatially-correlated extinction in metapopulation viability analyses was investigated using a model of the population dynamics of Gymnobelideus leadbeateri McCoy (Leadbeater's Possum). Fire caused local extinction of G. leadbeateri and induced changes in the suitability of the habitat over a period of decades and centuries. Spatially-correlated fires, in which the correlation between the incidence of fire declines with distance, and uniformly-correlated fires were simulated. The predicted risk of metapopulation extinction increased: (i) as the variance in the number of fires each year increased, (ii) as the mean fire interval decreased, and (iii) as the mean dispersal distance decreased. Incorporating spatial correlation in the incidence of fires between patches had little effect on the results, provided the variance in the number of fires per year remained the same and fires modified habitat quality. The predicted risk of metapopulation extinction was greater for spatially-correlated fires than for uniformly-correlated fires when fires only caused local extinction but did not change habitat suitability. Incorporating spatial correlation in the incidence of fire within patches, which allowed partial burning of patches, reduced the predicted risk of extinction. This effect was only slight when patches were smaller than about 50 ha. The results of our simulations demonstrate the importance of considering correlations in disturbance regimes in metapopulation models, especially if these models are used to assist the design of nature reserves.     

Metapopulation Dynamics of the Mistletoe and Its Host in Savanna Areas with Different Fire Occurrence

Mistletoes are aerial hemiparasitic plants which occupy patches of favorable habitat (host trees) surrounded by unfavorable habitat and may be possibly modeled as a metapopulation. A metapopulation is defined as a subdivided population that persists due to the balance between colonization and extinction in discrete habitat patches. Our aim was to evaluate the dynamics of the mistletoe Psittacanthus robustus and its host Vochysia thyrsoidea in three Brazilian savanna areas using a metapopulation approach. We also evaluated how the differences in terms of fire occurrence affected the dynamic of those populations (two areas burned during the study and one was fire protected). We monitored the populations at six-month intervals. P. robustus population structure and dynamics met the expected criteria for a metapopulation: i) the suitable habitats for the mistletoe occur in discrete patches; (ii) local populations went extinct during the study and (iii) colonization of previously non-occupied patches occurred. The ratio of occupied patches decreased in all areas with time. Local mistletoe populations went extinct due to two different causes: patch extinction in area with no fire and fire killing in the burned areas. In a burned area, the largest decrease of occupied patch ratios occurred due to a fire event that killed the parasites without, however, killing the host trees. The greatest mortality of V. thyrsoidea occurred in the area without fire. In this area, all the dead trees supported mistletoe individuals and no mortality was observed for parasite-free trees. Because P. robustus is a fire sensitive species and V. thyrsoidea is fire tolerant, P. robustus seems to increase host mortality, but its effect is lessened by periodic burning that reduces the parasite loads.     

Single-species metapopulation dynamics: concepts, models and observations

This paper outlines a conceptual and theoretical framework for single-species metapopulation dynamics based on the Levins model and its variants. The significance of the following factors to metapopulation dynamics are explored: evolutionary changes in colonization ability; habitat patch size and isolation; compensatory effects between colonization and extinction rates; the effect of immigration on local dynamics (the rescue effect); and heterogeneity among habitat patches. The rescue effect may lead to alternative stable equilibria in metapopulation dynamics. Heterogeneity among habitat patches may give rise to a bimodal equilibrium distribution of the fraction of patches occupied in an assemblage of species (the core-satellite distribution). A new model of incidence functions is described, which allows one to estimate species' colonization and extinction rates on islands colonized from mainland. Four distinct kinds of stochasticity affecting metapopulation dynamics are discussed with examples. The concluding section describes four possible scenarios of metapopulation extinction.     

Local and Regional Determinants of Colonisation-Extinction Dynamics of a Riparian Mainland-Island Root Vole Metapopulation

The role of local habitat geometry (habitat area and isolation) in predicting species distribution has become an increasingly more important issue, because habitat loss and fragmentation cause species range contraction and extinction. However, it has also become clear that other factors, in particular regional factors (environmental stochasticity and regional population dynamics), should be taken into account when predicting colonisation and extinction. In a live trapping study of a mainland-island metapopulation of the root vole (Microtus oeconomus) we found extensive occupancy dynamics across 15 riparian islands, but yet an overall balance between colonisation and extinction over 4 years. The 54 live trapping surveys conducted over 13 seasons revealed imperfect detection and proxies of population density had to be included in robust design, multi-season occupancy models to achieve unbiased rate estimates. Island colonisation probability was parsimoniously predicted by the multi-annual density fluctuations of the regional mainland population and local island habitat quality, while extinction probability was predicted by island population density and the level of the recent flooding events (the latter being the main regionalized disturbance regime in the study system). Island size and isolation had no additional predictive power and thus such local geometric habitat characteristics may be overrated as predictors of vole habitat occupancy relative to measures of local habitat quality. Our results suggest also that dynamic features of the larger region and/or the metapopulation as a whole, owing to spatially correlated environmental stochasticity and/or biotic interactions, may rule the colonisation – extinction dynamics of boreal vole metapopulations. Due to high capacities for dispersal and habitat tracking voles originating from large source populations can rapidly colonise remote and small high quality habitat patches and re-establish populations that have gone extinct due to demographic (small population size) and environmental stochasticity (e.g. extreme climate events).     

Approximate Bayesian estimation of extinction rate in the Finnish Daphnia magna metapopulation

Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is useful for parameterizing complex models in population genetics. In this study, ABC was applied to simultaneously estimate parameter values for a model of metapopulation coalescence and test two alternatives to a strict metapopulation model in the well‐studied network of Daphnia magna populations in Finland. The models shared four free parameters: the subpopulation genetic diversity (θ_S), the rate of gene flow among patches (4Nm), the founding population size (N₀) and the metapopulation extinction rate (e) but differed in the distribution of extinction rates across habitat patches in the system. The three models had either a constant extinction rate in all populations (strict metapopulation), one population that was protected from local extinction (i.e. a persistent source), or habitat‐specific extinction rates drawn from a distribution with specified mean and variance. Our model selection analysis favoured the model including a persistent source population over the two alternative models. Of the closest 750 000 data sets in Euclidean space, 78% were simulated under the persistent source model (estimated posterior probability = 0.769). This fraction increased to more than 85% when only the closest 150 000 data sets were considered (estimated posterior probability = 0.774). Approximate Bayesian computation was then used to estimate parameter values that might produce the observed set of summary statistics. Our analysis provided posterior distributions for e that included the point estimate obtained from previous data from the Finnish D. magna metapopulation. Our results support the use of ABC and population genetic data for testing the strict metapopulation model and parameterizing complex models of demography.     

The effect of grazing on winter survival of midday gerbil (Meriones meridianus) of different genders

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of grazing on midday gerbil (Meriones meridianus) population characteristics and survival of animals of different genders. The experiment used a randomized complete block design and was conducted in Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, China, in 2002 (The agricultural reclamation plots set up in 1994). From April 2006 to October 2010, midday gerbils were live‐trapped in 3 light grazing plots, 3 overgrazed plots, and 3 grazing exclusion plots. The quantity of vegetation was investigated in the two different grazing intensity areas and grazing exclusion area to determine the relationship between gerbils and plant food availability. The results suggested that there was higher gerbil density, individual body mass, and daily body mass growth rate in the grazing exclusion sites than the other sites across the whole year. Females had higher survival in grazing exclusion areas than in other treatments, but the males’ survival showed the opposite pattern. Our results indicated that grazing negatively influenced the midday gerbil population by reducing food availability. Grazing influenced the survival rates of male midday gerbils positively, but had negative effects on females. The reason for gendered differences in survival rates of midday gerbils requires further investigation.