High and dry: post‐fire tree seedling establishment in subalpine forests decreases with post‐fire drought and large stand‐replacing burn patches

Aim Climate warming and increased wildfire activity are hypothesized to catalyse biogeographical shifts, reducing the resilience of fire‐prone forests world‐wide. Two key mechanisms underpinning hypotheses are: (1) reduced seed availability in large stand‐replacing burn patches, and (2) reduced seedling establishment/survival after post‐fire drought. We tested for regional evidence consistent with these mechanisms in an extensive fire‐prone forest biome by assessing post‐fire tree seedling establishment, a key indicator of forest resilience. Location Subalpine forests, US Rocky Mountains. Methods We analysed post‐fire tree seedling establishment from 184 field plots where stand‐replacing forest fires were followed by varying post‐fire climate conditions. Generalized linear mixed models tested how establishment rates varied with post‐fire drought severity and distance to seed source (among other relevant factors) for tree species with contrasting post‐fire regeneration adaptations. Results Total post‐fire tree seedling establishment (all species combined) declined sharply with greater post‐fire drought severity and with greater distance to seed sources (i.e. the interior of burn patches). Effects varied among key species groups. For conifers that dominate present‐day subalpine forests (Picea engelmannii, Abies lasiocarpa), post‐fire seedling establishment declined sharply with both factors. One exception was serotinous Pinus contorta, which did not vary with either factor. For montane species expected to move upslope under future climate change (Larix occidentalis, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Populus tremuloides) and upper treeline species (Pinus albicaulis), establishment was unrelated to either factor. Greater post‐fire tree seedling establishment on cooler/wetter aspects suggested local topographic refugia during post‐fire droughts. Main conclusions If future drought and wildfire patterns manifest as expected, post‐fire tree seedling establishment of species that currently characterize subalpine forests could be substantially reduced. Compensatory increases from lower montane and upper treeline species may partially offset these reductions, but our data suggest important near‐ to mid‐term shifts in the composition and structure of high‐elevation forests under continued climate warming and increased wildfire activity.     

The cost-effectiveness of using raptor nest sites to identify areas with high species richness of other taxa

Given the limited resources available for conservation, it is important that the areas to preserve are selected in a cost effective manner. However, the cost effectiveness of the surrogate species strategy (the use of information on one or more species to identify areas of value for other species for which there is no, or more limited, available information) has seldom been evaluated.In this study, we investigate the opportunity cost of setting aside breeding sites of two forest raptor species (the surrogate species) by evaluating their individual and combined contribution to preserve diversity of polypores (wood-decaying fungi) and birds against the contributions of previously established nature reserves. We use numeric optimization models to compare different reserve selection strategies.Site selection based on nest sites of the dominant raptor species was more cost-effective than strategies using sites of the subordinate species or those processes previously used to select nature reserves in Finland. The inclusion of both raptor species in the reserve selection model further improved its performance relative to other approaches. This indicates that the means by which Finnish reserves are selected could be enhanced by including the breeding sites of these, and maybe other species, among the criteria used to select reserves in the future.These results show that information on charismatic and well-surveyed species could be a cost-efficient add-on to help enhance conservation endeavours. Where there is inter-specific competition for biodiverse sites, and using multiple species is costly, basing reserve selection primarily on breeding sites of a dominant species may be the best strategy. However, further work is required to establish the extent to which dominant species are typically better indicators of conservation relevance.     

Incorporating spatial autocorrelation in rarefaction methods: Implications for ecologists and conservation biologists

Recently, methods for constructing Spatially Explicit Rarefaction (SER) curves have been introduced in the scientific literature to describe the relation between the recorded species richness and sampling effort and taking into account for the spatial autocorrelation in the data. Despite these methodological advances, the use of SERs has not become routine and ecologists continue to use rarefaction methods that are not spatially explicit. Using two study cases from Italian vegetation surveys, we demonstrate that classic rarefaction methods that do not account for spatial structure can produce inaccurate results. Furthermore, our goal in this paper is to demonstrate how SERs can overcome the problem of spatial autocorrelation in the analysis of plant or animal communities. Our analyses demonstrate that using a spatially-explicit method for constructing rarefaction curves can substantially alter estimates of relative species richness. For both analyzed data sets, we found that the rank ordering of standardized species richness estimates was reversed between the two methods. We strongly advise the use of Spatially Explicit Rarefaction methods when analyzing biodiversity: the inclusion of spatial autocorrelation into rarefaction analyses can substantially alter conclusions and change the way we might prioritize or manage nature reserves.     

四川米仓山自然保护区台湾水青冈群落学特征沿海拔梯度的变化

为了解不同生境中台湾水青冈(Fagus hayatae)的群落特征,对四川米仓山国家级自然保护区不同海拔的台湾水青冈群落的物种组成、区系特征、生活型谱、重要值和物种多样性等进行了研究。结果表明,台湾水青冈群落中的植物种类随海拔存在差异。群落中植物区系均以北温带分布类型为主,且其分布比例与海拔呈正相关关系。不同海拔群落的物种生活型谱主要以高位芽植物为主,其它生活型较少。群落乔木层中台湾水青冈的重要值随海拔上升不断增大。中海拔群落中的物种多样性指数均低于高海拔和低海拔,具有物种种类少、多样性低的特点。因此,不同海拔段上的台湾水青冈群落学特征有明显的差异。     

地形对七姊妹山自然保护区植物丰富度及分布格局的影响

该研究以七姊妹山自然保护区40个(20×20m2)植物群落调查样方为基础,并采用回归分析和典型对应分析(CCA)的方法研究该区地形对植物物种丰富度及植物分布格局的影响,以明确海拔、坡度、坡向、坡位等地形因子的相对重要性,为该区植物多样性的保护和管理提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)七姊妹山自然保护区40个调查样地共有植物633种,隶属133科,316属,其中乔木118种,灌木150种,草本365种。(2)曲线回归方程拟合结果显示,七姊妹山自然保护区植物物种丰富度分别与海拔、坡度具有显著相关性,物种丰富度沿海拔梯度升高而增大,沿坡度梯度先减少后增大之后又减小。(3)从植物的生活型来看,在所有海拔段,乔木物种丰富度始终低于灌木和草本植物;在低、中低海拔地带,灌木物种丰富度均高于乔木和草本植物;而在中、高海拔地带草本植物物种丰富度较大且高于乔木和灌木。(4)CCA排序结果表明,地形因子对植物物种的分布具有显著影响按其影响强度排序为海拔坡度坡位坡向,说明海拔是影响该区植物物种分布最重要的地形因子。     

Influence of age on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Apodemus sylvaticus at Merja Zerga lagoon,Morocco

The influence of age and sex on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Apodemus sylvaticus was studied in Merja Zerga lagoon in northern Morocco. Five trace metal elements (Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu and Fe) were quantitatively analyzed by Varian AA 240 atomic absorption spectroscopy with graphite furnace in three organs (Liver, Kidney and Heart) from animals of different age and sex. The maximum metal level of the analyzed samples was recorded in adults and was limited to 46.62 μg/g for Pb and 35.1 μg/g for Cu, while it reached 22.69 μg/g, 7.59 μg/g and 6.78 μg/g for Cr, Zn and Fe, respectively. Highly significant differences were found for bioaccumulation of heavy metals according to animal ages and no significant differences were observed between the two sexes among the studied animals. Our results revealed also the existence of a strong correlation (r > 0.65) between the majority of biometric parameters and the trace element concentrations. In general, we found that age is a critical factor in estimating the level of heavy metal pollution. Other characteristics such as habitat, feeding habits and anti-predator behavior of the species need to be studied.     

Expansion of Aedes africanus (Diptera: Culicidae), a sylvatic vector of arboviruses,into an urban environment of Abidjan,Côte d'Ivoire

In 2008, an outbreak of yellow fever occurred in Abidjan. The entomological investigations confirm that Abidjan is at risk of yellow fever with a suspicion of the National Park of Banco (NPB) forest as a likely area of re‐emergence. This study aims to assess the dispersion of sylvatic vectors of arboviruses from the NPB forest to the surrounding areas (Andokoi and Sagbé). The sampling was done in the rainy season using the WHO layer‐traps technique. Among the six species of Aedes sampled, Aedes aegypti and Aedes africanus were the potential vectors of arboviruses. Both species were collected in Sagbé but only Ae. aegypti in Andokoi. Only Ae. aegypti were present 400 and 800 m from NPB forest, but at 200 m, it showed respective proportions of 75.5% and 87.5% in Sagbé and Andokoi. In the NPB forest, however, Ae. africanus has been the predominant species. The study showed the presence of Ae. aegypti in Andokoi and Sagbé. However, Ae. africanus was found in the NPB forest and in the 200 m radius in Sagbé. The establishment of an entomological surveillance program in all areas would therefore be essential for the prevention of arboviruses outbreaks in Abidjan.     

Method for endogenizing capital in the United States Environmentally‐Extended Input‐Output model

Each year businesses, governments, and homeowners in the United States invest around one fifth of gross domestic product into the creation of capital assets such as buildings, machinery, and software to enable production and consumption. Use of capital is typically included to some extent in environmental life cycle assessments of goods and services but is not incorporated into most environmentally extended input‐output (EEIO) models, including the US Environmental Protection Agency's USEEIO. Capital assets are typically created in years prior to their use, so a challenge lies in distributing the impacts of their creation over time. In this work, a highly detailed capital flow matrix approach is followed to distribute the use of fixed capital assets to consuming industries. Data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis's Fixed Asset Accounts is merged with its Industry Accounts data by the creation of concordance tables. Public highways and streets are partially reallocated to industries operating vehicles. The resulting capital use matrix is later combined into a modified USEEIO. “Housing” is found to be the largest consumer of fixed assets, followed by general government, fossil fuel extraction, and financial industries involved in leasing. Construction, vehicles, and machinery are mostly used by industries in the form of fixed assets. The types of fixed assets used by industries are consistent with expectations: housing is dominated by structures, transport by equipment, and information industries by intellectual property products.     

The occurrence of the Broad‐toothed Rat Mastacomys fuscus in relation to feral Horse impacts

Feral Horse (Equus caballus) impacts in northern Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia are directly occurring in habitat of the nationally threatened Broad‐toothed Rat (Mastacomys fuscus). This species is endemic primarily to the mountain regions of south‐eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania, with a disjunct population at Barrington Tops. The Broad‐toothed Rat's preferred habitat is being increasingly impacted by browsing and trampling associated with the expansion of feral horse populations. This study surveyed 180 sites supporting preferred habitat for this species to determine Broad‐toothed Rat presence and relative abundance in relation to the level of feral horse impacts within the reserve. There was a significant negative relationship between feral horse impacts and both Broad‐toothed Rat presence and abundance. No scats were identified at localities where feral horse impacts were severe, and at moderate horse impact sites, there was a proportion (34%) without scats found. Locations with low horse impacts had little impact on Broad‐toothed Rat occurrence. As feral horse populations increase, Broad‐toothed Rat populations may be further impacted. Such impacts will be due to the loss of vegetation cover from feral horse trampling and grazing, making animals more vulnerable to predation by predators or impacting on their ability to disperse to more suitable habitat. Habitat remnants and vegetation corridors along drainage lines require protection from feral horses to prevent localized extinctions of Broad‐toothed Rat.     

贵州赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区鸟兽多样性红外相机初步监测

红外相机监测是了解野生动物多样性和威胁因素的重要手段。本研究采用网格法和分层抽样调查法, 在贵州赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区内选取20个监测位点布设红外相机, 对区内鸟兽物种多样性进行监测。2015年8月至2017年8月, 红外相机累计工作6,370个工作日, 共拍摄45,953张照片, 独立有效照片1,936张。准确鉴定出兽类4目8科19种, 鸟类4目11科28种, 其中, 国家II级重点保护野生动物7种。相对丰富度指数(RAI)排前五位的兽类依次是毛冠鹿(Elaphodus cephalophus)、鼬獾(Melogale moschata)、藏酋猴(Macaca thibetana)、小麂(Muntiacus reevesi)和野猪(Sus scrofa); 鸟类依次是紫啸鸫(Myophonus caeruleus)、红腹角雉(Tragopan temminckii)、灰胸竹鸡(Bambusicola thoracicus)、黑喉噪鹛(Garrulax chinensis)和棕颈钩嘴鹛(Pomatorhinus ruficollis)。物种积累曲线结果表明, 兽类稀疏化曲线在300天后趋于稳定, 表明监测取样已较充分, 而鸟类监测物种数随时间积累依旧保持增长趋势。