Differences among avian frugivores in seed dispersal to degraded habitats

Vertebrate frugivores enhance tropical forest regeneration by dispersing seeds into degraded areas. However, the importance of individual species as dispersers may vary within a community. Management and restoration would benefit from understanding which species are critical in moving native seeds into degraded habitats. We compared habitat composition of bird start and end locations for movement intervals based on mean gut passage times for the avian frugivore community on the island of Saipan. The proportion of movement intervals that began in intact, native forest varied among species, with Golden White‐eyes having the highest proportion. However, this species tended to remain in intact forest and only rarely crossed into degraded habitats. Bridled White‐eyes and Mariana Fruit Doves exhibited slightly higher rates of crossing from intact forest to degraded habitats, suggesting an ability to disperse native seeds to degraded areas. White‐throated Ground Doves were never recorded crossing from intact forest to degraded habitats. Despite having a low proportion of movement intervals beginning in intact forest, Micronesian Starlings showed a higher proportion and absolute number of movements from intact forest to degraded habitats, due to their propensity to move frequently, across long distances, and across habitat types. In this species‐poor frugivore network, seed dispersal into degraded habitats appears highly dependent on one species within the community. Regeneration of degraded lands may be severely hindered if this key disperser is lost.     

岛礁型海洋生物保护区（IMPA）的设计和管理：理论和实例研究

本文提出和论述了岛礁型海洋生物保护区（ＩＭＰＡ）设计和管理的７条原则;生物多样性和稀缺性,生境典型性和完整性,物种－面积关系,海－陆生态交错带,人工自然化,生态脆弱性和自养型经济。并且结合我国第一个国家级海洋生物保护区－南麂列岛自然保护区（ＮＩＮＲ）设计和规划的实践,说明如何实施这些原则。     

内陆水—陆地交错带的生态功能及其保护与开发前

内陆水／陆地交错带是陆地和水生态系统的界面区。由于它在系统间的特殊地位,近年来受到国际上生态和环境学界的格外重视。水陆交错带的生态功能有保持生物物种的多样性、拦截和过滤经过此交错带的物质流、有利于鱼类的繁育、稳定毗邻的生态系统、净化水体、减少洪水危害、保持水土等。水陆交错带的保护和科学开发都有待提高,使之在人类和自然的协调发展中发挥更大的作用。     

白洋淀水陆交错带对陆源营养物质的截留作用初步研究

在白洋淀进行的野外实验结果表明水陆交错带中的芦苇群落和群落间的小沟都能有效地截留来自府河的陆源营养物质,其中,在植被２９０ｍ长的小沟对地表径流总Ｎ和总Ｐ的截留分别为４２和６５％;４ｍ芦苇根区土壤对地表下径流总Ｎ和总Ｐ的截留率分别为６４和９２％。被截留比率最大的是无机态的正磷酸根态磷和铵态氮。     

生态交错带与生物多样性

自从生态交错带提出以来,许多生态学家对它与生物多样性之间的关系进行了研究,大量的事实显示出生态交错带富于生物多样性,但一些数据也相当模糊。生态交错带的管理和生物多样性保护是一项有意义而紧迫的工作     

Sensitivity and response of northern hemisphere altitudinal and polar treelines to environmental change at landscape and local scales

The sensitivity and response of northern hemisphere altitudinal and polar treelines to environmental change are increasingly discussed in terms of climate change, often forgetting that climate is only one aspect of environmental variation. As treeline heterogeneity increases from global to regional and smaller scales, assessment of treeline sensitivity at the landscape and local scales requires a more complex approach than at the global scale. The time scale (short‐, medium‐, long‐term) also plays an important role when considering treeline sensitivity. The sensitivity of the treeline to a changing environment varies among different types of treeline. Treelines controlled mainly by orographic influences are not very susceptible to the effects of warming climates. Greatest sensitivity can be expected in anthropogenic treelines after the cessation of human activity. However, tree invasion into former forested areas above the anthropogenic forest limit is controlled by site conditions, and in particular, by microclimates and soils. Apart from changes in tree physiognomy, the spontaneous advance of young growth of forest‐forming tree species into present treeless areas within the treeline ecotone and beyond the tree limit is considered to be the best indicator of treeline sensitivity to environmental change. The sensitivity of climatic treelines to climate warming varies both in the local and regional topographical conditions. Furthermore, treeline history and its after‐effects also play an important role. The sensitivity of treelines to changes in given factors (e.g. winter snow pack, soil moisture, temperature, evaporation, etc.) may vary among areas with differing climatic characteristics. In general, forest will not advance in a closed front but will follow sites that became more favourable to tree establishment under the changed climatic conditions.     

Strong relationships between vegetation and two perpendicular climate gradients high on a tropical mountain in Hawai‘i

Aim We compared vegetation patterns at high elevation on a tropical mountain with edaphic properties and position along climate gradients to examine this landscape’s potential sensitivity to climate change. Location Our study covers the cloud forest, the ecotone at the cloud forest’s upper limit, and the alpine grassland, on the north‐east corner of windward Haleakalā, Hawai‘i. The study area brackets the mean trade wind inversion (TWI), encompasses a perpendicular, east–west precipitation gradient and includes multiple edaphic contexts. Methods We collected vegetation structure and composition data in 134 plots from 1900 to 2400 m elevation, stratified east to west. We used classification trees to compare species assemblage groups with spatial (elevation, easting, aspect) and edaphic (substrate age, texture, degree slope) variables derived from a 10‐m digital elevation model and a digital geological map. Results The forest line was physiognomically sharp, and a Shipley–Keddy test showed that species distributional limits were aggregated there. Forest line elevation was not consistent, but dropped nearly 200 m from east to west. Indicator taxa for positions above or below the forest line varied from east to west. Hierarchical clustering identified species assemblage groups with significantly different composition that were distributed across the TWI and/or along east–west climate gradients. Classification trees showed that edaphic properties were not well associated with species assemblage groups, but position along two perpendicular climate gradients was. Compositional turnover was detected along both elevational and east–west gradients. Turnover of the cloud forest’s epiphytic community was particularly pronounced across east–west gradients. Lichen abundance was significantly higher at the drier end of the east–west moisture gradient, and bryophyte abundance was higher at the wetter end. Main conclusions Modern spatial patterns suggest that this landscape will respond to changes in moisture balance through changes in species assemblage and structure, especially at the ecotone. Furthermore, ecotone response to climate change may vary from east to west because of differences in species‐specific constraints or climatic context.