An integrated population model sheds light on the complex population dynamics of a unique colonial breeder

Climate models forecast increasing climatic variation and more extreme events, which could increase the variability in animal demographic rates. More variable demographic rates generally lead to lower population growth and can be detrimental to wild populations, especially if the particular demographic rates affected are those to which population growth is most sensitive. We investigated the population dynamics of a metapopulation of 25 colonies of a semi-arid bird species, the sociable weaver Philetairus socius, and how it was influenced by seasonal weather during 1993–2014. We constructed an integrated population model which estimated population sizes similar to observed population counts, and allowed us to estimate annual fecundity and recruitment. Variance in fecundity contributed most to variance in population growth, which showed no trend over time. No weather variables explained overall demographic variation at the population level. However, a separate analysis of the largest colony showed a clear decline with a high extinction probability (0.05 to 0.33) within 5 years after the study period. In this colony, juvenile survival was lower when summers were hot, and adult survival was lower when winters were cold. Rainfall was also negatively correlated with adult survival. These weather effects could be due to increased physiological demands of thermoregulation and rainfall-induced breeding activity. Our results suggest that the dynamics of the population on the whole are buffered against current weather variation, as individual colonies apparently react in different ways. However, if more and increasingly extreme weather events synchronize colony dynamics, they are likely to have negative effects.     

Increase in nonnative understorey vegetation cover after nonnative conifer removal and passive restoration

Nonnative conifers are widespread in the southern hemisphere, where their use as plantation species has led to adverse ecosystem impacts sometimes intensified by invasion. Mechanical removal is a common strategy used to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of nonnative conifers, and encourage native regeneration. However, a variety of factors may preclude active ecological restoration following removal. As a result, passive restoration – unassisted natural vegetation regeneration – is common following conifer removal. We asked, ‘what is the response of understorey cover to removal of nonnative conifer stands followed by passive restoration?' We sampled understorey cover in three site types: two‐ to ten‐year‐old clearcuts, native forest and current plantations. We then grouped understorey species by origin (native/nonnative) and growth form, and compared proportion and per cent cover of these groups as well as of bare ground and litter between the three site types. For clearcuts, we also analysed the effect of time since clearcut on the studied variables. We found that clearcuts had a significantly higher average proportion of nonnative understorey vegetation cover than native forest sites, where nonnative vegetation was nearly absent. The understorey of clearcut sites also averaged more overall vegetation cover and more nonnative vegetation cover (in particular nonnative shrubs and herbaceous species) than either plantation or native forest sites. Notably, 99% of nonnative shrub cover in clearcuts was the invasive nonnative species Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius). After ten years of passive recovery since clearcutting, the proportion of understorey vegetation cover that is native has not increased and remains far below the proportion observed in native forest sites. Reduced natural regeneration capacity of the native ecosystem, presence of invasive species in the surrounding landscape and land‐use legacies from plantation forestry may inhibit native vegetation recovery and benefit opportunistic invasives, limiting the effectiveness of passive restoration in this context. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

Composition and ecological drivers of the kwongan scrub and woodlands in the northern Swan Coastal Plain,Western Australia

The nature of community patterns and environmental drivers in kwongan mediterranean‐type shrubland on nutrient‐poor soils occurring in Western Australia remain poorly examined. We aimed to determine whether (i) classification of the kwongan vegetation of the northern Swan Coastal Plain would be ecologically informative and (ii) which environmental drivers underpin the plant community patterns. The study area was positioned on the northern Swan Coastal Plain, locality of Cooljarloo (30°39′ S, 115°22′ E), situated 170 km north of Perth, Western Australia. Compositional (518 species × 337 relevés) and environmental data set (29 variables × 87 relevés) describing time since last fire, soil chemical and physical properties, and terrain characteristics were analysed using classification and ordination techniques. OptimClass assisted in the selection of a robust data transformation, resemblance function and clustering algorithm to identify the vegetation patterns. Major ecological drivers of the vegetation patterns were detected using distance‐based redundancy analysis (db‐RDA). Classification revealed major groupings of Wet Heath and Banksia Woodland distinguishable by the high prevalence of myrtyoid and proteoid taxa, respectively. On floristic‐sociological grounds, we recognised four Wet Heath and two Banksia Woodland communities. The Wet Heath was constrained to areas of higher litter depth (db‐RDA axis 1: 9%). Soil chemical and physical properties explained the highest proportion (17%) of the compositional variance, while the terrain‐ and fire‐related variables explained 2% and <0.001%, respectively. While fire explained little compositional variance overall, a separate db‐RDA analysis found that it may play an important pattern‐structuring role within Banksia Woodlands. Fine‐scale compositional patterns correspond only to a small extent to environmental data; the substantial unexplained variance may be due to slow‐acting neutral and stochastic processes.     

New pollen classification of Chenopodiaceae for exploring and tracing desert vegetation evolution in eastern arid central Asia

Members of the Chenopodiaceae are the most dominant elements in the central Asian desert. The different genera and species within this family are common in desert vegetation types. Should it prove possible to link pollen types in this family to specific desert vegetation, it would be feasible to trace vegetation successions in the geological past. Nevertheless, the morphological similarity of pollen grains in the Chenopodiaceae rarely permits identification at the generic level. Although some pollen classifications of Chenopodiaceae have been proposed, none of them tried to link pollen types to specific desert vegetation types in order to explore their ecological significance. Based on the pollen morphological characters of 13 genera and 24 species within the Chenopodiaceae of eastern central Asia, we provide a new pollen classification of this family with six pollen types and link them to those plant communities dominated by Chenopodiaceae, for example, temperate dwarf semi‐arboreal desert (Haloxylon type), temperate succulent halophytic dwarf semi‐shrubby desert (Suaeda, Kalidium, and Atriplex types), temperate annual graminoid desert (Kalidium type), temperate semi‐shrubby and dwarf semi‐shrubby desert (Kalidium, Iljini, and Haloxylon types), and alpine cushion dwarf semi‐shrubby desert (Krascheninnikovia type). These findings represent a new approach for detecting specific desert vegetation types and deciphering ecosystem evolution in eastern central Asia.     

明永冰川垂直气候带中可培养低温细菌多样性分析

本研究对位于云南滇西北的明永冰川地区暖温带、中温带和寒温带三个不同垂直气候带中可培养低温细菌的多样性进行了研究。利用四种不同培养基对该地区可培养低温细菌进行了分离纯化,共得到细菌37 513株,根据菌落形态特征分为了391种,其中LB培养基分离到99种,Organic培养基分离到78种,PSG培养基分离到96种,PYGV培养基分离得到118种,可以看出寡营养培养基PYGV分离得到的细菌种类多于LB和Organnic等富营养培养基,表明PYGV针对冰川地区细菌的分离与鉴定更为合适;通过革兰氏染色和扫描电镜观察表明大部分菌株为革兰阴性杆菌;对已分离得到的优势菌进行了16S rRNA基因测序并构建系统发育树,分析得出:假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、耶尔森氏菌属(Yersinia)和黄杆菌属(Flavobacterium)在明永冰川不同垂直气候带上均有分布,其中假单胞菌属最多占据35%;而寡养单胞菌属(Stenotrophomonas)是寒温带上特有的菌属。本研究证明明永冰川地区垂直气候带中可培养低温细菌多样性非常丰富,也为下一步了解这一特殊地理生态环境下微生物的群落演替规律、研究冰川环境中微生物群落如何响应气候变化提供了参考。     

Generalized and species-specific prediction models for aboveground biomass in semi-steppe rangelands

Aims The accurate estimation of aboveground biomass in vegetation is critical for global carbon accounting. Regression models provide an easy estimation of aboveground biomass at large spatial and temporal scales. Yet, only few prediction models are available for aboveground biomass in rangelands, as compared with forests. In addition to the development of prediction models, we tested whether such prediction models vary with plant growth forms and life spans, and with the inclusion of site and/or quadrat-specific factors.     

Comparison of leaf area index inversion for grassland vegetation through remotely sensed spectra by unmanned aerial vehicle and field-based spectroradiometer

Aims Remote sensing technology has been proved useful in mapping grassland vegetation properties. Spectral features of vegetation cover can be recorded by optical sensors on board of different platforms. With increasing popularity of applying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to mapping plant cover, the study aims to investigate the possible applications and potential issues related to mapping leaf area index (LAI) through integration of remote sensing imagery collected by multiple sensors.     

基于地理探测器的岷江中下游地区植被NPP时空格局演变及其驱动力研究

植被净初级生产力作为反映植被生态系统对气候变化响应的重要指标,是长期以来备受世界各国关注的焦点问题。论文以岷江中下游地区为研究区域,基于2000—2015年MODIS NPP数据,结合同年期海拔、气温、降水、土地利用类型等,运用地理探测器等模型方法,诊断植被NPP分布的主要驱动力,并揭示了不同时段的驱动力决定力的变化。结果表明:(1)2000—2015年岷江中下游植被NPP平均值为513.93gC/m~2;植被年均NPP最大值出现在2000年石棉县北部硗碛藏族乡的林地分布区,为1876gC/m~2,最小值出现在2005年五通桥区中部竹根镇的平原旱地分布区,最小值为26.98gC/m~2;植被NPP具有较强的时空分异性,NPP总量变化除了受NPP强度影响外,植被覆盖总面积是其另外主要的影响因素。(2)影响植被NPP分布的主导因素包括气温、海拔、土地利用等,各因素对NPP分布的决定力存在明显差异。(3)不同时间植被NPP空间分布的驱动力存在明显差异,主要表现在其变化受人类扰动的影响越来越强烈。刻画岷江中下游植被NPP时空演变,并揭示其主要驱动力,可为研究区生态安全预警和生态补偿提供数据支撑和辅助决策。     

2002-2016年华北平原植被生长状况及水文要素时空特征分析

基于MODIS增强型植被指数（EVI）资料,结合降水、GRACE重力卫星水储量（TWS）、地下水、土壤水等资料,分析华北平原植被2002-2016年间的生长状况及各水文要素时空分布特征。研究结果表明：（1）2002-2016年间华北平原植被呈好转趋势,降水、水储量、土壤水、地下水等水文要素值呈减少趋势。（2）黄淮平原区植被以农作物为主,植被覆盖度呈增加趋势,而降水、水储量、地下水、土壤水均呈减少趋势,超采地下水灌溉农作物是短期内保障粮食安全的重要措施。（3）燕山-太行山山麓平原区、冀鲁豫低洼平原区的城乡居民用地区域植被覆盖显著减少,而降水增多,水储量、土壤水、地下水减少,人类活动对植被和水文要素贡献量大。（4）山东丘陵农林区分布着林地和草地,这些区域生长季的植被指数呈减少趋势,与降水量减少呈正相关关系。在气候变化和人类活动影响的大背景下,探讨不同生态环境的植被生长特征,清楚植被对水文变化的响应机理,可以消除影响植被生长的不利因素,为制定合理用水制度提供理论依据。