A multimetric index based on benthic macroinvertebrates for evaluation of Atlantic Forest streams at Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

This study describes the application of a protocol for biological assessment of water quality at first to third order streams at Serra dos órg?os, an area covered by Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Major impacts in the region are domestic effluents and deforestation. Our main objective is to establish biocriteria for the establishment of the Serra dos órg?os Multimetric Index (SOMI) based on benthic macroinvertebrates. We used data from previous studies, sampled by experienced biologists, from 1999 through 2002. The benthic macroinvertebrate community was sampled in 12 reference sites and seven impaired sites in three river basins: Guapimirim, Macaé and Grande, all from the same bioregion. From the 22 tested metrics, 6 were included in the SOMI (% Diptera, % Coleoptera, Family Taxa, EPT Taxa, BMWP-CETEC and % Shredders). Scores (5, 3 or 1) were developed for these metrics to allow for aggregation into the index. Seven intermediately impaired sites were used for evaluating the applicability of the multimetric index. We concluded that the SOMI is a robust easy-to-apply tool for biomonitoring programs in the Serra dos órg?os region, south-east Brazil. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorised users. Handling editor: D. Dudgeon     

Bird sensitivity to disturbance as an indicator of forest patch conditions: An issue in environmental assessments

An Environmental Assessment (EA) is one of the steps within the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Birds are often used in EA to help decision makers evaluate potential human impacts from proposed development activities. A “sensitivity to human disturbance” index, created by Parker III et al. (1996) for all Neotropical species, is commonly considered an ecological indicator. However, this parameter was created subjectively and, for most species, there have been no rigorous field test to validate its effectiveness as such. Therefore, in this study, we aim to: (1) evaluate if, at the local scale, birds from forest patches in a human-modified landscape (HML) may differ in sensitivity from Parker's sensitivity classification; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the species richness value at each sensitivity level as an ecological indicator; (3) gather information on how often and in which manner Parker's classification has been used in EA. To do so, bird sampling was performed in eight forest patches in a HML over one year. Then, we created a local sensitivity to disturbance using information about threat, endemism, spatial distribution and relative abundance of all species in the study area. We found that 37% of the forest birds showed different local sensitivity levels when compared with Parker's classification. Our results show that only the richness of high-sensitivity species from our local classification fitted the ecological indicator assumptions helping the environmental conditions evaluation of the studied patches. We conclude that species richness of each Parker's bird sensitivity levels do not necessarily perform as an ecological indicator at the local scale, and particularly in HML. Nevertheless, Parker's Neotropical bird sensitivity classification was used in 50% of EA we reviewed. In these, 76% assumed that it was an accurate ecological indicator of the local forest conditions for birds. The lack of clear criteria used in Parker's classification allows diverse interpretations by ornithologists, and there is no agreement about the ecological meaning of each sensitivity level and what environmental conditions each level may indicate of. Therefore, the use of Parker's classification in EA may jeopardize accurate interpretations of proposed anthropogenic impacts. Furthermore, because a bird species’ sensitivity often varies between locations, we argue that Parker's generalized classification of bird sensitivity should not be used as an indicator of forest environmental conditions in EA throughout HMLs in Neotropics. Rather, local bird ecological indices should be explored, otherwise, erroneous predictions of the anthropogenic impacts will continue to be common.     

Atlantic forest bird communities provide different but not fewer functions after habitat loss

Habitat loss often reduces the number of species as well as functional diversity. Dramatic effects to species composition have also been shown, but changes to functional composition have so far been poorly documented, partly owing to a lack of appropriate indices. We here develop three new community indices (i.e. functional integrity, community integrity of ecological groups and community specialization) to investigate how habitat loss affects the diversity and composition of functional traits and species. We used data from more than 5000 individuals of 137 bird species captured in 57 sites in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a highly endangered biodiversity hotspot. Results indicate that habitat loss leads to a decrease in functional integrity while measures of functional diversity remain unchanged or are even positively affected. Changes to functional integrity were caused by (i) a decrease in the provisioning of some functions, and an increase in others; (ii) strong within-guild species turnover; and (iii) a replacement of specialists by generalists. Hence, communities from more deforested sites seem to provide different but not fewer functions. We show the importance of investigating changes to both diversity and composition of functional traits and species, as the effects of habitat loss on ecosystem functioning may be more complex than previously thought. Crucially, when only functional diversity is assessed, important changes to ecological functions may remain undetected and negative effects of habitat loss underestimated, thereby imperiling the application of effective conservation actions.     

本溪关门山国家森林公园游客行为特征

研究游客行为特征对于旅游资源的开发、管理以及旅游目的地的可持续发展具有重要的作用。以本溪关门山国家森林公园为研究对象,通过问卷调查的方法对游客的人口统计学特征、地域结构特征、一般行为特征、消费特征及感知特征进行了研究。结果表明:关门山国家森林公园的游客以较高学历的男性中青年为主;客源主要来自本省辽宁,并以沈阳、本溪和大连的游客为主,客源地理集中度指数为35.71;旅游的主要目的是观赏枫叶,出游时间大部分集中在每年"十一"黄金周期间,且半数以上为当日往返的短程游览者;游客偏好与家人一起出游的旅行方式,所选择的交通工具主要为自驾车和旅游专车;游客的消费结构不平衡,主要集中于景区门票和交通费,占总消费的56.7%;游客对景区的喜好度依次为龙门峡景区月台子景区小黄山景区夹砬子景区鸣翠谷景区。总的来说,游客满意度较高,有89.1%的游客愿意重游此地,游客最不满意的地方主要表现在景区卫生方面。基于调查研究结果,对关门山国家森林公园的开发建设和可持续发展提供了相关建议。     

海南西部桉树人工林土壤水分变化特征及其对林龄的响应

在海南西部儋州林场选取空间相邻、自然环境相似、不同林龄与连栽代次的桉树林样地和椰树林对照样地,通过2010—2012年连续3a定点取样,研究桉树林土壤水分变化特征及其对林龄的响应,分析桉树林种植对林地土壤水分的影响。结果表明:(1)1—4月土壤含水量持续减少,5—6月波动较大,7—10月增加到年内极大值,11—12月降低,但处于年内较高水平。(2)短伐桉树林(二代5年桉树林、三代1年桉树林、三代4年桉树林)、20a桉树林以及10a椰树林5个样地的月均土壤含水量存在显著或极显著差异。二代5年桉树林与三代1年桉树林之间以及20a桉树林与10a椰树林之间的土壤含水量差异均不显著;其余各林地之间土壤含水量差异显著或极显著。(3)随着土壤深度增加,短伐桉树林与20a桉树林、10a椰树林之间的土壤含水量差异增大。表层0—30 cm短伐桉树林年均土壤含水量为6.08%,20a桉树林为7.53%,10a椰树林为6.93%;80 cm以下则分别为8.10%、11.72%和11.95%。与10a椰树林、20a桉树林相比,短伐桉树林对土壤深层水分有较大负面影响。(4)短伐桉树林、20a桉树林和10a椰树林土壤含水量的变异系数由表层到深层逐渐递减,其中林龄较大的短伐桉树林变异系数较大,且变异系数较大的土层也较深厚。与20a桉树林、10a椰树林相比,林龄较大的短伐桉树林对深层土壤水分的消耗较多。(5)连栽代次愈多,林龄越大,土壤含水量愈少;采伐之后1a桉树林的土壤含水量明显增加,有利于桉树后期生长。     

The hypothesis of sympatric speciation as the dominant generator of endemism in a global hotspot of biodiversity

Allopatric or sympatric speciation influence the degree to which closely related species coexist in different manners, altering the patterns of phylogenetic structure and turnover among and between communities. The objective of this study was to examine whether phylogenetic community structure and turnover in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest permit conclusions about the dominant process for the formation of extant angiosperm richness of tree species. Therefore, we analyzed phylogenetic community structure (MPD, MNTD) as well as taxonomic (Jaccard similarity) and phylogenetic turnover (betaMPD, betaMNTD) among and between 49 tree communities distributed among three different habitat types. Mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature in each survey area were estimated. Phylogenetic community structure does not differ between habitat types, although MPD reduces with mean annual temperature. Jaccard similarity decreases and betaMNTD increases with spatial distance and environmental differences between study sites. Spatial distance explains the largest portions of variance in the data, indicating dispersal limitation and the spatial aggregation of recently formed taxa, as betaMNTD is related to more recent evolutionary events. betaMPD, that is related to deep evolutionary splits, shows no spatial or environmental pattern, indicating that older clades are equally distributed across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. While similarity pattern indicates dispersal limitations, the spatial turnover of betaMNTD is consistent with a high degree of sympatric speciation generating extant diversity and endemism in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. More comprehensive approaches are necessary to reduce spatial sampling bias, uncertainties regarding angiosperm diversification patterns and confirm sympatric speciation as the dominant generator for the formation of extant species diversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.     

Variation in the population structure between a natural and a human‐modified forest for a pioneer tropical tree species not restricted to large gaps

The distribution of tree species in tropical forests is generally related to the occurrence of disturbances and shifts in the local environmental conditions such as light, temperature, and biotic factors. Thus, the distribution of pioneer tree species is expected to vary according to the gap characteristics and with human disturbances. We asked whether there was variation in the distribution of a pioneer species under different environmental conditions generated by natural disturbances, and between two forests with contrasting levels of human disturbance. To answer this question, we studied the distribution patterns and population persistence of the pioneer tree species Croton floribundus in the size and age gap range of a primary Brazilian forest. Additionally, we compared the plant density of two size‐classes between a primary and an early successional human‐disturbed forest. Croton floribundus was found to be widespread and equally distributed along the gap‐size gradient in the primary forest. Overall density did not vary with gap size or age (F‐ratio = 0.062, P = 0.941), and while juveniles were found to have a higher density in the early successional forest (P = 0.021), tree density was found to be similar between forests (P = 0.058). Our results indicate that the population structure of a pioneer tree species with long life span and a broad gap‐size niche preference varied between natural and human‐disturbed forests, but not with the level of natural disturbance. We believe this can be explained by the extreme environmental changes that occur after human disturbance. The ecological processes that affect the distribution of pioneer species in natural and human‐modified forests may be similar, but our results suggest they act differently under the contrasting environmental conditions generated by natural and human disturbances.     

山西霍山灌丛空隙草本植物物种多样性与更新

采用物种重要值和物种多样性指数,分析了山西霍山灌丛空隙内主要草本组成及其多样性随灌丛空隙面积梯度的变化规律。结果表明:在自然状况下形成的10 m2的灌丛空隙最多,占51.2%。灌丛空隙内草本植物的重要值高于灌丛下草本,且以10~20 m2的空隙为最高。主要草本可分为3类:(1)对灌丛空隙更新反应不明显的草本,(2)对灌丛空隙有正更新反应的草本,(3)对灌丛空隙有负更新反应的草本。灌丛空隙内的物种丰富度、多样性指数和均匀度指数均高于灌丛下,而生态优势度均小于灌丛下,呈现"单峰型"的变化趋势,且在10~20 m2达到峰值。因此,适宜大小的灌丛空隙是森林生态系统草本层植物多样性维持的重要途径。