同域分布大熊猫和水鹿生境利用分异特征

野生动物的生境利用特征研究是动物生态学核心问题之一,同域分布动物对生境的利用特征及共存机制是其重要组成部分,也是实现珍稀濒危物种保护与栖息地恢复的基础。基于空间利用和生境因子选择差异研究了卧龙自然保护区同域分布大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)和水鹿(Rusa unicolor)的生境利用关系,探讨了同域分布野生动物在生境因子选择和空间利用的分异特征。结果表明:(1)空间利用上,大熊猫和水鹿的空间重叠系数为58.35%,其中,在原始林和次生林生境中的空间重叠系数分别为66.58%和36.64%,二者在原始林中的空间重叠较高;(2)生境因子选择上,大熊猫和水鹿对物理因子的选择有坡位、离小路距离和离水源距离3个变量有显著性差异,对生物因子的选择有乔木密度、灌木盖度、灌木密度、竹林盖度、幼竹密度、幼竹基径、幼竹高度、成竹高度和死竹密度9种变量有显著性差异;(3)大熊猫和水鹿都表现为更偏好原始林生境,但大熊猫对原始林的依赖性更强。分析同域分布动物的生境利用关系有利于深入了解不同动物对资源的空间利用特征及共存机制,可以为保护区制定珍稀野生动物保护和栖息地恢复政策提供科学依据。     

地理信息系统（GIS）在动物多样性研究中的应用

生物多样性保护是当今世界关注的热点问题.动物多样性不仅是生物多样性极为重要的一部分,动物还常作为生物多样性的指示物,为生物多样性的研究提供了客观可测的依据[1～4],因此,动物多样性研究意义重大.然而,传统的动物地理学和生态学的研究手段在动物多样性的研究中有许多局限性,难以适应生物多样性研究的新形势.在动物的物种分布方面,传统的分布图是依靠收藏的标本和野外观察地点的记录手工绘制成的,通过多幅分布图叠置获得物种分布格局的信息[2,5～6].在动物分布图中,由于经验数据体现不了目前分布区所受到的人类活动影响,点分布图上的空白区并不能意味着没有分布,分布范围中往往还包含着不适宜的生境,等等[2],这种分布图实质上只能看作对某一地区物种出现可能性的预测,因此,往往带有一定程度的主观性[7].此外,绘图工作量大,分布图的用途也很有限.在空间分析方面,传统的分析动物多样性空间格局、动态变化及分异规律与环境因子之间关系的方法和手段多局限在一维和二维空间上,难以体现出动物多样性和环境因子在多维空间上的内在联系.在热点地区分析方面,缺乏对就地保护系统(保护区)规划、设置、布局的科学性与合理性进行有效评估的手段,难以实现对生物多样性的有效保护.     

用空间多样性指数分析辽河三角洲野生动物生境的格局变化

在利用遥感(RS)和地理信息系统(GIS)对辽河三角洲土地覆被变化进行研究的基础上,引用空间多样性指数(Sd)对本区野生动物的生境格局进行了定量描述,并分析了其1988～1998年间的生境格局变化,结果表明,研究区野生动物生境格局受人为和自然干扰的双重影响而发生了较明显的变化,整体趋势是生境适宜性逐渐降低,适宜生境和较适宜生境(Sd≥0．35)的面积10年间减少7637hm^2。且破碎化程度加深,在空间上呈现由北向南推进、由东向西压缩之势,生境质量呈下降趋势,同时,空间多样性指数能够定量地反映野生动物生境的适宜程度,并能直观地描述生境的空间格局,为进一步揭示生境格局的变化规律及原因提供了有效措施和依据,对于协调区域经济发展与生物多样性保护具有重要意义。     

行为的结构、刚性和多样性

有关动物行为的定义、结构和多样性是一个被长期忽视的研究领域。然而,动物行为多样性不仅是一个生物多样性基础理论问题,也与濒危动物的成功保护有关。本文定义了动物行为以及行为的刚性与弹性,探讨了行为表达的空间条件以及生境因素与行为多样性之间的关系。我们发现雌雄大熊猫个体在较大的活动空间里的发情行为表现的频次及活动频率显著地高于那些在较小的空间里的雌雄个体,说明活动空间对雄性或雌性大熊猫的发情行为有显著影响。圈养空间影响麋鹿的社会行为、通讯行为和聚群行为。圈养在小圈中的麋鹿没有出现同性聚群现象,当圈养麋鹿野放后即表现出这种现象。圈养环境中长大的动物个体由于缺乏行为的表达空间,仅仅表现出刚性大的行为,丧失了许多弹性大的行为,从而导致动物行为的多样性下降。对那些生活在开阔草原和荒漠上的野生有蹄类动物实施迁地保护时,必须考虑其逃逸空间,为那些动物建立自然保护区时,则必须考虑其迁移空间。此外,动物行为的多样性与生境元素有关。我们应当给圈养动物提供复杂而多样的环境,以增加圈养野生动物表达寻找食物、建立领域、筑巢和避开不利环境等行为的可能性,维持濒危个体的行为多样性。     

四川西北高原藏狐的夏季微生境选择

生境选择是动物的重要行为 ,近年来我国学者在该方面做了大量的工作。王梦军等[1] 通过调控牧压研究了达乌尔鼠兔 (Ochotonadauricus)扩散过程中的生境选择 ;姜兆文等[2 ] 采用雪地足迹跟踪法研究了紫貂 (Marteszibellina)冬季生境选择 ;张洪海等[3 ] 用无线电跟踪技术和全球定位系统对紫貂春季和夏季的生境选择进行了研究 ,但比较多的是引入一些选择指数和数学模型 ,使研究更为便捷 ,结果更为直观 ,如 :vanderplaeg和scavia系数[4～ 6] 、栖息地生境偏爱指数PI[7] 、数量化理论[8] 、聚类分析[9] 等。藏狐 (Vulpesferrilata)是青藏高原特…     

基于红外相机研究野生动物对地震灾害体的利用特征

地震及其引发的次生地质灾害是影响野生动物多样性及空间利用的重要因素,为探究地震后野生动物对地震灾害体的利用特征,为震后生物多样性保护与生态资源恢复方案制定提供基础资料,本研究在四川卧龙国家级自然保护区的不同损毁程度地震灾害体内及周边设置红外相机调查野生动物组成和相对多度指数。经过2 833个相机工作日的调查,在地震灾害体内共探测到野生动物28种 (兽类15种,鸟类13 种),其中出现频率较高的为红腹锦鸡 (Chrysolophus pictus)、马来豪猪 (Hystrix brachyura)、中华斑羚 (Naemorhedus griseus) 等喜食植物 (根、茎、叶和果实) 的动物,而记录到的兽类中,有60%被IUCN红色名录评估为濒危 (EN)、易危 (VU) 和近危 (NT),表明珍稀野生动物会利用恢复过程中的地震灾害体,反映出地震灾害体对保护珍稀濒危动物具有潜在生态价值。轻度、中度、重度损毁程度区的物种种类构成差异大,动物相对多度指数 (RAI) 也存在较大差异：中度 > 轻度 > 重度。地震灾害体外的野生动物种数与相对多度指数均高于灾害体内,表明汶川地震引发的次生地质灾害仍在持续影响野生动物生境选择与利用。建议针对震后受损区域的野生动物生境利用展开长期监测与研究。     

中国野生动物生境适宜性评价和生境破碎化研究

生境是生物出现的环境空间, 开展野生动物的生境适宜性评价和生境破碎化研究, 有助于濒危动物的保育。随着生态学科的发展, 多元统计分析、景观生态学和3S 技术被用于生境适宜性评价中, 使其研究结果广泛应用于生境质量评估、生境承载力分析、物种潜在分布预测和物种濒危机制评价等方面。然而研究对象基础资料的缺乏和研究时间较短常局限生境适宜性评价研究继续深入。生境破碎化研究常集中在破碎化现状及其对生物的影响。时空尺度的扩展和研究方向的分化应是今后生境破碎化研究的发展趋势。     

植物染色体数目及其变异与生境关系初探

染色体是基因的载体 ,基因决定生物的性状 ,一定的性状则适应特定的环境。染色体对生物繁衍后代 ,延续种族起着重要的作用。虽然在一定的生境中 ,植物的染色体是恒定的 ,但是大尺度的生境异质性往往导致染色体水平的变异 ,从而增加了物种的遗传多样性。由于一个物种的稳定性和进化潜力依赖其遗传多样性 ,因此保护遗传多样性成为生物多样性保护的最终目的[1 ] 。近年来 ,由于分子生态学的兴起 ,目前遗传多样性研究多集中于同工酶遗传多样性、蛋白质多样性、ＤＮＡ序列多样性和基因位点多样性的研究[2～8,34～ 36] ,而细胞水平的遗传多样性与…     

野生动物狩猎、贸易和狩猎持续性研究进展

过度狩猎和过度贸易是当前生物多样性保护面临的重大挑战。虎骨和犀牛角贸易、东南亚一带的活野生动物非法狩猎和贸易、俄国远东地区及中俄边境野生动物产品非法贸易、热带地区的野生动物狩猎和丛林肉食贸易以及喜马拉雅区域的野生动物非法贸易正严重威胁着全球的野生动物资源。提倡狩猎持续性是解决过度贸易和过度捕杀的途径之一。 在众多的狩猎持续性模型中,“狩猎动物避难所模型”和“空间控制模型”提倡在狩猎区建保护区,有广泛的应用前景。了解偷猎动态和特征及其对濒危动物种群的影响,协调传统医药和野生动物保护间的关系,控制边境地区的野生动物非法狩猎和贸易,以及在保护实践中运用狩猎持续性模型是未来保护关注的焦点。野生动物非法狩猎和非法贸易严重威胁着我国的生物多样性保护和持续利用,但相关的研究却比较少。建议建立野生动物捕杀和贸易的监测机构,加强相关的立法、执法和保护区管理,开展野生动物捕杀和贸易研究。     

基于目标种保护的生态廊道构建——以崇明岛为例

景观破碎化和适宜生境面积减少是生物多样性降低与物种灭绝的重要因素之一。生态廊道的构建为陆行野生动物扩大活动范围提供了空间途径,从而增加了物种基因交流的机会, 提高了种群的生存能力。上海市崇明岛是一个地理上孤立的冲积沙岛,随着岛上森林斑块的减少与破碎化,依赖林地生境生存的陆行动物个体与种群数量大大减少。本文以崇明岛为例,选择上海市一级保护动物刺猬作为目标种,在分析其生活习性和基质斑块空间分布特征的基础上,利用最小耗费模型和GIS手段,实现了生境斑块之间的最佳连接,建立了以目标动物保护为目的的生态廊道规划方案。     

Inferring behavioural mechanisms in habitat selection studies getting the null‐hypothesis right for functional and familiarity responses

Recent studies of animal habitat selection are inferring more detail regarding the behavioural mechanisms involved, like functional responses and familiarity effects. Changes in animals’ use or selection of a habitat type with changing availability are commonly interpreted as a functional response in habitat preference. Studies of familiarity inferred preference for familiar locations from selection for previously visited locations after accounting for habitat‐related preference. We simulated movement paths on discrete landscapes using random walk models with known habitat selection behaviour to assess emergent properties related to habitat selection in the context of functional and familiarity responses. The behavioural interpretation of functional responses relies on the relationship between habitat use and preference. Unfortunately, this relationship is not unique and depends upon the habitat choice mechanism: habitat use can be proportional to preference or proportional to availability (called respectively, hierarchical and simultaneous choice). We found that when the analytical method did not match the choice mechanism, strong functional responses were observed in habitat selection, even though habitat preference was kept constant. Therefore, functional responses need to be discussed in the context of an animal's habitat choice mechanism. In the absence of familiarity‐related preference, we found no familiarity effect while accounting for all habitat variables. However, when habitat models were incomplete (e.g. lack of information about resources and habitats in the landscape) – as in all field studies – spurious preference for familiar locations arose. Our study aids the interpretation of behavioural mechanisms in habitat selection studies, but also calls for a more thorough study of the approaches used to infer behavioural mechanisms in habitat selection studies.     

Fish habitat rehabilitation using wood in the world

To provide river managers and researchers with practical knowledge about fish rehabilitation, various studies of fish habitat rehabilitation that used wood were reviewed. The review focuses on fish responses, wood installation methods, and geomorphic features of the rehabilitation sites. Most studies were conducted in moderately sized (small and medium) streams with relatively high bed gradients and aimed to improve the habitats of salmonid species. In this stream type, structures spanning the full (log dam) and partial (log deflector) width of the river were most common, and wood structures that created pools and covers were successful in improving fish habitat. Some projects were conducted in moderately sized low-gradient streams, in which wooden devices used to create instream cover were effective for fish assemblages. There were few studies in other aquatic ecosystems. However, well-designed large wood structures, known as engineered log jams, were used in rehabilitation projects for large rivers. In slack-water or lentic systems such as side-channels, estuaries, and reservoirs, small and large wood structures that created cover were used to improve habitat for many fish species. For successful fish habitat rehabilitation projects, the hydrogeomorphic conditions of rehabilitation sites should be carefully examined to avoid physical failure of wood structures. Although artificial wood structures can be used to improve fish habitat in various aquatic ecosystems, they should be considered to be a complementary or interim habitat enhancement technique. The recovery of natural dynamic processes at the watershed scale is the ultimate target of restoration programs.     

Functional habitat area as a reliable proxy for population size: case study using two butterfly species of conservation concern

Accurate estimates of population size are essential for effective conservation and restoration management of threatened species. Nevertheless, reliable methods to estimate population size, such as mark-release-recapture studies (MRR), are time and labour consuming and may generate negative impact(s) on both the habitats and organisms studied. This may complicate their use if several sites need to be studied concurrently. Consequently, there is a strong interest to develop reliable proxies of population size, e.g., to be used in Population Viability Analysis. Habitat area has often been used as an obvious proxy. For butterflies, many studies focused on the area of host plant patches, but resource-based definition of the habitat (i.e., the area containing the different ecological resources and conditions needed by the individuals) has recently gained much attention. Using two peat bog butterflies, we tested the reliability of these two measures of habitat area as proxies for population size by (1) predicting population sizes based on the product of larval habitat area by the number of emerged butterflies per spatial unit of habitat (eliminated by ground cover traps) and (2) comparing these predictions to accurate population size estimates inferred from MRR studies. Results on both species showed that: (1) adult population size was strongly related to larval habitat availability and quality when habitat was accurately defined according to functional resources, (2) resources other than the host plant have to be included in the habitat definition, (3) after careful control of its similarity, the resource-based habitat delineation can be reasonably well transferred among populations of the same species in a wider region.     

Critical thresholds associated with habitat loss: a review of the concepts, evidence, and applications

A major conservation concern is whether population size and other ecological variables change linearly with habitat loss, or whether they suddenly decline more rapidly below a “critical threshold” level of habitat. The most commonly discussed explanation for critical threshold responses to habitat loss focus on habitat configuration. As habitat loss progresses, the remaining habitat is increasingly fragmented or the fragments are increasingly isolated, which may compound the effects of habitat loss. In this review we also explore other possible explanations for apparently nonlinear relationships between habitat loss and ecological responses, including Allee effects and time lags, and point out that some ecological variables will inherently respond nonlinearly to habitat loss even in the absence of compounding factors. In the literature, both linear and nonlinear ecological responses to habitat loss are evident among simulation and empirical studies, although the presence and value of critical thresholds is influenced by characteristics of the species (e.g. dispersal, reproduction, area/edge sensitivity) and landscape (e.g. fragmentation, matrix quality, rate of change). With enough empirical support, such trends could be useful for making important predictions about species' responses to habitat loss, to guide future research on the underlying causes of critical thresholds, and to make better informed management decisions. Some have seen critical thresholds as a means of identifying conservation targets for habitat retention. We argue that in many cases this may be misguided, and that the meaning (and utility) of a critical threshold must be interpreted carefully and in relation to the response variable and management goal. Despite recent interest in critical threshold responses to habitat loss, most studies have not used any formal statistical methods to identify their presence or value. Methods that have been used include model comparisons using Akaike information criterion (AIC) or t‐tests, and significance testing for changes in slope or for polynomial effects. The judicious use of statistics to help determine the shape of ecological relationships would permit greater objectivity and more comparability among studies.     

An inter-regional approach to intraspecific variation in habitat association: Rock Buntings Emberiza cia as a case study

The habitat association approach has been increasingly used in ecology to resolve problems in wildlife conservation and management. One problem related to habitat association studies is that they are restricted to small geographical areas within a species' range, and thus they are applicable to only a limited set of environmental conditions utilized by the species. In addition, very few studies address why the preference for specific habitat components may be adaptive for the species in question. The objective of this study was to examine how consideration of populations of a species from two dramatically different environments affects the results of habitat association modelling for a ground-nesting passerine, the Rock Bunting Emberiza cia . At a regional scale, a trend to defending breeding habitat patches with relatively higher stone cover was confined to birds from a temperate region in Slovakia. In contrast, in a semi-arid region in southeastern Spain, Rock Buntings preferred to use breeding habitat patches that had relatively higher grass cover. Combining data from both regions, breeding Rock Buntings showed a general pattern of using habitat patches close to hedges, with low bush cover, high ditch density and a steep slope. Whereas regional habitat association models appear to be sensitive to the particularities of the breeding environment, our study suggests that Rock Bunting breeding habitat association is constrained by the adults' tactics to protect themselves against predators. Although the birds prefer to nest in patches of low vegetation, the better to see nearby predators, these patches are ideally close to taller vegetation that can be used to provide cover when evading predators, and they are also of a rugged profile that helps the birds to approach and leave the nest stealthily.     

中国大陆鸟类栖息地选择研究十年

栖息地选择研究一直是鸟类生态学研究的重要内容之一。通过对2001年1月至2010年12月10年期间中国大陆鸟类学家在国内外期刊上发表的鸟类栖息地选择研究的论文进行分析,对我国鸟类栖息地选择研究提出展望。10年间,我国鸟类学家共发表有关鸟类栖息地选择或利用的论文170篇,共涉及到鸟类10目31科73种。在这10年里,中国大陆有关鸟类栖息地选择或利用的文章持续增长。然而,我国鸟类栖息地选择的研究也存在着如下问题:(1)存在栖息地选择和栖息地利用误用的现象,这种现象在10年内并无明显改善;(2)在选择研究方法时,很少考虑个体的可获得性、种群密度及抽样尺度对栖息地选择的影响;(3)大多数的栖息地选择的论文没有对鸟类的栖息地选择行为进行研究,也缺乏对其选择的适合度背景去进行研究。根据这些问题,对我国未来的鸟类栖息地选择研究提出了建议。     

Animal species diversity driven by habitat heterogeneity/diversity: the importance of keystone structures

Aim In a selected literature survey we reviewed studies on the habitat heterogeneity–animal species diversity relationship and evaluated whether there are uncertainties and biases in its empirical support. Location World-wide. Methods We reviewed 85 publications for the period 1960–2003. We screened each publication for terms that were used to define habitat heterogeneity, the animal species group and ecosystem studied, the definition of the structural variable, the measurement of vegetation structure and the temporal and spatial scale of the study. Main conclusions The majority of studies found a positive correlation between habitat heterogeneity/diversity and animal species diversity. However, empirical support for this relationship is drastically biased towards studies of vertebrates and habitats under anthropogenic influence. In this paper, we show that ecological effects of habitat heterogeneity may vary considerably between species groups depending on whether structural attributes are perceived as heterogeneity or fragmentation. Possible effects may also vary relative to the structural variable measured. Based upon this, we introduce a classification framework that may be used for across-studies comparisons. Moreover, the effect of habitat heterogeneity for one species group may differ in relation to the spatial scale. In several studies, however, different species groups are closely linked to ‘keystone structures’ that determine animal species diversity by their presence. Detecting crucial keystone structures of the vegetation has profound implications for nature conservation and biodiversity management.     

Winter microhabitat selection of a threatened pond amphibian in constructed urban wetlands

Mitigating the threat of habitat loss requires actions such as restoring and creating new habitat. In order to effectively achieve this, species habitat requirements and use patterns need to be understood. While many studies have been conducted on the habitat choice of species, these generally focused on habitat use during periods of high activity and detection probability without considering seasonal shifts in habitat use. Understanding habitat selection by frogs during the winter season of low activity may be crucial since it may differ from that used during the summer and may be overlooked as important for population success. We describe the microhabitat use of the threatened green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) using radio tracking methods during winter when detection is low and knowledge is limited. We followed 26 individuals between May and July, 2011 to determine whether they selected specific overwintering microhabitats and related this to levels of individual exposure to predators, distance from the edge of the water and temperature of microhabitats. We found that overwintering bell frogs inhabited reeds and rock gabions more frequently than expected and that females used a reduced subset of microhabitats compared to males. Additionally, microhabitats used were more likely to conceal an individual from view, and the majority of overwintering sites were located within 5 m of the edge of the water which may be important for reducing the risk of predation and desiccation. Rock gabions had significantly warmer (1.2°C–1.8°C) mean temperatures than the other microhabitats used. The information presented here can be used in habitat creation and reintroduction programmes to provide habitat which is suitable during both the breeding and non‐breeding season for the conservation of other populations.     

Bias in the effect of habitat structure on pitfall traps: An experimental evaluation

Habitat structure has been implicated as a source of bias for pitfall-trap data but most evidence is observational or anecdotal. This study used an experimental approach to quantify biases due to habitat structure. In a randomized block design, I manipulated native grassland to create three types of habitat structure and measured pitfall-trap catches of grassland ants. Small patches of modified habitat were surrounded by otherwise unmodified grassland with the assumption that population density remained unaffected by the modification and that the effects observed were due to changes in trappability. I assessed magnitude, direction, predictability, and consistency of bias for the following types of data: population abundance for single species, relative abundance among species, species composition of assemblages, and species richness. The magnitude of the bias in population abundance was large for most species. However, since the direction of the bias varied predictably with habitat structure, pitfall-trap data can be used to judge differences in population abundance in some situations. The magnitude of the bias in relative abundance was less than for abundance. However, there was inconsistency in the direction and magnitude of bias among species. Thus, interpretation of relative abundance data in pitfall-trap studies may be compromised. Species richness and species composition were biased by habitat structure but were affected significantly only when the groundcover was very dense, suggesting a threshold effect of habitat structure. To help to interpret survey data, pitfall-trap studies should routinely measure attributes of habitat structure and incorporate an experimental component to characterize the bias.     

Habitat characterization of western hoolock gibbons Hoolock hoolock by examining home range microhabitat use

Conserving a species depends on an understanding of its habitat requirements. Primatologists often characterize the habitat requirements of primates using macroscale population-based approaches relying on correlations between habitat attributes and population abundances between sites with varying levels of disturbance. This approach only works for species spread between several populations. The populations of some primates do not fulfill these criteria, forcing researchers to rely on individual-based (microscale) rather than population-based approaches for habitat characterization. We examined the reliability of using micro-scale habitat characterizations by studying the microhabitat preferences of a group of wild western hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) in order to compare our results to the habitat preferences of western hoolock gibbons identified during a macroscale study of populations across Bangladesh. We used stepwise discriminant analysis to differentiate between the areas of low, medium, and high usage based on microhabitat characteristics (tree species availability, altitude, canopy connection, distance from forest edge, and levels of human disturbance). The gibbons used interior forest habitat with low food tree availability most frequently for sleeping and socializing, and used edge habitat containing high food tree availability for medium periods for feeding. These results indicate that the gibbons prefer interior forest but are frequently forced to visit the forest edge to feed. Therefore, the optimal habitat would be interior forest away from human disturbance with high sleeping-tree and feeding-tree availability. These habitat preferences are consistent with the habitat attributes of Bangladesh’s largest remaining western hoolock gibbon populations, which live in areas containing low agricultural encroachment and high food-tree availability. Microhabitat use studies can be used to characterize the habitat requirements of a species, but should include multiple scales of analysis wherever possible.