Spider diversity in a tropical habitat gradient in Chiapas, Mexico

This paper presents an assessment of spider diversity in a complex landscape of southern Mexico. Eighteen different habitats were identified, measured and mapped across this fragmented landscape. Habitat types were characterized by measuring various features, including number of plant forms, tree cover and litter depth. Each month from February to April (dry season) and from June to August 2002 (wet season), spiders were sampled on each habitat by using pitfall traps and direct collection. Correlations between spider diversity and habitat characteristics were carried out to explore the relative contribution of each habitat variable as related to changes in spider composition and richness. In total, 115 spider species were recorded in 18 habitat types, and the mean number and density of species per habitat were 21 (± 3, standard error of mean) and 57 (± 9), respectively. The species recorded represent 41% of the fauna recorded in the Mexican state of Chiapas and 4% of the fauna recorded in Mexico. Relatively pristine habitats (e.g. deciduous forest) contained an important proportion of spider diversity in this fragmented landscape. Epigean spider diversity was significantly correlated with tree cover and with the diversity of plant forms during the rainy season. No correlation was detected between soil spider diversity and the habitat variables measured for any season. The results of this work suggest that in highly fragmented tropical landscapes, some habitat types (e.g. coffee plantations, hedgerows) might play an important role for the persistence of spider populations. The prevalence of relatively stable conditions in some of these habitats can allow spiders species (e.g. Nephila clavipes ) to overcome adverse conditions such as a decrease in humidity and dramatic changes in temperature and wind exposure, allowing them to recolonize when favourable conditions return.     

Relative Importance of Wetland type Versus Anthropogenic Activities in Determining Site Invasibility

We assessed wetland invasibility by conducting surveys of three wetlands in each of five categories (riverine, depression, lacustrine fringe, mineral flat, and seepage slope). Invasibility was measured as the number of invasive species present, percent of plant species classified as invasive, percent cover of invasive plants, and percent of total cover represented by invasive species. The working hypothesis for this study was that certain types of wetlands (e.g., lacustrine fringe and riverine) would be more prone to invasion than others (spring-seep/slope wetlands or mineral flat wetlands). No significant differences were found among wetland types in any of the invasion metrics evaluated, despite high average invasibility in the riverine and lacustrine fringe categories. However, invasion was correlated very strongly with a qualitative index of anthropogenic modification to the surrounding landscape. A probable result of the substantial influence of human activities on wetland invasion in this study was that effects potentially attributable to greater opportunity for dispersal in certain types of wetlands were obscured. Another factor that likely contributed to the lack of differences among wetland types was the high variability in human activities observed among wetlands within types. These results further highlight the overwhelming contributions of anthropogenic habitat modification and human-assisted dispersal of invasive species to the currently observed homogenization of natural ecosystems.     

Map Misclassification Can Cause Large Errors in Landscape Pattern Indices: Examples from Habitat Fragmentation

Although habitat fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide, virtually no attention has been paid to the quantification of error in fragmentation statistics. Landscape pattern indices (LPIs), such as mean patch size and number of patches, are routinely used to quantify fragmentation and are often calculated using remote-sensing imagery that has been classified into different land-cover classes. No classified map is ever completely correct, so we asked if different maps with similar misclassification rates could result in widely different errors in pattern indices. We simulated landscapes with varying proportions of habitat and clumpiness (autocorrelation) and then simulated classification errors on the same maps. We simulated higher misclassification at patch edges (as is often observed), and then used a smoothing algorithm routinely used on images to correct salt-and-pepper classification error. We determined how well classification errors (and smoothing) corresponded to errors seen in four pattern indices. Maps with low misclassification rates often yielded errors in LPIs of much larger magnitude and substantial variability. Although smoothing usually improved classification error, it sometimes increased LPI error and reversed the direction of error in LPIs introduced by misclassification. Our results show that classification error is not always a good predictor of errors in LPIs, and some types of image postprocessing (for example, smoothing) might result in the underestimation of habitat fragmentation. Furthermore, our results suggest that there is potential for large errors in nearly every landscape pattern analysis ever published, because virtually none quantify the errors in LPIs themselves.     

Group composition and reproductive success of cooperatively breeding white‐winged choughs (Corcorax melanorhamphos) in urban and non‐urban habitat

Abstract: White‐winged choughs (Corcorax melanorhamphos, Corcoracidae) are a common, breeding resident in and around the city of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. We compared five measures of reproductive success between the urban and non‐urban populations of choughs to investigate the effect of urbanization on this cooperatively breeding species. Urban choughs initiated breeding earlier than their non‐urban counterparts and were more likely to suffer nest failures. However, there was no difference in the number of successful nests in a season or the number of fledglings produced per successful nesting attempt. A greater proportion of fledglings survived their first 12 months in the non‐urban habitat. We suggest that increased rates of nest predation and fledgling mortality in the urban environment may have a negative effect on reproductive success and remove any advantage that might be gained through a longer breeding season. Possible effects of urbanization on the social and genetic structure of white‐winged choughs are also discussed.     

Interacting effects of landscape context and habitat quality on flower visiting insects in agricultural landscapes

Landscape context and habitat quality may have pronounced effects on the diversity of flower visiting insects. We investigated whether the effects of landscape context and habitat quality on flower visiting insects interact in agricultural landscapes in the Netherlands. Landscape context was expressed as the area of semi-natural habitats or the density of linear landscape features, and was quantified at spatial scales ranging from 250 to 2000 m. Habitat quality was determined as flower abundance. Species richness and abundance of hoverflies and bees were determined along 16 stream banks experiencing similar environmental conditions but situated in areas with contrasting landscape context. Only flower abundance and the area of semi-natural habitats within 500–1000 m were significantly related to species richness of hoverflies and bees and these factors had interacting effects on both species groups. Our results suggest that the regional area of semi-natural habitats had a positive effect on hoverfly species richness when flower abundance was relatively high, but not when flower abundance was low. Moreover, flower abundance had positive effects on hoverfly species richness only in areas with relatively many semi-natural habitats. Contrastingly, flower abundance had a more positive effect on bee species richness in landscapes with few semi-natural habitats compared to landscapes with more semi-natural habitats. Our results suggest that the importance of landscape context for the species richness of flower visiting insects depends upon the quality of the habitat patches.     

福建省漳平市野生观赏植物

福建漳平是中国十大花卉基地之一,独特的区位优势蕴含着丰富的野生观赏植物资源。2001~2003年的野外调查中发现漳平市有野生观赏植物90科1、91属3、14种。     

景观规划模式与景观韵律学

景观规划韵律学研究是目前国际景观生态规划的前沿领域。在总结景观规划的“斑－廊－基模式”基础上,将这一模式推广到“斑－廊－网－基－体模式”,并尝试揭示隐藏在这一模式内的景观韵律。景观韵律包括景观要素的形状、结构、层次、组份、形态、配置、连通、辐射、尺度、时序等空间结构和空间过程,景观韵律可以定义为：一定区域内特定时段景观要素的镶嵌格局与空间配置规律。景观度量学的数量分析方法成为景观韵律研究的重要手段和工具。在具体案例分析中,根据研究地区景观要素的空间配置特点、景观韵律的空间变化规律,规划形成3种战略点和四横四纵的景观结构体系。     

流域湿地景观空间梯度格局及其影响因素分析

景观空间格局研究是景观生态学的核心研究内容之一。吸取一般景观生态学的空间思想和实际工作积累,从流域尺度,研究湿地景观基本空间梯度格局及其影响因素。研究表明,流域中湿地景观具有特殊的纵向梯度、横向梯度和景观内部结构特征,它们构成了流域湿地景观空间结构的主体,在维护流域整体景观结构和生态功能方面发挥重要作用。自然和人为因素都会影响流域湿地景观的空间梯度格局,但自然因素主要影响湿地景观内部结构的复杂性。而人为因素对流域湿地景观纵向梯度、横向梯度的连续性和内部结构的多样性均产生重要影响。     

长江下游平原区乡村景观的结构、管理和土壤有机碳研究

通过实地研究主要位于宜兴市域的区域乡村景观代表性样方,评价并阐明了人口密集的长江下游平原区乡村景观的结构,土地管理与土壤有机碳储量的关系。景观绘图是基于1m分辨率的IKONOS影像并采用生态立地分类及绘图标准,通过直接解译和实地检验对边界清晰的均质景观缀块进行分类和绘图;依据区域权重分层取样设计方法,在生态立地斑块中随机设定取样点进行土壤和淤泥取样;利用区域权重系数进行区域土地利用/覆被和土壤有机碳储量评价计算。结果表明:在2.13×106hm2的长江下游平原区乡村景观面积范围内,0~30cm土壤有机碳储量为76.97Tg。该区域土地利用/覆被的主要类型为水田,水产养殖,非渗漏性建筑用地,旱地1年生作物和水浇地多年生作物,这5种类型的面积百分数和土壤有机碳储量百分数分别为83%和85%。其中平原稻田面积为0.89×106hm2,占总面积的42%;其0~30cm土壤有机碳储量高达36.60Tg,占总储量的48%。通过区域分层取样和小尺度景观斑块的区域权重推绎分析,揭示了人口密集的乡村景观中土地利用/覆被方式对当地和区域土壤有机碳的影响模式。这种在小尺度下对土地管理调查,土壤有机碳和其它生态特征研究的方法明显优于传统的基于30~1000m分辨率遥感影像的土地覆被研究和基于土壤类型的区域土壤有机碳储量评价方法。     

泾河流域平凉市城市化影响下景观格局梯度分析

基于GIS的梯度分析与景观格局定量分析相结合的方法,研究了平凉市城市化的空间格局。采用以TM为基础的1∶10 0000土地利用遥感制图,以城市中心为原点分别在东西和南北方向上布设1条30 km长3、km宽的生态样带,通过移动窗口取样并利用Fragstas软件分别在景观水平和类型水平上选取一系列景观指数进行计算分析。结果表明,在城市化的影响下,平凉市与市郊的过渡地带,景观在组分上表现出多样化,斑块形状比较复杂,破碎化程度较高。不同的土地利用类型随梯度变化的空间格局并不唯一,人类活动对平凉市景观的影响依赖于土地利用格局和土地的利用类型。