华西雨屏带及其对我国生物多样性保育的意义

华西雨屏带为四川盆地西部边缘独特的自然地理区域。东西宽50-70km,南北长400－450km,总面积约2.5万km^2,仅占我国国土总面积的0.26%左右。本区以自然风景优美、天然植被类型丰富、动植物资源种类多样而享誉中外。迄今为止,尚未将华西雨屏带作为相对独立的自然地理单元来研究其生物多样性。本文从当地剧烈的地形、地貌变化,特殊的气候、植被类型与动物栖息环境以及邻近人类聚居区的特点入手,扼要阐述了本区生态系统与环境的多样性状况。进一步通过对当地动植物种类,尤其是种子植物、兽类、鸟类、鱼类物种多样性与珍、稀、特保护物种的数量比重分析,提出了本带作为我国乃至世界上研究与保护生物多样性的热点区域的立论依据。华西雨屏带是一个大尺度、复合性的生态过渡带（ccotone),是我国西部地区以阴湿为主要特征的罕见的气候地理单元,是我国西部生态保护与建设的一道绿色屏障,是我国生物多样性保护与研究不可替代的关键地区之一。     

Stand history is more important than climate in controlling red maple (Acer rubrum L.) growth at its northern distribution limit in western Quebec,Canada

Aims We examined growth of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) to evaluate environmental controls of its northern distributional limit in Eastern North America and its potential response to future climate change.Methods We collected growth data from nine sites located along a 300-km transect (47–49°N), which included frontier population of red maple and covered three bioclimatic domains in western Quebec. We analyzed three growth variables: growth rates during the first 30 years of maple lifespan, cumulative basal area increment (BAI) over the most recent decade (2000–2009) and annual growth rate over the whole tree lifespan ranging from 58 to 112 years. We also examined growth sensitivity to climate by using response function analysis.Important findings Three different proxies of maple absolute growth (initial growth rate, BAI during 2000–09 and mean diameter growth rate) indicated a better growth with an increase in latitude. We speculate that stand history effectively overrode the direct effects of colder climate on maple growth along the S-N gradient. Regeneration of maple in the southern sites likely occurred in canopy gaps, whereas in the north it was contingent upon large disturbances such as stand-replacing fires, which apparently provided more favorable light environment for maple growth than canopy gaps. The annual growth variability, which reflects effects of annual weather on growth and is largely independent from the absolute growth rate, was significantly affected by monthly climate, suggesting a positive effect of higher summer temperature in the northern part of the transect (48–49°N) and a negative effect of summer drought in the south (47–48°N). In the future, the natural and human disturbance regimes will be dominant controls of the actual biomass productivity of red maple at the northern limit of its present distribution range. Direct effects of climate on maple growth would likely be less important in this context, and will likely entail negative effect of increased summer drought in the southern part of the study area and positive effects of increased temperatures in the north.     

水分胁迫对蒺藜光合作用、生物量和药材质量的影响

通过盆栽试验,分析了水分胁迫对蒺藜光合特性、生物量形成和主要药用成分积累的影响.结果表明:水分胁迫改变了蒺藜的光合日进程,使蒺藜的净光合速率和蒸腾速率显著降低,植株光合能力减弱,同化能力下降,最终导致干物质积累受阻,生物量降低.但水分胁迫促进了蒺藜总皂苷类物质积累.灌水量为150和450 mm处理下,蒺藜总皂苷含量分别为13.26和12.47 mg·g^-1,与其余处理(250、350 mm)总皂苷含量差异显著.总皂苷和总黄酮类物质动态积累趋势与生物量积累趋势相反,生物量积累高峰期,次生代谢产物含量反而降低生物量积累受外界环境因子的直接影响较大,而次生代谢产物除受外界环境因子的影响外,还受到生物量积累等内部因素影响.     

绿洲-荒漠过渡带土壤蓄水量的空间分布及其时间稳定性

掌握土壤水分动态变化规律是绿洲地区水资源管理与生态建设的关键.本文在黑河中游绿洲与荒漠交错地带设置面积约50 km²的研究区域,持续监测2012—2014年间植被生长季节土壤水分含量,利用地统计分析与时间稳定性分析探索土壤水分的时空分布特征.结果表明: 黑河北岸绿洲-荒漠过渡带土壤蓄水量8月最大、10月最小,0～2 m土层土壤平均蓄水厚度约367 mm.绿洲-荒漠过渡带土壤水分梯度除受河流影响外,还与土地利用方式密切相关.不同土地利用类型土壤蓄水量依次为农地>乔木林地>灌木林地>荒漠,农地土壤蓄水量平均高出外围荒漠土壤蓄水量300%以上.研究区内各采样点土壤水分时间稳定性具有明显的空间差异,不同土地利用类型土壤水分稳定程度依次为灌木林地>荒漠>农地>乔木林地.河流对沿岸绿洲土壤水分的直接影响集中在3 km以内,在河岸绿洲与新垦沙地农田之间存在一条土壤水分较为稳定的样带,可以用于指示绿洲生态系统的发展与演变.     

毛乌素沙地中间锦鸡儿群体繁育系统的变化

中间锦鸡儿在毛乌素沙地这个介于典型草原和典型荒漠之间的生态过渡带广泛分布 ,是当地灌丛生态系统的一个优势种或建群种[1,2 ] 。我们曾研究表明 ,中间锦鸡儿群体内高度的遗传多样性以及不同景观生态类型群体之间有强大的基因流存在[3 ,4 ] ;特别是同一植株不同种子显示的不同的种子蛋白组成进一步证明该植物的异交性[4 ,5] 。上述群体遗传研究还表明 ,中间锦鸡儿和柠条锦鸡儿共享 1个基因库 ,与徐朗然等 ① 报道的种间杂交结果一致。ＲＡＰＤ研究发现 ,少数多态ＤＮＡ在群体里的频率与所在地区的水分状况有关 :滩地为零或很低 ,生境越干…     

The influence of soil on vegetation structure and plant diversity in different tropical savannic and forest habitats

Aims Soil plays an important role in the formation and heterogeneity of habitats and thus can cause changes in vegetation structure and plant diversity. The differentiation between Cerrado/savanna and forest is well known, but the relationship between soil and habitats from savannic or forest formations still needs to be better understood, particularly in tropical ecotonal areas. We studied the association between attributes of plant communities, namely structure and diversity, and physicochemical characteristics of soils in the Caatinga domain at the transition to Cerrado in Brazil.Methods Chemical and physical analyses of soils were performed in samples of 38 plots from savannic formations and 30 plots from forest formations. Vegetation was characterized floristically and structurally in all plots, five habitats being assessed in each plant formation. Soil features and vegetation parameters were highly distinct among the different habitats.Important findings In general, forest habitats were more nutrient rich than savannic formation. Furthermore, soil variables showed effects both on vegetation structure and on its species diversity, more pronouncedly in the savannic formations. Habitats were structurally distinct, and diversity differed between savannic and forest communities; however, a higher differentiation occurred when the savannic formation habitats were compared among them. Although plant diversity did not differ among forest formation habitats, soil attributes showed a close relationship with edaphic factors and can contribute for similar vegetation. The soil–vegetation relationship in highly diverse ecotonal landscapes is important from the conservation biology point of view and aid in the execution of proactive plans for the maintenance of biodiversity. Thus, we noticed that diversity and soil behaves distinctly between savannic and forest communities.     

The role of local and regional processes in shaping dung beetle communities in tropical forest plantations in Borneo

We examine whether rain forest dung beetle species found in plantations in Sabah, northern Borneo, tend to be endemic or geographically widespread. In addition, linear regressions of abundance vs. distance from a major river in primary rain forest are calculated to see if species found in plantation forest show affinity to one specific biotope (riverine vs. interior forest) in their natural habitat. Results show that 14 of the 40 species recorded from plantations are endemic to Borneo. Only edge‐specialist endemic species are found in plantation forest, with no interior‐forest specialists recorded. Data suggest that endemic species that are adapted to more exposed conditions in primary rain forest, such as riverine species, can in some instances tolerate man‐made habitats. Twenty‐nine species (±SE 4.0) per transect are recorded from plantation transects, whereas 44.2 (±1.7 SE) are recorded in primary rain forest. As species richness is much lower in plantations than natural forest, implying loss of biodiversity, we conclude that measures of biogeographic distinctiveness, whereby endemic species confer higher values, may be misleading unless they take into account edge‐affinity. Local‐ as well as regional‐distributional data may therefore be needed to interpret correctly patterns of species assemblages in derived forest ecosystems.     

Inhibitory effects of Artemisia herba-alba on the germination of the gypsophyte Helianthemum squamatum

The potential allelopathic role of Artemisia herba-alba has been evaluated in order to explain the community pattern of the gypsum semiarid environments of central Spain. This pattern shows a sharp ecotone between a gypsophile sparse shrubby community dominated by Helianthemum squamatum, which grows on slopes with gypsum surface crusts, and a nitrohalophilous community on the gypsum alluvial soils of piedmont dominated by Artemisia herba-alba. In order to explain this pattern, resource limitation was discarded because no significant differences in several soil parametrers, but fine earth fraction and organic matter content, had been detected in a previous study. Results confirm the inhibitory effect of aqueous extracts on the final germination percentage of scarified seeds of Helianthemum squamatum and also on the shape of the germination curves, which indicate delay of germination for the aqueous extracts. Assays with soil of the Artemisiacommunity (three types) showed that germination was strongly inhibited in soils obtained below the canopy of mature plants (litter maintained) and retarded in the other treatments. We suggest that the spatial community pattern detected in this gypsum environment and characterised by a sharp ecotone could be at least partially controlled by interference through allelopathy. This determines the excliusion of Helianthemum squamatum plants from alluvial soils.     

Water availability as driver of birch mortality in Hustai National Park,Mongolia

Trees in the forest-steppe ecotones face stress due to reduced water availability as a consequence of more extreme seasonal fluctuations in precipitation and temperature. Together with browsing pressure this can hinder tree growth, tree regeneration and competition between trees and grasses. We studied the impact of both stress factors on the mortality of birch trees in two forest sites at Hustai National Park, Mongolia, by applying tree-ring research to determine growth-limiting factors and assessing browsing pressure on young and adult birch. We expected warm and dry summer conditions as main growth limiting factor. Moreover, we expected a positive relation between deer density and tree mortality with browsing mainly affecting smaller trees with a low diameter at breast height (DBH). We found that the growth in both birch populations is mainly driven by winter precipitation and – to a lesser extent – negatively affected by high summer temperature. This suggests that water availability as defined by soil moisture, especially at the beginning of the growing season is crucial for birch growth in our study area. For mortality we found significant differences between both populations, but no significant relationship with deer density. In plots with high mortality rates mean tree height of the remaining living trees decreased. These results suggest that under expected climate change with declining annual precipitation rates, the birch forest of Hustai National Park is converting into a steppe ecosystem, like described for other forest ecosystems in this ecotone.