混交对亚热带针叶树根际土壤氮矿化和微生物特性的影响

混交阔叶树是退化红壤区针叶林改造的重要措施之一，土壤养分供应和转化是评价混交效应的重要参数，但混交后针叶树根际土壤氮矿化特征及其影响因素还不清楚。选取退化红壤区马尾松（Pinus massoniana Lamb.）纯林、湿地松（Pinus elliottii Engelmann）纯林及其补植木荷（Schima superba Gardn.et Champ.）形成的马-木混交林和湿-木混交林为研究对象，采集4种林分下针叶树根际土壤，测定速效养分含量、氮矿化速率、氮水解酶活性和微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量，探究混交对针叶树根际土壤氮供应及微生物特性的影响，分析土壤氮矿化和微生物特性间的相关性。结果表明：混交显著增加了针叶树根际土壤铵态氮，矿质氮和有效磷含量，而对硝态氮影响不显著。根际土壤氮矿化以硝化作用为主，混交后针叶树根际土壤氨化速率降低了27.0%，硝化速率增加了55.4%，而最终净氮矿化速率增加了24.1%。两个树种间，马尾松根际土壤矿质氮含量和净氮矿化速率显著高于湿地松。针叶树根际土壤真菌、丛枝菌根真菌，总微生物生物量及真菌/细菌比在混交后显著增加，且马尾松根际土壤总微生物和真菌生物量分别比湿地松高18.9%和27.0%。同时，针叶树根际土壤β-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶活性在混交后显著增强，且根际土壤硝化速率和净氮矿化速率与微生物指标和酶活性正相关。总的来说，混交阔叶树显著提高了针叶树根际土壤氮供应，以此应对阔叶树混交后带来的养分竞争压力，而马尾松倾向于积极性的应对策略，通过增加土壤氮矿化以适应外界环境改变。     

Long-term exclosure of sheep-grazing from an ancient wood: Vegetation change after a sixty-year experiment

Question: An ancient woodland site with a long history of coppicing and heavy grazing was protected from domesticated stock in 1955. Results of a vegetation-monitoring experiment were subsequently published in 1983. This study followed up the original research to investigate whether observed trends were as predicted. These included a shift in tree species composition in favour of shade-tolerant species, beech (Fagus sylvatica) and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), at the expense of light-demanding birch (Betula spp.) and oak (Quercus petraea agg.), and progress towards a typical woodland ground flora. Location: Peak District National Park, United Kingdom. Methods: The mixed oak–birch woodland was re-surveyed in 2011. Two enclosures (1955 and 1980s) and an unenclosed control area were investigated. Overstorey structure and composition was assessed by measuring canopy openness and the girths of all trees and saplings. Herb layer species composition was also recorded in 28 vegetation plots. Results: We demonstrated a progressive decline in the number of mature oaks and birch in the old enclosure although they still regenerated successfully. Only a few individuals of beech and rowan appeared. Herb layer species composition differed between the subareas but since the 1980s, the temporal change in the old enclosure was negligible. The new enclosure followed a similar pattern in both canopy and herb layer as observed in the early years in the old enclosure. However, the control subarea had no regeneration of woody species and limited ground flora. Conclusions: After nearly 60 years, the replacement of light-demanding dominants by shade-tolerant trees was still limited, probably by low pH and stable light conditions. The findings are pertinent to the impacts of large herbivore grazing (domestic stock or wild) on woodland dynamics.     

Distribution and migration of Mississippi Kites in South America

Mississippi Kites (Ictinia mississippiensis) are trans‐equatorial, long‐distance migrants that breed in North America and overwinter in South America. Information about their migration routes and winter distribution in the Neotropics is mostly anecdotal. By compiling records of Mississippi Kites in South America from the literature and previously unpublished observations (1904–2010), we identified 96 locality records (a location where a flock or individual was recorded) and 146 independent records of flocks (observations of flocks irrespective of year, location, or time of year). Our locality records included 38 (39%) during southbound migration (1 September–30 November), 18 (19%) during northbound migration (15 February–30 April), 38 (39%) during austral summer (1 December–14 February), and two (3%) during austral winter (1 May–31 August). Most Mississippi Kites (84, 88%) were observed between the 11°S and 32°S latitudinal band in central South America. Of our independent records of flocks, 133 (92%) were observed between 11°S and 32°S, 12 (7%) between 11°N and 10°S, and a lone vagrant (1%) between 33°S and 43°S. Our data suggest that Mississippi Kites are common and widespread in the austral summer between 11°S and 32°S in central South America. On the basis of the number of locality records (N = 52, 54%) and number of flocks of Mississippi Kites observed between 22°S and 32°S (N = 61, 42%), the Chaco forest appears to be the main wintering grounds for the species. However, additional monitoring is needed to further test this hypothesis. A large portion of Chaco habitat is now under cultivation, and how this habitat transformation might influence the annual cycle of Mississippi Kites is unknown.     

Spatial variation in density of stream benthic fishes in northern Hokkaido, Japan: does riparian vegetation affect fish density via food availability?

The densities of two benthic fishes, the Siberian stone loach (Noemacheilus barbatulus) and the wrinklehead sculpin (Cottus nozawae), and the biomass of their food resources (i.e., periphyton and benthic invertebrates) were compared between forest and grassland streams in northern Hokkaido, Japan, to examine whether riparian deforestation had positive effects on the benthic fishes via enhancement of food availability. The comparisons indicated that riparian vegetation had little influence on periphyton, invertebrates, or fishes. Regression analysis indicated that spatial variations in loach and sculpin densities were explained more by substrate heterogeneity, competitor abundance, or both, rather than by food abundance. However, when the two species were combined as benthic insectivores, a strong correlation was found between total benthic fish density and invertebrate biomass. Our results suggest that, although total benthic fish abundance was food limited, riparian vegetation had no positive effects via food availability on the benthic fishes in our streams.     

Nutrient conservation strategies in native Andean‐Patagonian forests

Abstract. Nutrient conservation in vegetation affects rates of litter decomposition and soil nutrient availability. Although resorption has been traditionally considered one of the most important plant strategies to conserve nutrients in temperate forests, long leaf life‐span and low nutrient requirements have been postulated as better indicators. We aimed at identifying nutrient conservation strategies within characteristic functional groups of NW Patagonian forests on Andisols. We analysed C‐, N‐, P‐, K‐ and lignin‐concentrations in mature and senescent leaves of ten native woody species within the functional groups: broad‐leaved deciduous species, broad‐leaved evergreens and conifers. We also examined mycorrhizal associations in all species. Nutrient concentration in mature leaves and N‐ resorption were higher in broad‐leaved deciduous species than in the other two functional groups. Conifers had low mature leaf nutrient concentrations, low N‐resorption and high lignin/N ratios in senescent leaves. P‐ and K‐resorptions did not differ among functional groups. Broad‐leaved evergreens exhibited a species‐dependent response. Nitrogen in mature leaves was positively correlated with both N resorption and soil N‐fertility. Despite the high P‐retention capacity of Andisols, N appeared to be the more limiting nutrient, with most species being proficient in resorbing N but not P. The presence of endomycorrhizae in all conifers and the broad‐leaved evergreen Maytenus boaria, ectomycorrhizae in all Nothofagus species (four deciduous, one evergreen), and cluster roots in the broad‐leaved evergreen Lomatia hirsuta, would be possibly explaining why P is less limiting than N in these forests.     

Role of loud calls in brown howlers,Alouatta fusca

The loud calls of brown howler monkeys were studied during a year at the Santa Genebra Reserve, in southeastern Brazil. The study group emitted roars and barks on a total of 47 occasions, the majority of which (92%) were restricted to intergroup visual encounters. Loud calls were also elicited by the roars of distant groups (6%) and during intragroup agonistic interactions (2%). Intergroup visual encounters (n = 42) occurred predominantly in seldom used quadrats of the study group home range. In these instances, the loud calls were produced chiefly by the adult male alone (69% of cases), while the study group's two adult females joined the male in the remaining cases. Intergroup physical aggression, such as chase and displacement, was observed during 15 encounters (35% of cases). A dawn chorus does not occur in Santa Genebra—the loud calls were heard most frequently in mid-morning and again during mid-afternoon—and they were more abundant during the dry season, when the availability of food (new leaves) in the forest was lower. The data presented here provide some support for the hypothesis that roars of howler adult males are used in assessment of opponents, providing an alternative to energetically expensive chases and fights. However, given the relatively high rate of physical aggression observed during intergroup encounters, a result probably related to the high density of howlers and the consequent high frequency of intergroup encounters observed in this forest (0.7/day), ritualized aggression, in the form of loud calling, is apparently often insufficient to settle disputes. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.