Avian diversity and function across the world's most populous cities

Understanding the composition of urban wildlife communities is crucial to promote biodiversity, ecosystem function and links between nature and people. Using crowdsourced data from over five million eBird checklists, we examined the influence of urban characteristics on avian richness and function at 8443 sites within and across 137 global cities. Under half of the species from regional pools were recorded in cities, and we found a significant phylogenetic signal for urban tolerance. Site-level avian richness was positively influenced by the extent of open forest, cultivation and wetlands and avian functional diversity by wetlands. Functional diversity co-declined with richness, but groups including granivores and aquatic birds occurred even at species-poor sites. Cities in arid areas held a higher percentage of regional species richness. Our results indicate commonalities in the influence of habitat on richness and function, as well as lower niche availability, and phylogenetic diversity across the world's cities.     

Microhabitat use by marsh-edge fishes in a Louisiana estuary

Synopsis We used a drop sampler to characterize use of the marsh-edge ecotone by small fishes along two transects running inland from the Gulf of Mexico for ca. 25 km in Louisiana's Barataria-Caminada Bay System. Monthly sampling was stratified among upper, middle, and lower reaches and within reaches to characterize fish responses to salinity, depth, distance from shore, substrate, dissolved oxygen concentration, temperature, turbidity, velocity, and emergent stem density. In 681 quantitative samples, covering 658 m², collected between October 1987 and October 1989, we collected 57 fish species and 16 864 individuals, primarily larvae and juveniles. The 15 most abundant fishes, comprising 97.7% of all individuals, were concentrated near the marsh edge (i.e., 0 to 1.25 m distance). Some significant differences within species for seasonal variables (e.g., temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration) reflected the ephemeral duration of early life history stages. Other differences reflected ontogenetic microhabitat shifts (e.g., depth and distance from shore). Within ecological groups, characterized as demersal residents, nektonic transients, and demersal transients, spatial and temporal segregation reflected the particular habitat requirements of each species. In a principal component analysis of microhabitat use, the first three components were interpreted as seasonal, depth-and-distance, and salinity axes, respectively. The array of species and size classes in principal component space reflected the complex dimensionality of microhabitat use. The high density of fish larvae and juveniles near the marsh edge confirmed the importance of the marsh-edge ecotone as a nursery for many estuarine-dependent fishes.     

土壤理化性质驱动烤烟根际细菌群落的组配及其共现性网络互作

【目的】解析土壤微生物在植物根际的组配机制对于认识和维护农田生态系统的稳定性至关重要。【方法】通过Illumina高通量测序和生物信息学分析方法明确了我国主要种植烟草生态区烤烟根际土壤细菌群落与土壤理化性质的互作关系。【结果】烤烟根际细菌类群主要为放线菌纲(Actinobacteria)、α-变形菌纲(Alphaproteobacteria)、γ-变形菌纲(Gammaproteobacteria)和嗜热油菌纲(Thermoleophilia)。细菌群落组成按生态区聚类,且样本空间距离和细菌群落相似度显著负相关。共现性网络分析表明,烤烟根际细菌群落间协同作用大于拮抗作用,武陵秦巴生态区、黄淮平原生态区、南岭丘陵生态区和沂蒙丘陵生态区细菌群落高度模块化,小单胞菌属(Micromonospora)为南岭丘陵生态区和黄淮生态区细菌共现性网络的网络中心,Bryobacter和气单胞菌属(Arenimonas)为南岭丘陵生态区细菌网络的模块核心,其菌群特性而非相对丰度决定了其在稳定细菌网络中的重要作用。冗余分析结果证实pH、有效铁、交换性镁和有效锰能显著影响烤烟根际细菌群落结构。【结论】烤烟根际细...     

Coevolution of species colonisation rates controls food-chain length in spatially structured food webs

How the complexity of food webs depends on environmental variables is a long-standing ecological question. It is unclear though how food-chain length should vary with adaptive evolution of the constitutive species. Here we model the evolution of species colonisation rates and its consequences on occupancies and food-chain length in metacommunities. When colonisation rates can evolve, longer food-chains can persist. Extinction, perturbation and habitat loss all affect evolutionarily stable colonisation rates, but the strength of the competition-colonisation trade-off has a major role: weaker trade-offs yield longer chains. Although such eco-evo dynamics partly alleviates the spatial constraint on food-chain length, it is no magic bullet: the highest, most vulnerable, trophic levels are also those that least benefit from evolution. We provide qualitative predictions regarding how trait evolution affects the response of communities to disturbance and habitat loss. This highlights the importance of eco-evolutionary dynamics at metacommunity level in determining food-chain length.     

Determining desirable levels of ecosystem services per capita

Ecosystem services are the numerous, essential processes that natural ecosystems provide free to human societies. Examples include the maintenance of breathable air; the movement, storage, and purification of water; the breakdown of wastes; and the provision of food, building materials, and medicines. However, the exponential increases in human population and concomitant environmental destruction make it likely that the level of ecosystem services available per capita will decline. There are three possible scenarios. First, if present practices continue, ecosystem services per capita will surely decline. Second, if a no-net-loss policy is implemented for habitats and species, ecosystem services per capita will still decline due to increases in human population, but the declines will be less precipitous. Third, if habitat is restored (including concomitant ecosystem services) at a rate exceeding that of destruction, then, perhaps the current level of ecosystem services per capita can be maintained, or even expanded to provide increased levels of ecosystem services per capita to more of the world's people.     

关帝山云杉次生林树木径向生长的空间关联及其影响因子

以关帝山4 hm²云杉次生林样地为研究对象,按照CTFS(Center for Tropical Forest Science)技术规范对样地树木进行连续定位监测。利用2010至2015年间样地主要树种生长量观测数据,结合地形、土壤等环境因子调查及采样测定数据,分析了树木种群径向生长的空间关联性及其随生境的变化,并探讨了树木种群径向生长的影响因素。结果表明,青杄、华北落叶松、红桦、白桦和辽东栎为云杉次生林主要树种,在样地4个生境型(山脊生境、低海拔缓坡生境、高海拔缓坡生境、低洼地陡坡生境)中均有分布且呈现不同的径级结构。标记相关函数分析显示,同一生境型中,5树种径向生长的空间关联性各异;对于同一树种,径向生长的空间自相关性不仅具有尺度依赖性,同时生境型的不同导致树木径向生长的空间关联性发生变化。线性混合效应模型分析显示,初始胸径对树木径向生长的显著正效应在样地各类生境型的所有种群中普遍存在;生物因子对树木径向生长的显著影响只在特定生境型的青杄种群中被检测到,表明树木径向生长受同种邻体影响,但其影响显著性因树种而异;环境因子中,海拔和凹凸度对树木径向生长呈显著负效应...     

2010-2019年不同海湾迁徙水鸟栖息地适宜性变化对比研究

滨海湿地是迁徙水鸟的重要迁飞通道和主要栖息地,评估沿海迁徙水鸟栖息地适宜性及变化态势能为栖息地的合理规划与管理提供科学参考,对迁徙水鸟的保护有重要意义。选择紧邻城市和乡村的深圳湾和雷州湾为研究区,在水鸟栖息地生态系统类型分类的基础上,通过层次分析法确定水鸟栖息地适宜性评价因子,设计栖息地、食物、水分、人类干扰条件及其子类的权重,对栖息地适宜性进行等级划分,分析比较2010-2019年迁徙水鸟栖息地适宜性的时空分布差异,探索适宜性变化差异的原因并给出合理化建议。结果表明：（1）2010-2019年深圳湾有193.4 hm²强干扰区域转变化为中等及弱干扰;雷州湾有16.36 hm²的中等干扰转化为弱、无干扰;（2）深圳湾栖息地适宜性以中等适宜类型为主,2010年和2019年面积占比分别为83.74%和88.71%;雷州湾栖息地适宜性主要以较适宜和中等适宜类型为主,2010年面积占比为86.72%,2010-2019年面积占比基本不变,总体适宜性高于深圳湾。（3）2010-2019年,深圳湾不适宜和较适宜面积分别减少245.54 hm²和26.37 hm²,均转化为中等适宜类型;雷州湾有24.31 hm²的中等和较适宜栖息地转化为适宜类型。     

基于土地利用变化的东海区大陆海岸带生境质量时空演变研究

人类活动对生态环境的影响主要表现为土地利用方式的变化。土地利用变化影响下的生境质量时空格局演变,对优化区域国土生态布局具有重要意义。利用DEM数据、气象数据、社会经济数据与1980、1990、2000、2010、2018年5期土地利用数据,通过InVEST模型、景观格局指数、地理探测器评估、描述、分析东海区大陆海岸带生境质量时空演变特征。结果表明：(1)1980—2018年东海区大陆海岸带陆地面积增加,土地利用中林地所占比重最大,耕地、建设用地面积变化最明显,2000—2010年土地利用转化最显著。土地变化北部大于南部、东侧大于西侧。(2)1980—2018年生境质量均值为0.75,总体生境质量较好,但呈下降趋势,2000—2010年生境质量下降最明显,2010年后下降速度减缓。生境质量斑块趋于破碎化、多样化、均匀化。(3)生境质量总体上从沿海向内陆下降,受岸线性质与围垦影响,北部生境质量由陆向海退化,南部生境退化沿海向陆推进。低等生境质量区呈现点—面—带的扩张趋势。(4)建设用地指数、高程、夜间灯光亮度、土壤类型、坡度为影响生境质量分布的主要因素,38年间主导因素由高程变为建设用地指...     

Restoration management of abandoned chalk grassland in the Netherlands

After abandonment of chalk grassland in the Netherlands, Brachypodium pinnatum had become very dominant and this resulted in a dramatic decrease of plant diversity. Restoration of these abandoned sites is important, because of its former high diversity with many nationally endangered species. To restore the chalk grassland vegetation, the impact of the introduction of different experimental cutting regimes was investigated during three years. The thick litter layer and the dominance of Brachypodium was strongly reduced after introduction of all cutting regimes. In all cutting treatments forb phytomass increased considerably, especially in the twice-a-year cutting vegetation, where the forb phytomass became as high as that of Brachypodium. Phanerogamic species diversity was stimulated in all cutting regimes. Especially the number of short-lived forbs. with a persistent seed bank, increased markedly in the twice-a-year cutting treatment. It is concluded that cutting the vegetation twice is adequate to reduce the negative effects of the thick litter layer and the abundant growth of Brachypodium. It creates an appropriate starting point for more detinite management, whether mowing or grazing. However, the restoration of a more complete species assortment strongly depends on the re-invasion possibilities of these species.