Planning connectivity at multiple scales for large mammals in a human-dominated biodiversity hotspot

Connectivity for large mammals across human-altered landscapes results from movement by individuals that can be described via nested spatial scales as linkages (or zones or areas) with compatible land use types, constrictions that repeatedly funnel movement (as corridors) or impede it (as barriers), and the specific paths (or routes) across completely anthropogenic features (such as highways). Mitigation to facilitate animal movement through such landscapes requires similar attention to spatial scale, particularly when they involve complex topography, diverse types of human land use, and transportation infrastructure. We modeled connectivity for Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and gaur (Bos gaurus) in the Shencottah Gap, a multiple-use region separating two tiger reserves in the Western Ghats, India. Using 840 km of surveys for animal signs within a region of 621 km², we modeled landscape linkages via resource selection functions integrated across two spatial resolutions, and then potential dispersal corridors within these linkages using circuit theoretical models. Within these corridors, we further identified potential small-scale movement paths across a busy transportation route via least-cost paths and evaluated their viability. Both elephants and gaur avoided human-dominated habitat, resulting in broken connectivity across the Shencottah Gap. Predicted corridor locations were sensitive to analysis resolution, and corridors derived from scale-integrated habitat models correlated best with habitat quality. Less than 1% of elephant and gaur detections occurred in habitat that was poorer in quality than the lowest-quality component of the movement path across the transportation route, suggesting that connectivity will require habitat improvement. Only 28% of dispersal corridor area and 5% of movement path length overlapped with the upper 50% quantile of the landscape linkage; thus, jointly modeling these three components enabled a more nuanced evaluation of connectivity than any of them in isolation.     

Aspects of community ecology of amphibians and reptiles at Bonny Island (Nigeria), an area of priority relevance for petrochemical industry

Finima Nature Park, situated in Bonny Island (Niger Delta, Nigeria), is a protected forested area placed within one of the most industrially developed (and environmentally polluted) regions of the whole African continent. Amphibian and reptile community composition in relation to season and microhabitat characteristics was studied, by a combination of field techniques, during the wet and dry seasons of 2007 and 2008. Overall, a total of 21 species of reptiles from nine families (with 668 individuals caught) and eight amphibian species from five families (492 individuals caught) were recorded. Nearly 94% of the amphibian individuals and most of the species were recorded, especially during the wet season, whereas most of the reptiles were found with no inter‐seasonal differences. However, Agama agama and Mabuya affinis were found especially during the dry season. As for microhabitat use, the reptile species showed a clear, aggregated preference for two microhabitat types (dry leaves and under logs), which are probably crucial when these animals need to lose body temperature to avoid overheating. Concerning amphibians, the various species used the available microhabitats in a way expectable from their main ecological traits, with toads differing from aquatic frogs, and these differing from arboreal frogs.     

Relazione Intorno Al Bilnncio Consuotivo delta Società Botmicn Itnlinna per l'nnno 1929

A study of the bryophyte flora of the gypsum outcrops in six sites of the Nature 2000 Network of the Emilia-Romagna Region was conducted in order to contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity of these sites. Subsequently, the main ecological and chorological aspects of the areas were analyzed, and with this information a series of target species was identified as indicators of the conditions of naturality or of progressive anthropization and deterioration of the areas.     

Rainfall and parasitic wasp (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) activity in successional forest stages at Barro Colorado Nature Monument, Panama, and La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica

1 In 1997, we ran two Malaise insect traps in each of four stands of wet forest in Costa Rica (two old‐growth and two 20‐year‐old stands) and four stands of moist forest in Panama (old‐growth, 20, 40 and 120‐year‐old stands). 2 Wet forest traps caught 2.32 times as many ichneumonoids as moist forest traps. The average catch per old‐growth trap was 1.89 times greater than the average catch per second‐growth trap. 3 Parasitoids of lepidopteran larvae were caught in higher proportions in the wet forest, while pupal parasitoids were relatively more active in the moist forest. 4 We hypothesize that moisture availability is of key importance in determining parasitoid activity, community composition and trophic interactions.     

穆棱东北红豆杉年轮-气候关系及其濒危机制

东北红豆杉是国家I级重点保护野生濒危植物,其径向生长与气候的关系对于探讨其种群濒危机制具有极其重要的意义。利用穆棱自然保护区内天然东北红豆杉树木年轮样本,建立了长300多年的树轮年表(1700—2005年)。分析径向生长特征发现东北红豆杉总体上呈波动式下降的生长方式,在1770年和1930年左右存在两个生长释放区,该地区调查的样本最大年龄达到370a左右。年表与气候变量之间相关分析表明,冬春季节最低气温、平均气温是树木生长的主要限制因子,其他气候因子也有一定的影响,但不起主要作用。1942年以后东北红豆杉年轮指数与Wilson重建的北半球气温变化吻合度降低,温度对东北红豆杉的径向生长限制性降低,这表明气候变暖可能有利于东北红豆杉的径向生长,但不足以说明气候变暖与东北红豆杉衰退的关系,其他气候因子的年轮气候响应分析也不能确定气候变化在东北红豆杉衰退中的主导作用。人为破坏可能是东北红豆杉衰退的主要因素,但气候变化在其中起到多大的贡献还有待深入研究。     

湖南小溪国家级自然保护区野生观赏植物资源初步研究

实地调查了小溪国家级自然保护区内的野生观赏植物资源的种类、生活习性、利用价值及现状。结果表明,小溪自然保护区的野生观赏植物资源十分丰富,有81科171属519种及变种。蔷薇科、菊科等10科植物含有10种以上的植物,为该区的优势类群。对其中具有一定代表性、开发利用潜力较大的40种植物的生活型及供观赏的主要特征、花(果)期、生境、其他用途等进行了扼要描述。就如何充分合理地开发和保护野生观赏资源提出了建议。     

广东石门台保护区猴头杜鹃群落特征

应用植被样地调查法研究广东英德石门台保护区最高峰船底顶的山顶矮林猴头杜鹃群落的物种组成、科属的地理成分。结果表明,2500m2样方中有维管植物112种,隶属于47科78属。群落数量优势科为蔷薇科、杜鹃花科、壳斗科、樟科、冬青科和山茶科等,优势种为猴头杜鹃、广东松、疏齿木荷、矮冬青、树参、小叶罗汉松、异株木犀榄、南方铁杉和五列木等。群落的物种多样性Simpson指数和Shannon-Wiener指数分别为0.941和4.977。植物科的地理成分以泛热带和北温带分布型等占优势,属的地理成分以泛热带分布型和热带亚洲分布型为主,体现了南亚热带向中亚热带过渡的特点。种群年龄结构表明,建群种猴头杜鹃属于增长阶段,而优势种广东松属于衰退种群,针叶植物白豆杉和小叶罗汉松更新幼苗较多,有进一步发展的趋势。     

云雾山自然保护区优势植物种群分布格局的分形特征

对宁夏云雾山草原自然保护区植物种群分布格局的分形计盒维数进行了研究。结果表明：本氏针茅、铁杆蒿和百里香是该区的优势种。3种优势种的计盒维数在1．7左右，表明它们具有较大的空间占据能力。但是它们的计盒维数最大值出现的时间不同，本氏针茅、百里香计盒维数最大值出现存封育20a的样地中，铁杆蒿出现在封育25a的样地中。