大中山自然保护区种子植物区系研究

云南省大中山自然保护区有种子植物749种,隶属于137科396属。区系成分中,世界分布33属,占全部总属数的8.33%;热带分布206属,占除世界分布属以外的56.75%(下同),温带分布148属,占40.77%,中国特有9属,占2.48%。该地区植物种类丰富,种子植物区系起源古老,地理成分复杂,具有明显的亚热带特性。从区系成分和植物类群多样性所占比例上看,是一个需要重点保护的区域。     

云南省小黑山自然保护区种子植物区系研究

小黑山自然保护区有野生种子植物170科787属2195种。分析表明该区种子植物区系的地理成分复杂,联系广泛。热带性质的属有506属,占总属数的68.6%,温带性质的属有224属,占总属数的30.4%。热带性质的种890种,占总种数的40.9%,温带性质的种有1267种,占总种数的58.3%。表明该地区植物区系具有明显的亚热带性质,同时深受热带植物区系的影响。植物区系来源主要由东亚成分、热带亚洲成分(印度—马来西亚成分)、中国特有成分三部分融合而成。特有现象明显,有东亚特有科5科,中国特有属6属,中国特有种778种,占种总数的35.8%,而云南特有种有355种,占中国特有种的45.6%。保护区还拥有众多的珍稀濒危植物。     

马边大风顶国家级自然保护区种子植物区系研究

马边大风顶国家级自然保护区位于四川省马边县境内。在野外考察及查阅文献的基础上,对保护区内种子植物区系进行了研究。结果显示：保护区内有种子植物120科,446属,1240种,其中裸子植物5科,11属,27种;被子植物115科,435属,1213种。保护区区系成分较复杂,古老区系成分和滇藏高原成分较多。种子植物科的分布区类型有11个,具有较强的热带性质,泛热带（热带广布,Pantropic）型34科,占总科数的40．96％,属的分布区类型有15个,以温带区系成分为主,共264属,占总数属的64．71％。相似性系数计算结果显示,其与美姑大风顶自然保护区种子植物区系亲缘关系十分密切,区系组成相当一致,应该属于同一古老区系演化而成。     

民勤连古城自然保护区群落结构和物种多样性特征分析

通过物种多样性指数、林地承载力以及土壤水分等指标对民勤连古城自然保护区荒漠群落的结构和物种多样性以及影响因子进行了研究。结果表明:(1)群落的优势层片为灌木层,其物种组成和结构比较稳定,受环境变化的影响较小,而草本层为不稳定层片;(2)荒漠群落的物种多样性指数均偏低,生态优势度较高,群落的生态功能主要由优势种群或建群种群实施,在无外界干扰情况下,优势种群或建群种群的稳定性可以揭示群落的稳定性;(3)土壤水分是影响群落结构的主导因子,而降水是土壤水分的主要来源,对群落结构具有显著影响。土壤异质性对群落结构同样具有显著影响,是第二主导因子,其物种多样性指数为黏性土壤>灰棕荒漠土>风沙土;(4)群落物种多样性与其林地承载力无一定规律的相关性,灌木层片中,二者呈对数相关(y=64.787ln(x) 214.04,R2=0.829,P<0.01),能够比较科学地揭示物种多样性与林地承载力之间的关系,而草本层中二者呈幂指数相关(y=0.3198e6.1654x,R2=0.6999,P<0.01),反映了林地承载力受环境因子变化的影响。     

陕西天华山自然保护区蕨类植物区系研究

在调查天华山自然保护区植物组成的基础上,对该区的蕨类植物区系进行了分析。天华山自然保护区共有蕨类植物24科48属111种(包括种下类群),其区系的基本特征是:①种类丰富,种系密度大;②优势科明显,大部分科内属、种贫乏;③地理成分多样,区系联系广泛;④温带性质显著,与热带蕨类植物区系有一定的亲缘关系;⑤南北过渡性明显;⑥区系具有一定古老性;⑦特有化程度高,有51个中国特有种,以西南、华中和华北成分为主,并有1个中国特有属。另外,在中国特有种中有9个陕西(秦岭)特有种。     

周边区域景观破碎对铜鼓岭国家级自然保护区的压力分析

以铜鼓岭自然保护区及其周边地区为研究对象,基于2004年的SPOT-5卫星遥感数据,应用ERDAS、ArcGIS等遥感和GIS软件提取出研究区的景观要素分类信息,并选用斑块密度(PD)、最大斑块指数(LPI)、面积加权平均形状指数(AWMSI)、面积加权平均斑块分维数(AWMPFD)、斑块面积变异系数(PSCOV)等景观指数和ArcGIS空间分析功能对保护区及其周边区域(缓冲区)进行景观指数分析。结果表明,铜鼓岭地区景观破碎化趋于严重,在保护区外1 km的范围内,海防林破坏,红树林锐减,生态压力大;高位养虾池的大量建造是威胁保护区生态健康的主要因素。     

河南小秦岭自然保护区蕨类植物区系研究

小秦岭自然保护区共计有蕨类植物23科46属107种.其区系基本特征是:地理成分多样,区系联系广泛并具有一定的古老性;以温带性质为主,但有较明显的热带残遗性和亲缘性;特有现象明显,是东亚成分分布中心的一部分;隶属于华北区系,兼有强烈的西北和西南区系特色.     

神农架北坡堵河源自然保护区植物多样性研究

为建立自然保护区,保护神农架北坡堵河源地区丰富的生物多样性资源,并为神农架地区植物起源、植被演替以及生物多样性和濒危物种状况深入、准确评价提供基础数据,2002年,采用路线调查与标准地调查相结合的方法,结合历史资料,对堵河源地区的野生植物资源进行了实地野外调查研究,分析了植物区系和植物多样性及其受威胁状况。结果表明:(1)该保护区具有丰富的植物物种多样性,有维管束植物174科730属1733种(含亚种、变种),其中,国家重点保护野生植物有23种;(2)该区植物区系成分具有复杂性、多样性,拥有中国种子植物分布区类型属级水平的全部类型,但明显偏重于温带性质。且植物区系起源古老,有中国特有分布属37个,其中,古特有属27个;(3)该区具有丰富的植被类型,包括4个植被型组,8个植被型,26个群系,具有较高的保护和科研价值。同时针对保护区植物多样性受威胁状况,提出了植被恢复、加强防火设备设施建设、生态移民、保护珍稀濒危植物及社区共管是保护植物多样性的有效措施。     

Psychological and physiological effect in humans of touching plant foliage - using the semantic differential method and cerebral activity as indicators

Background

Numerous studies have reported on the healing powers of plants and nature, but there have not been so many instances of experimental research. In particular, there are very few psychological and physiological studies using tactile stimuli. This study examines the psychological and physiological effects of touching plant foliage by using an evaluation profile of the subjects’ impressions and investigating cerebral blood flow.

Methods

The subjects were 14 young Japanese men aged from 21 to 27 years (mean ± standard deviation: 23.6 ± 2.4). With their eyes closed, the subjects touched four different tactile samples including a leaf of natural pothos (Epipremnum aureum). The physiological indices were compared before and after each stimulus. Psychological indices were obtained using a ‘semantic differential’ method.

Results

The fabric stimulus gave people ‘soft’ and ‘rough’ impressions, ‘kind’, ‘peaceful’ and ‘pleasant’ feelings psychologically, and a sense of physiological calm. On the other hand, the metal stimulus gave people ‘cold’, ‘smooth’ and ‘hard’ impressions and an image of something ‘artificial’. The metal stimulus caused a stress response in human cerebral blood flow although its evaluation in terms of ‘pleasant or unpleasant’ was neutral. There were no remarkable differences between the stimuli of natural and artificial pothos compared with other types of stimulus psychologically. However, only the natural pothos stimulus showed a sense of physiological calm in the same appearance as the fabric stimulus.

Conclusions

This study shows that people experience an unconscious calming reaction to touching a plant. It is to be concluded that plants are an indispensable element of the human environment.     

The case for environmental flow determination for the Phongolo River,South Africa

The construction of Pongolapoort Dam in 1973 on the Phongolo River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has considerably altered the hydrological behaviour and ecological response of the downstream floodplain. Changes in the flooding regime have had implications for the socio-economic importance of the floodplain and for the structure and functioning of its associated wetlands. Previous studies have recommended annual releases of water from the dam to sustain floodplain ecosystem goods and services. The current artificial water releases are limited by the size of the dam's sluices and by the demand for water from the local community. Therefore, water releases do not always follow the original natural flooding regime. To date, the influence of the changed hydrology on the ecology of the Phongolo floodplain system remains poorly known. As a basis for future integrated interdisciplinary research we synthesised the ecological and hydrological work conducted to date on the Phongolo floodplain. We suggest hydro-ecology as an important research direction needed to set environmental flows for the sustainable utilisation and management of the floodplain. Understanding the hydrological behaviour and ecological response of the Phongolo floodplain could help in the implementation of environmental flows by managers at the Department of Water and Sanitation and other stakeholders such as Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.