PHYSIOLOGICAL SNAPSHOTS REFLECT ECOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE SEA PALM,POSTELSIA PALMAEFORMIS (PHAEOPHYCAEA) ACROSS INTERTIDAL ELEVATION AND EXPOSURE GRADIENTS1

Postelsia palmaeformis Ruprecht is an intertidal kelp found only on very wave‐exposed rocky shores of the northeast Pacific. In areas dominated by mussels, Postelsia depends on wave‐induced disturbances to complete its life‐history cycle. Postelsia also recruits where mussels are absent, but not at less wave‐exposed shores. Thus, physical conditions related to wave exposure limit its horizontal distribution. It is not clear what limits the vertical distribution of Postelsia. We investigated factors contributing to Postelsia's limited distribution using transplant experiments, demographic monitoring, and field fluorometry to evaluate growth and performance across gradients of tidal elevation and wave exposure. Survivorship and growth were sharply reduced at upper and wave‐protected edges relative to mid‐level, wave‐exposed sporophytes. Reproductive output was reduced at upper and lower levels, and growth but not survivorship was lower at the lower level. Effects were independent of population of origin and were a manifestation of the environment. Maximum electron transport rates (ETR_m), light saturation parameters (E_k), and maximum quantum yields (ΔF/F_m) provided insight into physiological dynamics; all were lowest at the high edge, but increased when desiccation stress was alleviated by a mock sea‐spray treatment. The ETR_m and E_k values of low sporophytes were not as high as the values for mid‐sporophytes, despite higher or equivalent nitrogen content, chl a, and absorptance, suggesting a trade‐off between light‐capturing and carbon‐fixation capacity. Physiological limitations at upper and lower levels and deleterious desiccation effects at wave‐protected sites prevent establishment, thus constraining Postelsia to a mid‐zone, wave‐exposed distribution. Physical conditions related to wave exposure may limit the horizontal distribution of Postelsia because this kelp is also found in areas where mussels are lacking but not on less wave‐exposed shores.     

Losses of soil organic carbon under wind erosion in China

Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage generally represents the long‐term net balance of photosynthesis and total respiration in terrestrial ecosystems. However, soil erosion can affect SOC content by direct removal of soil and reduction of the surface soil depth; it also affects plant growth and soil biological activity, soil air CO₂ concentration, water regimes, soil temperature, soil respiration, carbon flux to the atmosphere, and carbon deposition in soil. In arid and semi‐arid region of northern China, wind erosion caused soil degradation and desert expansion. This paper estimated the SOC loss of the surface horizon at eroded regions based on soil property and wind erosion intensity data. The SOC loss in China because of wind erosion was about 75 Tg C yr^?1 in 1990s. The spatial pattern of SOC loss indicates that SOC loss of the surface horizon increases significantly with the increase of soil wind erosion intensity. The comparison of SOC loss and annual net primary productivity (NPP) of terrestrial ecosystem was discussed in wind erosion regions of China. We found that NPP is also low in the eroded regions and heavy SOC loss often occurs in regions where NPP is very small. However, there is potential to improve our study to resolve uncertainty on the soil organic matter oxidation and soil deposition processes in eroded and deposited sites.     

Regional productivity mediates the effects of grazing disturbance on plant cover and patch‐size distribution in arid and semi‐arid communities

Patch‐size distribution and plant cover are strongly associated to arid ecosystem functioning and may be a warning signal for the onset of desertification under changes in disturbance regimes. However, the interaction between regional productivity level and human‐induced disturbance regime as drivers for vegetation structure and dynamics remain poorly studied. We studied grazing disturbance effects on plant cover and patchiness in three plant communities located along a regional productivity gradient in Patagonia (Argentina): a semi‐desert (low‐productivity community), a shrub‐grass steppe (intermediate‐productivity community) and a grass steppe (high‐productivity community). We sampled paddocks with different sheep grazing pressure (continuous disturbance gradients) in all three communities. In each paddock, the presence or absence of perennial vegetation was recorded every 10 cm along a 50 m transect. Grazing effects on vegetation structure depended on the community and its association to the regional productivity. Grazing decreased total plant cover while increasing both the frequency of small patches and the inter‐patch distance in all communities. However, the size of these effects was the greatest in the high‐productivity community. Dominant species responses to grazing explained vegetation patch‐ and inter‐patch‐size distribution patterns. As productivity decreases, dominant species showed a higher degree of grazing resistance, probably because traits of species adapted to high aridity allow them to resist herbivore disturbance. In conclusion, our findings suggest that regional productivity mediates grazing disturbance impacts on vegetation mosaic. The changes within the same range of grazing pressure have higher effects on communities found in environments with higher productivity, markedly promoting their desertification. Understanding the complex interactions between environmental aridity and human‐induced disturbances is a key aspect for maintaining patchiness structure and dynamics, which has important implications for drylands management.     

喀斯特槽谷区土地石漠化与综合治理技术研发

深入揭示流域尺度水-土-生资源格局和研发因地制宜的水-土-生治理技术是"十三五"石漠化治理工程的主要瓶颈。国家重点研发计划——"喀斯特槽谷区土地石漠化过程及综合治理技术研发与示范"项目(2016YFC0502300)针对槽谷区特点,锁定两个关键科学问题和五个关键技术,从过程机理研究-技术研发-应用示范3个层面解剖区域水/土/生物资源分布格局与地质地貌之间的关系,阐明石漠化过程中的相关生态变化机理,因地制宜地研发水土资源高效利用、土壤地上/下流/漏失阻控与生态恢复技术;研发野生砧木及经济树种互作效应与优化配套技术,构建槽谷区可持续的生态系统和生态产业模式并示范推广,为区域生态改善和贫困问题解决提供科技支撑。     

荒漠草原沙漠化植物群落及土壤物理变化

沙漠化是草地退化最严重的形式之一。以空间代替时间的方法,通过对宁夏中北部荒漠草原沙漠化过程中植物群落特征和土壤物理特性的研究,探讨草地植物群落与土壤物理特性对沙漠化的响应机制。结果表明:(1)潜在沙漠化阶段草地以牛枝子、猪毛蒿、中亚白草为优势种,轻度沙漠化阶段草地以中亚白草、苦豆子为优势种,中度沙漠化阶段草地以狗尾草、虫实为优势种,重度沙漠化阶段草地以沙米、赖草、狗尾草为优势种,极度沙漠化阶段草地以沙米为优势种。(2)随着沙漠化程度的加剧草地植物群落生物量、Shannon-Wiener指数、丰富度指数、盖度均呈降低趋势,但轻度沙漠化阶段草地植被生物量比潜在沙漠化增加了23%。(3)草地沙漠化导致土壤容重和土壤粗砂粒含量增加,而土壤水分,土壤细砂粒和粘粉粒含量降低。荒漠草原沙漠化导致了土壤环境和植被明显退化,草地生产力明显降低。     

Mito‐nuclear phylogeography of the cyprinid fish Gymnodiptychus dybowskii in the arid Tien Shan region of Central Asia

We evaluated the phylogeography and historical demography of the cyprinid fish Gymnodiptychus dybowskii (subfamily Schizothoracinae) across three northern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) river systems in the Tien Shan range: the Kaidu River, Ili River and Junggar Basin. Results from both mtDNA (16S rRNA and Cyt b) and nuDNA (RAG‐2) resolved three reciprocally monophyletic clades, one in each of the three river basins. Estimated divergence times (highest posterior density (HPD) 2.4–3.7 Mya) are consistent with the hypothesis that these three clades are products of vicariance resulting from the intensive uplift of QTP and Tien Shan, and resulting expansion of the Taklimakan and Gurbantunggut deserts. Several lines of evidence indicate dynamic demographic histories for the three clades, with late Quaternary population bottlenecks and expansions in the Kaidu and Ili rivers and, possibly, a Holocene decline in the Junggar Basin. For conservation purposes, the three clades should be treated as species or minimally, as evolutionarily significant units (ESUs). They have experienced decades of anthropogenic disturbance and preservation of the three species/ESUs will require more sustainable management of the aquatic resources.     

石林地质公园不同群落类型植物果实组成与种子散布特征

喀斯特植物群落果实类型和种子散布特征的研究, 对于理解喀斯特植物群落更新与拓展特征, 进而揭示喀斯特石漠化地区恢复植被的自然扩展机制及制定植被恢复规划具有重要意义。该研究以石林地质公园不同群落类型为对象, 研究不同群落的果实类型谱与种子散布谱, 以揭示果实类型与种子散布方式对恢复植被的影响。采用石林地质公园不同群落各1 hm ²样地记名计数法调查的维管束物种名录, 依据Flora of China对物种果实的描述确定其果实类型; 根据文献、数据库以及果实、种子形态性状确定种子散布方式。结果表明: (1)石林地质公园282种维管束植物共16种果实类型(含孢子), 其中瘦果、蒴果、浆果和核果的物种比例均大于10%。木本植物、草本植物、藤本植物的优势果实类型分别为核果、瘦果和浆果。石林地质公园各群落的木本植物、草本植物和藤本植物的果实类型谱差异不显著。在原生林、次生林、灌丛、灌草丛和人工辅助云南松林不同群落中, 浆果和核果的物种比例减少, 瘦果、颖果和蒴果的物种比例增加。(2)石林地质公园植物种子以动物传播为主, 其次为风传播。在原生林、次生林、灌丛、灌草丛和人工辅助云南松林不同群落中, 风传播的物种比例增加了73%-87%, 动物传播(包括鸟类传播)减少了31%-36%。(3)物种的种子散布方式直接影响到植被恢复物种和恢复策略的选择。基于恢复目标, 选择自然传播能力强的乡土物种或地带性植被关键种, 辅以传播廊道, 有助于喀斯特的植被恢复。     

西南喀斯特石漠化生态系统土壤有机碳分布特征及其影响因素

喀斯特石漠化已成为制约我国西南地区社会经济可持续发展最严重的生态地质环境问题,其恢复重建已成为我国社会经济建设中一项重要内容。土壤有机碳作为土壤质量评价的重要指标,可以综合反映土地生产力、环境健康功能,另一方面土壤有机碳也间接影响了陆地生物碳库,是陆地生态系统碳平衡的主要因子,它的转化和积累变化直接影响全球碳循环动态,已成为生态科学领域研究的热点之一。系统的总结了西南喀斯特石漠化地区不同土地覆被/土地利用、不同等级石漠化环境土壤有机碳的空间和季节分布特征。结合前人研究成果,进一步分析了影响喀斯特石漠化地区土壤有机碳分布的自然(气候、地形与土壤性质、植被等)和人为(土地覆被/土地利用变化、农业管理措施等)各因素,并提出增加喀斯特石漠化地区土壤有机碳含量的对策。研究结果为喀斯特石漠化退化生态系统恢复重建、石漠化地区土壤综合利用、增加碳截存应对全球碳循环减源增汇等提供了重要的科学参考。