草地物种多样性对群落可入侵性影响的研究进展

综述草地群落入侵实验中物种多样性和群落可入侵性关系的研究进展。目前物种多样性与群落可入侵性主要出现了对立的关系模式,被普遍接受的解释机制为尺度依赖。但其它研究中出现了更为复杂的关系,提出物种特性、植物更新、种间关系变化和群落构建机制等其它因素可能是导致物种多样性与群落可入侵性出现复杂关系的原因。建议未来研究中应注意的几个问题,即物种多样性与群落可入侵性关系在不同营养级适用性,与群落构建机制变化间的联系和时间尺度对物种多样性与群落可入侵性关系的影响。     

植物群落的生物多样性及其可入侵性关系的实验研究

 生物入侵已经成为一个普遍性的环境问题,并为许多学者所关注。尽管一些理论研究和观察表明生物多样性丰富的群落不容易受到外来种的入侵,但后来有些实验研究并没能证实两者的负相关性,多样性 可入侵性假说仍然是入侵生态学领域争论比较多的一个焦点。人为构建不同物种多样性和物种功能群多样性（C3 禾本科植物、C4植物、非禾本科草本植物和豆科植物）梯度的小尺度群落,把其它影响可入侵性的外在因子和多样性效应隔离开来,研究入侵种喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)在不同群落里的入侵过程来验证多样性 可入侵性及其相关假说。研究结果显示,物种功能群丰富的群落可入侵程度较低,功能群数目相同而物种多样性不同的群落可入侵性没有显著性差异,功能群特征不同的群落也表现出可入侵性的差异,生活史周期短的单一物种群落和有着生物固氮功能的豆科植物群落可入侵程度较高,与喜旱莲子草属于同一功能群且有着相似生态位的土著种莲子草(A. sessilis)对入侵的抵抗力最强。实验结果表明,物种多样性和群落可入侵性并没有很显著的负相关,而是与物种特性基础上的物种功能群多样性呈负相关,群落中留给入侵种生态位的机会很可能是决定群落可入侵性的一个关键因子。     

植物种多样性对生态系统功能的影响

采用8种1年生植物,利用室外盆栽方法构建的植物群落对物种多样性与群落生产力、杂草入侵性之间的关系及其潜在的作用机理进行了研究.结果表明,各物种单播时其生产力和抗杂草入侵能力都有较大差异.物种多样性与群落生产力之间不存在线性关系,而呈现单峰格局关系,即在一定范围内(本研究为4种),物种多样性对生产力增加有促进作用,超过该范围,物种多样性增加,群落生产力不再增加.但群落生产力和物种多样性均与杂草入侵量之间呈显著负相关关系.相对产量总和(RYT)分析表明,资源互补效应是本研究中所观察到的多样性-生产力、多样性-入侵性及生产力-入侵性关系的主要作用机理.     

意大利苍耳入侵对本地植物群落物种多样性和稳定性的影响——以乌鲁木齐市为例

研究外来植物不同程度入侵对区域群落结构和植物群落物种多样性的影响对评价其对生态系统的危害具有重要意义。以入侵植物以意大利苍耳(Xanthium italicum)为主要研究对象,选择意大利苍耳危害较明显且分布面积较大的中国新疆乌鲁木齐市米东区为研究区域进行植物样方调查,以意大利苍耳和其共生的本地植物为切入点,以物种多样性指数、群落稳定性、群落可入侵性、影响程度指数、入侵植物的竞争优势和入侵强度来探究不同入侵程度下的本地植物群落物种多样性和群落稳定性的变化。结果表明:(1)与未入侵地相比,意大利苍耳轻度入侵显著增加了本地植物群落的物种多样性(P ＜ 0.05),而重度入侵显著降低了本地植物群落的物种多样性(P ＜ 0.05)。(2)在意大利苍耳入侵的群落中,群落稳定性由轻度入侵水平到重度入侵水平降低了25%,而群落可入侵性、意大利苍耳的竞争优势指数和入侵强度指数分别增加了77%、79%和83%。(3)在轻度入侵水平下,意大利苍耳对本植物群落物种多样性、群落稳定性和群落物种数的影响程度指数 ＜ 0,产生了积极影响;相反,在轻中度和重度入侵水平下意大利苍耳对本植物群落物种多样性、群落稳定性和群落物种数的影响程度指数 ＞ 0,产生了负面影响。(4)本地植物群落多样性与群落稳定性均呈正相关,但与群落可入侵性呈负相关(P ＜ 0.05)。(5)Shannon-Wiener指数对群落的稳定性的直接通经系数最大,为0.828;Simpson''s指数对群落可入侵性的直接通经系数最大,为0.932。由此可见,意大利苍耳在中度和重度入侵对植物群落结构产生巨大影响,而作为"一带一路"的核心和枢纽地带的新疆,将会对其脆弱的生态系统和土著物种的多样性造成不可估量的影响。应在入侵初期对其进行控制与铲除,防止意大利苍耳等有害外来入侵种的入侵和进一步扩散与蔓延。     

取样尺度对亚高寒草甸物种多样性与生产力关系的影响

植物物种多样性与生产力之间的关系是群落生态学的一个热点问题, 目前仍存在着很多争议。为探究自然群落中二者之间的关系, 对青藏高原亚高寒草甸3个样地的自然植物群落分别进行了不同取样面积的抽样调查。结果显示, 取样样地和取样尺度均对物种丰富度有显著影响, 取样样地而非取样尺度对群落地上生物量有显著性影响。在某一时刻对某一样地进行取样, 其单位面积生产力并不因取样面积的增加而提高, 而是保持恒定的, 尽管物种数随取样面积的增加而有明显增多。物种多样性与生产力之间的回归关系因样地与取样尺度不同而不同, 有U型、单峰型、正线性相关和无相关性, 其中无相关性出现的最多。据此推测, 亚高寒草甸群落物种多样性与生产力之间不存在某种确定性关系, 或者说, 亚高寒草甸物种多样性和生产力之间不存在必然的因果联系。     

群落可入侵性及环境胁迫

群落的可入侵性研究是入侵生态学的中心内容。从群落进化历史,群落结构,繁殖体压力。干扰和胁迫等5个影响入侵的主要因素综述了近年来群落可入侵性研究的工作进展和成果。其中重点阐述了群落结构对入侵的影响。包括群落物种组成,物种多样性和物种功能群多样性的诸多实验研究和相关假说,并用理论模型结合具体实验研究探讨了环境胁迫和可入侵性的关系。针对目前群落可入侵性研究存在的问题提出了自己的见解。     

云南西部地区地带性植物群落物种多样性的地理分布格局

利用样方数据和文献资料,探讨了云南西部地区地带性植物群落的物种多样性。结果表明：在纬度梯度上,从南到北,物种密度呈递减趋势;在海拔梯度上,从高海拔到低海拔,物种密度呈递增趋势;在经度梯度上,从东到西,物种密度呈递减格局。总体上,在群落尺度上,南部地区物种密度较高;北部地区,即滇西北地区物种密度相对较低,这可能与研究区域内热量和水分条件的空间分异有关,但热量因子可能扮演着更为重要的角色。海拔梯度上的物种变化速率远高于经度梯度和纬度梯度,这可能与海拔梯度上热量条件的变化速率远高于其他地理梯度有关。区域尺度上单位面积物种多样性的分布格局与群落尺度明显不同,这可能源于群落尺度上单位面积的物种多样性主要受制于能量水平;但在区域尺度上,单位面积的物种多样性可能与区域内的生境异质性有关。表明“尺度效应”在塑造物种多样性地理分布格局中的重要作用。     

北京市自然保护区植物群落对干扰胁迫的抵抗力分析

在城市规模不断扩张的过程中,北京市自然保护区植物群落正面临着前所未有的干扰胁迫.研究植物群落对干扰的抵抗力具有理论和实践意义.在北京市松山和喇叭沟门两个自然保护区植物群落中调查了22个样地,记录到213种植物,测度了33个植物功能性状.在集成前人成果的基础上,量化了每个性状在基建工程、放牧或旅游践踏、火烧以及外来种入侵干扰下的功能属性;计算了物种、功能群和群落尺度上的功能指数;利用回归分析方法描绘了物种丰富度与功能指数间的关系.结果表明:(1)植被恢复力指数(plant restoration index)在4.36-10.15之间,草本植物大于木本植物;物种对不同干扰的抵抗力功能指数(resistance index to disturbance)变化范围分别为:放牧10.27-23.15,乔木和灌木大于其他生长型植物;火烧9.01-22.15,乔木大于灌木,后者又大于草本;外来种入侵4.41-10.54,乔木大于其他生长型.(2)以山杨(Populus davidiana)为优势种的群丛,其植被恢复力以及对干扰的抵抗力较其他群丛强.(3)在乔木层和草本层,物种丰富度与功能指数不相关;在灌木层,物种丰富度与放牧、火烧和外来种入侵的功能指数正相关,与植被恢复指数不相关.作者建立了研究区域物种、功能群和群落尺度上的植被功能指数数据库,为自然保护区植被结构调整和恢复提供了技术支撑.群落尺度的功能值取决于优势种的功能值,物种多样性是生态系统功能维持的重要基础.物种的功能冗余可能与植物群落结构层次以及干扰类型有关.本文结果为生态系统物种功能冗余假说提供了一个例证.     

植物群落中物种小尺度空间结构研究

植物群落中, 物种小尺度空间结构影响着种群或群落的动态及有关的生态学过程。植物主要是和它同种或异种的邻近个体相互作用,植物个体周围的局部环境和大空间尺度下群落的平均水平是完全不同的。群落中的许多过程都影响小尺度空间结构的形成和动态,同样,局部空间结构反过来影响着植物的生长、更新和凋亡等重要过程。鉴于目前对小尺度空间结构进行的大量研究以及其重要性,有必要对其研究进展进行适当的总结,以期明确将来进一步的研究方向。该文以此为出发点,首先介绍了植物群落中物种小尺度空间结构产生的6个原因:1)生境的空间异质性;2)植物繁殖体的传播;3)植物之间的相互作用;4)生物环境(动物和微生物)的作用;5)外界干扰的作用;6)多因子综合作用。然后阐述了小尺度空间结构意义及对生物多样性、植物种群遗传学和恢复生态学研究的影响。最后对目前物种小尺度空间结构研究存在的几点问题及将来的研究方向作以下归纳:1)大尺度植被动态的研究应该整合小尺度空间结构的信息;2)不论从生物学还是生态学上来讲, 植被小尺度空间结构的研究应该把植物作为中心,确定适当的尺度和采取合理的空间统计方法;3)充分重视小尺度空间结构在退化生态系统恢复中的应用意义;4)注重从小尺度的局部格局研究入手对群落总体特征进行整合;5)植物群落动态研究中,物种小尺度空间结构与平均场假说相结合的必要性。     

稀有种和常见种对黄土高原辽东栎群落物种多样性贡献的多尺度分析

明确物种多样性的多尺度格局及其形成过程是进行物种多样性保护的重要前提。通过加性分配的方法,在α1(小样方内)、β1(小样方间)、β2(样方间)、β3(样地间) 4个空间尺度上,研究了黄土高原子午岭辽东栎(Quercus wutaishanica)群落植物多样性的多尺度变化,确定了稀有种(频度5%)和常见种(频度25%)对物种多样性格局的相对贡献及其尺度依赖性,旨在阐明黄土高原辽东栎群落物种多样性的多尺度格局及其形成过程,为该区物种多样性的保护提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)乔、灌、草3层呈现了相似的物种多样性格局。物种丰富度基本上呈现了随尺度的增大而增加的变化趋势,小样方尺度上的α多样性(α1)对群落物种丰富度的贡献最小,样地尺度上的β多样性(β3)对各层物种丰富度的贡献最大(β3 50%)。(2) Shannon多样性呈现了与物种丰富度截然相反的格局,小样方尺度上的α多样性成分(α1)是Shannon多样性的主要贡献者(α145%),尔后随尺度的增大,Shannon多样性逐渐减小。(3)去除常见种引起的物种丰富度减小效应表现为随尺度的增加,影响逐渐减小,其效应主要集中在小样方内(α1尺度)以及小样方间(β1尺度) 2个尺度上;而去除稀有种引起的物种丰富度减小效应表现为随尺度的增加,影响逐渐增大,其效应主要集中在样方间(β2)以及样地间(β3) 2个尺度上。(4)去除稀有种对Shannon多样性的影响在每一尺度上均不明显,去除前后的曲线几乎重合,而去除常见种对Shannon多样性的影响在每一尺度上均十分明显。其中,去除常见种,草本层Shannon多样性在每一尺度都相应增大,而对于灌木层和乔木层,Shannon多样性则表现为在α1尺度上减小,而在其他尺度上增大。本研究揭示了空间尺度在评价稀有种和常见种对植物群落物种多样性相对贡献中的重要性。稀有种主要在较大尺度(β2和β3)上影响物种丰富度格局,而常见种不仅在小尺度(α1和β1)上影响物种丰富度,而且在较大尺度(β2和β3)上影响物种均匀度。同时,物种多样性的加性分配也是在多尺度上揭示物种多样性变化格局以及变异来源的有效且比较简单的方法。     

Biotic resistance to invasion is ubiquitous across ecosystems of the United States

The biotic resistance hypothesis predicts that diverse native communities are more resistant to invasion. However, past studies vary in their support for this hypothesis due to an apparent contradiction between experimental studies, which support biotic resistance, and observational studies, which find that native and non‐native species richness are positively related at broad scales (small‐scale studies are more variable). Here, we present a novel analysis of the biotic resistance hypothesis using 24 456 observations of plant richness spanning four community types and seven ecoregions of the United States. Non‐native plant occurrence was negatively related to native plant richness across all community types and ecoregions, although the strength of biotic resistance varied across different ecological, anthropogenic and climatic contexts. Our results strongly support the biotic resistance hypothesis, thus reconciling differences between experimental and observational studies and providing evidence for the shared benefits between invasive species management and native biodiversity conservation.     

Arbuscular Mycorrhizas: Drivers or Passengers of Alien Plant Invasion

Observational and manipulative studies have revealed that alien plant invasions are an outcome of interplay between a myriad of biotic and abiotic factors operating at various spatio-temporal stages and scales. Despite the salient role of ubiquitous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in plant interactions, studies exploring the role of such symbionts in invasiveness of alien species and invasibility of communities are limited, in part because of difficult-culturablilty of AM fungi on artificial media and apparent complexities in manipulations of AM-plant interactions in field and laboratory experiments. Moreover, analysis of the AM-plant invasion studies conducted so far have yielded contradictory results with some indicating facilitation of invasion by AM fungi and others its inhibition. Other studies have indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis has no effect on invasiveness of alien plants. While arbuscular mycorrhizas may facilitate invasiveness of some alien plants, such plants may also potentially impact mycorrhizal community structure and functions in the invaded habitats in different ways. The present review addresses these paradoxically conflicting observations in the context of mutualism-commensalism-parasitism gradient that characterizes the relationship between AM fungi and their alien vs. native hosts and also discusses the influence of alien invasive plants on mycorrhizal community structure of invaded ecosystems. Through critical analysis of costs and benefits for invasive plants that associate with AM fungi in their introduced range, invasion-induced shifts in AM mutualism are evaluated in the context of their impact on native biodiversity. Underlining limitations of methodologies and experimental designs usually employed to understand AM-mediated plant invasiveness, we proposes herein some alternative frameworks and experimental approaches to overcome these limitations.     

Plant diversity increases resistance to invasion in the absence of covarying extrinsic factors

Biological invasion is a widespread, but poorly understood phenomenon. Elton's hypothesis, supported by theory, experiment, and anecdotal evidence, suggests that an important determinant of invasion success is resident biodiversity, arguing that high diversity increases the competitive environment of communities and makes them more difficult to invade. Observational studies of plant invasions, however, find little support for this hypothesis and argue strongly against it. Lack of control of extrinsic factors (e.g., disturbance, climate, or soil fertility) that covary with biodiversity and invasion in observational studies makes it difficult to determine if their findings truly refute Elton's hypothesis. We examined performance of Crepis tectorum (an invasive, annual composite weed) in experimental prairie grassland plots and greenhouse plant assemblages in which resident species richness was directly manipulated. Under these conditions, unlike observational studies, no covarying extrinsic factors could interfere with interpreting results. We found a strong inverse association between resident diversity and invader performance as predicted by Elton's hypothesis. Higher resident diversity increased crowding, decreased available light, and decreased available nutrients all of which increased the competitive environment of diverse plant assemblages and reduced C. tectorum success. Examination of individual resident species impacts on C. tectorum performance demonstrated that this diversity effect was not due to the sampling effect. These results suggest that both Elton's hypothesis and its competitive mechanism may operate in nature, but covarying extrinsic factors may obscure the negative impact of diversity on invader success.     

Biodiversity and the productivity and stability of ecosystems

Attempts to unveil the relationships between the taxonomic diversity, productivity and stability of ecosystems continue to generate inconclusive, contradictory and controversial conclusions. New insights from recent studies support the hypothesis that species diversity enhances productivity and stability in some ecosystems, but not in others. Appreciation is growing for the ways that particular ecosystem features, such as environmental variability and nutrient stress, can influence biotic interactions. Alternatives to the diversity-stability hypothesis have been proposed, and experimental approaches are starting to evolve to test these hypotheses and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the functional role of species diversity.     

Environmental stress alters native-nonnative relationships at the community scale

The invasion of natural habitats by nonnative species is affected by both native biodiversity and environmental conditions; however few tests of facilitation between native community members and nonnative species have been conducted along disturbance and stress gradients. There is strong evidence for an increase in facilitation between native plant species with increasing levels of natural environmental stress, however it is unknown whether these same positive interactions occur between nonnative invaders and native communities. I investigated the effects of natural stress on community interactions between native heathland species and nonnative species with two field studies conducted at the landscape and community scale. At the landscape scale of investigation, nonnative species richness was positively related to native species richness. At the community level, nonnative invaders experienced facilitation with natives in the most stressful zones, whereas they experienced competition with native plants in the less stressful zones of the heathlands. Due to the observational nature of the landscape scale data, it is unclear whether nonnative diversity levels are responding positively to extrinsic factors or to native biodiversity. The experimental component of this research suggests that native community members may ameliorate stressful environmental conditions and facilitate invasion into high stress areas. I present a conceptual model which is a modification of the Shea and Chesson diversity-invasibility model and includes both facilitation as well as competition between the native community and nonnative invaders at the community level, summing to an overall positive relationship at the landscape scale.     

Frontiers in research on biodiversity and disease

Global losses of biodiversity have galvanised efforts to understand how changes to communities affect ecological processes, including transmission of infectious pathogens. Here, we review recent research on diversity–disease relationships and identify future priorities. Growing evidence from experimental, observational and modelling studies indicates that biodiversity changes alter infection for a range of pathogens and through diverse mechanisms. Drawing upon lessons from the community ecology of free‐living organisms, we illustrate how recent advances from biodiversity research generally can provide necessary theoretical foundations, inform experimental designs, and guide future research at the interface between infectious disease risk and changing ecological communities. Dilution effects are expected when ecological communities are nested and interactions between the pathogen and the most competent host group(s) persist or increase as biodiversity declines. To move beyond polarising debates about the generality of diversity effects and develop a predictive framework, we emphasise the need to identify how the effects of diversity vary with temporal and spatial scale, to explore how realistic patterns of community assembly affect transmission, and to use experimental studies to consider mechanisms beyond simple changes in host richness, including shifts in trophic structure, functional diversity and symbiont composition.     

Biodiversity influences invasion success of a facultative epiphytic seaweed in a marine forest

The biotic resistance hypothesis predicts that more diverse communities should have greater resistance to invasions than species-poor communities. However for facultative and obligate epiphytic invaders a high native species richness, abundance and community complexity might provide more resources for the invader to thrive to. We conducted surveys across space and time to test for the influence of native algal species abundance and richness on the abundance of the invasive facultative epiphytic filamentous alga Lophocladia lallemandii in a Mediterranean Cystoseira balearica seaweed forest. By removing different functional groups of algae, we also tested whether these relationships were dependent on the complexity and abundance of the native algal community. When invasion was first detected, Lophocladia abundance was positively related to species richness, but the correlation became negative after two years of invasion. Similarly, a negative relationship was also observed across sites. The removal experiment revealed that more complex native communities were more heavily invaded, where also a positive relationship was found between native algal richness and Lophocladia, independently of the native algal abundance. Our observational and experimental data show that, at early stages of invasion, species-rich seaweed forests are not more resistant to invasion than species-poor communities. Higher richness of native algal species may increase resource availability (i.e. substrate) for invader establishment, thus facilitating invasion. After the initial invasion stage, native species richness decreases with time since invasion, suggesting negative impacts of invasive species on native biodiversity.     

陆地植物群落物种多样性维持机制

从空间尺度和特定生物区系两个尺度对物种多样性的维持机制进行了综述.在大的空间尺度,简述了引起物种多样性存在差异的物理和自然因子的作用,包括植物群落的历史和年龄、梯度变化(纬度梯度、水分梯度、海拔梯度、土壤养分梯度)、面积效应和隔离程度;针对特定生物区系,从生物因素(生产力、种间关系、林隙动态)和非生物因素(演替、干扰及空间异质性、人类活动)方面论述其与物种多样性之间的关系.     

High community turnover and dispersal limitation relative to rapid climate change

Aim Many competing hypotheses seek to identify the mechanisms behind species richness gradients. Yet, the determinants of species turnover over broad scales are uncertain. We test whether environmental dissimilarity predicts biotic turnover spatially and temporally across an array of environmental variables and spatial scales using recently observed climate changes as a pseudo‐experimental opportunity. Location Canada. Methods We used an extensive database of observation records of 282 Canadian butterfly species collected between 1900 and 2010 to characterize spatial and temporal turnover based on Jaccard indices. We compare relationships between spatial turnover and differences in an array of relevant environmental conditions, including aspects of temperature, precipitation, elevation, primary productivity and land cover. Measurements were taken within 100‐, 200‐ and 400‐km grid cells, respectively. We tested the relative importance of each variable in predicting spatial turnover using bootstrap analysis. Finally, we tested for effects of temperature and precipitation change on temporal turnover, including distinctly accounting for turnover under individual species’ potential dispersal limitations. Results Temperature differences between areas correlate with spatial turnover in butterfly assemblages, independently of distance, sampling differences or the spatial resolution of the analysis. Increasing temperatures are positively related to biotic turnover within quadrats through time. Limitations on species dispersal may cause observed biotic turnover to be lower than expected given the magnitude of temperature changes through time. Main conclusions Temperature differences can account for spatial trends in biotic dissimilarity and turnover through time in areas where climate is changing. Butterfly communities are changing quickly in some areas, probably reflecting the dispersal capacities of individual species. However, turnover is lower through time than expected in many areas, suggesting that further work is needed to understand the factors that limit dispersal across broad regions. Our results illustrate the large‐scale effects of climate change on biodiversity in areas with strong environmental gradients.     

Species richness and interacting factors control invasibility of a marine community

Anthropogenic vectors have moved marine species around the world leading to increased invasions and expanded species'' ranges. The biotic resistance hypothesis of Elton (in The ecology of invasions by animals and plants, 1958) predicts that more diverse communities should have greater resistance to invasions, but experiments have been equivocal. We hypothesized that species richness interacts with other factors to determine experimental outcomes. We manipulated species richness, species composition (native and introduced) and availability of bare space in invertebrate assemblages in a marina in Monterey, CA. Increased species richness significantly interacted with both initial cover of native species and of all organisms to collectively decrease recruitment. Although native species decreased recruitment, introduced species had a similar effect, and we concluded that biotic resistance is conferred by total species richness. We suggest that contradictory conclusions in previous studies about the role of diversity in regulating invasions reflect uncontrolled variables in those experiments that modified the effect of species richness. Our results suggest that patches of low diversity and abundance may facilitate invasions, and that such patches, once colonized by non-indigenous species, can resist both native and non-indigenous species recruitment.