Morphological variability of geographically distinct populations of the estuarine copepod Acartia Tonsa

Variations in the number of spines on the left and right posterior dorsal and posterior margins of the prosome as well as the length of the prosome of Acartia tonsa from three estuaries, the upper western side of the Chesapeake Bay, Montauk Bay near the eastern end of Long Island Sound and the coast of Peru were determined. The length of the prosome and number of spines in each of the four locations were used as an indication of morphological similarity between the populations.     

The role of reed management and habitat quality on brood parasitism and chick survival of the brood parasitic Common Cuckoo

Despite efforts on ecosystem restoration and management, biodiversity loss remains one of the major environmental concerns of our time. Beyond the focus on threatened species, animals that indicate regional biodiversity hotspots and population trends, such as brood parasites, should also be targeted by conservation actions. We studied how reed habitat quality and management influence brood parasitism rate and offspring survival in Common Cuckoos Cuculus canorus parasitizing nests of Great Reed Warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus in six reed habitats in an intensive agricultural landscape. Data collected from 45 sites over 13 years showed that the brood parasitism rate was highest on large canals and was positively influenced by the availability of potential perches (Cuckoo vantage points) and the height where host nests were built. Cuckoo chick survival decreased with water depth and was not affected by other factors. Our results suggest that the habitat-dependent detectability of host nests was central in brood parasitism rate and that water level was central in Cuckoo chick survival. Our study shows that a maintenance of intermediate water levels is the most optimal for maintaining Cuckoo populations in intensive agricultural landscapes. Because brood parasites are excellent bioindicators as their presence predicts regional hotspots of taxonomic and functional diversity as well as population trends in bird communities, knowledge on their habitat requirements is relevant in management targeting diverse bird communities.     

中国红树林区的耳螺

耳嫘是一类特殊的原始有肺类软体动物,主要分布于热带、亚热带海陆交汇区的高潮带和潮上带.耳螺在红树林区广泛分布,且资源非常丰富,全世界已知的约240种耳螺中,至少有一半以上的种类在红树林区被记录.本文总结了耳螺与红树林的关系以及中国嗜盐耳螺的种类,综述了红树林区耳螺的种类组成、分布、生态功能、行为等的研究进展,报道了中国...     

The abundance of ground-dwelling invertebrates in a Victorian forest affected by ‘dieback’(Phytophthora cinnamomi) disease

Abstract Phytophthora cinnamomi (cinnamon fungus) is a pathogenic soil fungus that infects plant communities along the southeastern coast of Australia and the southwestern corner of Western Australia. Infection of native plant communities with P. cinnamomi regularly leads to dramatic changes in both the structural and the floristic characteristics of these communities. This study aimed to assess the effect of P. cinnamomi induced changes in plant community attributes upon the abundance and diversity of invertebrates in an area of open forest in the Brisbane Ranges, Victoria. Pitfall trapping was conducted continuously for 1 week within each season over a 3 year period. Invertebrates were sorted to order level, and abundances were compared between times (season and year) and infection status for taxa with normalized distributions (Coleoptera, Collembola, Dermaptera and ants). Non-parametric comparisons were made for other groups (Aranae, Blattodea, Diptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, ant ‘morpho-species’ and unidentified larvae) to assess differences on the basis of infection status. Significant differences on the basis of infection were uncommon and, where identified, elevated abundances were more commonly observed at sites infected by P. cinnamomi. Consistent temporal effects (season and year) were observed in normalized data sets. Abundances both within individual taxa and from pooled counts were generally weakly associated with ground-level habitat features. Overall, the impact of P. cinnamomi on vegetative structure and floristics was not reflected in different abundances of ground-dwelling invertebrates.     

我国土壤动物与土壤环境要素相互关系研究进展

土壤动物与土壤生态系统的环境要素密切相关,探明土壤动物与环境要素之间的相互关系对深刻认识土壤生态系统的运行机制、评价土壤生态系统功能具有重要意义.影响土壤动物的环境要素可以分为土壤性质和土壤外部环境两方面,前者主要指土壤基本理化性质、土壤水分和土壤污染状况,后者包括植被、土地利用、地貌和气候等环境要素.本文从以上角度对我国土壤动物与土壤环境要素关系研究进行总结和归纳,认为当前我国相关研究中主要存在以下若干问题：与环境指示作用整合性研究较少,研究方法有待改进,对环境要素的综合性及其时空变异性认识不足.并提出了相应的建议：与实际研究需要相结合,借鉴国外先进方法经验,进行多要素综合研究以及开展大区域长期监测等.     

土壤微生物学特性对土壤健康的指示作用

土壤健康是陆地生态系统可持续发展的基础。作者通过概述土壤微生物学特性(土壤微生物群落结构、土壤微生物生物量、土壤酶活性)与土壤质量的关系, 阐明了土壤微生物对土壤健康的生物指示功能。研究表明: 土壤中细菌、真菌和放线菌的组成及其所占比率在一定程度上反映了土壤的肥力水平: 在土壤性质和肥水条件较好的土壤中, 细菌所占比率较高。土壤微生物生物量与土壤有机质含量密切相关, 而且土壤微生物生物量碳与土壤有机碳的比值(C_mic : C_org)和土壤微生物代谢熵(qCO2)的变化在一定程度上反映了土壤有机碳的利用效率。一般情况下, 土壤酶活性高的土壤中, 土壤微生物生物量碳、氮含量也高。因此, 土壤微生物学特性可以反映土壤质量的变化, 并可用作评价土壤健康的生物指标。     

Pollen viability as a bio-indicator of air quality

Many air pollutants cause plant deterioration. In this study pollen viability was used as bio-indicator of air quality. The study was carried out in the city of Perugia where road traffic is the most important cause of air pollution. Three areas, with different intensity of road traffic (very high, medium and absent) but all characterized by the presence of the same plant species, were selected. Eight species were studied: Hedera helix L., Convolvulus sepium L., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Quercus ilex L., Dactylis glomerata L., Parietaria diffusa M. et K., Daucus carota L. and Tilia cordata Miller. The pollen of these species was treated with TTC (2, 3, 5 Tryphenil-Tetrazolium-Chloride) staining solution and viability was then estimated by light microscopy. The results showed that the pollen viability was inversely proportioned with pollution. The highest difference in pollen viability between the areas was registered in Tilia cordata. Quercus ilex instead showed that there was no difference in pollen viability between the three different areas. Parietaria diffusa showed a particular behaviour; the highest pollen viability percentage was in polluted areas. The statistical analysis (ANOVA) showed that the main source of variability of the pollen viability depends on the plant but also the site and the interaction between plant and site were very important with a high significant level (p < 0.0001). This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Impact of small-scale environmental perturbations on local marine food resources: a case study of a predator,the little penguin

Although the impact of environmental changes on the demographic parameters of top predators is well established, the mechanisms by which populations are affected remain poorly understood. Here, we show that a reduction in the thermal stratification of coastal water masses between 2005 and 2006 was associated with reduced foraging and breeding success of little penguins Eudyptula minor, major bio-indicators of the Bass Strait ecosystem in southern Australia. The foraging patterns of the penguins suggest that their prey disperse widely in poorly stratified waters, leading to reduced foraging efficiency and poor breeding success. Mixed water regimes resulting from storms are currently unusual during the breeding period of these birds, but are expected to become more frequent due to climate change.     

土壤生物与可持续农业研究进展

农业的可持续发展是人类文明持续繁荣的重要保障。从原始农业到工业化农业的发展历程,是"自然力"不断削弱,"人为调控力"不断加强的过程。新兴的可持续农业,则希望将人为调控和自然过程协调融合,建立近自然的高效的现代农业体系。但是,面对土壤生物极高的多样性、生物和非生物过程的复杂互作及其高度的时空异质性,基于还原论的传统科学研究方法探究地下生态系统的"自然过程"困难重重。人为管理措施对农田生态过程调控的针对性和调控效果受到极大限制。尽管如此,土壤生物在生态系统服务中的作用已在世界范围内得到空前重视。如何充分发挥土壤生物在可持续农业中的作用,已成为现代农业研究领域的重要突破口。简述了土壤生物与可持续农业研究的学科发展历史,总结了农业管理措施对土壤生物及土壤食物网特征的影响,突出了土壤生物群落在可持续农业模式中土壤结构改善、土壤肥力提高和化肥农药减施等方面的积极作用;最后探讨了当前的研究难点和未来的研究方向,并对如何充分发挥土壤生物在现代农业中的贡献进行了初步的思考。认为:土壤有机质,土壤结构和土壤食物网以及三者的内在联系是可持续农业研究的关键。土壤有机质管理是调控土壤结构、土壤食物网及生态系统生产力的重要支点,但也是可持续农业模式不确定性的重要来源。基于同位素示踪等整体性分析方法,开展典型农田生态系统土壤食物网特征及其生态功能的系统研究,揭示农业模式、土壤食物网特征及生态系统生产力的关键联系,是充分发挥土壤生物在可持续农业中的积极作用的基础。     

象山港电厂温排水增温对浮游细菌群落空间分布的影响

沿海电厂产生的温排水已造成了较严重的环境问题,如生物病害和赤潮暴发频率增加。现有研究多关注温排水增温对浮游动、植物多样性的影响,而缺乏在物质能量循环过程起核心纽带作用的微生物对增温的响应和反馈。考虑到生态系统对增温的反馈取决于浮游植物的初级生产力和微生物异养呼吸之间的平衡,利用Illumina测序技术结合水体理化性质研究了象山港电厂温排水增温梯度下浮游细菌的空间分布特征。温排水预期的海水增温显著地增加了水体中硝氮(P=0.041,单因素方差分析)、化学需氧量(P0.001)、油污(P=0.004)和余氯(P=0.003)的浓度;但降低了溶解氧(P=0.034)和叶绿素a(P=0.045)的含量。此外,相似性分析发现温排水增温显著地(r=0.338;P=0.042)改变了浮游细菌群落结构,空间分布遵循空间距离-群落相似性衰减(r=-0.582;P=0.026)模型,周转速率为0.0013。细菌多样性主要受水体溶解氧、化学需要量和叶绿素a的影响,分别控制了34.6%、20.1%和10.0%的多样性变异。冗余分析(RDA)群落变异主要受环境因子(包括温度、油污、溶解氧和叶绿素a)的影响,一共解释了55.6%的群落变异;增温仅解释了4.8%的群落变异。因此,浮游细菌群落结构主要受环境因子的影响,这种各因子对群落变异相对贡献比例的特征与增温主要通过改变水质和浮游植物特征,以间接作用影响细菌群落组成的观念一致。此外,细菌多样性和群落组成受不同环境因子的驱动。相比而言,空间距离只控制了较小比例的群落变异(7.1%)。此外,筛选到11个细菌科,这些科的相对丰度与增温幅度显著相关,变化特征与各科已知的生态功能相吻合,如海洋螺菌科(Oceanospirillaceae)中有些菌株能够降解石油污染物,其相对丰度在高油污浓度站点增加(油污浓度与增温幅度正相关,r=0.558;P=0.030);嗜温的弧菌科相对丰度与增温幅度正相关。综上,研究结果初步明确了浮游细菌群落对电厂温排水增温的响应特征,并筛选到敏感的细菌科来指示和预测增温对生态功能的潜在影响。