Distribution of birds on eastern and western slopes of the sierra aconquija in the northwestern argentine Andes

The populations of birds (diurnal birds of prey excluded) were studied on both east and west oriented slopes in the Sierra de Aconquija, Tucumán province, northwestern Argentina. The transect method of bird observation was combined with strip surveys. The study period was mid November till early March, during which time most of the Andean bird species are breeding. The eastern slope has frequent fog, whereas the western one is sunny with scarcely rain. Species occurrence and abundance were recorded which in part depend on the altitude. Probable further reasons for these patterns of local distribution are discussed.     

西南喀斯特地区石漠化时空演变过程分析

喀斯特地区石漠化对当地社会经济的可持续发展有严重的阻碍作用，因此，研究喀斯特石漠化时空特征及演变规律，对石漠化治理有着重要的意义。以西南八省为研究区，利用归一化差分植被指数（Normalized Difference Vegetation，NDVI）、净初级生产力（Net Primary Productivity，NPP）、地表反照率（Surface Albedo）和坡度（Slope）数据，借助ArcGIS等软件平台，分析石漠化在不同的坡度、土地利用和生态保护区内的变化。结果显示：（1）轻度和中度石漠化是西南主要的石漠化类型。从空间分布来看，石漠化发生分布面积最广的是贵州，其次为云南和广西。（2）从不同土地利用来看，2000-2015年间无石漠化面积最多，潜在石漠化次之。石漠化主要发生在耕地和林地两种土地类型上，其他用地上石漠化发生面积最少，但是极重度石漠化在其他用地上的发生比例很大，平均在11%左右。（3）从不同坡度来看，石漠化严重程度不随坡度的增加而加剧，在坡度6°-25°之间石漠化发生面积最大。（4）从生态保护区来看，2000和2015年西南喀斯特生态保护区是石漠化面积分布最多的区域，分别为27481.86 km²和21738.65 km²。最少的是大别山山地生态功能保护区，从变化量来看，增加最多的是三峡库区，增加1641.22 km²，减少最多的是西南喀斯特生态功能保护区，减少5743.22 km²。（5）利用NPP、NDVI、地表反照率和坡度能较精准的反演石漠化，其反演权重依次为0.33、0.42、0.15和0.1。研究时段内，西南生态环境逐渐得到改善。     

生态袋护坡技术在三峡水库消落带植被恢复中应用的可行性研究

通过对三峡水库重庆市巫山县双龙镇和巫峡镇段消落带开展生态袋护坡复绿试验7年后，生态袋上（内）、生态袋堆叠处上方和左侧消落带狗牙根（Cynodon dactylon）的种群密度、表型生长性状、地上和地下生物质量，以及土壤理化性质的测定，探讨以狗牙根为生态袋上的种植植物，将生态袋护坡技术用于三峡水库消落带植被恢复的可行性。结果表明：（1）各试验地生态袋上与其堆叠处上方和左侧消落带的狗牙根种群密度和地上生物质量差异不显著。（2）狗牙根的表型生长性状和根系生物质量因地和在生态袋堆叠处的方位不同而异。在双龙镇试验地，生态袋上比其堆叠处上方消落带上狗牙根的植株长度和节间长度低23.9%和22.6%（P<0.05），除此之外的各项指标差异均不显著；生态袋内0-5 cm土层的根系生物质量比其堆叠处上方消落带增加了75.7%（P<0.05），比其堆叠处左侧消落带降低了11.8%，在5-15 cm各土层降低了91.6%-96.9%（P<0.05），15-20 cm土层的差异不显著。在巫峡镇试验地，生态袋上与其堆叠处上方和左侧消落带的各表型生长性状的差异均不显著；生态袋内各土层的根系生物质量均比其堆叠处上方和左侧消落带增加了20.0%-138.7%。（3）各试验地生态袋内与其堆叠处上方和左侧消落带土壤容重的差异不显著，土壤化学性质因地和在生态袋堆叠处的方位不同而异。在双龙镇试验地，生态袋内的土壤全氮和速效氮含量比其堆叠处上方消落带分别降低了13.6%和40.9%（P<0.05），比其堆叠处左侧消落带分别降低了11.9%和33.0%（P<0.05）；速效钾含量比其堆叠处上方和左侧消落带分别增加了18.3%和34.1%（P<0.05）；除此之外各指标的差异均不显著。在巫峡镇试验地，生态袋内的土壤pH值和全氮含量比其堆叠处上方消落带分别降低了1.4%和27.9%（P<0.05），全钾含量增加了6.1%（P<0.05）；土壤全钾和速效钾含量比生态袋堆叠处左侧消落带分别降低了8.1%和24.9%（P<0.05）；除此之外各指标的差异也不显著。（4）狗牙根种群密度、大多数生长指标和生物质量与土壤理化指标相关不紧密。总体上，生态袋上（内）与其堆叠处上方和左侧消落带的大多数表型生长指标，地上和地下生物质量，以及土壤理化指标的差异不显著。狗牙根耐淹、抗旱、耐贫瘠，根系发达，且穿透力强，能够在生态袋上正常生长；生态袋透水不透土，且具有一定的保肥能力。因此，以狗牙根为生态袋上的种植植物，将生态袋护坡技术用于三峡水库消落带植被恢复具有一定的可行性。     

海岸带迎风坡环境干扰对造林植物叶片解剖、气孔和水分利用效率的影响

海岸迎风坡植被恢复是海岸带破坏生态系统修复的重要内容。本试验在广东中山市五桂山海岸带迎风坡（海拔300 m）选择了3种用于植被恢复的人工造林植物,红锥（Castanopsis hystrix）、米老排（Mytilaria laosensis）、云南石梓（Gmelina arborea）和2个同地点的野生种降真香（Acronychia pedunculata）与鸭脚木（Schefflera octophylla）作为实验材料,研究4年后3种造林树种对海岸迎风坡环境的适应。测定5种植物叶片的解剖特征、气孔形态、气孔密度（SD）和大小（SL）、光合作用和水分利用效率（WUE）等生理特性。结果表明,（1）5种植物的叶片解剖特征在迎风坡和背风坡都没有明显差异,除红锥外,SD和SL在两坡面也未表现出显著变化;（2）红锥和云南石梓在迎风坡显示出低的WUE,野生种降真香和鸭脚木有潜在的高的WUE,而米老排在迎风坡显示出对迎风坡造林环境有一定的适应能力;（3）5种植物叶片解剖特征和光合行为对潜在的水分胁迫响应的表型可塑性变化存在明显的种间差异。     

Altitudinal distribution of native and alien plant species in roadside communities from central Argentina

Roadsides may homogenize the distribution of native species and act as corridors for the spread of alien taxa. We examined the variation in native and alien plant species richness and composition at two spatial scales defined by altitude and habitat type (edges and fill slopes), as well as the relationship between native and exotic species richness in roadside plant communities in mountains from central Argentina. Following a gradient from 1100 to 2200 m a.s.l. along a mountain road, plant species cover was recorded within sample plots of 30 m × 10 m systematically located at 100‐m altitude intervals on both roadside habitats. Although native species richness decreased with altitude and composition changed accordingly, the number of alien species peaked at both extremes of the elevation gradient and did not reflect an altitudinal replacement of chorological groups. The number of both native and alien species was higher in roadside edges, but a negative association between the richness of native and alien species occurred only on fill slopes, suggesting that roadside habitats differ in their susceptibility to plant species colonization and in the mechanisms driving native and alien species richness. Our results highlight the importance of altitude and roadside habitat as factors controlling plant species richness and composition along roadside communities in central Argentina. Although altitude acts as a filter for native plants, it apparently did not constrain the establishment of alien species along the studied roadsides, indicating that the influence of this road as a plant species corridor may increase with time, promoting the opportunities for aliens to expand their current distribution.     

Photosynthetic and morphological characters of Caragana microphylla in different slope aspects and positions

In order to find out how small scale topographical factors affect growth and physiological characters of Caragana microphylla, which is a widely distributed shrub species and has an important role in restoring degraded grassland in natural ecosystem, a natural population of C. microphylla was chosen in a typical steppe community in June, 2009. The population was 34 km to the southeast of Xilinhot City, China, and a total of 54 shrubs were selected from different slope aspects and positions. We investigated the photosynthetic and morphological characters of these shrubs and analyzed the relationship between plant traits of C. microphylla and soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability. Moreover, the relationship between plant traits of C. microphylla and herbaceous aboveground biomass was studied. (1) The maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pn_max) was significantly lower on shady slopes than that on sunny slopes and higher on upper slopes than that on lower slopes. Stomatal conductance (Gs), net photosynthetic rate/intercellular CO₂ concentration (Pn/Ci) and intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci) under saturated irradiance showed similar trends with slope aspect and position. Likewise, the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), PSII potential activity (Fv/Fo) and the first-year shoot morphological characters of C. microphylla were also correlated with slope aspect and position. (2) Soil nitrogen availability showed no significant effect on photosynthetic or morphological traits of C. microphylla, however, there were several significant relationships between soil phosphorus availability and plant traits. Dry weight, shoot length, compound leaf size, and leaflet length of first-year shoots of C. microphylla were significantly negatively correlated with soil C:P ratio. Though not significant, photosynthetic parameters under saturated light and other morphological characters of first-year shoots were negatively correlated with soil C:P ratio, i.e., these traits increased with increasing soil phosphorus availability. These suggested that the difference of soil phosphorus availability played an important role in making C. microphylla having different photosynthetic and morphological characters on different slope aspects and positions. The individuals grown in relatively P-rich site had longer shoots and larger leaves and grew better. Low phosphorus content was thought to limit photosynthetic activity through several different mechanisms, including both stomatal and non-stomatal limitations, the latter being more likely in the present study. (3) Photosynthetic and morphological characters of C. microphylla were all negatively correlated with herbaceous aboveground biomass, though only Pn/Ci and length of first-year shoot were significantly correlated with it. This indicated that the difference in plant community was a factor making C. microphylla have different growth and physiological characters on different aspects and positions of slope. A number of studies showed that grazing of the herbaceous layer promoted the establishment and proliferation of woody species, and then led to grassland deterioration; but in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, some widely distributed shrub species like C. microphylla created resource islands and provide favorable microhabitat for grass species. In the present study, we found negative correlations between traits of C. microphylla and herbaceous aboveground biomass. We suggested that the removal of livestock grazing result in the decrease of the distribution C. microphylla and increase of grass coverage, and lead to the restoration of the typical steppe.