Potential landscape and probabilistic flux of a predator prey network

Predator-prey system, as an essential element of ecological dynamics, has been recently studied experimentally with synthetic biology. We developed a global probabilistic landscape and flux framework to explore a synthetic predator-prey network constructed with two Escherichia coli populations. We developed a self consistent mean field method to solve multidimensional problem and uncovered the potential landscape with Mexican hat ring valley shape for predator-prey oscillations. The landscape attracts the system down to the closed oscillation ring. The probability flux drives the coherent oscillations on the ring. Both the landscape and flux are essential for the stable and coherent oscillations. The landscape topography characterized by the barrier height from the top of Mexican hat to the closed ring valley provides a quantitative measure of global stability of system. The entropy production rate for the energy dissipation is less for smaller environmental fluctuations or perturbations. The global sensitivity analysis based on the landscape topography gives specific predictions for the effects of parameters on the stability and function of the system. This may provide some clues for the global stability, robustness, function and synthetic network design.     

Contagious Disturbance, Ecological Memory, and the Emergence of Landscape Pattern

Landscapes are strongly shaped by the degree of interaction between pattern and process. This paper examines how ecological memory, the degree to which an ecological process is shaped by its past modifications of a landscape, influences landscape dynamics. I use a simulation model to examine how ecological memory shapes the landscape dynamics produced by the interaction of vegetative regrowth and fire. The model illustrated that increased ecological memory increased the strength and spatial extent of landscape pattern. The extent of these changes depended upon the relative rates of vegetative recovery and fire initiation. When ecological memory is strong, landscape pattern is persistent; pattern tends to be maintained rather than destroyed by fire. The generality of the simulation model suggests that these results may also apply to disturbance processes other than fire. The existence of ecological memory in ecosystems may allow processes to produce ecological pattern that can entrain other ecosystem variables. The methods presented in this paper to analyze pattern in model ecosystems could be used to detect such pattern in actual ecosystems. Received 14 November 2000; accepted 21 September 2001.     

黔中喀斯特山地城市景观稳定性评价与特征分析

城市景观稳定性是对城市生态环境进行分析和评价的基础,对城市景观生态安全格局和景观可持续性具有十分重要的意义。以典型喀斯特山地城市贵阳市为研究对象,以2008年、2013年和2017年景观类型为主要数据。运用蔓延度指数、斑块密度和总边缘对比度构建景观稳定性评价模型,在分析2008-2017年景观格局变化状况的基础上评价景观稳定性时空特征。并运用探索性空间数据分析方法揭示贵阳市景观稳定性时空演变规律和冷热点特征。结果表明:(1)2008-2017年贵阳市景观格局发生剧烈变化,耕地面积大幅减少,林地和建设用地面积持续增加,景观破碎化程度加剧,但破碎化趋势有所减缓。(2)10年间,贵阳市景观稳定性水平整体较低,以不稳定和较不稳定为主,表现出"先降低、后提高,总体略有降低"的趋势。(3)贵阳市景观稳定性的空间分布与演变具有明显空间聚集效应,全局Moran''s I指数介于0.2008-0.4005之间,但聚集趋势呈"总体减弱,小幅提高"的特征;此外,景观稳定性热点区主要集中在城镇建设用地或林地斑块相对集中连片、完整的区域。研究结果可为喀斯特山地城市景观空间格局优化、生态安全网络格局构建和生态文明城市建设提供重要的科学依据。     

Are potential natural vegetation maps a meaningful alternative to neutral landscape models?

Abstract. In this paper, we present a short overview of neutral landscape models traditionally adopted in the landscape ecological literature to differentiate landscape patterns that are the result of simple random processes from patterns that are generated from more complex ecological processes. Then, we present another family of models based on Tuxen’ s definition of potential natural vegetation that play an important role, especially in Europe, for landscape planning and management. While neutral landscape models by their very nature do not take into account vegetation dynamics, nor abiotic constraints to vegetation distribution, the concept of potential natural vegetation includes the effects of vegetation dynamics in a spatially explicit manner. Therefore, we believe that distribution maps of potential natural vegetation may represent an ecological meaningful alternative to neutral landscape models for evaluating the effects of landscape structure on ecological processes.     

A theoretical framework of ecological phase transitions for characterizing tree-grass dynamics

This paper describes a theoretical framework of ecological phase transitions for modeling tree-grass dynamics and analyzing the shifts or phase transitions from one vegetation structure to another in the southern Texas landscape. This framework implements the integration of percolation theory, fractal geometry and phase transition theory as a method for modeling the spatial patterns of tree-grass dynamics, and nonlinear Markov non-equilibrium thermodynamic stability theory as a method for characterizing temporal tree-grass dynamics and phase transition. An historical sequence of aerial photographs at a Prosopis - thornscrub savanna parkland site in southern Texas was used to determine the parameters of the models. The preliminary analytical result accords well with current understanding and field survey of vegetation dynamics in the southern Texas landscape. The potential of such approaches and other relevant theories such as self-organized criticality and synergetics to vegetation dynamics is also discussed.     

基于景观生态的城市土地开发适宜性评价——以丹东市为例

城市土地开发适宜性评价是城市总体规划中的一项重要基础性工作,其核心是合理分配利用有限的土地资源。在进行耕地适宜性评价和建设用地适宜性评价的基础上,针对丹东市不同的发展目标,提出3个城市土地开发适宜性评价方案,包括经济发展优先方案、生态保护优先方案以及协调发展方案,并按照3个方案对丹东市进行城市土地开发适宜性评价。通过选择适当指标,构建了由景观稳定度和景观干扰度组成的景观生态质量评价体系,并对3个适宜性方案进行对比与优选。结果表明,丹东市按照经济发展优先的城市土地开发适宜性方案进行开发,则景观干扰程度最高,景观稳定程度最低,景观生态质量最低;按照生态保护优先方案进行开发,则景观干扰程度居中,景观稳定程度最高,而景观生态质量居中;按照协调发展方案进行开发,则景观干扰程度最低,景观稳定程度居中,并且具有最高的景观生态质量。通过综合比较,应选择协调发展方案作为丹东市城市建设空间布局的首选方案。     

基于RS和GIS的北京市景观生态安全评价

结合RS、GIS和景观生态学方法,基于景观结构、功能、活力、生态敏感性和景观压力构建了景观生态安全评价指标体系,并分析1988和2004年北京市景观生态安全程度及其时空分布规律.结果表明：1988-2004年,北京市生态服务价值处于较高水平,景观活力和景观压力处于较低水平,景观结构稳定性下降,生态敏感度则处于较低水平;1988和2004年北京市景观生态安全度均处于中级水平,其景观生态安全指数平均值分别为0.410和0.403,表明研究期间北京市景观生态安全整体水平呈稳中稍降的趋势.     

景观生态恢复与重建是区域生态安全格局构建的关键途径

生态恢复与重建是跨尺度、多等级的问题,其主要表现层次应是生态系统（生物群落）、景观,甚至区域,而不能仅仅局限于生态系统。景观的恢复与重建是针对景观退化而言,景观退化从表现形式上可分为景观结构退化与景观功能退化。景观结构退化即景观破碎化,是指景观中各生态系统之间的各种功能联系断裂或连接度(connectivity)减少的现象;而鲜受重视的景观聚集（aggregation）在很多情况下同样具有造成景观退化的负面效应。景观功能退化是指与前一状态相比,由于景观异质性的改变导致景观的稳定性与服务功能等的衰退现象。景观恢复是指恢复原生生态系统间被人类活动终止或破坏的相互联系;景观生态建设应以景观单元空间结构的调整和重新构建为基本手段,包括调整原有的景观格局,引进新的景观组分等,以改善受胁或受损生态系统的功能,提高其基本生产力和稳定性,将人类活动对于景观演化的影响导入良性循环。二者的综合,统称为景观生态恢复与重建,是构建安全的区域生态格局的关键途径。其目标是建立一种由结构合理、功能高效、关系协调的模式生态系统（model ecosystem）组成的模式景观（model landscape）,以实现生态系统健康、生态格局安全和景观服务功能持续,以3S(RS,GPS,GIS)技术为支撑的GAP(ageographic approach to protect biological diversity)分析将为大尺度景观恢复的诊断、评价、规划提供重要的手段。景观中某些关键性点、位置或关系的破坏对整个生态安全具有毁灭性的后果,研究景观层次上的生态恢复模式及恢复技术、选择恢复的关键位置、构筑生态安全格局已成为景观生态学家关注的焦点。     

快速城市化地区景观生态安全时空演化过程分析——以东莞市为例

依托“压力-状态-响应”概念框架模型,建立景观生态安全评价指标体系,以东莞市为例,研究区域景观生态安全时空发展变化过程,揭示快速城市化地区生态安全发展变化的规律.结果表明:1988、1997和2005年东莞市的平均生态安全综合指数分别为0.497、0.436和0.395,区域总体生态安全从中高安全状态逐步降低到中低安全状态;生态中低安全的区域空间上从“市中心-镇中心”沿“市中心-镇中心-道路”不断扩张.采用以像元为中心的公里网格滑动模板的指标作为像元的评价指标,可以有效解决景观结构指数等指标的计算,在生态安全等级划分时边界过度很平滑,景观尺度的生态安全评价可以为生态可持续发展政策的制定提供科学依据.     

Ecological speciation in dynamic landscapes

Although verbal theories of speciation consider landscape changes, ecological speciation is usually modelled in a fixed geographical arrangement. Yet landscape changes occur, at different spatio-temporal scales, due to geological, climatic or ecological processes, and these changes result in repeated divisions and reconnections of populations. We examine the effect of such landscape dynamics on speciation. We use a stochastic, sexual population model with polygenic inheritance, embedded in a landscape dynamics model (allopatry-sympatry oscillations). We show that, under stabilizing selection, allopatry easily generates diversity, but species coexistence is evolutionarily unsustainable. Allopatry produces refuges whose persistence depends on the characteristic time scales of the landscape dynamics. Under disruptive selection, assuming that sympatric speciation is impossible due to Mendelian inheritance, allopatry is necessary for ecological differentiation. The completion of reproductive isolation, by reinforcement, then requires several sympatric phases. These results demonstrate that the succession of past, current and future geographical arrangements considerably influence the speciation process.     

ADAPTIVE RADIATION DRIVEN BY THE INTERPLAY OF ECO‐EVOLUTIONARY AND LANDSCAPE DYNAMICS

We investigate an individual‐based model of adaptive radiation based on the biogeographical changes of the Great African Lakes where cichlid fishes radiated. In our model, the landscape consists of a mosaic of three habitat types which may or may not be separated by geographic barriers. We study the effect of the alternation between allopatry and sympatry called landscape dynamics. We show that landscape dynamics can generate a significantly higher diversity than allopatric or sympatric speciation alone. Diversification is mainly due to the joint action of allopatric, ecological divergence, and of disruptive selection increasing assortative mating and allowing for the coexistence in sympatry of species following reinforcement or character displacement. Landscape dynamics possibly increase diversity at each landscape change. The characteristics of the radiation depend on the speed of landscape dynamics and of the number of geographically isolated regions at steady state. Under fast dynamics of a landscape with many fragments, the model predicts a high diversity, possibly subject to the temporary collapse of all species into a hybrid swarm. When fast landscape dynamics induce the recurrent fusion of several sites, diversity is moderate but very stable over time. Under slow landscape dynamics, diversification proceeds similarly, although at a slower pace.     

Decision support tool for the evaluation of landscapes

This paper presents a full SDSS for landscape – its design, algorithmization and practical implementation. The created system allows simultaneous analysis and evaluation of landscape from the perspective of ecological stability, erosion susceptibility, retention capacity and the economic value. The presented system implements products ArcView GIS 3.x, EMDS 2.0 and NetWeaver 1.1. The system implements four methods which are generally accepted for the given analyses and which have been algorithmized and applied in the GIS environment many times. Ecological stability is assessed using the basic coefficients of ecological stability. The susceptibility of soil to water erosion is determined by the RUSLE method. Retention capacity is determined based on the Runoff Curve Number Method and the economic value of the landscape draws on the modified Hessen method. The result includes a filled knowledge base, an algorithmized decision-making scheme for the landscape segment assessment and an optimized data model. The practical solution is applied to the model area of the Trkmanka catchment area.     

根茎禾草沙鞭的克隆生长在毛乌素沙地斑块动态中的作用

毛乌素沙地沙化景观是由众多不同类型和大小的斑块镶嵌而成的,许多生态学过程影响着这些斑块的动态,根茎禾草沙鞭的克隆生长就是其中之一.通过对有沙鞭生长的3块1hm2风蚀样地的野外调查和染料饲喂实验,研究了沙鞭的克隆生长在毛乌素沙化景观斑块动态中的作用.每块样地均被划分为625个4m×4m的格子,在3块样地的流沙斑块出现的植物中,沙鞭占据了最多的格子数.沙鞭根茎扩展的主要方向是从半固定斑块到流沙斑块,染料饲喂实验测量了沙鞭扩展到风蚀流沙斑块中的分株数、根茎分枝数、根茎长度和地上生物量.将不同斑块土壤含水量和沙鞭根茎在土壤中的分布进行比较发现,在沙鞭根茎分布集中的地下30～50cm处,流沙斑块的土壤含水量显著地高于半固定斑块.这一研究结果表明沙鞭的克隆生长在风蚀流沙斑块的固定和演变中起着非常重要的作用.     

Living within dynamic social-ecological freshwater systems: System parameters and the role of ecological engineering

The objective of ecological engineering is to design sustainable ecosystems that integrate human communities and their natural environment for the benefit of both. In this paper, we illustrate how social-ecological modeling can be used as a tool to clarify this objective at a landscape scale for freshwater systems. Coupled social-ecological systems (SESs) are open, dynamic systems subject to both ecological and socioeconomic perturbations. Here we demonstrate the interactive effects of social and technological uncertainties on SES dynamics over time. Additionally, we integrate research on ecosystem stability, social-ecological modeling, and ecological engineering to offer guidance for research at the human-environment interface. Based on a case study of Lake Erie's Sandusky watershed, we use an integrated human-biophysical model to investigate the influence of two parameters on SES dynamics: (1) regional societal preferences that impact watershed management and (2) technological innovation that alters agricultural nutrient efficiency. Our results illustrate ways in which SES dynamics and optimum management strategies depend on societal preferences within the region, indicating a key area of uncertainty for future investigation. As guidance for SES restoration, our model results also illustrate the conditions under which technological change that increases nutrient efficiency on farms can and cannot create a win-win, or increase both human welfare and SES resistance to eutrophication simultaneously. Using these results, we elucidate the value of ecological engineering and offer guidance for assessments of ecological engineering projects using social-ecological modeling.     

Planning and design of ecological networks in urban areas

Urban ecological networks are defined differently in ecology, urban planning and landscape ecology, but they all have linearity and linkage in common. Early urban representations evolved from the constraints of deep ecological structure in the landscape to built elements that must work around natural linear obstacles—rivers, coastlines, dunes, cliffs, hills and valley swamps. Village commons were linked by roads. The Industrial Revolution led to accelerating urban growth, where the role of open space focussed on public health and transport. The Renaissance, Baroque and Picturesque movements accentuated networks in wooded parks, boulevards and sweeping riverine vistas. These provided a new aesthetic and sense of grandeur in the urban centres of European empires and later their colonies. Grafted onto this visual connectivity has been an awakened ecological understanding of spatial dynamics. The emergent notion of ecological corridor functionality provided support for green linear features, although initially this was based on untested theory. The idea of organisms moving along green highways seemed logical, but only recently has unequivocal empirical evidence emerged that demonstrates this functionality. Nevertheless, the main role of corridors may be to provide habitat rather than to act as connectors of nodal habitats. Most organisms can utilise stepping stones, and these may accommodate desired meta-populations while deterring pest movement. Swale drains and treatment wetlands provide riparian services and serve as biodiversity corridors. However, to most people the obvious function is visual—providing green fingers through what would otherwise be urban grey. The health benefits of these are have been demonstrated to be psychological as much as biophysical.     

景观生态学的核心:生态学系统的时空异质性

1　景观生态学与景观异质性景观生态学是研究在一个相当大的区域内 ,由许多不同生态系统所组成的整体 (即景观 )的空间结构、相互作用、协调功能以及动态变化的生态学新分支[1 ] 。它的出现促进了空间关系模型和理论、空间格局与动态的数据类型的获取以及经典生态学很少涉及的空间尺度检测等方面的发展[2 ] 。Ｒｉｓｓｅｒ等认为景观生态学研究就是异质性的研究[3] 。其实 ,“景观”本身就具有“变化的异质性整体”的含义[4] 。景观生态学集中关注于对生态系统空间关系的研究 ,它把景观视为空间上镶嵌出现和紧密联系的生态系统组合 ,景观可…     

城市景观功能的区域协调规划——以深圳市为例

城市景观功能的完善是城市可持续发展的重要保障之一,其与区域景观功能的相互协调是城市规划的重要组成部分,有利于城市和区域的整体持续发展。在分析城市景观基本特征的基础上,探讨了城市景观功能区域协调规划的基本思路,以城市景观为规划对象,以人类社会的功能需求为立足点,依据景观生态学理论,将城市景观的功能划分为生物生产功能、环境服务功能、文化支持功能和信息输运功能,对体现这些基本功能的景观类型进行区域协调规划。以深圳市为例,实证分析了其景观功能在珠江三角洲地区的协调规划。     

生态植被建设对黄土高原农林复合流域景观格局的影响

自1999年以来,黄土高原大规模地实施了退耕还林工程,生态环境呈显著恢复态势。采用2002年和2008年两期Spot5遥感影像,评估了退耕还林工程实施前后黄土高原典型农林复合流域土地利用与景观格局的动态变化。结果表明:在退耕还林工程实施的驱动下,流域土地利用变化剧烈,总变化率高达36.77%,主要变化的土地利用类型包括耕地、果园、幼林地、林地等。28.95%的耕地转为其他土地利用类型,其中48.83%转为果园,44.69%转为幼林地。景观格局变化呈明显的空间分布规律,山腰缓坡区以转化为果园为主,中、高海拔多转化为幼林地。退耕后流域生态景观得以优化,呈现良好发展态势。     

Ecological correlates of population genetic structure: a comparative approach using a vertebrate metacommunity

Identifying ecological factors associated with population genetic differentiation is important for understanding microevolutionary processes and guiding the management of threatened populations. We identified ecological correlates of several population genetic parameters for three interacting species (two garter snakes and an anuran) that occupy a common landscape. Using multiple regression analysis, we found that species interactions were more important in explaining variation in population genetic parameters than habitat and nearest-neighbour characteristics. Effective population size was best explained by census size, while migration was associated with differences in species abundance. In contrast, genetic distance was poorly explained by the ecological correlates that we tested, but geographical distance was prominent in models for all species. We found substantially different population dynamics for the prey species relative to the two predators, characterized by larger effective sizes, lower gene flow and a state of migration-drift equilibrium. We also identified an escarpment formed by a series of block faults that serves as a barrier to dispersal for the predators. Our results suggest that successful landscape-level management should incorporate genetic and ecological data for all relevant species, because even closely associated species can exhibit very different population genetic dynamics on the same landscape.     

Dynamic energy budget theory and population ecology: lessons from Daphnia

Dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory offers a perspective on population ecology whose starting point is energy utilization by, and homeostasis within, individual organisms. It is natural to ask what it adds to the existing large body of individual-based ecological theory. We approach this question pragmatically--through detailed study of the individual physiology and population dynamics of the zooplankter Daphnia and its algal food. Standard DEB theory uses several state variables to characterize the state of an individual organism, thereby making the transition to population dynamics technically challenging, while ecologists demand maximally simple models that can be used in multi-scale modelling. We demonstrate that simpler representations of individual bioenergetics with a single state variable (size), and two life stages (juveniles and adults), contain sufficient detail on mass and energy budgets to yield good fits to data on growth, maturation and reproduction of individual Daphnia in response to food availability. The same simple representations of bioenergetics describe some features of Daphnia mortality, including enhanced mortality at low food that is not explicitly incorporated in the standard DEB model. Size-structured, population models incorporating this additional mortality component resolve some long-standing questions on stability and population cycles in Daphnia. We conclude that a bioenergetic model serving solely as a 'regression' connecting organismal performance to the history of its environment can rest on simpler representations than those of standard DEB. But there are associated costs with such pragmatism, notably loss of connection to theory describing interspecific variation in physiological rates. The latter is an important issue, as the type of detailed study reported here can only be performed for a handful of species.