安徽大别山区发现川西缺齿鼩鼱

2017年5月在安徽省岳西县鹞落坪国家级自然保护区(30°59′04.73″N,116°04′44.36″E,海拔1 228 m)采集到鼩鼱形动物雄性个体1只。该个体体色棕灰,尾长约为体长的80%,颅全长大于19 mm,上颌有3枚单尖齿,齿式为1.3.1.3/1.1.1.3=28,符合川西缺齿鼩鼱(Chodsigoa hypsibia)的形态特征。通过测定其线粒体细胞色素b基因序列,并结合从Gen Bank下载的缺齿鼩鼱属4个物种的同源区序列,构建系统发生关系,结果显示该个体与川西缺齿鼩鼱聚合并形成单系,同时该个体与Gen Bank中所检索到的川西缺齿鼩鼱遗传距离最为接近。基于以上结果,确定该个体为川西缺齿鼩鼱。这是川西缺齿鼩鼱第一次在安徽省被发现,扩大了该物种在我国的分布范围。     

Climate and land use change impacts on Mediterranean high-mountain vegetation in the Apennines since the 1950s

Background: High-mountain ecosystems are centres of plant diversity that are particularly sensitive to land-use and climate change.

Aims: We investigated the ecological trends associated with land use and climate change since the 1950s in different vegetation types in high-mountain habitats in the central Apennines.

Methods: We analysed temporal changes in: Pinus mugo scrub, calcareous subalpine grasslands and alpine scree vegetation, comparing historical and recent vegetation records from vegetation plots from two periods (1955–1980 and 1990–2014) for their ecological indicator values (Landolt temperature and nutrient indicators) and structural traits (growth forms) over time using generalised linear models (GLMs).

Results: We observed significant temporal differences in the ecology and structure of the analysed habitats. In the Pinus mugo scrub we detected a reduction of subalpine and herbaceous species and in calcareous alpine screes we observed an increment of the lower montane, montane and subalpine species and of dwarf shrubs. Conversely, subalpine grasslands were stable over time.

Conclusions: Ecological changes that have occurred in the Central Apennines, following changes in type and intensity of land use and recent warming are consistent with those observed in other European mountains, for which climate and land-use changes are claimed as the main driving forces.     

Cold resistance mechanisms in high desert Andean plants

Freezing tolerance and freezing avoidance were studied, during the growing season, in plant species from two different elevations (3200 m and 3700 m) in a desert region of the high Andes (29° 45S, 69° 59W) in order to determine whether there was a relationship between plant height and cold resistance mechanisms. Freezing injury and supercooling capacity were determined in plants of different height, from ground-level (<20 cm tall) to tall shrubs (27–90 cm). All ground-level plants showed freezing tolerance as the main mechanism for resistance to freezing temperatures. Tall shrubs avoided freezing temperatures, mainly through supercooling. Supercooling was only present in plants occupying the lower elevation (i.e., 3200 m). Both avoidance and tolerance mechanisms are present in a single genus (i.e., Adesmia).     

Pleistocene diversification in Morocco and recent demographic expansion in the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa

Quaternary climatic oscillations and geographic barriers have strongly influenced the distribution and diversification of thermophilic species occurring in the Mediterranean Basin. The Western Mediterranean pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, is widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, southern France and most of the Maghreb region, with two subspecies currently recognized. In this work, we used 566 samples, including 259 new individuals, across the species range, and sequenced two mitochondrial markers (cytochrome b gene and control region; 163 samples in a concatenated mtDNA dataset) and one nuclear intron (R35; 23 samples representing all identified sublineages) to study the evolutionary history of M. leprosa. We combined phylogenetic methods and phylogeographic continuous diffusion models with spatial analysis. Our results (1) show a high level of genetic structure in Morocco originated during the Pleistocene; (2) reveal two independent population expansion waves from Morocco to Tunisia and to southern Europe, which later expanded throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and (3) identify several secondary contact zones in Morocco. Our study also sheds new light on the role of geographical features (Moroccan mountains ranges and the Strait of Gibraltar) and Pleistocene climatic oscillations in shaping genetic diversity and structure of M. leprosa, and underlines the importance of the Maghreb as a differentiation centre harbouring distinct glacial refugia.     

基于ZONATION的岷山山系多物种保护规划

空间布局不尽合理是我国的自然保护区发展面临的问题之一,优化现有的自然保护区体系是在资源有限的情况下实现自然保护区的保护效益最大化的最佳途径。以岷山地区为主要研究区域,以25种珍稀濒危物种为主要研究对象,通过MAXENT与ZONATION模型模拟,鉴别出岷山地区珍稀濒危物种保护优先区,并提出了自然保护区空间选址的优化方案。研究结果表明,(1)在物种出现点记录较少的情况下,MAXENT模型依然能够比较准确地预测出物种的分布状况;(2)目前建立的保护区对25个物种的平均保护比例为51.8%;(3)通过ZONATION鉴定的优先区总面积为19958.7 km~2,岷山地区现有的29个自然保护区只保护了目标优先区的47.1%,九寨沟中部与南部,平武北部,平武与北川的交界处,北川西北部等地都存在保护空缺。建议在保护空缺的6个地方新建或扩建自然保护区,并在规划时考虑这些区域内部的优先次序。新提出的保护体系能将物种栖息地的保护比例提高至77.9%。研究结果对于岷山及全国其他生物多样性保护关键地区保护体系的规划都具有重要的借鉴意义。     

Fine‐scale determinants of butterfly species richness and composition in a mountain region

Aim Global patterns of species richness are often considered to depend primarily on climate. We aimed to determine how topography and land cover affect species richness and composition at finer scales. Location Sierra de Guadarrama (central Iberian Peninsula). Methods We sampled the butterfly fauna of 180 locations (89 in 2004, 91 in 2005) at 600–2300 m elevation in a region of 10800 km². We recorded environmental variables at 100‐m resolution using GIS, and derived generalized linear models for species density (number of species per unit area) and expected richness (number of species standardized to number of individuals) based on variables of topoclimate (elevation and insolation) or land cover (vegetation type, geology and hydrology), or both (combined). We evaluated the models against independent data from the alternative study year. We also tested for differences in species composition among sites and years using constrained ordination (canonical correspondence analysis), and used variation partitioning analyses to quantify the independent and combined roles of topoclimate and land cover. Results Topoclimatic, land cover and combined models were significantly related to observed species density and expected richness. Topoclimatic and combined models outperformed models based on land cover variables, showing a humped elevational diversity gradient. Both topoclimate and land cover made significant contributions to models of species composition. Main conclusions Topoclimatic factors may dominate species richness patterns in regions with pronounced elevational gradients, as long as large areas of natural habitat remain. In contrast, both topoclimate and land cover may have important effects on species composition. Biodiversity conservation in mountainous regions therefore requires protection and management of natural habitats over a wide range of topoclimatic conditions, which may assist in facilitating range shifts and alleviating declines in species richness related to climate change.     

Climate Change-related Health Impacts in the Hindu Kush–Himalayas

Our goal was to identify the climate change-related health risks and vulnerable populations specific to the mountainous regions of the Hindu Kush–Himalayas. We reviewed published information of the likely health consequences of climate change in mountain regions, especially the findings of a workshop for countries in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya region, organized by the World Health Organization, World Meteorological Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, and United Nations Development Programme. The main climate-related risks in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya region include the expansion of vector-borne diseases as pathogens take advantage of new habitats in altitudes that were formerly unsuitable. Diarrheal diseases could become more prevalent with changes in freshwater quality and availability. More extreme rainfall events are likely to increase the number of floods and landslides with consequent death and injuries. A unique risk is sudden floods from high glacier lakes, which cause substantial destruction and loss of life. Because glaciers are the main source of freshwater for upland regions and downstream countries, the long-term reduction in annual glacier snowmelt is expected to heighten existing water insecurity in these areas. Climate change also is bringing some benefits to mountain populations, including milder winters and longer growing seasons. Populations in mountain regions have unique combinations of vulnerabilities to climate change. The extent of the health impacts experienced will depend on the effectiveness of public health efforts to identify and implement low-cost preparedness and response measures, and on the speed at which emissions of greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced.     

Alpha taxonomy of the genus Kessleria Nowicki, 1864, revisited in light of DNA-barcoding (Lepidoptera,Yponomeutidae)

The taxonomy of Kessleria, a highly specialized montane genus of Yponomeutidae with larval host restriction to Saxifragaceae and Celastraceae (Saxifraga spp. – subgenus Kessleria; Saxifraga spp. and Parnassia spp. – subgenus Hofmannia), is revised based on external morphology, genitalia and DNA barcodes. An integrative taxonomic approach supports the existence of 29 species in Europe (the two known species from Asia and North America are not treated herein). A full 658 bp fragment of COI was obtained from 135 specimens representing 24 species, a further seven sequences are >560 bp. Five new species are described: Kessleria cottiensis sp. n. (Prov. Torino, Italy; Dep. Hautes Alpes, France), Kessleria dimorpha sp. n. (Dep. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France), Kessleria alpmaritimae sp. n. (Dep. Alpes-Maritimes, France), Kessleria apenninica sp. n. (Prov. Rieti, Prov. L´Aquila, Italy), and Kessleria orobiae sp. n. (Prov. Bergamo, Italy).