Effects of fragmentation on vascular plant diversity in a Mediterranean forest archipelago

Abstract

We analysed the effects of patch size and isolation on vascular plants in Quercus cerris forest surrounding Rome (Italy). We randomly sampled 96 plots within 18 forest patches with homogeneous environmental variables; the patches ranged from 1.4 ha to 424.5 ha and were divided into four size classes. We performed the analyses at the patch level using linear regression. At the size class level, the analysis of species richness response to fragmentation (area effect) was performed with ANOVA, while the effect on community composition was analysed by means of PERMANOVA. We also investigated which species could be used as indicator species for each size class. Lastly, to evaluate the advantages of conserving several small patches as opposed to few large ones, we used a cumulative area approach ranking forest fragments. The correlation between species richness and patch area was positive, with a significant difference between the “large” and “small” size classes, while analysis on community composition showed that “large” versus “medium” and “large” versus “small” were significantly different. Nemoral species were recognised as indicators in the “large” class, and shrub and edge species in the “small” class. Our results indicate that 10 ha may be a suitable forest size threshold for planning and conservation.     

城市生态网络分析研究进展

自生态网络分析方法提出40多年来,其理论发展和应用实践不断拓展,但直至21世纪才不断引入到城市生态系统研究中,用以分析城市内部多个主体和多种生态流构成的关联网络。目前,城市生态网络分析集中于生态网络分析方法与指标的拓展及多尺度的应用研究,而生态网络分析方法又形成了上升性分析和环境元分析两大分支,多尺度应用涵盖了城市镶嵌的区域背景尺度和城市内部产业部门之间的细节尺度。然而,当前研究仍存在着多尺度融合、多种生态网络分析方法集成不足等问题,这限制了城市生态网络分析方法在城市规划设计中的应用。未来城市生态网络分析研究集中于如下3点:(1)开展多尺度城市生态网络分析,包括城市群-城市-园区/社区等,构建多级嵌套生态网络模型;(2)集成上升性与环境元分析方法,提出由外在表征到内在过程的城市生态系统评价模式及模拟方法;(3)强调自然节点在城市生态网络中的重要作用,形成社会经济节点与自然节点并重的生态网络模型,并强调构建多精度的生态网络模型服务于不同的研究目的。     

Discrete Modeling of Dynamics of Zooplankton Community at the Different Stages of an Antropogeneous Eutrophication

Mathematical modeling is a convenient way for characterization of complex ecosystems. This approach was applied to study the dynamics of zooplankton in Lake Sevan (Armenia) at different stages of anthropogenic eutrophication with the use of a novel method called discrete modeling of dynamical systems with feedback (DMDS). Simulation demonstrated that the application of this method helps in characterization of inter- and intra-component relationships in a natural ecosystem. This method describes all possible pairwise inter-component relationships like “plus–plus,” “minus–minus,” “plus–minus,” “plus–zero,” “minus–zero,” and “zero–zero” that occur in most ecosystems. Based on the results, a working hypothesis was formulated. It was found that the sensitivity to weak external influence in zooplanktons was the greatest during the mid period of eutrophication in Lake Sevan, whereas in the final stages of eutrophication, an outbreak in the biomass production of cyanobacteria was evident. To support this approach, a weak external disturbance in the form of magnetic storm was used to see its effect on species Daphnia longispina sevanica. A statistically significant correlation between the frequency of magnetic storms and the number of this species was revealed and an increase in the number of toxic cyanobacteria species as a consequence of eutrophication. This paper, for the first time, suggests a DMDS method, to diagnose impact of anthropogenic eutrophication on environment.     

Are Socioeconomic Benefits of Restoration Adequately Quantified? A Meta‐analysis of Recent Papers (2000–2008) in Restoration Ecology and 12 Other Scientific Journals

Many ecosystems have been transformed, or degraded by human use, and restoration offers an opportunity to recover services and benefits, not to mention intrinsic values. We assessed whether restoration scientists and practitioners use their projects to demonstrate the benefits restoration can provide in their peer‐reviewed publications. We evaluated a sample of the academic literature to determine whether links are made explicit between ecological restoration, society, and public policy related to natural capital. We analyzed 1,582 peer‐reviewed papers dealing with ecological restoration published between 1 January 2000 and 30 September 2008 in 13 leading scientific journals. As selection criterion, we considered papers that contained either “restoration” or “rehabilitation” in their title, abstract, or keywords. Furthermore, as one‐third of the papers were published in Restoration Ecology, we used that journal as a reference for comparison with all the other journals. We readily acknowledge that aquatic ecosystems are under‐represented, and that the largely inaccessible gray literature was ignored. Within these constraints, we found clear evidence that restoration practitioners are failing to signal links between ecological restoration, society, and policy, and are underselling the evidence of benefits of restoration as a worthwhile investment for society. We discuss this assertion and illustrate it with samples of our findings—with regards to (1) the geographical and institutional affiliations of authors; (2) the choice of ecosystems studied, methods employed, monitoring schemes applied, and the spatial scale of studies; and (3) weak links to payments for ecosystem service setups, agriculture, and ramifications for public policy.     

Leucophores and iridophores of Fundulus heteroclitus: Biophysical and ultrastructural properties

Classical light microscopic studies on pigmentation of Fundulus heteroclitus (killifish) indicated that there are three groups of light reflecting cells; one group on the surface of scales reflects white light, while two other deeper groups (the melaniridophores and the stratum argenteum) are iridescent. The results presented here show that: (1) The scale leucophores reflect white light by a Tyndall light-scattering mechanism, by virtue of the presence of randomly oriented organelles of “novel” morphology. (2) The iridophores of the melaniridophores contain stacks of irregularly-spaced, large reflecting platelets which function as an imperfect multiple thin layer interference system. (3) The stratum argenteum consists of a continuous layer(s) of iridophores with reflecting platelets which are so regularly packed as to approach an ideal multiple thin layer interference system. (4) In all three types of light reflecting cells, the dimensions and packing (orientation) of the reflecting organelles satisfactorily account for the chromogenic properties of the cells, including colors as viewed under transmitted, reflected, or polarized light. (5) The spacial relationships between these light reflecting cells and adjoining melanophores are different for each type of light reflecting cell. Furthermore, we propose to replace the term reflecting platelet with refractosome.     

A structural equation modeling approach for formalizing and evaluating ecological integrity in terrestrial ecosystems

Ecological integrity is a functional property that integrates habitat functions and species information for maintaining key ecological interactions in predator-prey systems. As a functional property, ecological integrity can be modeled as a latent concept from observable spatial attributes that measure the ecosystem's capacity to provide suitable habitat conditions for apex predators. Ecological integrity is a tri-dimensional concept that stems from “stable”, “concurrent” and “intact” conditions. A theoretical framework and a methodology is presented here for modeling ecological integrity from observable attributes (as GIS layers) to obtain a spatial representation of the integrity condition. From a theoretical framework, the ecological integrity concept is obtained with a structural equation modeling approach, where several other latent variables are obtained for characterizing a hierarchical network of spatial information. Later on, these observable attributes, and several latent modeled variables are translated into sources of geographic information that can be used to monitor changes in the natural remnant areas due to human impacts. When examining the direct, indirect and total effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on ecological integrity, spatial intactness (e.g., the amount of remnant habitat and connectivity) and stability (resistance in the interaction network and mobile links) are the attributes more affected by the pathway effects. The balance of the formative parameters obtained for the model supports the idea that ecosystems that have a high degree of integrity should maintain a high level of stability, self-organization and naturalness. These attributes are achieved when spatial habitat intactness and species interactions are maintained.     

The biogeography of New Zealand’s terrestrial vertebrates

Abstract

New Zealand’s peculiar biota has fueled more than a century of biogeographic interest. During this time a number of workers have offered classifications synthesising biotic and geographical relationships. More recently, Fleming (1963, 1979) has recognised that these systems have much in common and tried to reconcile them into a more general scheme. He distinguished seven elements emphasising relationships with Australia and the southern ocean with less important “Holarctic” and tropical “Malayo-Pacific” components and a “New Zealand Element” in the Pacific. The remainder are “Endemic” with no close relatives to indicate their “place of origin” and “Cosmopolitan” for those “embarrassing organisms” too widely distributed to be included elsewhere. Only the ratites, tuatara, and frog were considered old enough to have used terrestrial links, the remainder having crossed over water from the terminals of dispersal pathways recognised in the classification. The colonisation of New Zealand by Australian birds in historic times were regarded as examples of this mechanism in action (Falla 1953; Fleming 1962). This view of biogeographic relationship necessarily plays down the wider perspectives used by such workers as Hutton (1872, 1904) and Croizat (1958).     

Macroecological scale effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functions under environmental change

Conserving different spatial and temporal dimensions of biological diversity is considered necessary for maintaining ecosystem functions under predicted global change scenarios. Recent work has shifted the focus from spatially local (α‐diversity) to macroecological scales (β‐ and γ‐diversity), emphasizing links between macroecological biodiversity and ecosystem functions (MB–EF relationships). However, before the outcomes of MB–EF analyses can be useful to real‐world decisions, empirical modeling needs to be developed for natural ecosystems, incorporating a broader range of data inputs, environmental change scenarios, underlying mechanisms, and predictions. We outline the key conceptual and technical challenges currently faced in developing such models and in testing and calibrating the relationships assumed in these models using data from real ecosystems. These challenges are explored in relation to two potential MB–EF mechanisms: “macroecological complementarity” and “spatiotemporal compensation.” Several regions have been sufficiently well studied over space and time to robustly test these mechanisms by combining cutting‐edge spatiotemporal methods with remotely sensed data, including plant community data sets in Australia, Europe, and North America. Assessing empirical MB–EF relationships at broad spatiotemporal scales will be crucial in ensuring these macroecological processes can be adequately considered in the management of biodiversity and ecosystem functions under global change.     

Establishment,Maintenance, and Integration Mechanisms of Endosymbionts in Protozoa1

ABSTRACT. Important progress has been made in recent years towards better understanding of the establishment and maintenance of endosymbiosis in protozoa and of the eventual integrative mechanisms involved. Still, many problems remain to be investigated more thoroughly. In this paper, while treating and reviewing the subject broadly, particular and more detailed attention is given to three selected systems: endonuclear symbiosis by Holospora bacteria in Paramecium; algal (Chlorella) relationships with the “green”Paramecium (P. bursaria) as host; and the rod-shaped bacteria found in the cytoplasm of Amoeba proteus. Data concerning the physiology of food vacuoles, membrane transport, photobehavior, recognition specificity, enzyme activity, and the like are presented and reviewed and discussed in light of the growing literature on the overall subject of “endocytobiology.” Emphasized is the complicated network of interactions between symbiotic partners and the importance of the development of integrative mechanisms in the evolution of the many intimate associations known at the cellular level today.     

Benthic indicators of sediment quality associated with run-of-river reservoirs

Freshwater ecosystems have been fragmented by the construction of large numbers of dams. In addition to disruption of ecological continuity and physical disturbance downstream, accumulation of large amounts of sediment within run-of-river reservoirs constitutes a latent ecotoxic risk to aquatic communities. To date, run-of-river reservoirs and ecotoxic risks associated with contaminated sediment to the biodiversity and functioning of such systems are little studied. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to describe macroinvertebrate assemblages, and the functioning of these systems, and to propose indicators of sediment contamination to integrate in in-situ risk assessment methodology. To identify specific assemblages of run-of-river reservoirs, we first compared macroinvertebrate assemblages and their biotrait profiles (i.e. from a database of biological and ecological traits) in reservoirs (n = 6) and associated river sites (upstream and downstream of dams). Then, we compared responses of assemblages and biotrait profiles to sediment contamination of the banks and channels of reservoirs to select the most useful spatial scale to identify sediment contamination. Nineteen indicator taxa were observed to be specifically associated with channel habitats of reservoirs. Among these, the abundance of three taxa (Tanypodinae (Diptera), Ephemerella (Ephemeroptera) and Atherix (Diptera)) revealed the effect of metal sediment contamination. “Between-reservoirs” differences in their biotrait profile were found along the contamination gradient, with a shift of communities’ composition and functionality, and an increase in functional similarity. Many traits (response traits), for example “maximum size”, “transverse distribution”, “substrate preferences”, “saprobity”, “temperature”, “resistance forms”, and “locomotion”, were specifically linked to contamination of sediments by metals. This study indicates how sediment contamination can change the structural and functional composition of run-of-river reservoir assemblages. Indicator taxa and response traits identified in this study could improve current risk assessment methodology and potentially enable prediction of the risks of contaminated sediments stored in reservoirs in downstream ecosystems.     

Environment and sustainable development indicators in Lebanon: A practical municipal level approach

In close coordination and collaboration with the Lebanese Environment and Development Observatory at the Ministry of Environment, the Faculty of Health Science at the University of Balamand developed an action plan to “establish a decentralized environment and sustainable development monitoring network through local authorities using agreed upon environment and development indicators”. This effort was part of a pilot regional project involving six Mediterranean countries with funds provided by the Ministry of Environment, Greece through the University of Athens to establish a “Mediterranean Environmental Reporting, Monitoring and Information System” for Mediterranean countries. According to a well-defined selection process, a total of 44 municipalities out of more than 700 municipalities belonging to three unions representing three different regions in Lebanon qualified for inclusion in the project with 17 choosing to participate in MED-ERMIS-Lebanon. Meetings with concerned public officials at all levels were then held to ensure the support of all relevant governmental institutions and therefore the success of the project. Applying a participatory approach, local government officers and representatives from concerned ministries, universities, research centers and non-governmental organizations were invited to attend the different workshops at the municipality level to produce the appropriate lists of indicators. A total of 110 indicators were generated and grouped into four major categories adopted by the national indicator system: (1) population and socio-economics; (2) economic activities; (3) environment; and (4) sustainable development activities and policies. “Indicator data sheets”, a “door-to-door questionnaire” and a “municipality archive survey” were developed for data compilation, calculation, and presentation; and a total of 6250 surveys were filled (≈20%). Field surveying was carried out by trained teams using the “Multistage Cluster Systematic Random Sampling” technique and data entered for analysis. Data is being currently interpreted, and a user-friendly software application hosted on the University of Balamand web-site to facilitate the updating of indicators and the dissemination of indicator data on the World Wide Web has been developed allowing access to information by all interested parties.     

Three new blood groups of rhesus monkeys

Three new blood group systems, called “T,” “U,” and “V,” have been identified in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Each system consists of a single antigenic factor (blood group) detected by a monospecific alloimmune reagent that agglutinates erythrocytes. The antisera that detect these blood groups were obtained following a series of alloimmunizations and absorption fractionizations of the resulting antisera to produce operationally monospecific typing reagents. Analyses of family data indicated that each blood group was controlled by an autosomal dominant gene and that each system was independent of previously defined systems. With the addition of these new blood groups, we can identify 16 different blood group systems and well over one hundred million possible phenotypes in this species.     

Sustainable Coastal Development: The Dual Mandate and a Recommendation for "Commerce Managed Areas"

Pitting the dynamicism and uncertainty inherent in undisturbed coastal ecosystems against the stability and predictability required of human‐dominated landscapes creates the paradox of the dual mandate. We describe a gradient of estuarine types ranging from systems that experience little human intrusion—conservation estuaries—to those that are dominated by people or extractive uses—production and urban‐industrial estuaries. Future approaches to managing these estuarine resources will require a division of the concept of marine protected areas into at least two subcategories: “conservation” managed areas (C_ConservationMAs) and “commerce” managed areas (C_CommerceMAs). The latter includes conditions where humans are not only a core feature of the landscape but also where extractive uses drive a large part of the local, regional, and even national economy. System reliability and predictability of ecosystem services are integral components of any management scheme in C_CommerceMAs. By recognizing this division managers can construct appropriate baselines that encompass the biodiversity and ecological integrity inherent in relatively undisturbed estuaries (or portions thereof), or the ecosystem health and system reliability that characterize urban‐industrial systems. The terms ecosystem restoration and ecosystem rehabilitation are also distinguished; the former term is used to describe practices that return ecosystems to optimum biological integrity, whereas the latter term is applied to the health of human‐dominated estuaries where the goal is to manage natural processes and functions. Our proposed approach does not mean that ecosystem quality is sacrificed in urban‐industrial or production systems; to the contrary, contaminant source control, suitable sediment and water quality, and the human endeavors to address them are just as important to sustaining commercial activity as they are to the well‐being of extant biota. So too, are the conservation and preservation of existing critical habitat (proximate reservoirs of biodiversity) in urban‐industrial systems, and rehabilitation of habitats that support species coadapted to the presence of humans.     

Simulating direct and indirect effects of climatic changes on rare perennial plant species in fragmented landscapes

Question: How does climate change influence plant species population dynamics, their time to extinction, and proportion of occupied habitats in a fragmented landscape? Location: Germany and Central European lowland. Methods: We apply a mechanistic general simulation model to test the response of plant functional types to direct and indirect effects of climate change. Three functional types were chosen to represent a set of well‐studied perennial plant species: Juncus atratus, Gentiana pneumonanthe and Primula veris. We link local population dynamics within a heterogeneous, fragmented landscape context. “Species spheres”, i.e. multi‐dimensional parameter ranges rather than single parameter realizations, based on field and literature data served as proxy for life stage transition parameters. Four climatic scenarios summarizing different cumulative weather effects on demographic rates and different local disturbance frequencies were run. The model predicts “time to extinction” (TE) and “proportion of occupied habitat” (POH) as regional indicators for species extinction risk. Results: TE decreased for all species when weather conditions worsened, and even more so when the frequency of local destructive events additionally increased. However, management towards fewer disturbance events could buffer the negative effect of climate to some extent. The magnitude of these responses varied with species type. POH declined with an increase in bad weather as well as with increasing disturbance frequency. The better the climatic conditions, the less severe were disturbances on population performance. Conclusions: The “species spheres” proved to be a valuable approach for predictive trends. As climate change usually also implies destructive events such as land‐use change, flooding or fire, our model on local and regional extinction risks can support conservation issues and management actions.     

Periodic signals of climatic variables and water quality in a river – eutrophic pond – wetland cascade ecosystem tracked by wavelet coherence analysis

Lakes are sensitive to changes in their environmental boundary conditions that can be indicated in the periodic behavior of water quality variables. The present work aims to assess the degree to which common annual periodic behavior is present (1994–2010) in the meteorological parameters (global radiation, air temperature, cloud cover), streamflow; and five primary nutrients (e.g. total phosphorus, nitrate-nitrogen) as possible indicators of ecosystem vulnerability in four different ecosystems using wavelet coherence analysis. The cascade system is located in the mouth of a shallow river where the water flows through a eutrophic pond then a disturbed/undisturbed macrophyte covered wetland reaching a large shallow lake. The results highlight the differing abilities of the elements of the cascade of ecosystems to follow seasonality. The changes in water quality (nutrient cycle) in the eutrophic pond most closely mirror meteorological seasonality. The vulnerability of the wetland ecosystem was expressed by its decreased capacity to follow seasonal changes due to high algae loads and additional inflows. Moreover, the wetland proved to be weak and unstable regarding phosphorus and nitrogen retention. With the successful application of wavelet coherence analysis to the “black-box” cascade system the study sets an example for the implications of the method in such combined or stand-alone natural/partially-constructed ecosystems.     

Indicators of hemeroby for the monitoring of landscapes in Germany

The article discusses the concepts of “closeness to nature” and “hemeroby”, and outlines a method to establish two indicators of hemeroby. Until now Germany's national land use monitoring systems have lacked an indicator to capture the naturalness respectively hemeroby of the landscape. Based on digital spatial data on land use (DLM-DE) and the mapping of potential natural vegetation, these indicators have now been estimated for the whole of Germany and illustrated cartographically. The indicators have been integrated into a land use monitoring system (IOER-Monitor). A hemeroby index that considers all hemeroby classes of a reference area (e.g. administrative unit and regular grid cell) is presented as well as an indicator named “Proportion of certain natural areas”. The results on hemeroby of several time-cuts can be used to estimate the cumulative impact of land use changes on the environmental status.     

Immunogenicity and safety of H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin protein expressed in a baculovirus system

Although most influenza vaccines are produced in eggs, new types of vaccines must be developed. In this study, the immunogenicity and safety of a baculovirus‐expressed hemagglutinin (HA) of H1N1 influenza virus (Korea/01/2009; designated “HA‐Bac‐K”) was compared with those of a commercially available baculovirus‐expressed HA (designated “HA‐Bac‐C”) and an Escherichia coli‐expressed HA (designated “HA‐E. Coli‐K”). HA‐Bac‐K succeeded in inducing hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization antibodies in mouse and ferret models. The different immunogenicities observed may be attributable to the different expression systems and purification protocols used. Our work suggests that HA expressed in a baculovirus system is an effective and safe candidate influenza vaccine.