Decadal plant composition changes in grazed native grassland

Most high value grasslands of south‐eastern Australia are restricted to small fragmented areas of public land. However, a significant proportion of native grassland is privately owned, managed with grazing rather than fire and is rarely monitored. Hence, a better understanding of grassland management and conservation on the private estate is required. Eco‐markets are policy instruments that incentivise private landholders to effectively manage and conserve native vegetation. However, short funding cycles restrict the capacity of monitoring programs to assess long‐term vegetation changes. In this study, 17 native grassland remnants on private land managed with livestock grazing were monitored before and during a 4‐year eco‐market and 6 years after it ended to determine how composition had changed over 10 years of monitoring. Numerous grassland attributes were either maintained or improved over the 10‐year period, which coincided with one of the most severe and long‐lasting droughts in recent history (i.e. the Millennium drought). In addition, several threatened species were identified as part of the program. A decline in exotic forb richness, native grass cover and native forb richness suggests there is also some impact of the Millennium drought on plant mortality as evidenced by altered litter dynamics. Inherent variability year‐to‐year for most measures of grassland attributes over the monitoring period indicates that climatic conditions have a strong influence on grassland dynamics. Our ability to determine the driver(s) of grassland composition was limited by monitoring program design. Future eco‐market monitoring programs should have adequate resources allocated to enable effective monitoring designs, that incorporate reference information and control sites, and should aim to be long‐term (i.e. >10 years). This will provide clearer insights into the drivers of grassland dynamics and allow for refinement of management options for conservation of this threatened community.     

Social and ecological factors alter stress physiology of Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei)

Living in a rapidly changing environment can alter stress physiology at the population level, with negative impacts on health, reproductive rates, and mortality that may ultimately result in species decline. Small, isolated animal populations where genetic diversity is low are at particular risks, such as endangered Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). Along with climate change‐associated environmental shifts that are affecting the entire population, subpopulations of the Virunga gorillas have recently experienced extreme changes in their social environment. As the growing population moves closer to the forest's carrying capacity, the gorillas are coping with rising population density, increased frequencies of interactions between social units, and changing habitat use (e.g., more overlapping home ranges and routine ranging at higher elevations). Using noninvasive monitoring of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) on 115 habituated Virunga gorillas, we investigated how social and ecological variation are related to baseline FGM levels, to better understand the adaptive capacity of mountain gorillas and monitor potential physiological indicators of population decline risks. Generalized linear mixed models revealed elevated mean monthly baseline FGM levels in months with higher rainfall and higher mean maximum and minimum temperature, suggesting that Virunga gorillas might be sensitive to predicted warming and rainfall trends involving longer, warmer dry seasons and more concentrated and extreme rainfall occurrences. Exclusive use of smaller home range areas was linked to elevated baseline FGM levels, which may reflect reduced feeding efficiency and increased travel efforts to actively avoid neighboring groups. The potential for additive effects of stress‐inducing factors could have short‐ and long‐term impacts on the reproduction, health, and ultimately survival of the Virunga gorilla population. The ongoing effects of environmental changes and population dynamics must be closely monitored and used to develop effective long‐term conservation strategies that can help address these risk factors.     

土壤呼吸对降雨变化和氮沉降交互作用响应的研究进展

土壤呼吸作为陆地生态系统碳循环的关键过程,对大气CO₂浓度变化有直接影响。研究其如何响应降雨变化、氮沉降增加等全球变化因子,成为近年全球变化领域的热点与难点。与土壤呼吸响应降雨变化或氮沉降增加单个因子相比,研究土壤呼吸对这两个因子交互作用的响应更接近真实的自然环境,可更准确地预估未来土壤碳排放的变化趋势。目前,相关研究涉及全球不同的陆地生态系统,从土壤、微生物和植物层面对其响应机理进行揭示。本文从土壤呼吸及其组分、相关的土壤性质、微生物及植物因素方面,较全面地梳理了不同陆地生态系统土壤呼吸响应降雨变化和氮沉降增加交互作用的研究进展,指出了现有研究中的不足及今后需加强的研究方向,以期为进一步揭示土壤呼吸对降雨变化和氮沉降增加交互作用的响应规律及机制提供参考。     

模拟降雨条件下砾石含量对塿土工程堆积体坡面产流产沙的影响

为探究砾石含量对塿土堆积体坡面产流产沙的影响,采用室内人工模拟降雨试验,以土质坡面为对照,研究5种砾石含量(10%、20%、30%、40%、50%)堆积体坡面在不同降雨强度(1.0、1.5、2.0、2.5 mm·min^-1)下的产流产沙特征。结果表明:不同试验条件下的平均径流率在2.18～13.07 L·min^-1,不同雨强条件下平均径流率均在砾石含量10%(或20%)和50%时分别达到最大值与最小值;平均流速在0.06～0.22 m·s^-1,流速变化复杂,砾石含量越小,流速变幅越大,变异系数也越大,砾石含量10%时平均流速最大。砾石的存在可有效抑制产沙,最大减沙效益可达84.2%,雨强相较于砾石含量对平均产沙率的影响更大。偏相关分析表明,平均径流率、流速、产沙率均与砾石含量呈极显著负相关;平均产沙率与平均径流率、平均流速以及二者交互项均呈极显著线性函数关系,其中,与平均径流率的相关性最强。本研究可为塿土区工程堆积体水土流失治理和侵蚀模型的建立提供参考。     

Restoration potential of threatened ecosystem engineers increases with aridity: broad scale effects on soil nutrients and function

Species extinctions alter ecosystem services, and the magnitude of this impact is likely to change across environmental gradients. In Australia, soil‐disturbing mammals that are now considered ecologically extinct are thought to be important ecosystem engineers. Previous studies have demonstrated microsite‐level impacts of reintroduced soil‐disturbing mammals on soil functions, but effects are yet to be tested across larger scales. Further, it is unclear how impacts vary across environmental gradients and if the restoration potential of reintroductions changes with climate. We examined the effects of soil‐disturbing mammal reintroductions across a large rainfall gradient in Australia to test the hypothesis that ecosystem engineering effects on soil function depend on climate. We compared soil labile carbon, available nitrogen and the activity of four enzymes associated with nutrient cycling in three microsite types with and without soil‐disturbing mammals in five sites along a large rainfall gradient (166–870 mm). Soil enzyme activity was greatest in the presence of soil‐disturbing mammals and increased with rainfall, but soil available carbon and nitrogen varied across the gradient and among microsites. Microsite effects were often stronger than any effects of soil‐disturbing mammals, with soil beneath vegetated patches (shrubs and trees) having greater enzyme activity, carbon and nitrogen than bare soils. However, soil‐disturbing mammals homogenised nutrient distributions across microsites. The impacts of soil‐disturbing mammals on soil function previously detected at micro‐scales was detected at a landscape‐scale. However, the overall effects of soil‐disturbing mammals on soil functions varied with productivity (rainfall). The context of soil‐disturbing mammal reintroductions is thus likely to be critical in determining their effectiveness in restoring soil function.     

A biogeographic model of fire regimes in Australia: current and future implications

Aim Patterns of fire regimes across Australia exhibit biogeographic variation in response to four processes. Variations in area burned and fire frequency result from differences in the rates of ‘switching’ of biomass growth, availability to burn, fire weather and ignition. Therefore differing processes limit fire (i.e. the lowest rate of switching) in differing ecosystems. Current and future trends in fire frequency were explored on this basis. Location Case studies of forests (cool temperate to tropical) and woodlands (temperate to arid) were examined. These represent a broad range of Australian biomes and current fire regimes. Methods Information on the four processes was applied to each case study and the potential minimum length of interfire interval was predicted and compared to current trends. The potential effects of global change on the processes were then assessed and future trends in fire regimes were predicted. Results Variations in fire regimes are primarily related to fluctuations in available moisture and dominance by either woody or herbaceous plant cover. Fire in woodland communities (dry climates) is limited by growth of herbaceous fuels (biomass), whereas in forests (wet climates) limitation is by fuel moisture (availability to burn) and fire weather. Increasing dryness in woodland communities will decrease potential fire frequency, while the opposite applies in forests. In the tropics, both forms of limitation are weak due to the annual wet/dry climate. Future change may therefore be constrained. Main conclusions Increasing dryness may diminish fire activity over much of Australia (dominance of dry woodlands), though increases may occur in temperate forests. Elevated CO₂ effects may confound or reinforce these trends. The prognosis for the future fire regime in Australia is therefore uncertain.     

A preliminary study of the responsiveness to seasonal atmospheric and rainfall patterns of wash woodland species in the arid Richtersveld

Seasonal carbon and water relations were compared among seven tree or shrub wash woodland species in the winter rainfall desert of the Richtersveld National Park, South Africa. Plants were generally aseasonal with respect to gas exchange, but responsive to rainfall events with respect to water relations and phenology. Relatively narrow annual ranges in potential evapotranspiration due to the maritime influence could explain why these plants respond more to fluctuations in water acquisition potential than to evaporative demand. Two species were summer-deciduous, but one of them (Ozoroa concolor) responded to aseasonal summer rainfall by leafing out and flowering. These two species had high shoot xylem water potentials when in leaf. All other species were sclerophyllous evergreens with low water potentials, particularly the shallow-rooted shrub Zygophyllum prismatocarpum, and Boscia albitrunca which may have a different rooting pattern to the other phreatophytes. The latter species was also unique due to its high leaf nitrogen contents, photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductances, despite very low leaf water potentials. Leaf stable carbon isotope composition C¹³C) varied between species (–22 to –27), but was lower than the mean for arid regions worldwide. The values indicated moderately high levels of water use efficiency, but a less conservative strategy in two species, including Boscia albitrunca. The affinities of these species to summer rainfall biomes, their apparent decline in the western arid regions in recent geological history following aridification, and their absence southwards in the winter rainfall regions, suggest that these wash species rely on sporadic summer rainfall events to some extent. They may be at risk if predicted increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns alter their effective moisture availability.     

长白山自然保护区阔叶红松林林隙干扰状况的研究

 本文研究了长白山自然保护区阔叶红松林林隙干扰的基本规律,得到了描述林隙干扰状况的一些重要参数。结果表明扩展林隙在阔叶红松林中所占的面积比例是27.36％,而实际林隙所占的面积比例为13.05％,林隙干扰的频率每年约为0.15％;林隙的分布格局是均匀式的。形成林隙最重要的方式是掘根风倒,其次为干基折断;大多数的林隙都是由1～4株形成木形成的,林隙形成木主要是由红松、水曲柳、蒙古栎和紫椴组成;阔叶红松林的主林层乔木在直径为40～60cm和高度为25～30m时,形成林隙的可能性最大。