Growth enhancement due to global atmospheric change as predicted by terrestrial ecosystem models: consistent with US forest inventory data

Small reported growth enhancement factors based on analyses of forest inventory data from the eastern USA ( Caspersen et al. 2000 , Science, 290, 1148–1151) have been interpreted as evidence against CO₂ fertilization in natural forests. We show to the contrary that growth enhancement in response to rising CO₂, as found in ecosystems with experimental CO₂ enrichment and implemented in terrestrial ecosystem models, is consistent with the data that have been presented within their uncertainties. Comparing forest inventory data with results of an empirical model of age‐dependent biomass accumulation, we find that growth enhancement of plausible magnitude could not be detected in these data, even if it were present. Although forest regrowth due to land‐use change is recognized as an important cause of carbon uptake by eastern US forests, forest inventory data do not provide a basis for eliminating environmentally induced growth enhancement as a substantial contribution to the global terrestrial carbon sink.     

Pollination and other ecosystem services produced by mobile organisms: a conceptual framework for the effects of land-use change

Many ecosystem services are delivered by organisms that depend on habitats that are segregated spatially or temporally from the location where services are provided. Management of mobile organisms contributing to ecosystem services requires consideration not only of the local scale where services are delivered, but also the distribution of resources at the landscape scale, and the foraging ranges and dispersal movements of the mobile agents. We develop a conceptual model for exploring how one such mobile-agent-based ecosystem service (MABES), pollination, is affected by land-use change, and then generalize the model to other MABES. The model includes interactions and feedbacks among policies affecting land use, market forces and the biology of the organisms involved. Animal-mediated pollination contributes to the production of goods of value to humans such as crops; it also bolsters reproduction of wild plants on which other services or service-providing organisms depend. About one-third of crop production depends on animal pollinators, while 60–90% of plant species require an animal pollinator. The sensitivity of mobile organisms to ecological factors that operate across spatial scales makes the services provided by a given community of mobile agents highly contextual. Services vary, depending on the spatial and temporal distribution of resources surrounding the site, and on biotic interactions occurring locally, such as competition among pollinators for resources, and among plants for pollinators. The value of the resulting goods or services may feed back via market-based forces to influence land-use policies, which in turn influence land management practices that alter local habitat conditions and landscape structure. Developing conceptual models for MABES aids in identifying knowledge gaps, determining research priorities, and targeting interventions that can be applied in an adaptive management context.     

社会-生态综合视角下海岸带生态监管框架与应用——以深圳为例

海岸带作为海洋与陆地两大生态系统的连接与桥梁,既是国民经济、社会发展的重要区域与战略中心,也是生态环境破坏和污染的热点区域。以往针对海岸带区域开展的城市化对生态环境的影响研究,主要利用30 m空间分辨率的Landsat数据分析城市扩张对自然生态系统的侵占,如自然用地减少、景观异质性降低、填海造陆速度变快等,而针对污染产业、人类活动等引起的河口水质污染、水温异常、自然岸线退化等复杂生态环境问题关注不足,难以满足陆海统筹管理、综合防治的需求。因此,研究围绕海岸带面临的主要问题,面向海岸带生态环境综合管制,构建了“问题识别-格局量化-地面调查-生态监管”的综合框架,通过明确生态环境问题,量化社会-生态格局,开展实地调查,制定生态监管目标和策略。通过融合高分影像、兴趣点、道路等多源异构数据并结合地面调查,准确识别影响生态环境的社会-生态格局因子,实现空间显性的生态监管。进一步以深圳为典型案例,探讨该概念框架的应用,将深圳市海岸带划分为了四类共980个生态监管单元,其中包括153个优先保护单元,主要为分布在海岸带东部的林地,7个生态风险较大的核心管控单元,597个几乎分布在海岸带西部的重点管控单...     

生态系统关键参量监测设备研制与生态物联网示范

本文主要介绍国家重点研发计划2016年首批立项的重点专项"生态系统关键参量监测设备研制与生态物联网示范"(2016YFC500100)的项目立项背景、主要研究内容及总体目标。本项目紧密围绕国家生态监测需求,与国际上生态监测科学技术前沿并跑,研发生态系统关键参量监测设备和生态物联网关键技术,开展示范和产业化推广,推动我国生态监测技术的自主创新,服务我国脆弱生态修复与保护需求,增强我国生态监测的立体化、自动化、智能化水平,满足国家实时生态监测的需求。     

面向生态监管的多等级生态功能网格概念与框架

科学有效的生态监管是落实我国生态文明建设、保障区域生态安全、实现城市可持续发展的必要途径和重要抓手。生态系统的监管涉及到社会、经济、自然等多个维度,水、土、气、生等多类要素,国家到局地等多个尺度。目前,已有生态监管常存在生态系统、生态要素、行政单元的割裂。如何整体考虑以上特征,开展科学的、系统的、空间显性的生态监管亟需理论技术的创新。通过整合等级斑块动态范式、复合生态系统理论、多功能景观理论,构建了多等级生态功能网格框架,以期为生态监管提供一个综合的概念与技术框架。等级斑块动态范式从等级作用的角度构建了多等级网格骨架,复合生态系统理论从多个维度丰富了多等级网格内涵,多功能景观理论明确了网格的功能。通过耦合多等级生态功能网格的划分、评价和监管,可实现系统、整体、差异化的生态监管,为生态文明建设提供有力支撑。     

基于复合生态系统理论的海洋生态监控区区划指标框架研究

海岸带是海陆生态系统的交错带,其生态系统对社会经济发展和全球变化敏感、脆弱。随着沿海各省市新一轮开发规划的实施,近岸海域生态环境面临巨大压力,海洋生态管理面临着新的经济、环境问题,海洋生态监控区需要进行适应性调整。海洋生态监控区,指依据海洋生态特征和问题冲突特点而确定的、通过生态监测和评价而提出的用于保护管理和开发利用调控的海洋区域。海洋生态监控区是基于生态系统的海洋管理的重要手段,是海洋生态系统管理的重要基础。基于复合生态系统理论,从自然视角、经济视角和社会视角3个方面深入分析了海洋生态重要性区域的内涵,并结合生态社会与生态系统服务描述了海洋生态监控区内涵;结合沿海社会经济发展新趋势和海洋生态系统管理需要,从管理学、生态学、管理对象及管理实施等方面探讨了海洋生态监控区区划的原则;分析了影响海洋生态监控区的主要因素,结合近岸海域生态系统主要服务功能,构建了区划指标体系,包括自然环境、生态系统和社会经济和三大方面14个指标。     

Translocations of digging mammals and their potential for ecosystem restoration: a review of goals and monitoring programmes

1. Globally, translocations are commonly used to improve the conservation status of threatened species. There is increasing recognition that translocations of ecosystem engineers also have the potential to restore ecological processes. Digging mammals are often considered to be ecosystem engineers, as their diggings provide shelter for other species and can significantly alter soil properties, with subsequent changes to vegetation.
2. Using Australian species as a case study, we reviewed published and grey literature on digging mammal translocations to determine how often these translocations are conducted to restore ecosystem processes. We documented ecosystem-level monitoring and research efforts, and assessed whether restoration was perceived to be occurring post-release.
3. At least 208 translocations of 24 digging mammal species have been conducted in Australia, with a further 38 planned for the near future. Prior to 2019, only 3% of translocations included a goal relating to the restoration of ecosystem processes associated with digging activities. Nearly a quarter of pre-2019 translocations have been the subject of some form of ecosystem-level monitoring or research, but long-term ecosystem-level monitoring was very rare. In contrast, 74% of the translocations planned for post-2018 include a goal relating to the restoration of ecological processes and most also include plans to conduct ecosystem-level monitoring.
4. Ecosystem restoration was perceived to be occurring for 26% of the pre-2019 translocations. None of the documents we reviewed indicated that ecological degradation had occurred post-translocation, even when declines in other taxa were recorded.
5. The restoration of ecosystem processes is increasingly being identified as a goal for translocation programmes. Where this is the case, we suggest that translocation practitioners include success criteria for the restoration of ecosystem processes, and commit to long-term monitoring designed to detect ecosystem-level effects of translocations.

     

Landscape ecology as a bridge from ecosystems to human ecology

Landscape as a subject of (terrestrial) ecology can be interpreted: first, as a piece of land composed of different ecosystems; and second, as a holistic entity of aesthetic perception derived from landscape paintings and parks of the 18th and 19th century. Such entities display a characteristic arrangement of landscape elements regarded as a whole and taking them apart for specific investigation will break up and virtually destroy it (e.g. a symphony dissociated into single notes). Landscape as a holistic entity satisfies emotional human needs like identification with regions, and explains the attraction of tourists. Entity features are land-use and land cover combined with openness and a certain naturalness. A key question is whether you call a piece of the earths surface just land or landscape– and why. Such questions touch the interface between landscape ecology and human ecology. But human ecology must not dismiss landscape functions. The most beautiful landscape will be reduced to a mere picture if it does not also provide basic life-support. Therefore, energy and matter flows and transformations between the ecosystems of a landscape have to be determined along with its climate, geomorphology (relief), soils, hydrology, species and ecosystem diversity. These different approaches, however, may never be combined into a unified whole. There is no superscience, and incidentally, its complexity would by far exceed human brain capacity. What we can achieve is bridge-building by approximation of selected facts. A conscious spatial arrangement of diversified land-use units (ecotopes) will promote (bio)diversity and may be perceived as an integral landscape pattern. A spatially and temporally differentiated energy input into land-use units will result in a gradient of utilization intensity and allow more species to thrive, again enhancing both diversity and landscape beauty. Modern humans have deliberately chosen artificial surroundings to achieve complete environmental control, even in rural lifestyles. But as far as emotional needs are concerned, this artificiality seems to be neither human nor ecological. Something natural is lacking, and landscape in its holistic sense can provide it – be it a landscaped open space in a city, a rural scene, a seashore or a mountain range. Maintaining and managing such naturalness requires sound ecological knowledge – not as an aim in itself, but to provide a bridge for humans.     

Meta-ecosystems: a theoretical framework for a spatial ecosystem ecology

This contribution proposes the meta‐ecosystem concept as a natural extension of the metapopulation and metacommunity concepts. A meta‐ecosystem is defined as a set of ecosystems connected by spatial flows of energy, materials and organisms across ecosystem boundaries. This concept provides a powerful theoretical tool to understand the emergent properties that arise from spatial coupling of local ecosystems, such as global source–sink constraints, diversity–productivity patterns, stabilization of ecosystem processes and indirect interactions at landscape or regional scales. The meta‐ecosystem perspective thereby has the potential to integrate the perspectives of community and landscape ecology, to provide novel fundamental insights into the dynamics and functioning of ecosystems from local to global scales, and to increase our ability to predict the consequences of land‐use changes on biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services to human societies.     

国家尺度自然保护地生态系统联网监测指标体系构建与应用研究

自然保护地是维护国家生态安全, 提升生物多样性保护成效的重要载体, 对保护地生态系统进行实时、高频、多尺度的监测是认知其动态变化的有效手段, 也是实现自然保护地生态系统健康管理的基石。由于目前我国没有形成自然保护地生态系统监测网络, 缺少统一的联网监测指标体系, 导致多数自然保护地生态系统组成家底不清、动态不明, 应对生物多样性保护新问题的能力不足, 并且在国家尺度上的自然保护地生态系统健康状况及保护成效评估缺乏联网监测数据支撑。因此, 亟需构建国家尺度的自然保护地生态系统组成和动态监测网络, 以及一套科学、系统、规范的自然保护地生态系统联网监测指标体系。该文针对自然保护地生物多样性和生态系统监测的目标和内容, 参考国内外现有的生态系统监测网络的指标体系, 确定了自然保护地生态系统联网监测指标体系建立和选取的基本原则, 建立了一套适用于国家尺度的自然保护地生态系统联网监测指标体系, 并在6个国家级自然保护区进行示范。构建的指标体系针对构成生态系统的6类关键要素(生境要素、生物要素、气象要素、土壤要素、大气和水环境要素、景观要素)制定了30个监测指标, 有效应用于森林、草地、荒漠、湿地等生态系统类型的自然保护地, 能够实现对不同类型自然保护地生态系统组分和结构的现状和演变特征进行长期、动态化监测, 并可为自然保护地保护成效评估和健康管理提供规范化、标准化的基础数据。     

中国野生动物红外相机监测与研究: 现状及未来

智能传感器、人工智能、信息技术等现代科学技术的创新应用极大地提升了人类在全球生物多样性保护和恢复方面的潜力。结合国内外相关研究案例, 本文的主要内容包括: (1)对过去30年间(1991-2021年)中国野生动物红外相机监测研究相关文献资料进行总结分析; (2)结合国内2011年以来的典型案例, 对技术方法、物种发现与编目、形态与行为研究、生态学研究和保护管理等主题领域的进展进行总结分析; (3)结合国外近期的典型案例, 对红外相机监测与研究的重点领域进行评估分析; (4)对中国野生动物红外相机监测研究的未来发展提出相关建议。通过回顾, 本文旨在明晰国内外红外相机技术在野生动物监测研究中的创新应用和发展趋势, 为中国在该领域的未来发展提供参考依据, 以便更好地服务于中国生物多样性监测与研究网络建设和以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系建设, 为推进国家生态文明建设、保障生态安全和生物安全提供决策支持和科学依据。     

Passive acoustic monitoring as a potential tool to survey animal and ecosystem processes in freshwater environments

1. Biodiversity in freshwater habitats is decreasing faster than in any other type of environment, mostly as a result of human activities. Monitoring these losses can help guide mitigation efforts. In most studies, sampling strategies predominantly rely on collecting animal and vegetal specimens. Although these techniques produce valuable data, they are invasive, time-consuming and typically permit only limited spatial and temporal replication. There is need for the development of complementary methods.
2. As observed in other ecosystems, freshwater environments host animals that emit sounds, either to communicate or as a by-product of their activity. The main freshwater soniferous groups are amphibians, fish, and macroinvertebrates (mainly Coleoptera and Hemiptera, but also some Decapoda, Odonata, and Trichoptera). Biophysical processes such as flow or sediment transport also produce sounds, as well as human activities within aquatic ecosystems.
3. Such animals and processes can be recorded, remotely and autonomously, and provide information on local diversity and ecosystem health. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an emerging method already deployed in terrestrial environments that uses sounds to survey environments. Key advantages of PAM are its non-invasive nature, as well as its ability to record autonomously and over long timescales. All these research topics are the main aims of ecoacoustics, a new scientific discipline investigating the ecological role of sounds.
4. In this paper, we review the sources of sounds present in freshwater environments. We then underline areas of research in which PAM may be helpful emphasising the role of PAM for the development of ecoacoustics. Finally, we present methods used to record and analyse sounds in those environments.
5. Passive acoustics represents a potentially revolutionary development in freshwater ecology, enabling continuous monitoring of dynamic bio-physical processes to inform conservation practitioners and managers.

     

Predicting ecosystem dynamics at regional scales: an evaluation of a terrestrial biosphere model for the forests of northeastern North America

Terrestrial biosphere models are important tools for diagnosing both the current state of the terrestrial carbon cycle and forecasting terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change. While there are a number of ongoing assessments of the short-term predictive capabilities of terrestrial biosphere models using flux-tower measurements, to date there have been relatively few assessments of their ability to predict longer term, decadal-scale biomass dynamics. Here, we present the results of a regional-scale evaluation of the Ecosystem Demography version 2 (ED2)-structured terrestrial biosphere model, evaluating the model's predictions against forest inventory measurements for the northeast USA and Quebec from 1985 to 1995. Simulations were conducted using a default parametrization, which used parameter values from the literature, and a constrained model parametrization, which had been developed by constraining the model's predictions against 2 years of measurements from a single site, Harvard Forest (42.5° N, 72.1° W). The analysis shows that the constrained model parametrization offered marked improvements over the default model formulation, capturing large-scale variation in patterns of biomass dynamics despite marked differences in climate forcing, land-use history and species-composition across the region. These results imply that data-constrained parametrizations of structured biosphere models such as ED2 can be successfully used for regional-scale ecosystem prediction and forecasting. We also assess the model's ability to capture sub-grid scale heterogeneity in the dynamics of biomass growth and mortality of different sizes and types of trees, and then discuss the implications of these analyses for further reducing the remaining biases in the model's predictions.     

Ecosystem classification and inventory maps as surrogates for ground beetle assemblages in boreal forest

Aims We compare performance of ecosystem classification maps and provincial forest inventory data derived from air photography in reflecting ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) biodiversity patterns that are related to the forest canopy mosaic. Our biodiversity surrogacy model based on remotely sensed tree canopy cover is validated against field-collected ground data.Methods We used a systematic sampling grid of 198 sites, covering 84 km 2 of boreal mixedwood forest in northwestern Alberta, Canada. For every site, we determined tree basal area, characterized the ground beetle assemblage and obtained corresponding provincial forest inventory and ecosystem classification information. We used variation partitioning, ordination and misclassification matrices to compare beetle biodiversity patterns explained by alternative databases and to determine model biases originating from air photo-interpretation.Important findings Ecosystem classification data performed better than canopy cover derived from forest inventory maps in describing ground beetle biodiversity patterns. The biodiversity surrogacy models based on provincial forest inventory maps and field survey generally detected similar patterns but inaccuracies in air photo-interpretation of relative canopy cover led to differences between the two models. Compared to field survey data, air photo-interpretation tended to confuse two Picea species and two Populus species present and homogenize stand mixtures. This generated divergence in models of ecological association used to predict the relationship between ground beetle assemblages and tree canopy cover. Combination of relative canopy cover from provincial inventory with other geo-referenced land variables to produce the ecosystem classification maps improved biodiversity predictive power. The association observed between uncommon surrogates and uncommon ground beetle species emphasizes the benefits of detecting these surrogates as a part of landscape management. In order to complement conservation efforts established in protected areas, accurate, high resolution, wide ranging and spatially explicit knowledge of landscapes under management is primordial in order to apply effective biodiversity conservation strategies at the stand level as required in the extensively harvested portion of the boreal forest. In development of these strategies, an in-depth understanding of vegetation is key.     

长时间序列生态系统服务权衡与协同驱动因素——以芜湖市生态系统服务功能极重要区为例

人类对生态系统的管理和干预促使生态系统服务权衡向协同转化,有助于生态系统服务综合效益提升。但当前缺乏对长时间序列分析背景下生态系统服务权衡协同驱动因素及其非线性影响的理解与把握。以芜湖市“生态系统服务功能极重要区”为研究案例,考虑生境质量、碳固定和土壤保持三种关键生态系统服务,基于多源数据,运用逐像元趋势叠加分析法评估1990—2020年间研究区生态系统服务变化趋势及其权衡协同空间分布规律,采用随机森林模型探索该区域生态系统服务权衡协同形成的关键驱动因素及其非线性影响效应。研究结果表明：(1)31年间芜湖市域生境质量显著下降区域面积约为提升面积的两倍,存在进一步衰退的风险。同时,城市扩张导致市郊边缘地带碳固定、土壤保持显著下降。(2)研究区生态系统服务供给能力受权衡协同影响显著,受影响区域总面积占比达64.48%。受权衡影响区域与协同影响区域存在显著空间差异。(3)土地利用强度是管理生态系统服务权衡向协同转化的主导因素。土地利用强度对权衡协同的影响表现出非线性特征并且存在影响阈值。当强度等级介于弱与中且偏向弱强度时对不同服务协同增益具有积极作用。     

大尺度陆地生态系统状态变化及其资源环境效应的立体化协同联网观测

环境变化和人类活动的双重驱动正在快速地改变地球生态系统状态,呈现出了众多级联的资源环境问题,生态系统的状态变化和时空演变驱动因素以及相应的资源环境效应是大尺度陆地生态系统科学研究的永恒主题.观测和评估生态系统状态变化,发现和理解生态系统响应机制,认知和描述生态系统演变规律,预测和预警生态系统演变趋势,都依赖于大陆及全球...     

Satellite imagery as a tool for monitoring species diversity: an assessment

1. A landscape of 5 × 5·5 km in the Karnataka region of the Western Ghats of India was mapped into seven landscape element types, using field identification of types as well as supervised and unsupervised classification of satellite imagery.
2. Plant communities distributed in these landscape element types were surveyed in the field using 246 quadrats of 10 × 10 m, in order to assess whether these types could be distinguished in terms of species composition. All angiosperms excluding grasses, which could not be identified accurately in the field, were recorded for this purpose.
3. Landscape element types identified in the field harboured significantly distinctive sets of species of flowering plants, and were also by and large distinctive in terms of their species richness.
4. Landscape element types could be identified accurately on the basis of supervised classification: the types thus demarcated harboured distinctive sets of flowering plants.
5. Landscape element types coupled to satellite imagery could then be used to organize a programme of monitoring biodiversity.
6. Unsupervised classification of satellite imagery did not permit classification of landscape element types with a high enough level of accuracy. In consequence, the demarcated landscape element types did not harbour significantly distinctive sets of species of flowering plants. Unsupervised classification is therefore not appropriate in a programme of monitoring biodiversity.     

基于市政综合监管信息的城市生态系统复杂性分析

随着我国城市化进程的不断加快,城市结构日趋复杂,人类活动对生态系统过程和功能的干扰愈发严重,使城市生态系统更加的复杂.城市生态系统是城市居民与其环境相互作用而形成的统一整体,也是人类对自然环境的适应、加工、改造而建设起来的特殊的人工生态系统.城市生态系统的复杂性不但直接体现在其自然、经济和社会三个子系统的结构和过程中,也通过许多市政综合管理要素和对象呈现出来.通过对北京市东城区2009年6月至11月的城市综合监管信息平台立案数据的归类分析,结合东城区地形图和专题图矢量数据,从公用设施类、道路交通类、市容环境类、园林绿化类、房屋土地类、其他设施等因素,分析了东城区城市生态系统及其人类活动的相互关系.把从市政管理信息中提取出的城市管理部件问题与城市生态系统的水、土、气、噪声、视觉污染和固体废弃物等关键要素进行关联分析.通过挖掘东城区生态系统在组成和空间分布上的复杂性和规律性,阐明东城区城市生态系统与人类活动时空关系的复杂性,以期为城市生态系统管理提供借鉴.     

Landcare in Australia and Germany: comparing structures and policies for community engagement in natural resource management

Summary ‘Landcare’ is a specific form of community‐based natural resource management (CBNRM) that is expanding across the world. Although Landcare is widely understood to have originated in Australia in the late 1980s, a similar concept, Landschaftspflege, developed in Germany much earlier, with Landschaftspflegeverbände, or ‘Landcare Groups’, having been established around the same time. The existence of other forms of CBNRM around the world diminishes Australian Landcare’s claims to uniqueness but provides a richer context for further refinements of CBNRM models. Based on 57 qualitative key informant interviews and a thorough document analysis, this paper compares Landcare in Australia with Germany. A key finding is that there are substantial similarities but also significant differences. As a result of recent changes, it is likely that the differences will diminish over time. Recommendations for the design of initiatives to promote community involvement in environmental management are provided as are considerations for Landcare as it expands internationally.     

Diversity, disturbance, and sustainable use of Neotropical forests: insects as indicators for conservation monitoring

Sustainable use of tropical forest systems requires continuous monitoring of biological diversity and ecosystem functions. This can be efficiently done with early warning (short-cycle) indicator groups of non-economical insects, whose population levels and resources are readily measured. Twenty-one groups of insects are evaluated as focal indicator taxa for rapid assessment of changes in Neotropical forest systems. Composite environmental indices for heterogeneity, richness, and natural disturbance are correlated positively with butterfly diversity in 56 Neotropical sites studied over many years. Various components of alpha, beta and gamma-diversity show typical responses to increased disturbance and different land-use regimes. Diversity often increases with disturbance near or below natural levels, but some sensitive species and genes are eliminated at very low levels of interference. Agricultural and silvicultural mosaics with over 30% conversion, including selective logging of three or more large trees per hectare, show shifts in species composition with irreversible loss of many components of the butterfly community, indicating non-sustainable land and resource use and reduction of future options. Monitoring of several insect indicator groups by local residents in a species-rich Brazilian Amazon extractive reserve has helped suggest guidelines for cologically, economically, and socially sustainable zoning and use regimes.