广西扶绥白头叶猴对栖息地的选择与利用

为了解白头叶猴（Trachypithecus leucocephalus）的栖息地利用规律及其影响因素,2016年2月至2017年1月,采用瞬时扫描取样法对广西崇左白头叶猴国家级自然保护区一群白头叶猴的栖息地利用进行了研究。结果表明,白头叶猴对山体不同部位的利用存在显著性差异（χ² =39.467,df=3,P<0.001）,其中,对崖壁（56.75±9.55）%的利用比例最大,其次是对山坡（39.42±10.93）%和山顶（2.98±2.54）%的利用,而对山脚（0.84±1.47）%的利用频率最低。白头叶猴对不同微生境类型的利用存在差异（χ²=27.709,df=3,P<0.001）,其中对乔木（49.37±12.31）%的利用比例最大,其次是裸岩（24.05±13.61）%,随后依次为藤本（15.48±8.01）%和灌木（10.87±5.45）%。白头叶猴主要在山坡上觅食,利用崖壁移动、休息,进行社会活动;主要利用裸岩进行社会活动,觅食、移动、休息主要发生在乔木上。从整体来看,白头叶猴在雨季对乔木的利用频率显著大于旱季（Z=-2.680,n=12,P=0.007）;雨季在山坡觅食频率显著大于旱季（Z=-2.517,n=12,P=0.012）,而在崖壁觅食频率刚好相反（Z=-2.842,n=12,P=0.004）;白头叶猴雨季在乔木休息的频率显著大于旱季（Z=-2.355,n=12,P=0.019）。白头叶猴对栖息地的利用受到温度的影响。白头叶猴对乔木的总体利用频率随着平均温度的升高而增加（r=0.664,n=12,P=0.018）;觅食时,对崖壁、裸岩的利用频率均与平均温度成负相关关系（崖壁：r=-0.685,n=12,P=0.014;裸岩：r=-0.600,n=12,P=0.039）;休息时,对乔木的利用频率与平均温度呈正相关关系（r=0.650,n=12,P=0.022）。不同季节,白头叶猴对栖息地的利用方式不同。白头叶猴的栖息地利用模式可能是在觅食利益和捕食风险之间作出的权衡,并受到环境温度的影响。     

云贵高原典型湖滨湿地好氧甲烷氧化细菌群落结构和数量的时空动态

湖泊生态系统排放的甲烷（CH₄）大部分来自湖滨湿地,好氧甲烷氧化细菌（methane-oxidizing bacteria,MOB）在减轻CH₄从湖泊系统向大气的排放中起着至关重要的作用。湖滨湿地好氧MOB群落分布及其影响因素尚不清楚。采用qPCR、末端限制性片段长度多态性（T-RFLP）等方法,分四季对贵州草海湖滨湿地宽敞水域至落干区沉积物中好氧MOB群落组成和数量进行了研究。草海湖滨湿地沉积中甲烷氧化单加氧酶功能基因（pomA）丰度较高,在1.78×10⁷-2.73×10⁸拷贝数/g干沉积物之间,好氧MOB由I型（Methylococcus and Methylobacter）和II型（Methylosinus）组成,I型主要分布在宽敞水域（长期淹水区）,而干湿过渡区和偶尔积水区主要为II型,呈现出明显的空间变化,推测湖滨湿地长期淹水区甲烷的氧化由I型主导,而相对干旱的区域II型主导,而这种差异可能是导致湖滨湿地甲烷排放高度异质性的一个重要因素。研究结果对揭示湖滨湿地甲烷排放时空异质性的微生物生态机制奠定了基础。     

有蹄类昼夜活动时空动态——以岩羊(Pseudois nayaur)为例

调整时间分配和空间利用是有蹄类应对食物资源和环境胁迫周期性波动的常见生存策略。为探索高山有蹄类对这种波动的行为响应和策略,于2018年6月-2019年8月利用红外相机对四川王朗国家级自然保护区内的岩羊（Pseudois nayaur）种群进行了调查,并利用Wilcoxon秩和检验初步分析了它们的昼夜活动时空动态（所涉及分析的数据监测时间为2018年7月底至2019年8月初）。基于前人的研究结论和观点,预测岩羊的昼夜活动在不同季节和不同空间类型将呈现显著差异。结果表明,岩羊的行为基本符合预测：（1）岩羊夏季昼间和冬季夜间较多出现在林缘（夏季昼间：43.64±3.39;冬季夜间：10.00±0.26）和林内（夏季昼间：34.21±3.21,P=0.065;冬季夜间：8.40±0.64,P=0.026）,可能与躲避极端气温有关;（2）岩羊在食物较匮乏的冬季,夜间的活动强度均显著高于其他季节（冬季：23.00±0.73;春季：2.00±0.39;夏季：4.80±1.36;秋季：15.00±1.31）,且在昼间选择易于觅食的草甸生境内活动（林缘：31.79±3.54,草甸：22.79±3.16;P=0.081）。有趣的是,岩羊冬季夜间更多选择林缘（10.00±0.26）,而非预期的林内生境（8.40±0.64,P=0.026）。岩羊在夜宿地附近（林缘）活动强度最大可能是权衡食物和环境胁迫的结果。因为,夜间集中在距离夜宿地和觅食地都比较近的环境中活动,无疑是一种经济的选择。随着近年来气候变化的加剧,高山生态系统受到的威胁越来越明显。基于本研究的发现,建议更多关注高山物种的生存状况和高山生态系统的健康程度,为认识和评价气候变化对生物多样性的影响提供参考。     

会仙岩溶湿地4种覆被下土壤酶活性和微生物生物量

研究湿地系统中的稻田被撂荒以后土壤酶活性和微生物生物量的变化可以为湿地的保护提供参考依据。以桂林会仙岩溶湿地为研究样地,采集芦苇湿地、华科拉莎草湿地、稻田撂荒地（以双穗雀稗和莲子草为优势植被）和稻田的耕层土壤样品,采用比色法和氯仿熏蒸法分别检测土壤酶活性和微生物生物量。结果表明,稻田撂荒地的土壤微生物生物量碳（MBC）为（345.20±30.06） mg/kg,显著低于其它三种覆被下的土壤;微生物生物量氮（MBN）、微生物DNA、蔗糖酶活性和碱性磷酸酶活性分别为（48.03±18.48） mg/kg、（5.65±1.48）μg/kg、（19.16±1.43） mg g^-1（24h）^-1和（2.20±0.94） mg g^-1（24h）^-1,均显著低于稻田,而与两种天然湿地没有显著差异。主成分分析表明,稻田撂荒地能与稻田明显分开,而与其它两种覆被土壤有所交叉。统计分析表明,MBC和碱性磷酸酶活性均与pH呈显著正相关关系（P<0.05）;MBN、蔗糖酶活性和碱性磷酸酶活性均与土壤总有机碳（SOC）呈显著的正相关关系（P<0.05）;土壤微生物DNA与SOC、总氮（TN）和碱解氮（AN）均呈显著正相关关系（P<0.01）,与Mg²⁺呈显著正相关关系（P<0.05）。以上研究结果表明,会仙湿地中的稻田在撂荒以后,土壤微生物生物量和两种土壤酶活性显著降低,影响微生物生物量和土壤酶活性变化的主要因素是pH、SOC、TN、AN和Mg²⁺。因此,建议在稻田撂荒地上重新种植水稻,以加快会仙岩溶湿地的恢复过程。     

兰州滨河公园自生植物物种组成及多样性分析

调查研究兰州4处滨河公园自生植物的物种组成和多样性特征,为低成本、低养护和野趣自然的园林景观规划提供参考。在黄河兰州主城区段自西向东选取银滩湿地公园、马滩湿地公园、马拉松主题公园、雁滩公园,通过网格系统取样法共设置344个样方,调查研究滨河公园自生植物物种组成和分布特征。结果表明,4处滨河公园共有44科118属163种;在物种来源中,乡土物种79种（48.46%）、国内外来物种53种（32.51%）、国外外来物种14种（8.58%）、入侵植物有17种（10.42%）;4处滨河公园间α多样性存在显著差异（P<0.05）;银滩湿地公园、马滩湿地公园、马拉松主题公园、雁滩公园的多样性指数H''分别为4.76、4.36、4.064、3.99;均匀度指数J''分别为0.53、0.586、0.56、0.54;丰富度指数R''分别为30.68、29.47、22.80、20.27;平均多度分别为55.43、44.82、50.16、39.40。兰州滨河公园自生植物资源较为丰富,在未来的城市园林绿地建设中可合理规划,提高自生植物的应用比例,并根据不同环境营造具有地域特色的自生植物景观。     

贝类壳-体质量比和静水沉降特性的相关性

软体动物贝壳表型是适应性进化的结果,为探究贝壳形态特性与软体动物随水流扩散功能的相关性,实验选取9种具代表性的腹足纲和双壳纲贝类作为研究对象,研究了其成体的壳-体质量比与静水沉降特性及二者的相关性。结果表明：体质量的变异系数（C.V.=1.11）大于壳长（C.V.=0.67）、壳宽（C.V.=0.54）的变异系数;壳-体质量比具较强的种属特异性,种内变异系数小（C.V.=0.20）,而种间差异极显著（P < 0.01）。受试贝类的平均壳-体质量比为0.32±0.13,陆生贝类的壳-体质量比显著小于水生贝类（P < 0.01）,壳-体质量比最大的河蚬（0.54±0.06）是最小的非洲大蜗牛（0.17±0.04）的3倍,福寿螺的壳-体质量比为0.50±0.06。双壳类和螺类的沉降行为差异明显,只有中华园田螺、铜锈环棱螺和河蚬不能在静水中漂浮;沉降速度最大的河蚬（（24.99±4.22）cm/s）是最小的椭圆萝卜螺（（4.13±0.96）cm/s）的6倍,入侵种非洲大蜗牛（（18.30±3.64）cm/s）和福寿螺（（21.77±5.23）cm/s）与土著种铜锈环棱螺（（19.48±3.14）cm/s）和中华园田螺（（21.44±3.92）cm/s）在沉降速度上无显著差异（P < 0.01）。成体贝类的壳-体质量比与沉降速度（R²=0.28）、沉降加速度（R²=0.39）之间存在一定的相关性。在此基础上,贝类沉降特性随生活史变化的研究将进一步揭示贝类进化与种群扩散中的生态水力学作用。     

西藏麦地卡湿地大型土壤动物群落特征与环境因子关系

为了探究西藏麦地卡湿地国家级自然保护区大型土壤动物群落特征与环境因子的关系,于2020年7月和2021年8月根据其地理环境特征在其三个核心区共设置了3个样地（100 m×100 m）,每个样地设置2个样点作为重复;采用手检法收集大型土壤动物,并保存于75%乙醇的收集管中,圆筒式环刀（高30 cm,直径5 cm）取0~10 cm土样,测定相关环境因子。共捕获大型土壤动物336头,经鉴定隶属于3门5纲11目15科,优势类群为石蜈蚣科（Lithobiidae）、芫菁科（Meloidae）、拟步甲科（Tenebrionidae）;单因素方差分析显示,三个样地中,大型土壤动物个体数（F=0.194,P=0.833）、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H）（F=0.304,P=0.758）、Pielou均匀度指数（E）（F=0.346,P=0.732）和Simpson优势度指数（C）（F=0.245,P=0.797）均无显著性差异（P>0.05）。三个样地的Jaccard相似性系数（J）在0.56~0.65,为中等相似;功能类群以植食性为主,腐食性最少。Pearson相关性分析表明,Pielou均匀度指数（E）分别与海拔（Alt）和速效钾（RAK）呈极显著正相关（P<0.01）,Pielou均匀度指数（E）分别与土壤含水量（SWC）和全氮（TN）呈显著正相关（P<0.05）,个体数（N）与土壤盐度（SAL）呈极显著负相关（P<0.01）。     

不同恢复方式下大兴安岭重度火烧迹地林地土壤温室气体通量

为研究大兴安岭重度火烧迹地在不同恢复方式下林地土壤CO₂、CH₄和N₂O排放特征及其影响因素,采用静态箱/气相色谱法,在2017年生长季（6月-9月）对3种恢复方式（人工更新、天然更新和人工促进天然更新）林地土壤温室气体CO₂、CH₄、N₂O通量进行了原位观测。研究结果表明：（1）3种恢复方式林地土壤在生长季均为大气CO₂、N₂O的源,CH₄的汇;生长季林地土壤CO₂排放通量大小关系为人工促进天然更新（（634.40±246.52）mg m^-2 h^-1） > 人工更新（（603.63±213.22）mg m^-2 h^-1） > 天然更新（（575.81±244.12）mg m^-2 h^-1）,3种恢复方式间无显著差异;人工更新林地土壤CH₄吸收通量显著高于人工促进天然更新;天然更新林地土壤N₂O排放通量显著高于其他两种恢复方式。（2）土壤温度是影响3种恢复方式林地土壤温室气体通量的关键因素;土壤水分仅对人工更新林地土壤N₂O通量有极显著影响（P < 0.01）;3种恢复方式林地土壤CO₂通量与大气湿度具有极显著的响应（P < 0.01）;土壤pH仅与天然更新林地土壤CO₂通量显著相关（P < 0.05）;土壤全氮含量仅与人工促进天然更新林地土壤CH₄通量显著相关（P < 0.05）。（3）基于100年尺度,由3种温室气体计算全球增温潜势得出,人工促进天然更新（1.83×10⁴ kg CO₂/hm²） > 人工更新（1.74×10⁴ kg CO₂/hm²） > 天然更新（1.67×10⁴ kg CO₂/hm²）。（4）阿木尔地区林地土壤年生长季CO₂和N₂O排放量为8.85×10⁶ t和1.88×10² t,CH₄吸收量为1.05×10³ t。     

内蒙古高原湖滨湿地优势植物功能性状特征及其适应性

受人类活动和气候变化的影响,湖泊湖滨带退化速度显著加快。植物功能性状的方法可以量化植物特征,预测植物对外界环境干扰的反应,有助于理解退化湖滨带湿地植物应对环境变化所表现出的适应机制,对湖泊湖滨湿地生态系统植被的恢复与重建具有重要意义。在内蒙古高原典型湖泊湖滨湿地选取芦苇（Phragmites australis）、赖草（Leymus secalinus）、毛茛（Ranunculus japonicus）、鹅绒委陵菜（Potentilla anserina）、碱蓬（Suaeda glauca）、盐角草（Salicornia europaea）和拂子茅（Calamagrostis epigeios）7种优势植物的叶片和根系作为研究对象,对不同湿地植物的11种功能性状变化规律及其与环境因子的关系进行研究。旨在探究环境变化影响下湖滨带湿地植物的物种分布和功能性状的差异,以及湿地植物在不同湖滨带湿地生境下的适应策略。在评估植物功能性状差异基础上,采用环境矩阵连接性状矩阵（RLQ）结合第四角分析（Fourth-Corner）的方法分析环境因子对植物功能性状的影响。结果表明,内蒙古湖滨带湿地中7种优势植物为了适应不同的环境的影响,植物的功能性状均产生不同程度的种间与种内变异,在湖滨带湿地中植物的植株高度、叶片碳含量、叶片氮含量、叶片碳氮比、比根长、根组织密度、根氮含量对环境变化的响应比较敏感,土壤pH与叶片干物质含量呈显著负相关;土壤盐分与植株高度、叶片碳含量和叶碳氮比显著负相关,与叶片氮含量、根组织密度显著正相关;土壤的总氮含量与植株高度显著正相关,与比根长显著负相关;土壤碳氮比与植株高度和叶片碳含量显著负相关,与植物比根长显著正相关;土壤容重与根氮含量显著负相关。研究表明内蒙古高原湖滨带湿地植物的功能性状受环境的作用强烈,植物采取了不同的性状策略来适应环境。     

城市新建景观湖泊浮游植物群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

2019年对南通市中央创新区新建湖泊紫琅湖的浮游植物进行了4个季度的调查,旨在研究典型城市新建景观湖泊的浮游植物群落结构特征及其与环境因子关系。紫琅湖全年共鉴定出浮游植物种类7门186种,春季种类数最多,共6门113种,其中蓝藻门（Cyanophyta）占17.7%,绿藻门（Chlorophyta）占19.5%,硅藻门（Bacillariophyta）占39.8%;夏季种类数最少,共7门43种,其中蓝藻门占32.6%,绿藻门占30.2%,硅藻门占16.3%;冬季和春季则硅藻种类多。从丰度来看,各季节浮游植物组成均以蓝藻为主,冬、夏、秋季蓝藻的丰度分别为（26.81±6.70）×10⁶ ind./L、（12.77±1.02）×10⁶ ind./L和（31.99±10.23）×10⁶ ind./L,显著高于其他藻类（P<0.05）。典范对应分析（CCA）表明透明度、pH、总磷和浊度是与浮游植物群落相关性较强的4个环境因子,其中透明度是最主要的环境因子。冬季和春季浮游植物主要与透明度正相关,夏季主要与总磷和浊度呈正相关,秋季主要与pH呈正相关。紫琅湖的浮游植物优势类群以蓝藻门为主,其中伪鱼腥藻（Pseudoanabaena sp.）为全年唯一的优势藻类（优势度指数分别为Y_冬=0.66,Y_春=0.10,Y_夏=0.16,Y_秋=0.26）。综合营养指数表明湖泊处于轻度富营养水平,浮游植物多样性水质评价表明夏季水体污染相对严重。城市新建景观湖泊紫琅湖营养水平较高、透明度低、浮游植物群落结构波动大,暴发蓝藻水华的可能性较高,研究结果可为城市新建景观湖泊水质改善和健康生态系统的构建提供科学依据。     

基于功能分类的城市湿地公园景观格局--以西溪湿地公园为例

以西溪国家湿地公园为研究案例,从景观功能分类入手,揭示城市湿地公园景观格局与功能特征。结果表明:(1)西溪湿地公园是以生态保护为主,兼顾合理利用为基本功能特征,其生态保护功能区面积占整个公园的53.7%,旅游休闲区面积占46.3%;(2)西溪湿地公园生态保护功能斑块在整个公园中所占面积为42.08%,且面积大、形状复杂、多样性较低;旅游休闲斑块面积占25.41%,并且表现为斑块面积小、形状规则、多样性高等特点;(3)西溪湿地公园生态保护廊道面积是旅游休闲廊道面积的一半左右,其网络结构比旅游休闲廊道复杂,有利于生态保护功能的发挥;(4)生态保护廊道缓冲区内主要由生态保护斑块组成,旅游休闲廊道的缓冲区内生态功能斑块和旅游休闲斑块所占面积相差不大。基于功能分类的景观格局研究方法有利于识别景观功能的空间特征,能够有效揭示景观生态保护与利用的空间关系。     

Vegetation trajectories of restored agricultural wetlands following sediment removal

Recognition of wetland ecosystem services has led to substantial investment in wetland restoration in recent decades. Wetland restorations can be designed to meet numerous goals, among which reestablishing a diverse native wetland plant community is a common aim. In agricultural areas, where previously drained wetland basins can fill with eroded sediment from the surrounding landscape, restoration often includes excavation to expose buried seed banks. The extent to which excavation improves the diversity of wetland plant communities is unclear, particularly in terms of longer‐term outcomes. We examined plant species diversity and community composition in 24 restored agricultural wetlands across west‐central Minnesota, U.S.A. In all study wetlands, hydrology was restored by removing subsurface drainage and plugging drainage ditches, thus reestablishing groundwater connectivity and hydroperiod (“business as usual” treatment). In half of the wetlands, accumulated sediment was removed from the basin and redeposited on the surrounding landscape (“excavated” treatment). Initially, sediment removal significantly decreased invasive species cover, particularly of hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), and increased community diversity and evenness. Over time, the effects of sediment removal diminished, and eventually disappeared by approximately 6 years after restoration. While our results demonstrate that sediment removal improves initial restoration outcomes for plant communities, longer‐term benefits require sustained management, such as invasive species control or resetting of basins through additional excavation.     

Differences exist in bird communities using restored and natural wetlands in the Parkland region,Alberta, Canada

Wetland restoration is used to compensate for historic and ongoing wetland losses. We compared bird community composition in 24 restored wetlands and 36 natural wetlands in the Parkland region of Alberta. Natural wetlands ranged in exposure to agricultural activity and were binned into three classes (low, medium, and high disturbance). Although the abundance and average species richness of birds were similar between restored and natural wetlands (analysis of variance: p > 0.22), the avian community composition differed significantly among wetland types (multiresponse permutation procedure [MRPP]: A = 0.05, p < 0.001). The avifauna using restored wetlands was distinct from the avifauna using natural wetlands spanning a range of disturbance levels (A = 0.02–0.06; p ≤ 0.006). Notably, restored wetlands were surrounded by less shrub/forest cover and more open water than low‐disturbance, natural wetlands. The majority (58%) of species using the surveyed wetlands were not classified as wetland‐dependent. Interestingly, if only wetland‐dependent species are considered, the avifauna using restored wetlands is no longer distinctive (MRPP: A < 0.01, p = 0.187), although the abundance of wetland‐dependent birds was marginally higher in restored wetlands (n = 24) than in low‐disturbance, natural wetlands (n = 10; Tukey's honestly significant difference test: p = 0.041). Overall, restored wetlands had reduced beta diversity compared to natural wetlands, regardless of whether the avifauna were restricted to wetland‐dependent species or considered comprehensively. This draws into question the legitimacy of the assumption that restoration can fully offset continued losses of natural wetlands.     

Aquatic invertebrate assemblages as potential indicators of restoration conditions in wetlands of Northeastern China

Wetland restoration has been implemented widely but evaluation of the effectiveness of wetland restoration has been limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the utility of aquatic invertebrate assemblages as potential indicators of restoration condition in wetlands of the Sanjiang Plain, Northeastern China. Results from non‐metric multidimensional scaling analysis of invertebrate assemblages showed that study wetlands (n = 16) divided into two groups: natural wetlands and wetlands that have been restored for 4 years were classified as a group, and impaired wetlands and wetlands restored for only 1 year were classified into another group. After 4 years of recovery, 47.9% of invertebrate taxa found at the natural wetlands could also be found at the restored wetlands, primarily insects with aerial dispersal capabilities for rapid colonization. Indicator species analysis identified differences in community composition among wetland types, and Amphiagrion sp. and Bezzia sp. were indicators of the restored wetlands. In Northeastern China, aquatic invertebrate assemblages and certain indicator species may provide robust measures of wetland restoration. It is urgent for further exploration to monitor restored wetlands in the long‐time series and fully assess the efficiency of the restoration.     

Wetland hydrologic class change from prior to European settlement to present on the Des Moines Lobe, Iowa

It has been hypothesized that wetland restoration policies have favored the restoration of the wettest classes of wetlands on the Des Moines Lobe of the prairie pothole region. To test this hypothesis we compared pre-drainage wetland distributions based on soils data and National Wetland Inventory (NWI) estimates of contemporary wetland distributions on the Des Moines Lobe. Based on the NWI data, the Des Moines Lobe today has only 3–4% of the wetland area that it had prior to the onset of drainage. On the basis of their soils, pre-drainage wetlands were predominantly temporarily flooded to saturated wetlands (84%), with only about 6% of the wetlands with water regimes classified as semi-permanently to permanently flooded. Depending on the interpretation of wetland modifiers on NWI maps, wetlands classified by the NWI as semi-permanent to permanently flooded make up more than 41% of the wetland area while wetlands with temporarily flooded to saturated water regimes account for 45–58% of the Lobe’s wetland area. The water regimes of contemporary wetlands when compared to their historic regimes suggest that many of today’s wetlands have different water regimes than they did prior to the onset of drainage. Because of the regional lowering of the groundwater table, many of today’s wetlands have drier water regimes, but some have wetter water regimes because they receive drainage tile inputs. Our results indicate that restoration has favored the wettest classes of wetlands and that temporarily to saturated wetland classes have not been restored in proportion to their relative abundance in the pre-drainage landscape.     

Waterbird Response to Wetlands Restored Through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

Abstract: Conservation programs that facilitate restoration of natural areas on private land are one of the best strategies for recovery of valuable wetland acreage in critical ecoregions of the United States. Wetlands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) provide many ecological functions but may be particularly important as habitat for migrant and resident waterbirds; however, use of, and factors associated with use of, CREP wetlands as stopover and breeding sites have not been evaluated. We surveyed a random sample of CREP wetlands in the Illinois River watershed in 2004 and 2005 to quantify use of restored wetlands by spring migrating and breeding waterbirds. Waterbirds used 75% of wetlands during spring migration. Total use-day abundance for the entire spring migration ranged from 0 to 49,633 per wetland and averaged 6,437 ± 1,887 (SE). Semipermanent wetlands supported the greatest total number of use-days and the greatest number of use-days relative to wetland area. Species richness ranged from 0 to 42 (x̄ = 10.0 ± 1.5 [SE]), and 5 of these species were classified as endangered in Illinois. Density of waterfowl breeding pairs ranged from 0.0 pairs/ha to 16.6 pairs/ha (x̄ = 1.9 ± 0.5 [SE] pairs/ha), and 16 species of wetland birds were identified as local breeders. Density of waterfowl broods ranged from 0.0 broods/ha to 3.6 broods/ha and averaged 0.5 ± 0.1 (SE) broods/ha. We also modeled spring stopover use, waterbird species richness, and waterfowl reproduction in relation to spatial, physical, and floristic characteristics of CREP wetlands. The best approximating models to explain variation in all 3 dependent variables included only the covariate accounting for level of hydrologic management (i.e., none, passive, or active). Active management was associated with 858% greater use-days during spring than sites with only passive water management. Sites where hydrology was passively managed also averaged 402% greater species richness than sites where no hydrologic management was possible. Density of waterfowl broods was 120% greater on passively managed sites than on sites without water management but was 29% less on sites with active compared to passive hydrologic management. Densities of waterfowl broods also were greatest when ratios of open water to cover were 70:30. Models that accounted for vegetation quality and landscape variables ranked lower than models based solely on hydrologic management or vegetation cover in all candidate sets. Although placement and clustering of sites may be critical for maintaining populations of some wetland bird species, these factors appeared to be less important for attracting migrant waterbirds in our study area. In the context of restored CREP wetlands, we suggest the greatest gains in waterbird use and reproduction may be accomplished by emphasizing site-specific restoration efforts related to hydrology and floristic structure. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 72(3):654–664; 2008)     

Vegetation and soil properties in restored wetlands near Lake Taihu,China

Riparian wetlands are important components of the lake ecosystem, and they play essential roles in maintaining system health. Remediation of degraded lakeshore wetlands is an essential component of lake restoration. A study was conducted to investigate the restoration of lakeshore wetlands, which were converted to rice fields and then abandoned for 2, 5, 10 and 15 years, near Lake Taihu. Soil samples (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) were taken and plant species were investigated. The carbon content in the soil had increased significantly, rising from 0.71% to 1.85% between 2 and 15 years. Organic matter accumulation improved soil texture, and water stable aggregate content (>0.25 mm) and soil porosity increased. Total nitrogen in the soil increased from 0.06% to 0.13%, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen increased from 124.4 mg kg⁻¹ to 351.5 mg kg⁻¹. Total phosphorus in the soil increased from 0.045% to 0.071%, and the Olsen-P value increased from 5.13 mg kg⁻¹ to 16.0 mg kg⁻¹. Results showed that phosphorous did not increase as much as nitrogen. In the vegetation restoration process, plant species composition moved towards a natural wetland community, and spatial heterogeneity and landscape diversity increased. The richness of plant biodiversity increased rapidly in the first 2 years, then more slowly in later restoration stages. The wetlands recovery process may be complicated by interactions of biota and soil and hydrological conditions.     

Reduction of avian diversity in created versus natural and restored wetlands

Natural wetland ecosystems continue to suffer widespread destruction and degradation. Many recent studies argue that artificial or restored wetlands compensate for wetland loss and are valuable for waterbird conservation. However, detailed comparisons of the value of natural, artificial and restored wetlands are lacking. Our aim was to assess if the restoration or creation of wetlands can fully compensate for the loss of natural wetlands for waterbirds. We compared the waterbird communities in a set of 20 natural, restored and artificial wetlands, all of which are considered important for waterbirds and are located within the same protected area (Doñana Natural Space, south‐west Spain). We used different measures of diversity, including phylogenetic relatedness, and the proportion of threatened species at national, European and international levels. We found that artificial wetlands have consistently lower value than restored and natural wetlands, with little difference between the latter two. Natural wetlands are essential for conserving diversity across the tree of life and for threatened species, but restored wetlands can be of similar value and can assure maintenance of key ecological processes. Thus, when economic costs per unit area are similar, resources for wetland conservation are better invested in restoration projects than in wetland creation, and caution is required when suggesting that artificial wetlands compensate for the loss of natural wetlands.     

莫莫格扁秆藨草恢复湿地土壤种子库对长芒稗入侵的响应

湿地恢复过程中,时常有外来种或本地杂草入侵。土壤种子库作为未来植被的潜在种源,对湿地恢复效果具有重要的指示意义。在莫莫格国家级自然保护区,以恢复白鹤栖息地(扁秆藨草(Scirpus planiculmis)沼泽)为目的,进行了退化湿地的水文恢复;但退化湿地恢复2a后,一年生杂草长芒稗(Echinochloa caudata)在大部分区域成为建群种。以长芒稗入侵湿地和扁秆藨草自然湿地为研究对象,对比分析了长芒稗和扁秆藨草的土壤种子库及生长结实特征。结果表明,在自然湿地扁秆藨草种子库规模是长芒稗的18.42倍,而在恢复湿地长芒稗种子库大小是扁秆藨草的5.04倍。与自然湿地相比,扁秆藨草种子库密度在入侵湿地明显减少,但仍保留了一定量具有活力的种子(664.32±105.98)粒/m~2,这与研究区扁秆藨草较高的种子生产力(9210.4±1513.4)粒/m~2及种子较强的浮力(FP50=39.7d)有关,说明扁秆藨草具备通过种子库或水传播恢复的潜力。长芒稗土壤种子库密度在入侵湿地高达(3345.9±520.3)粒/m~2,明显高于自然湿地种子库规模(P0.01),说明恢复湿地受长芒稗入侵影响严重,这与长芒稗较高的种子生产力(7621.4±376.25)粒/m~2及较弱的种子浮力(FP0=5d)有关,同时也表明长芒稗通过水传播扩散的能力较弱。另外,研究区长芒稗平均高度超过1m,且盖度较大,不仅阻碍扁秆藨草种子的水播,也降低了到达地表的光照水平,从而抑制扁秆藨草更新。因此,在莫莫格受长芒稗入侵湿地,于开花结实前收获长芒稗地上植物体及凋落物应是限制长芒稗扩展、同时促进扁秆藨草恢复的有效措施。     

Factors Affecting Wetland Use by Spring Migrating Ducks in the Southern Prairie Pothole Region

There is increasing recognition of the importance of wetlands in the prairie pothole region (PPR) of the northern United States for stopover habitat for spring-migrating waterfowl. The quality and quantity of stopover habitat found near breeding areas can affect speed and success of migration and subsequent breeding events. Conservation and management of wetlands in the region has traditionally focused narrowly on reproductive phases of the life cycle, and little to no research has examined how ducks use a diversity of available wetlands in the region during migration. We conducted weekly surveys on 1,061 wetlands during spring 2018 and 2019 to examine factors affecting duck use of wetlands in the intensively modified southern PPR landscape of Iowa, USA, for wetland restoration and conservation strategies. We compared wetland types, which included farmed, seasonal, and semi-permanent wetlands, and lakes. The highest duck use per unit area occurred on semi-permanent wetlands, followed by seasonal, and then farmed wetlands, and lakes. Ducks were highly clustered in our study, with 75% of all use-days occurring on only 37 wetlands comprising 41% of all wetland area surveyed. We used hurdle models to examine how local and landscape factors measured within and around wetlands influenced duck use during spring migration. Multiple factors related to duck use at local and landscape scales, such as wetland area, vegetation abundance, and number of wetlands in the surrounding landscape. Among semi-permanent wetlands, local factors within wetlands were more important than landscape factors in determining duck use. Collectively, our findings suggest semi-permanent wetlands within the PPR play a key role in transitioning birds from wintering areas to breeding areas and that management of semi-permanent wetlands should promote interspersion of emergent vegetation and open water and growth of submersed aquatic plants to improve their function for migrants. © 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wildlife Society.