放牧和刈割条件下草山草坡群落空间异质性分析

采用变异矩分析和分形方法,研究了草山草坡群落在放牧和刈割条件下的空间异质性及空间自相关性,结果表明,群落空间格局有尺度依赖性,刈割条件下空物异质性及空间相关性弱,多样性梯度即β多样性小,放牧消除地形引起的样地差异,因而使空间异质性简单化。     

Spatial heterogeneity and plant species richness at different spatial scales under rabbit grazing

Herbivores influence spatial heterogeneity in soil resources and vegetation in ecosystems. Despite increasing recognition that spatial heterogeneity can drive species richness at different spatial scales, few studies have quantified the effect of grazing on spatial heterogeneity and species richness simultaneously. Here we document both these variables in a rabbit-grazed grassland. We measured mean values and spatial patterns of grazing intensity, rabbit droppings, plant height, plant biomass, soil water content, ammonia and nitrate in sites grazed by rabbits and in matched, ungrazed exclosures in a grassland in southern England. Plant species richness was recorded at spatial scales ranging between 0.0001 and 150 m(2). Grazing reduced plant height and plant biomass but increased levels of ammonia and nitrate in the soil. Spatial statistics revealed that rabbit-grazed sites consisted of a mixture of heavily grazed patches with low vegetation and nutrient-rich soils (lawns) surrounded by patches of high vegetation with nutrient-poor soils (tussocks). The mean patch size (range) in the grazed controls was 2.1 +/- 0.3 m for vegetation height, 3.8 +/- 1.8 m for soil water content and 2.8 +/- 0.9 m for ammonia. This is in line with the patch sizes of grazing (2.4 +/- 0.5 m) and dropping deposition (3.7 +/- 0.6 m) by rabbits. In contrast, patchiness in the ungrazed exclosures had a larger patch size and was not present for all variables. Rabbit grazing increased plant species richness at all spatial scales. Species richness was negatively correlated with plant height, but positively correlated to the coefficient of variation of plant height at all plot sizes. Species richness in large plots (<25 m(2)) was also correlated to patch size. This study indicates that the abundance of strong competitors and the nutrient availability in the soil, as well as the heterogeneity and spatial pattern of these factors may influence species richness, but the importance of these factors can differ across spatial scales.     

The effect of grazing on the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation

Grazing can alter the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation, influencing ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Our objective was to identify why grazing causes increases in the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation in some cases, but decreases in others. The immediate effect of grazing on heterogeneity depends on the interaction between the spatial pattern of grazing and the pre-existing spatial pattern of vegetation. Depending on the scale of observation and on the factors that determine animal distribution, grazing patterns may be stronger or weaker than vegetation patterns, or may mirror the spatial structure of vegetation. For each possible interaction between these patterns, we make a prediction about resulting changes in the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation. Case studies from the literature support our predictions, although ecosystems characterized by strong plant-soil interactions present important exceptions. While the processes by which grazing causes increases in heterogeneity are clear, how grazing leads to decreases in heterogeneity is less so. To explore how grazing can consistently dampen the fine-scale spatial patterns of competing plant species, we built a cell-based simulation model that features two competing plant species, different grazing patterns, and different sources of vegetation pattern. Only the simulations that included neighborhood interactions as a source of vegetation pattern produced results consistent with the predictions we derived from the literature review.     

Community heterogeneity and the evolution of interactions between plants and insect herbivores

Plant communities vary tremendously in terms of productivity, species diversity, and genetic diversity within species. This vegetation heterogeneity can impact both the likelihood and strength of interactions between plants and insect herbivores. Because altering plant-herbivore interactions will likely impact the fitness of both partners, these ecological effects also have evolutionary consequences. We review several hypothesized and well-documented mechanisms whereby variation in the plant community alters the plant-herbivore interaction, discuss potential evolutionary outcomes of each of these ecological effects, and conclude by highlighting several avenues for future research. The underlying theme of this review is that the neighborhood of plants is an important determinant of insect attack, and this results in feedback effects on the plant community. Because plants exert selection on herbivore traits and, reciprocally, herbivores exert selection on plant-defense traits, variation in the plant community likely contributes to spatial and temporal variation in both plant and insect traits, which could influence macroevolutionary patterns.     

Benthic microalgal diversity enhanced by spatial heterogeneity of grazing

This study presents model experiments on the effect of the spatial pattern of herbivory on primary producer diversity. Microalgal biofilms (periphyton) were exposed to different mixtures of two benthic herbivores, the isopod Idothea chelipes and the gastropod Littorina littorea. The herbivores are similar in their feeding selectivity but differ strongly in the spatial pattern of grazing. Idothea did not increase the spatial heterogeneity of algal cell densities beyond the level of ungrazed controls (<1 order of magnitude between local minima and maxima at the 1 mm² scale). Littorina grazing, in contrast, created a pronounced spatial heterogeneity with maximum:minmum ratios of almost 3 orders of magnitude. When algae were exposed to mixtures of both gazers, the spatial heterogeneity of microalgal cell densities increased with an increasing proportion of Littorina in the herbivore mixture. Algal species richness, diversity and evenness also increased with increasing proportions of Littorina, and was highly significantly correlated with the spatial heterogeneity of cell densities. Received: 25 May 1999 / Accepted: 14 September 1999     

Climate warming affects biological invasions by shifting interactions of plants and herbivores

Plants and herbivorous insects can each be dramatically affected by temperature. Climate warming may impact plant invasion success directly but also indirectly through changes in their natural enemies. To date, however, there are no tests of how climate warming shifts the interactions among invasive plants and their natural enemies to affect invasion success. Field surveys covering the full latitudinal range of invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides in China showed that a beetle introduced for biocontrol was rare or absent at higher latitudes. In contrast, plant cover and mass increased with latitude. In a 2‐year field experiment near the northern limit of beetle distribution, we found the beetle sustained populations across years under elevated temperature, dramatically decreasing A. philoxeroides growth, but it failed to overwinter in ambient temperature. Together, these results suggest that warming will allow the natural enemy to expand its range, potentially benefiting biocontrol in regions that are currently too cold for the natural enemy. However, the invader may also expand its range further north in response to warming. In such cases where plants tolerate cold better than their natural enemies, the geographical gap between plant and herbivorous insect ranges may not disappear but will shift to higher latitudes, leading to a new zone of enemy release. Therefore, warming will not only affect plant invasions directly but also drive either enemy release or increase that will result in contrasting effects on invasive plants. The findings are also critical for future management of invasive species under climate change.     

Spatial heterogeneity and irreversible vegetation change in semiarid grazing systems

Recent theoretical studies have shown that spatial redistribution of surface water may explain the occurrence of patterns of alternating vegetated and degraded patches in semiarid grasslands. These results implied, however, that spatial redistribution processes cannot explain the collapse of production on coarser scales observed in these systems. We present a spatially explicit vegetation model to investigate possible mechanisms explaining irreversible vegetation collapse on coarse spatial scales. The model results indicate that the dynamics of vegetation on coarse scales are determined by the interaction of two spatial feedback processes. Loss of plant cover in a certain area results in increased availability of water in remaining vegetated patches through run-on of surface water, promoting within-patch plant production. Hence, spatial redistribution of surface water creates negative feedback between reduced plant cover and increased plant growth in remaining vegetation. Reduced plant cover, however, results in focusing of herbivore grazing in the remaining vegetation. Hence, redistribution of herbivores creates positive feedback between reduced plant cover and increased losses due to grazing in remaining vegetated patches, leading to collapse of the entire vegetation. This may explain irreversible vegetation shifts in semiarid grasslands on coarse spatial scales.     

Spatial pattern changes of grazing cattle population I

A cattle population presents three spatial patterns according to their behaviour. These patterns are as follows: the random spatial pattern which occurs when the cattle move during grazing (feeding), the aggregated spatial pattern which occurs when they rest, and the regular or quasi-regular spatial pattern which occurs when they separate into two or more subgroups. In this study, these three states of behaviour were represented by a mathematical model, and a method to test the pattern statistically was derived.     

Theoretical predictions for how temperature affects the dynamics of interacting herbivores and plants

Concern about climate change has spurred experimental tests of how warming affects species' abundance and performance. As this body of research grows, interpretation and extrapolation to other species and systems have been limited by a lack of theory. To address the need for theory for how warming affects species interactions, we used consumer-prey models and the metabolic theory of ecology to develop quantitative predictions for how systematic differences between the temperature dependence of heterotrophic and autotrophic population growth lead to temperature-dependent herbivory. We found that herbivore and plant abundances change with temperature in proportion to the ratio of autotrophic to heterotrophic metabolic temperature dependences. This result is consistent across five different formulations of consumer-prey models and over varying resource supply rates. Two models predict that temperature-dependent herbivory causes primary producer abundance to be independent of temperature. This finding contradicts simpler extensions of metabolic theory to abundance that ignore trophic interactions, and is consistent with patterns in terrestrial ecosystems. When applied to experimental data, the model explained 77% and 66% of the variation in phytoplankton and zooplankton abundances, respectively. We suggest that metabolic theory provides a foundation for understanding the effects of temperature change on multitrophic ecological communities.     

围栏封育和自由放牧对克氏针茅草原植被空间异质性的影响

群落组成结构的异质性是群落动态的主要属性。本研究采用样线、样方调查方法,基于物种频度与幂函数法则,分析了内蒙古克氏针茅草原围栏封育和自由放牧条件下群落物种结构与空间异质性的变化。结果表明:在围栏外和围栏内不同利用方式下,物种均呈现集中分布;从水分生态型、生活型、生育型、种子传播型和植物科属等不同功能群类别来看,旱生植物和中旱生植物广泛分布,生活型以多年生草本植物为主,依靠重力传播种子的植物占有相对较大的比例,达到60%以上,禾本科、百合科、菊科和豆科等适牧植物具有相对优势;在围栏保护状态下,物种多样性增加,群落异质性降低,放牧退化草原开始向群落状况良好的草原类型演替。     

Statistical opportunities for analyzing spatial and temporal heterogeneity of field soils

Statistical techniques for analyzing data in the agricultural sciences have traditionally followed the pioneering efforts of R.A. Fisher who assumed that observations in the field were independent and identically distributed. Such techniques, proven useful in the past and still being used today for comparing the merits of different management practices or different treatments, are presently giving way to additional methods that are based upon observations being spatially or temporally correlated. It is physically more sensible to expect soil attributes to be correlated when they are measured at adjacent points in space or time. Spatially repetitious patterns of soil attributes for physical and biological processes occurring at distances of a few molecules to those of kilometers are also expected. Opportunities to use geostatistics, time series analyses, state-space models, spectral analyses of variance, lagged regression models and other alternative techniques for analyzing multidimensional random fields are available to enhance the understanding of agro-ecosystems. Approaches to modeling and fitting data using stochastic partial differential equations and scaling techniques also help reveal the underlying processes occurring in field soils. Inclusion of these alternatives in the development of an agro-ecological technology leads to improved sampling designs to better entire management units, rather than ascertaining the impact of particular, sometimes arbitrary treatments applied to a set of small plots using analysis of variance methods.     

Developmental responses of individual Onobrychis plants to spatial heterogeneity

An experimental study was undertaken to assess the extent to which better-situated branches correlatively inhibit other branches on the same plant which are growing in relatively inferior conditions. The experiments were carried out on naturally-grown Onobrychis squarrosa L. (Papilionaceae), a dominant annual plant of the Mediterranean region of Israel. Treatments were carried out (i) on young plants that only had a seminal shoot, and (ii) on plants after lateral branches had started growing. Differential shade conditions were achieved by the repeated removal of neighbours on one side of the plants. The plants were either left intact or damaged by removing different parts of their branch system. In intact plants, growth responses to the differential light conditions which were expressed by the number of branches, leaves and fruits showed some evidence for support of the shaded branches by the exposed branches on the same plant. In contrast, heterogeneous treatments of both shade and branch damaging led to development that reflected marked correlative inhibition of the shaded parts of the plant. The results show that a latent potential for correlative inhibition between branches exists throughout plant development and that in Onobrychis it can be readily realised when plants are damaged. This could depend on known traits of auxin acting as a correlative signal of growing branches. The observed responses of Onobrychis can be understood as an adaptive strategy which reflects the low reliability of environmental signals and the high cost of changing the course of development, especially in short-lived annual plants.     

不同放牧模式下高原鼠兔洞口的空间分布格局变化

2019年4-11月,在四川省若尔盖县选取全年禁牧、冬季放牧、全年放牧3种放牧模式样地,对高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae)洞口的数量、空间分布格局变化及影响因子进行了研究.计算平均最近邻指数和S2/m比值来分析样方(10m×10m)和样地水平下的空间分布格局,通过非参数检验评估空间分布格局在不同放牧模式...     

Contrasting effects of large herbivore grazing on smaller herbivores

Assemblages of large herbivores may compete for food or facilitate one another. However, small vertebrate herbivore species co-occurring with large herbivores may be affected by large herbivore grazing through changes in plant species composition, nutrient content and vegetation structure. These changes can be either positive or negative for the smaller herbivores, but this may depend on the species of small herbivores. We experimentally tested the impact of cattle grazing on habitat choice of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and common voles (Microtus arvalis). We excluded cattle for 7 years and measured changes in vegetation parameters, and the response of rabbits and voles. Rabbits were facilitated by cattle, whereas voles strongly preferred vegetation without cattle. The facilitation effect was stronger at low rabbit densities. Vegetation biomass and nitrogen concentration were not affected by cattle grazing, but vegetation height increased significantly where cattle were excluded. Plant species composition also changed following cattle exclusion; however, the main food plants of rabbits and voles remained abundant in each grazing treatment. We conclude that the response of both rabbits and voles predominantly reflect the differences in vegetation height in the presence and absence of cattle, but in a contrasting fashion. The difference in response between rabbits and voles may result from reduced perceived predation risk, which is lowest in high vegetation for voles, but in short vegetation for rabbits, which depend on their burrows for safety. The use of large herbivores in grassland conservation management can thus have a contrasting effect on different species of small herbivores.     

多年放牧对不同类型草原植被及土壤碳同位素的影响

放牧是草原牧区常见的人类活动,多年放牧对草原植被及土壤的碳过程产生较大的影响.本研究采集不同类型草原多年放牧前后植被及土壤样品,对室内碳同位素进行分析,研究了不同草原生态系统Δ¹³C(碳同位素分馏值)差异及其影响因素.结果表明: 放牧强度对植被Δ¹³C值的影响显著,0～5 cm表层土壤Δ¹³C值在放牧前后变化显著,而对深层土壤(>5 cm)影响不显著.多年放牧后大部分植被Δ¹³C值显著升高,高海拔地区升高的幅度较大.可见,放牧行为对不同草地生态系统类型、不同土壤深度以及不同海拔生态系统碳过程产生的影响差异显著.针对不同类型的草原,放牧应采取多样化的管理方式.     

Spatial heterogeneity of soil properties in areas under elephant-grass short-duration grazing system

Soil properties can be changed by several factors, such as plant roots and animal trampling. The identification of spatial heterogeneity of these properties depends on the sampling scale. This study was developed to test the hypothesis that soil chemical and physical properties beneath elephant-grass plants are different from those between them. The research was carried out in a soil classified as Kandiudalfic Eutrudox. Forty-eight soil samples were collected from 0-10 cm depth (24 beneath plants and 24 between plants). The following properties were measured: pH, organic matter, S, available P, K, Ca and Mg exchangeable, sum of bases, cation exchange capacity, base saturation percentage, dry-aggregate distribution, bulk density and soil penetration resistance. Statistical analyses (t test) indicated that there were no significant differences in soil chemical properties in relation to spatial position. However, significant differences were observed in soil physical properties, with higher values of bulk density and soil resistance to penetration between the plants than beneath the plants.     

广西森林土壤主要养分的空间异质性

通过对广西区7大森林片区的11个主要森林类型样地土壤养分含量进行分析,利用地统计学方法,研究了广西区森林主要土壤养分的空间变异状况及分布格局,探讨了其相关的生态学过程,以期为广西区森林分区与林间采取不同措施管理提供科学依据。结果表明:广西区森林土壤主要养分基本属于中等变异,速效养分变异大于全量养分,其中AP、AK变异程度最大;广西森林土壤主要养分的半变异函数均表现出一定的空间结构特征,TN、TP、AP表现为中等强度的空间自相关,TK、AN、AK表现为强烈的空间自相关;不同土壤养分空间结构不同,Kriging等值线图表明广西区氮素含量比较丰富、K含量中等、P含量较少,北部片区土壤养分含量普遍大于南部片区,这可能与气候、降雨、人工种植森林树种、地形、林地管理措施等有关。     

不同放牧强度下冷蒿种群小尺度空间格局

时间、空间格局的发展和维持及其对种群和生态系统的影响一直是生态学研究的中心议题 ,这些问题的核心是观察的尺度怎样影响格局的描述。冷蒿 (Artemisia frigida)种群伴随着典型草原退化演替的各个阶段 ,对其所在群落的结构和功能具有重要的影响。应用 Ripley's K函数以及蒙特卡罗 (Monte Carlo)随机模拟方法 ,定量分析了 4种放牧强度下冷蒿种群在 0～10 0 cm尺度上的空间格局及其随尺度的变化规律 ;研究了放牧对冷蒿种群空间格局的影响以及冷蒿在放牧胁迫下的生态适应对策。并以放牧条件下冷蒿的生活史特征、生态适应对策以及群落内植物种间的相互作用为基础 ,探讨产生和维持这些格局的机理。研究结果表明 :1放牧对冷蒿种群空间格局有显著影响。同一放牧强度下冷蒿种群在不同尺度 (0～ 10 0 cm)上的空间格局存在显著差异 ;2在 0～ 10 0 cm尺度上 ,无牧、轻牧条件下冷蒿种群的空间格局为聚集分布 ;中牧条件下在 0～ 6 0 cm尺度上冷蒿种群的空间格局为聚集分布 ,而在 6 0～ 10 0 cm尺度上为均匀分布 ;重牧条件下在 0～ 72 cm尺度上冷蒿种群的空间格局为聚集分布 ,而在 72～ 10 0 cm尺度上为均匀分布 ,这与其自身的生物学特性和种群对放牧压力的生态适应对策密切相关 ;3放牧活动的加剧改变了群落中的各种