A salt on the bioenergy and biological invasions debate: salinity tolerance of the invasive biomass feedstock Arundo donax

Arundo donax L., commonly known as giant reed, is promising biomass feedstock that is also a notorious invasive plant in freshwater ecosystems around the world. Heretofore, the salt tolerance of A. donax had not been quantified even though anecdotal evidence suggests halophytic qualities. To test whole-plant and leaf level responses, we established a pot experiment on 80 scions propagated from an A. donax population that has naturalized on the shore of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. To quantify growth and physiological responses to salinity (NaCl), A. donax scions were divided into eight treatments and grown for 60 days across a range of salinities (0–42 dS m⁻¹). Classic growth analysis showed >80% reduction in overall growth at the highest salinities. Yet, there was zero mortality indicating that A. donax is able to tolerate high levels of salt. Declining photosynthesis rates were strongly correlated (R² > 0.97) with decreasing stomatal conductance, which was in turn closely related to increasing salinity. Leaf gas exchange revealed that stomata and leaf limitations of carbon dioxide were three times greater at high salinities. Nonetheless, even when salinities were 38–42 dS m⁻¹ A. donax was able to maintain assimilation rates 7–12 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹. Further, by maintaining 50% relative growth at salinities ~12 dS m⁻¹ A. donax can now be classified as ‘moderately salt tolerant’. A. donax leaf gas exchange and whole-plant salt tolerance are greater than many important food crops (i.e. maize, rice), the bioenergy feedstock Miscanthus × giganteus, as well as some uncultivated plant species (i.e. Populus and Salix) that are indigenous in regions A. donax currently invades. The results of this study have implications for both agronomists wishing to expand A. donax to fields dominated by saline soils, and for others who are concerned about the spread of A. donax with altered stream hydrology or sea-level rise.     

Seasonal home range dynamics and sex differences in habitat use in a threatened,coastal marsh bird

A comprehensive understanding of spatiotemporal ecology is needed to develop conservation strategies for declining species. The king rail (Rallus elegans) is a secretive marsh bird whose range historically extended across the eastern United States. Inland migratory populations have been greatly reduced with most remaining populations inhabiting the coastal margins. Our objectives were to determine the migratory status of breeding king rails on the mid‐Atlantic coast and to characterize home range size, seasonal patterns of movement, and habitat use. Using radiotelemetry, we tracked individual king rails among seasons, and established that at least a segment of this breeding population is resident. Mean (±SE) home range size was 19.8 ± 5.0 ha (95% kernel density) or 2.5 ± 0.9 (50% kernel density). We detected seasonal variation and sex differences in home range size and habitat use. In the nonbreeding season, resident male home ranges coincided essentially with their breeding territories. Overwintering males were more likely than females to be found in natural emergent marsh with a greater area of open water. Females tended to have larger home ranges than males during the nonbreeding season. We report for the first time the use of wooded natural marsh by overwintering females. Brood‐rearing king rails led their young considerable distances away from their nests (average maximum distance: ~600 ± 200 m) and used both wooded natural and impounded marsh. King rails moved between natural marsh and managed impoundments during all life stages, but the proximity of these habitat types particularly benefitted brood‐rearing parents seeking foraging areas with shallower water in proximity to cover. Our results demonstrate the importance of interspersion of habitat types to support resident breeders. Summer draining of impounded wetlands that are seasonally flooded for wintering waterfowl allows regrowth of vegetation and provides additional habitat at a critical time for wading birds.     

不同营林面积情景下鹿科动物的潜在生境分布

在有人为干扰的森林景观中开展鹿科动物适宜生境分布研究,对于解决大尺度生境保护与小面积森林经营的矛盾问题有着重要的参考意义,也符合我国林区的现实需求.2013—2015年冬季进行的多次野外调查收集196处鹿科动物出现点信息,将这些点作为分布点数据,选取地形、景观类型、植被特征和人类干扰4类17种因子作为环境变量,利用最大熵模型方法,分析4种林下经营面积情景下小兴安岭铁力林业局马鹿和狍的潜在适宜生境分布特征及其对环境因子的响应.结果表明:模型预测精度达到优秀水平,稳定性好,鹿科动物的适宜生境主要集中在东部区域;不同情景下,两种鹿科动物的主要环境影响因子相似,均为距农田距离、距居民点距离、距河流距离、距营林区距离和海拔因子,其中,距营林区距离因子的贡献率稳定在4%～6%;两种鹿科动物躲避人类经营活动干扰的距离(1200～1300 m)较为接近.在无林下经营情景中,鹿科动物的适宜生境分布较广、面积较大;随着经营面积的增大,适宜生境面积减少;当经营面积扩大到现实情况的2～3倍时,鹿科动物栖息地面积缩减较为严重.     

长江口滨海湿地潮间带生态系统的多稳态特征

多稳态现象普遍存在于多种生态系统中,它与生态系统的健康和可持续发展密切相关,已成为生态学研究的热点与难点,但是目前有关滨海湿地生态系统多稳态的形成机制还缺乏深入研究.本文以崇明东滩鸟类自然保护区的潮间带生态系统为研究对象,通过以下内容,开展滨海湿地多稳态研究: 1)通过验证多稳态的判定依据“双峰”和“阈值”特征,证实长江口潮间带生态系统存在多稳态,并确定其稳态类型;2)通过监测潮间带生态系统水动力过程、沉积动力过程以及盐沼植物生长和扩散情况,分析盐沼植被与沉积地貌之间的正反馈作用,进而探讨潮间带生态系统多稳态的形成机制.结果表明: 1)潮间带生态系统的归一化植被指数(NDVI)频度分布存在明显的双峰特征,且盐沼植物成活存在生物量阈值效应,均证实潮间带生态系统存在多稳态,“盐沼”和“光滩”是潮间带生态系统的两种相对稳定状态;2)崇明东滩盐沼前沿的沉积地貌表现出泥沙快速淤积的趋势,显著促进了盐沼植物的生长,盐沼植物与泥沙淤积之间的这种正反馈作用是潮间带生态系统形成多稳态的主要原因;3)盐沼植被扩散格局监测结果在景观尺度上也表明,泥沙淤积作用促进了潮间带生态系统“盐沼”和“光滩”多稳态的形成.本研究既丰富了滨海湿地稳态转换的机理研究,也为我国开展海岸带保护、修复和管理提供了科学依据,具有重要的理论和实践意义.     

祁连山中段高寒草甸草毡表层发育程度的空间分异及环境影响因子

高寒草甸植被下的草毡表层能够发挥水土保持、水源涵养等生态环境效益,是高寒草甸植被生态功能发挥的核心,认识草毡表层发育程度的空间分异及环境影响因子有利于深入理解高寒草甸在高原生态系统中的作用。本研究以祁连山中段高寒草甸分布区为研究区,依据根系体积并结合草毡层厚度以及土壤容重,将草毡表层划分为弱发育、中等发育以及强发育草毡。分析了不同发育程度草毡的地形、植被、气候等环境特征,并采用支持向量机模型对其分布进行了空间制图。结果表明:祁连山中段发育程度较高的草毡表层趋向于分布在水分条件较好的低海拔、缓坡,低坡位以及北向坡的位置,以嵩草属植物为主,中等以上发育程度的草毡地表植被及水分条件都较好;发育程度较高的草毡表层年均温较高,各发育程度草毡表层降水量差异不显著。空间分布结果整体与现有的高寒草甸植被类型分布具有高度的一致性,但空间分辨率更为详细,并且实现了不同发育程度草毡表层的空间细分。     

Classification and ordination of plant communities along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range,New Hampshire,USA

An analysis of vegetation along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range, New Hampshire, USA, using the Braun–Blanquet approach followed by multivariate data analysis is presented. Twelve main plant communities have been distinguished. Floristic information is presented in twelve tables and one appendix. The relationships of the communities to complex environmental gradients are analyzed using Correspondence Analysis. Floristic composition and community structure are controlled primarily by the altitudinal gradient (temperature, precipitation), and by mesotopographic conditions (snow accumulation, exposure and cryoturbation, slope position, and soil moisture).     

Spatial variation of species diversity across scales in an old-growth temperate forest of China

Species richness and abundance are the two most important diversity variables. Species abundance is additive when aggregated across spatial scale, whereas species richness is non-additive. This study analyzes the effect of spatial scale and site on species abundance and richness in a 25-ha temperate forest plot in the Changbai Mountains, northeastern China. The result shows that species abundance and richness are not only dependent on spatial scales, but also dependent on site. Species abundance responds linearly to changes of spatial scale with no intersection in different sites of the study area. However, although species richness also increases with the increase of spatial scale, there are some intersections for the different sites, suggesting that a species-rich site does not always have a high value if the spatial scale is changed. In all, with respect to additive variables, it is relatively easy to extrapolate them from one spatial scale to another spatial scale, as they and the spatial scale usually form a linear relationship. In contrast, non-additive variables are difficult to extrapolate across spatial scales, because they often respond nonlinearly to spatial scale changes. In order to extrapolate these non-additive variables across spatial scales, it is necessary to estimate the relationships between them and spatial scales. As a result, extrapolation of information among spatial scales may be possible, but very difficult, especially for non-additive variables. Because the 25-ha Changbai plot is very small compared to the extent of the world temperate forests, and the vegetation is a relatively uniform type, more such studies in other ecosystems are needed before theories and generalization about scaling effects can be formulated.     

Seed dispersal of Korean pine Pinus koraiensis labeled by two different tags in a northern temperate forest, northeast China

Two types of tagging methods, i.e., a 1 × 3-cm tin tag attached to seed with a 10- to 12-cm metal wire (total weight 0.32 g) and a 2 × 4-cm white plastic tag fastened to seed with an identical metal wire (total weight 0.57 g) were used to study their effects on seed dispersal of Korean pine by small rodents. A total of 600 seeds were released to assess four main points: (1) difference in seed survival rates, (2) difference in caching behaviors of small rodents, (3) difference in dispersal distances, and (4) proportion of seed missing. The results demonstrated that seed removal for wire-plastic-tagged seeds was faster than that for wire-tin-tagged seeds. There was no apparent difference in the proportion of seeds eaten in situ (42% and 52% for wire-plastic-tagged seeds and wire-tin-tagged seeds, respectively). We found 41% and 1% of seeds were moved and hoarded for wire-plastic-tagged seeds and wire-tin-tagged seeds, respectively. However, 2.33% and 14% of seeds were missing, and their ultimate fates were not known for wire-plastic-tagged seeds and wire-tin-tagged seeds, respectively. We found the wire-plastic-tagged seeds easier to track than the wire-tin-tagged seeds due to the fact that the white plastic tags were more salient than the tin tags in field environments. The average dispersal distances were 4.11 ± 2.40 m and 3.01 ± 2.06 m for wire-plastic-tagged seeds and wire-tin-tagged seeds, respectively, and showed great difference. Despite most being eaten in situ or after removal, 41% of seeds were cached for wire-plastic-tagged seeds, much more than for wire-tin-tagged seeds. A total of 71 primary caches (123 seeds) were found for wire-plastic-tagged seeds, with the average and maximum cache sizes being 1.73 and 6, respectively. However, only three caches were found, and cache size was equal to one for wire-tin-tagged seeds. The above data suggests there is some uncertainty in different tagging methods to used track seed fates. Despite their effectiveness in helping to trace seed dispersal or movement by seed-dispersing rodents, different tagging methods—including size, color, and mass—need to be fully understand in enclosure experiments .