Pteridophyte diversity and species composition in four Amazonian rain forests

Abstract. Local variation in individual density, species composition, species richness and species diversity of terrestrial pteridophytes were studied at four sites in the tropical lowland rain forest of western Amazonia. 15 568 pteridophyte individuals representing 40 species were recorded in four plots. The variability among subplots within the same plot was considerable in all the characteristics measured (number of individuals, number of species, species diversity); the square 1‐ha plot was more homogeneous in these respects than any of the three 5 m by 1300 m transects. Species richness was affected by the density of individuals both within and among plots. Density of individuals was not affected by topographical position within any of the plots, whereas in some of the plots both species richness and species diversity were. Clustering and ordination analyses showed that floristically similar subplots could be found in different plots: although there was a tendency for subplots from the same plot to be floristically similar and therefore to group together, many recognized groups included subplots from two or more plots. Both within and among plots, the floristic differences corresponded to topographic position and were probably related to soil drainage. This was also evident in that the abundance patterns of many species followed the topography.     

Spatial patterns of plant association in grazed and ungrazed shrublands in the semi‐arid Karoo,South Africa

Abstract. The investigation of vegetation pattern and plant association by spatial statistics has become increasingly popular among plant ecologists. Recently, Individual‐centered analysis (ICA) has been introduced as a new tool for analysis of multi‐species co‐occurrence patterns. We tested this new technique by applying it to spatial data from grazed and ungrazed shrub communities in the semi‐arid Great Karoo, South Africa. There were substantial but complex and scale‐dependent differences in pattern between grazed and ungrazed vegetation. Unpalatable species that increase in abundance in grazed vegetation possibly play a key role in the change of vegetation pattern. At small scales we found indications of aggregation (< 30 cm) at the ungrazed, but of repulsion (30 – 40 cm) at the grazed site. An additional non‐random pattern at 60 – 170 cm at the grazed site was probably due to the clumped distributions of some species on broader scales. We show that the interpretability of ICA results is improved when the actual observed and expected frequencies of species combinations are added to the program output. The main strength of ICA is that it has the potential to detect association patterns that involve more than two species.     

Environmental controls of NDVI and sheep production in the Tierra del Fuego steppe of Argentina

Abstract. We analysed vegetation dynamics in Tierra del Fuego steppes using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data provided by advanced very high‐resolution radiometer (AVHRR) on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) polar satellite. Our objective, at a regional scale, was to analyse the spatial variability of NDVI dynamics in relation to parent material and geographic location, representing the fertility and climate gradients respectively; at a local scale, it was to analyse the inter‐annual variability associated with climate and its relation with sheep production indices. The general pattern of NDVI dynamics was analysed with Principal Component Analysis. We found that the geographic location was more important than landscape type in explaining NDVI dynamics despite the fact that the variation in landscape type reflects a fertility gradient strongly associated with floristic composition and secondary productivity. Discriminant Analysis was performed to identify the variables that better distinguish geographic units. The Northern region (with the lowest precipitation and the highest temperatures) had lower NDVI values over the year. In the Central region, NDVI reached the highest value of the season, surpassing both other regions. The Southern region (the coldest and moistest) had its growth pattern displaced towards the summer. For the Central region we analysed 10 years of monthly NDVI data with PCA. We found that precipitation from August to December and winter temperature are the most important determinants of overall NDVI values. Lamb production was correlated with spring and early summer NDVI values. Sheep mortality is affected by low NDVI values in late summer and high annual amplitude. Satellite information allowed us to characterize the vegetation dynamics of three ecological areas across the Fuegian steppe.     

Original Articles: Nitrogen Availability and Old-Field Succession in a Shortgrass Steppe

The relationship between soil nitrogen (N) availability and plant community structure was investigated in old-fields in the shortgrass steppe of Colorado. Nitrogen availability was manipulated by N or sucrose additions for 4 years at three old-fields (early-seral, mid-seral, and late-seral) and at an uncultivated control site. The addition of N generally resulted in increased abundance of annual forbs and grasses relative to perennials at all of the previously cultivated sites. Conversely, experimental reduction of N availability generally increased the relative abundance of perennials. Despite a lack of detectable differences in N mineralization between sites and treatments, ion-exchange resin bags confirmed that sucrose additions reduced plant-available N and that N additions increased plant-available N. This was evidenced further by similar observations for plant tissue N content. The degree to which N additions increased N availability at the various sites supported the idea that late-seral plant communities are less effective at N capture relative to earlier-seral communities. The mid-seral old-field had the lowest rates of litter decomposition and a relatively large accumulation of litter on the soil surface. This mid-seral old-field was dominated by an exotic annual grass (Bromus tectorum), which appears to be a major hindrance to redevelopment of the plant-soil system. By experimentally reducing N availability at this stage, we were able, in 4 years, to change the plant community into one that more closely resembled the late-seral community. We also observed that the natural recruitment of weedy annual species on the uncultivated site during an unusually wet year was suppressed by reducing N availability. Our results suggest that available N is an important factor controlling the rate and course of plant and soil community redevelopment on abandoned croplands in the shortgrass steppe, and that manipulation of N availability might be useful in restoration of rangeland vegetation. Received 19 May 1998; accepted 27 August 1999.     

Genetic Diversity and the Reintroduction of Meadow Species

Abstract: Restoration of formerly nutrient‐poor and species‐rich grasslands generally leads to an increase in species diversity. However, species without a persistent seed bank and with poor dispersal ability often do not re‐establish spontaneously. Here, reintroduction is an option. If existing populations are comparable in their genetic composition, any population will do. This is not the case if populations have local adaptations. Unfortunately, whether populations are adapted locally is not easily determined, in contrast to assessing differentiation using neutral genetic markers. We used AFLP to study genetic diversity of Cirsium dissectum and Succisa pratensis within and among several Junco‐Molinion plant communities in the Netherlands (up to 200 km apart) that were potential source populations, and followed the reintroduction using seeds from these populations. Also, vegetative growth phase characteristics of three populations of C. dissectum were analyzed under controlled conditions. Most of the genetic variation in these cross‐fertilizing species was found within populations. Small but significant genetic differences in band frequencies were found among populations (F_st 0.100 ‐ 0.135). The first generation of reintroduced plants contained less polymorphic bands than the source populations. The genetic differences caused by reintroduction using a limited number of seeds (founder effects) were significant in all except one case (F_st 0.012 ‐ 0.101 between source and corresponding reintroduced population), but the magnitude was smaller than the source population differentiation. In assignment tests, reintroduced populations resembled their source population more than any other population, but all populations contained sizeable proportions of plants that were assigned to most similar plants from other populations, indicating that the populations are only marginally distinct. Calculations show that reintroduction from more than one source population introduces significantly more polymorphic bands into the new population, capitalizing on the existence of band frequency differences among populations.     

紫色土人工林生态系统碳库与碳吸存变化

采用时空代换法,以福建省宁化县严重退化紫色土人工林生态系统为对象,按侵蚀强度由强到弱选取4种生态恢复措施Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ,对比研究了碳库与碳吸存能力．结果表明,随着恢复程度的提高,生态系统的碳吸存能力逐渐增加,即Ⅰ<Ⅱ<Ⅲ<Ⅳ,4种措施生态系统碳库分别为1．4、8．5、25．6和37．6t·hm^-2;CO2年同化量分别是712．87、1458．01、9718．10和11109．56k·hm^-2．可见,恢复过程中的生态系统是本地区重要的碳汇之一．水土保持工程措施与生物措施相结合应是退化生态系统生态恢复的重要手段,但是减少人为干扰才是目前较为合理的恢复策略,使森林生态系统成为大气中CO2的一个重要的碳汇．     

温带林的片断化对冬季兽类丰富度的影响

1997 年至1999 年间, 在韩国智异山国家公园选取生境相似, 但片断化和未片断化不同的调查地。设置8 条2 km 长截线, 调查记录了黄鼬( Mustela sibirica) 、黄喉貂(青鼬) ( Martes lavigula) 、狗獾(Meles meles) 、豹猫( Felis bengalensis) 、野猪( Sus scrofa) 、獐( Hydropotes inermis) 、狍( Capreolus) 、朝鲜兔(Lepus coreanus) 和松鼠的数量, 并对影响动物数量的相关因子进行回归分析。结果表明, 8 块样地虽属两大类不同景观且具有相似植被特征, 但在片断化和未片断化中, 枯折木, 胸高直径(dbh)6～10 cm的树及50 cm的巨树密度, 树冠盖度及灌木被度均有明显差异。3 年内在8 块样地共记录到9种兽类在雪被上留下的足迹, 其中5 种兽的密度在片断化和未片断化生境中差异明显。9 种兽的渐近多元回归中, 6 种兽的密度同景观和植被变量密切相关, 但如果不增加当地生境条件, 则足迹链丰富度同植被构成的简单相关性表现得很微弱。在片断化和未片断化的不同景观林区, 对兽类的分布及其动态还要做进一步详细研究。     

滇中几种人工林生态系统恢复效应研究

对滇中几种典型人工林生态系统恢复效应研究表明,由不同树种构成的人工林生态系统植物多样性、森林水文、地表土壤侵蚀控制、土壤改良和森林结构的恢复具有显著差异．用乡土树种造林能促进植物多样性．生态恢复变量间具有某种相关关系．草本植物盖度、群落均匀度、Shannon-Wiener指数、土壤有效钾、土壤容重、草本植物生物量、乔木材积、全钾、土壤侵蚀、土壤Si／V、枯落物凋落量、非毛管孔隙、穿透降雨是生态恢复主导效应变量．植物多样性的恢复处于生态恢复的中心位置．并用平均恢复距离指数及恢复距离树对几种生态系统恢复程度进行了评价。     

退化湿地生态系统恢复的一些理论问题

湿地是陆地和水生生态系统间的过渡带,作为一种重要的自然资源,湿地是野生生物的栖息地,可调控区域内的水分循环和C、N等元素的生物地球化学循环;其生物生产力可为人类提供食物和商品,还能过滤和分解所吸纳的污染物,由于湿地的功能未受到足够的重视。全世界的湿地因大量围垦和干扰而丧失或退化,在退化湿地的恢复过程中,可用自我设计和设计理论、演替理论、入侵理论、河流理论、洪水脉冲理论、边缘效应理论和中度干扰假说等理论作指导,湿地恢复的方法包括：尽可能采用工程与生物措施相结合的方法,恢复湿地的供水连接,利用水文过程加快恢复,控制污染物的流入,修饰湿地的地形或景观,改良湿地土壤,在最佳位置重建湿地的生物群落,减少人类干扰,提高湿地的自我维持能力,建立缓冲带以保护自然的和恢复的湿地,建立湿地稳定性和持续性的评价体系并予以监控。     

北方农牧交错带植被重建中适宜乔、灌、草种的生态区划

因遭受滥垦及过度放牧破坏的中国北方农牧交错带亟待进行植被的恢复和重建.本文从为该区域植被的恢复与重建提供植物物种上的支持出发,对适宜该区域生长与分布的乔、灌、草种进行了生态区划.生态区划的原则概括为4条:生态保育优先、有利生产发展、适地适树适草以及参考行政区划边界.在该原则指导下,依据限定农牧交错带植物生长和分布的主要生态因子:年最低日均温、年大于0℃积温、湿润度指数(年降水量与年大于0℃积温之比)、反映区域地表组成物质、地形及气候特征影响的土壤类型等,将农牧交错带划分为7个不同的生态区域,依次为:Ⅰ.松辽平原西部及大兴安岭山地区,Ⅱ.辽河上游风沙区,Ⅲ.蒙古高原中、东部及冀西北山地区,Ⅳ.吕梁山、太行山、燕山山地区,Ⅴ.鄂尔多斯高原风沙区,Ⅵ.陕北、陇东黄土高原区,Ⅶ.陇中及青海高原东部黄土区.在上述分区的基础上,对以往文献报道中出现的适宜该区域生长和分布的乔、灌、草,包括乡土种和人工栽培或引种的外来种,按其生态习性分别进行了细致的甄别选择,并在文中择其精要予以列出.