高山带雪斑对牛皮杜鹃群落生产力的影响

研究了长白山高山带雪斑牛皮杜鹃(Rhododendron aureum)群落的生产力特征及其同微生境条件的关系,以阐明寒冷条件下碳蓄积特征.结合土壤温度连续观测,测定了雪斑不同部位的群落生产力以及土壤养分特征.牛皮杜鹃群落的积雪时间超过240d,土壤温度在-1～0℃的时间长达150d,是非雪斑地段的3倍以上.尽管雪斑的热量条件不如周围优越,但是群落生产力相对高出很多.雪斑中心的牛皮杜鹃群落近3a的现存量(1707g/m2)是边缘无雪地段(288g/ m2)的6倍.雪斑中心的土壤养分水平比周围高,雪斑同时为植物提供了极端低温条件下的避难场所.苔原生态系统生产力的维持依赖于寒冷季节的相对温暖环境,而不是生长季节的热量水平.     

Can mobile sandy land be vegetated in the cold and dry Tibetan Plateau in China?

Desertification has taken place in the overgrazed grassland of the Tibetan Plateau,China,and the area of mobile sandy land has increased in recent decades.The challenging problem about desertification control is how to restore the vegetation of mobile sandy lands caused by severe desertification.Sand drifting is now regarded as the limiting factor of vegetation restoration in such lands.The initial phase of vegetation restoration is plant colonization,but it is often aborted due to sand drifting,and then vegetation restoration fails to proceed.For the sake of revegetation,the first step is to stop sand drifting to ensure plant colonization.In the northeastern Tibetan Plateau,China,feasible approaches have been found through long-term experiments,and the vegetation is being restored satisfactorily with these approaches in experimental sandy lands.The approaches comprise three types:enclosure,mechanical barriers and biological barriers.Different sandy lands require dissimilar combinations of these approaches.Enclosures may be adequate to revegetate inter-dunes or degraded grassland even in cold regions like the Tibetan Plateau,China,but it is deficient for revegetation of the shifting sand dunes unless mechanical and biological barriers are established simultaneously.     

Pedoecological effects of a sand-fixing poplar (Populus simonii Carr.) forest in a desertified sandy land of Inner Mongolia, China

To assess the pedoecological effects of a 23-year old poplar ( Populus simonii Carr.) forest on soil amelioration and vegetation restoration via soil erosion reduction and atmospheric dust retention in a desertified sandy land ecosystem, daily dynamics of wind speed, sand transport and dust deposition rates were monitored over an erosive period from April through June in 2001, using fixed observation sites located at different positions within and around the forest. Soil and vegetation characteristics at these sites were also measured. The observation sites were placed at distances of 15H (as control), 6H and 3H (H is mean tree height) from the forest edge of the windward side (abbreviated CK, 6H-W and 3H-W respectively), forest center (FC), and at distances of 0H, 6H and 8H from the forest edge of the leeward side (FE-L, 6H-L and 8H-L respectively). Daily mean wind speed was significantly lower in different observation sites than CK, with FC having the greatest reduction of wind speed and 6H-W the least reduction. Daily transport rate of sand by wind was also significantly lower in different observation sites than CK, with FE-L having the greatest reduction of wind erosion and 6H-W the least reduction. The fact that the poplar forest will lose its functions against wind at a distance of about 12-fold tree height from the forest edge of the leeward side suggests that the effective wind-preventing range of the poplar forest is about 150 m. There was marked spatial and seasonal distribution of dust-fall rate. Over space, the rate of dust-fall was much greater within the forest than outside the forest. Over time, the daily dust deposition rate was greatest in April, followed in decreasing order by May, June, July, September and August, closely linked to the seasonal distribution pattern of dust storm. Significant positive changes in soil and vegetation parameters of the different observation sites during the 23 years that the poplar forest was established suggest the perceptible pedoecological effects of the poplar forest on soil development and restorative succession of plant community within its immediate vicinity through windbreak, soil erosion reduction and atmospheric dust retention. Understanding these pedoecological effects may aid in the design of protective forest systems in arid and semi-arid areas.     

甘肃马鹿夏冬季在祁连山高山草地的放牧行为

为了揭示甘肃马鹿放牧行为的季节差异及其与草地状况和气候等因素的关系,夏季和冬季在祁连山高山草地进行了观察研究。夏季,甘肃马鹿在灌丛中的采食速度从出牧到午间逐渐加快,午后至归牧变化趋势不明显;觅食速度日动态呈增加趋势;每步采食口数上午逐渐增大,午间最高,下午逐渐减少;在不同草地中,甘肃马鹿活动时间的长短依次为灌丛草地>莎草地>禾草地,采食速度依次为禾草地>莎草地>灌丛草地,觅食速度依次为莎草地>禾草地>灌丛草地,每步采食口数依次为禾草地>灌丛草地>莎草地;采食/反刍时间比2.4,1d反刍4次,反刍前后均采食,归牧前有1次采食高峰。冬季,马鹿的采食速度和每步采食口数日变化呈凸抛物线型,午间最高,采食速度与气温显著正相关;觅食速度的日变化呈凹抛物线,午间最低,与气温显著负相关;采食/反刍时间比为4.0,1d反刍2次,归牧前反刍时间较长,其后不再采食。冬季,马鹿的采食时间、反刍时间、采食速度、觅食速度、反刍咀嚼速度、每食团咀嚼次数和反刍总食团数比夏季低,采食行为的日动态较夏季稳定,但反刍行为的个体间差异高于夏季。     

科尔沁沙地植物群落恢复演替系列种群生态位动态特征

以科尔沁沙地草地植被恢复过程不同阶段和不同演替时间的6个群落类型的取样为对象。研究了植被恢复过程群落演替序列主要种群的生态位动态特征。结果表明：演替过程每一群落类型优势种的作用明显,具有最大的生态位宽度。生态位宽度在演替序列的动态变化较好地对应着种群动态,生态位宽度是种群动态的一个间接测度。是种群在群落中的地位和作用的数量表达。能够较好地解释群落演替过程种群的环境适应性和资源利用能力。沙米、雾冰藜、狗尾草、差巴嘎蒿、猪毛菜、隐子草分别是演替时间为1a、3a、5a、12a、20a和30a群落的优势种群。在群落演替序列较高的生态位重叠是适宜生境斑块化和空间异质性的结果,同时也反映了演替序列群落的过渡性质以及群落结构的不稳定性。     

浑善达克退化沙地草地生态恢复试验研究

选择草地退化十分严重的浑善达克沙地腹地开展恢复生态学研究 ,试图寻求沙地草地生态恢复的新途径。采取“以地养地”模式 ,在小范围的土地上 ,建立高产饲草基地 ,使牲畜的压力逐步向高效地集中 ,同时改变畜群结构 ,解决当地牧民生活出路 ;而大面积的退化草地 ,主要借助自然力恢复。结果表明 ,自然力在浑善达克沙地退化生态系统恢复中起到巨大的作用 ,群落生物量、平均高度和总盖度 2年后均随恢复时间增加而增加 ( P<0 .0 5 )。流动沙丘的裸沙 ,经 2 a自然恢复后 ,生物量达 1 0 1 2 g/m,总盖度高达 60 %。与对照相比 ,封育 2 a后固定沙地群落盖度增加近 3倍 ;滩地群落生物量提高了 9倍 ,平均高度增加 4倍。植被组成方面 ,恢复前固定沙地以冷蒿 ( Artemisia frigida)、糙隐子草 ( Cleistogens squarrosa)和寸草苔 ( Carexduriuscula)等为主 ,恢复 2 a后冰草 ( Agropyron cristatum)、褐沙蒿 ( Artemisia intramongolica)等占优势 ;滩地植被中 ,羊草 ( L eymus chinensis)、披碱草 ( Elymus dahuricus)等逐步取代了灰绿藜 ( Chenopodiumglaucum)和尖头叶藜 ( Chenopodium acuminatum)等。生态恢复不仅使自然生态系统得以保护 ,而且带动了社会经济的发展 ,项目中的正蓝旗巴音胡舒嘎查牧民 ,在实验示范前后     

Keynote papers on sandhopper orientation and navigation

This article analyses the relevant studies that have made sandhoppers a model subject for the study of orientation, and traces the development of the paradigm through innovative hypotheses and empirical evidence. Sandhoppers are able to maintain their direction without sensorial contact with the goal, which is their burrowing zone extended along the beach, but very narrow across it. They actively determine the direction of their movements, according to their internal state and the environmental features encountered. Each population shows an 'innate directional tendency' adapted to the shoreline of origin, and the inexpert laboratory-born young behave in a similar way to the adults. Genetic differences have been demonstrated between, as well as within natural populations. The question of the calibration of the sun compass to orientation on a particular shoreline implies a redundancy of mechanisms of orientation. Orientation mechanisms may involve environmental cues perceived through diverse sensory modalities, and range from simple orientation reflexes to sun compass navigational systems. These include scototaxis and geotaxis, and the response to the silhouette of the dune, in addition to sun and moon orientation, which is dependent on the time of the day and orientates daily migrations on the beach. Different modalities of orientation may operate singly, or in conjunction with each other, and their ecological significance may vary according to the habitat and lifestyle of the animals. Taken collectively, the orientation behaviour of the group appears to be a most accommodating phenotype, with considerable adaptive potential. The evidence from comparative studies of different populations promotes consideration of behavioural plasticity as an adaptation to changing coastlines.     

Cascading Trophic Interactions in an Oligotrophic Species-poor Alpine Lake

Non-native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were eradicated from alpine Bighorn Lake, Alberta, Canada, to test whether strong cascading trophic interactions (CTI) can occur in oligotrophic, high seston C:P, species-poor lakes. Fishless alpine Pipit Lake was used as a reference ecosystem. Bighorn Lake zooplankton biomass increased from 0.14:1 relative to Pipit Lake before fish removal began in 1997 to 0.6:1 afterwards due to an increase in the abundance of adult cyclopoid copepods beginning in 1997 and the reappearance of Daphnia middendorffiana in 1998. Following the reappearance of Daphnia, Bighorn Lake total phytoplankton biomass fell from 64:1 relative to Pipit Lake to 0.9:1. Over the same periods Bighorn Lake:Pipit Lake chlorophyll-a ratios declined from 2.4:1 to 1.6:1, although the decrease was not statistically significant. Mid-summer Secchi disc depth in Bighorn Lake increased from 3.1 m before manipulation to 9.2 m, the maximum depth of the lake, in 2001 and 2002. Increased transparency was most likely due to increased filtration of suspended inorganic particles from the water column by higher abundances of large zooplankton. Post-manipulation increases in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), DIN:total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) ratio and declines in TDP in Bighorn Lake were not attributable to ecosystem manipulation, similar changes were observed in reference Pipit Lake. We conclude that strong pelagic CTI, expressed as change in total phytoplankton biomass and largely mediated by Daphnia, can occur in oligotrophic, high seston C:P, species-poor ecosystems. However, strong CTI responses in phytoplankton biomass may lag trophic manipulation by several years.     

Searching for Altitudinal Zonation: Species Distribution and Vegetation Composition in the Superpáramo of Volcán Iliniza, Ecuador

Altitudinal variation of the zonal superpáramo vegetation was studied between 4300 and 4630 m to test a possible occurrence of a fine altitudinal zonation within the superpáramo belt. A rectangular grid of 1 m² sample plots was established; 25 replicate plots separated by a 3 m space were located along a 100 m long transect parallel to the contours, and there were 17 such transects separated by 20 m of altitude. Species were scored using a 7-grade cover scale and basic environmental data were gathered for each sample. Major changes occur over a short altitudinal range, at around 4400 m, which corresponds to a transition between the lower and upper superpáramo. Species richness sharply declines but species turnover (per altitude) increases along the altitudinal gradient. The correlation between richness and bare ground or rock cover is negative, but the correlation to rocks becomes positive above 4500 m. Species from lower altitudes tend to have narrower altitudinal range, although a large number of species appear to be indifferent to altitude. Direct ordination analyses indicate that high-altitude species show stronger correlation to environmental variables, especially rock, than species from lower altitudes. TWINSPAN cluster analysis delimited 15 groups of samples. There is a change in the clustering pattern along the altitudinal gradient from a horizontal (i.e., within altitude) to vertical (i.e., across altitude) arrangement of the cluster groups, although this pattern is partly obscured at the highest altitudes due to a large number of empty samples. MANOVA tests for samples from adjacent altitudinal levels indicate two distinct altitudinal breaks at lower altitudes, corresponding to the Loricaria-belt in lower superpáramo and the transition between lower and upper superpáramo, while no indication of a zonation was found in upper superpáramo.