Which Extent is Plasticity to Light Involved in the Ecotypic Differentiation of a Tree Species from Savanna and Forest?

Light intensity and heterogeneity are some of the main environmental factors that differ between forest and savanna habitats, and plant species from these habitats form distinct functional types. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that not only differences in morphological and physiological traits but also phenotypic plasticity in response to light are involved in adaptation to forest and savanna habitats by investigating ecotypic differentiation between populations of Plathymenia reticulata (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), a tree from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Cerrado (savanna). Seeds from four natural populations (one from each biome core area and two from ecotonal regions) were grown in a common garden with four light treatments. Fifteen morphological and physiological characteristics were evaluated until individuals reached 6 mo old. Comparisons among populations showed differences for seven traits in at least one light treatment. These differences pointed to local adaptation to different biomes. Populations showed different levels of phenotypic plasticity in response to light in seven traits. Higher plasticity was found either in the forest core population or ecotonal populations; lower values were found in the cerrado core population. Lower plasticity in the cerrado population emphasizes the stress resistant syndrome, as lower plasticity is probably advantageous in a habitat where a conservative resource use is crucial. Higher plasticity in forest individuals suggests higher ability in exploiting the light heterogeneity in this habitat. Also, higher plasticity in ecotonal populations can be important to ensure the maintenance of P. reticulata in these temporally and spatially dynamic areas. Abstract in Portugese is available at http://www.blackwell‐synergy.com/loi/btp .     

长江口滩涂围垦后水鸟群落结构的变化——以南汇东滩为例

近年来长江口滩涂湿地高强度的促淤围垦对生物多样性保育造成了严重影响。本研究于2006至2010年在南汇东滩进行了水鸟调查,研究围垦后堤内环境的快速演替过程对水鸟的群落结构的影响。通过分析鸻鹬类、雁鸭类和鹭类三类主要水鸟类群,结果表明鸻鹬类的总数呈严重下降趋势（ANOVA, p=0.009）,而雁鸭类和鹭类总数在上升（ANOVA,p=0.015;p=0.00）;在种类数量方面,鸻鹬类和雁鸭类差异不显著（ANOVA,p=0.597;p=0.523）,鹭类种类数变化极显著（ANOVA ,p=0.00）。同时,通过对水鸟的栖息地选择因子偏好的分析, 发现滩涂减少是鸻鹬类减少的主要因素,而大型鱼塘和芦苇增加是雁鸭类和鹭类增加的重要原因。为此我们提出相应海岸带湿地管理建议。     

湿地公园研究体系构建

湿地公园是湿地保护性利用新方式,也是生态旅游和生态文明建设新载体,目前国内外兴起湿地公园建设热潮,为湿地保护性利用带来了新机遇。但作为新兴研究领域,目前湿地公园专题研究滞后于其建设与发展,研究基础理论薄弱、研究内容系统性不强、研究方法简单、研究体系不完整,对公园建设的实践指导不足。构建湿地公园研究体系具有重大的理论意义和实践价值。 在对国内外研究总结分析的基础上,力图从研究理论体系、研究内容指标体系和研究方法体系等层面对湿地公园研究体系进行初步构建。提出湿地公园生态系统的概念,并将其组成结构研究体系、功能研究体系、影响评价体系和管理体系等作为研究内容的指标体系;对现有研究方法述评分析,构建了以基础理论探讨、规划研究、试验研究和空间分析为主的研究方法体系;指出了未来应注重的研究方法及发展趋势;最后结合部分实证研究对体系进行了充实完善。以望为推动湿地公园专题研究进程做出贡献,为湿地公园科学管理提供参考。     

蚯蚓对湿地植物光合特性及净化污水能力的影响

以香蒲、芦苇和美人蕉为研究对象,并以土壤+沙子+有机质混合物为供试基质模拟人工湿地处理污水,采用向基质中加入蚯蚓与未加入蚯蚓2种处理。研究加入蚯蚓后,香蒲、芦苇和美人蕉光合速率、蒸腾速率、SPAD值和水分蒸发、蒸腾量的变化及其对净化污水能力的影响。结果表明:与未加入蚯蚓相比,加入蚯蚓后,香蒲、芦苇和美人蕉的净光合速率、蒸腾速率、SPAD值和水分蒸发、蒸腾量均增加,其中芦苇的净光合速率、蒸腾速率和水分蒸发、蒸腾量增加达到显著水平(P <0.05),而香蒲的水分蒸发、蒸腾量增加也达到显著水平(P <0.05);加入蚯蚓后,香蒲、芦苇和美人蕉对COD_Mn、NH₄⁺-N、NO₃^--N、TN和TP的去除率均增加,且香蒲和芦苇对COD_Mn的去除率显著增加 (P <0.05)。加入蚯蚓后,香蒲、芦苇和美人蕉的SPAD值均增加,说明蚯蚓能提高湿地植物对氮的吸收,增加植株中的氮含量,促进湿地植物的光合速率和蒸腾速率从而提高对污水的净化能力。     

尕海湖滨湿地种子库初探

在青藏高原湖泊尕海湖滨湿地的高寒草甸中,选取4个样地22个样点研究种子库基本组成及其与地表植被的关系。结果表明,尕海湖滨湿地种子库由13科34属37种湿生植物组成,平均为7400 seeds/m2,种类以一年生草本植物为主;地表植被由17科29属31种湿生植物构成,以多年生草本植物为主,种子库与地表植被组成的差异较为明显,符合高寒草甸的特征。总体而言,种子库垂直分布的各深度间种子密度有明显的相关性,土壤表层的种子库密度显著高于深层,在物种水平上,仅露蕊乌头Aconitum gymnandrum有这一趋势。种子库物种与水位变化研究表明,种子库中物种的生活型随着水位变化而发生变化：随着水位的升高,种子库中的优势种逐渐由以露蕊乌头为指示种的中生植物向以水毛茛Batrachium bungei为指示种的沉水植物过渡。本研究表明,尕海湖滨湿地种子库具有对受损湿地进行修复的潜在可能,同时水位对其分布有一定影响;如果是针对目标植物的选择性修复则要注意该物种是否存在于种子库中。     

湿地沉积物对磷的吸附-解吸动力学模型概述

介绍了常用的吸附-解吸动力学模型(Freundlich方程、Langmuir方程及Temkin模型),分析比较了不同模型之间的相互关系,对目前国内外关于磷吸附-解吸动力学模型研究进行了简要概述,介绍了不同模型的统一表达形式,并提出应加强对不同类型湿地中沉积物对磷的吸附-解吸过程及其动力学模型、对吸附-解吸过程的长期监测和不同环境因子间的交叉效应研究等建议,以深化对动力学模型的认识,从净化机理层面充分理解湿地生态系统的运行机制.     

湿地碳排放及其影响因素

湿地生态系统在全球碳循环中起着重要作用.湿地独特的土壤、水文和植被条件,使得其在低氧环境下能不断累积碳,并同时释放大量温室气体——CH4和CO2,因此湿地的碳排放近年来成为全球气候变化研究关注的重点问题.湿地的土壤状况、水文条件及植被类型的不同导致湿地CH4和CO2的排放具有极强的时空变异性.土壤温度与CH4和CO2排放呈正相关关系;水位条件对湿地温室气体的排放有一定影响,在一定范围内,土壤的厌氧环境导致CH4排放量增大,CO2排放量减小;植被影响到温室气体产生、氧化和排放各个方面,因物种而异.     

Provenance selection and site conditions determine growth performance of pedunculate oak

Forests of the future need to cope with adverse climatic conditions, in particular drought, to ensure forest stability and productivity. Given the usually long rotation period of forests, forest managers need to select appropriate, i.e. productive and climate-change resilient tree species and/or provenances, to lower tree-mortality risks and sustain current wood production rates at the end of the 21^st century. A frequent means of assessing which provenances of a given species are adapted to anticipated climate conditions is common garden experiments, where trees from different provenances are planted under similar climate conditions. However, in this context soil conditions also play an important role, since they govern how climate translates into plant-available water and hence plant’s ability to cope with extreme drought events. Here, we examine the effects of soil conditions on pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), by studying 10 different Dutch oak provenances that were planted in three provenance trials on different soil types in 1988 in the Netherlands. Using dendroecological methods, we quantified provenance-specific productivity and assessed provenance- and site-specific growth patterns. Our results indicated clear differences in productivity among provenances as well as soil-type specific growth patterns. Consequently, our study highlights the importance of incorporating soil characteristics when evaluating the growth performance of provenances within common garden experiments.     

Methane emissions reduce the radiative cooling effect of a subtropical estuarine mangrove wetland by half

The role of coastal mangrove wetlands in sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) and mitigating climate change has received increasing attention in recent years. While recent studies have shown that methane (CH₄) emissions can potentially offset the carbon burial rates in low‐salinity coastal wetlands, there is hitherto a paucity of direct and year‐round measurements of ecosystem‐scale CH₄ flux (F_CH4) from mangrove ecosystems. In this study, we examined the temporal variations and biophysical drivers of ecosystem‐scale F_CH4 in a subtropical estuarine mangrove wetland based on 3 years of eddy covariance measurements. Our results showed that daily mangrove F_CH4 reached a peak of over 0.1 g CH₄‐C m^?2 day^?1 during the summertime owing to a combination of high temperature and low salinity, while the wintertime F_CH4 was negligible. In this mangrove, the mean annual CH₄ emission was 11.7 ± 0.4 g CH₄‐C m^–2 year^?1 while the annual net ecosystem CO₂ exchange ranged between ?891 and ?690 g CO₂‐C m^?2 year^?1, indicating a net cooling effect on climate over decadal to centurial timescales. Meanwhile, we showed that mangrove F_CH4 could offset the negative radiative forcing caused by CO₂ uptake by 52% and 24% over a time horizon of 20 and 100 years, respectively, based on the corresponding sustained‐flux global warming potentials. Moreover, we found that 87% and 69% of the total variance of daily F_CH4 could be explained by the random forest machine learning algorithm and traditional linear regression model, respectively, with soil temperature and salinity being the most dominant controls. This study was the first of its kind to characterize ecosystem‐scale F_CH4 in a mangrove wetland with long‐term eddy covariance measurements. Our findings implied that future environmental changes such as climate warming and increasing river discharge might increase CH₄ emissions and hence reduce the net radiative cooling effect of estuarine mangrove forests.