Fluctuations and patterns of desert rodent communities under human disturbance: fluctuating tendency and sensitive response of their population

The four kinds of sites under different kinds of human disturbances, i.e. a farmland area, a rotational-grazing area, an over-grazing area and a prohibited-grazing area, were selected in the typical region of the Alashan Desert of Inner Mongolia from April to October in 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively. The fluctuating tendency of rodent communities and the sensitive response of their populations were studied using mark-recapture and trap-day methods. The four kinds of mark-recapture samples and line samples were taken in different human disturbance areas. The area of the mark-recapturing sample was 0.95 hm2 and that of the line sample was 10 km2. The samples were collected every month in the mark-recapturing sites for four consecutive days and in line sites in April, July and October every year. The variable matrix was composed of the numbers of captured rodents of the rodent communities. The sensitive response of the populations in the communities was analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed that there were different types of rodent communities under different kinds of human disturbance on two scales in three years. In each scale, there were large differences in both the number of species and the number of main population in the rodent communities under different kinds of human disturbance on the farmland area and over-grazing area especially. The results of PCA showed that the sensitive response of the populations of the communities was significantly different under different kinds of human disturbance on the two scales in the three years. Cricetulus barabensis was the most sensitive on the farmland area, there were no differences in sensitive response of the various rodents on the rotational-grazing area, and Dipus sagitta and Phodopus roborovskii were the most sensitive in the over-grazing area.     

人为干扰下荒漠啮齿动物群落格局——变动趋势与敏感性反应

2002～2004年,在阿拉善荒漠区的典型地区,选择了4种不同干扰条件的样地,分别为开垦区、轮牧区、过牧区和禁牧区,在两种尺度上研究啮齿动物群落的变动趋势及其种群的敏感性反应,在每种干扰条件的地段设计了标志流放区,面积为0.95hm2,采用标志重捕法,每月连捕4d,同时在4种不同干扰条件的地区选择了4条线路取样,每条线路面积约10 km2,采用铗日法调查,分别在4、7、10月份取样.用不同干扰条件下每个群落组成种的捕获量构成变量矩阵,应用PCA（主成分分析）方法分析群落中种群对不同干扰条件的敏感性反应.结果表明,3个年度中在两个观察尺度上,啮齿动物群落的格局在4种不同的干扰条件下表现出不同特征,各个群落的组成种类和主要种类的数量均有较大差异,特别是在开垦区和过牧区两种干扰条件下啮齿动物群落的组成种类及主要种类的数量均有较大的改变.同时PCA分析结果表明,在3个年度的两种观察尺度上,啮齿动物群落中的主要种群在4种不同干扰条件下的敏感性反应具有明显的差别.在开垦区黑线仓鼠的敏感性反应最强,在禁牧区的反应也较明显;在轮牧区各鼠种的敏感性反应差别不明显,而在过牧区三趾跳鼠和小毛足鼠的反应最强.     

荒漠景观破碎化条件下啮齿动物群落beta 多样性变化特征

2002 ～2010 年,采用夹日法对内蒙古阿拉善荒漠区禁牧、轮牧、过牧和开垦4 种不同人为干扰生境中啮齿动物群落β 多样性进行了研究,同时分析不同生境的灌木植物群落特征来探讨人为干扰下的景观破碎化。依据人为干扰下景观破碎的情况将研究区域内生境梯度的变化按照:禁牧到轮牧、轮牧到过牧、过牧到开垦、禁牧到过牧、禁牧到开垦、轮牧到开垦进行划分,分别利用Jaccard 指数、Sorenson 指数和Cody 指数分析景观破碎化条件下啮齿动物群落β 多样性变化特征。结果表明,不同生境梯度间3 种β 多样性指数差异均显著(P <0. 05),禁牧到过牧梯度β 多样性差异最大。不同干扰生境间的灌木植物群落特征差异极显著(P < 0. 01),Shannon-Wiener 指数、Simpson 指数和物种数均表现为轮牧区> 过牧区> 禁牧区> 开垦区。环境变化程度与β 多样性变化的程度一致。人为干扰是该区域景观破碎化的主要原因,特别是放牧活动,导致环境异质性显著增加。在荒漠区,这种随环境梯度造成异质性加大而增加的β 多样性,并不是由物种增加较大导致,而是由啮齿动物群落物种组成差异和变化增大所致.     

不同干扰下荒漠啮齿动物种群动态的空间同步性

荒漠啮齿动物是动物生态学研究中的重要类群,对于丰富种群和群落生态学理论具有重要意义.国外关于荒漠啮齿动物的研究较多,尤以北美的研究较为深入,涉及群落组成(Brown,1973)、生态位(Harris, 1984;Kenagy and Bartholomew, 1985)、物种共存(Brown and Munger,1985)、资源分享及微生境选择(Brown and Lieberman,1973;Price,1978)等方面;而国内关于荒漠啮齿动物研究相对较少.     

不同干扰下阿拉善荒漠啮齿动物优势种对气候变化的响应

气候变化已对物种分布范围和丰富度产生了极大的影响。荒漠生态系统对气候变化的反应可能更加敏感。作为荒漠生态系统的重要组成者,了解荒漠啮齿动物特别是优势鼠种将对气候变化如何响应,对于荒漠地区生物多样性的维持将具有重要意义。2002—2010年,采用标志重捕法对阿拉善荒漠4种不同生境下啮齿动物优势种群进行了研究,分别利用Spearman相关分析以及典范对应分析(Canonical Correspondence analysis,CCA)对啮齿动物优势种群动态与年平均温度和年降水量的相关性进行了分析。结果表明,不同啮齿动物优势种对温度和降雨的响应不同,尤其以子午沙鼠表现最为显著。跳鼠对温度的适宜性要高于仓鼠科的子午沙鼠和黑线仓鼠,而仓鼠科啮齿动物对降雨的适宜性高于跳鼠。较小尺度上的人为干扰更可能从改变食性和生境的途径上加剧或缓冲降雨对荒漠啮齿动物优势种的影响,而不是改变温度对啮齿动物的作用。     

荒漠破碎化生境中长爪沙鼠集合种群野外验证研究

近年来,人类活动和自然干扰,导致内蒙古阿拉善荒漠区生境的破碎化,出现了长爪沙鼠在不同斑块间的不连续分布,每一斑块内可能存在一个局域种群,而集合种群建立的前提条件,是局域种群斑块状分布在离散的栖息地环境中。2002~2012年每年的4~10月,在阿拉善荒漠区禁牧、轮牧、过牧和开垦4种人为不同利用方式形成的生境斑块中,采用标志重捕法对长爪沙鼠（Meriones unguiculatus）种群进行定点监测。通过分析长爪沙鼠种群动态,计算各局域种群的灭绝风险,利用Spearman秩相关系数检验种群动态的空间同步性,同时以种群周转率对长爪沙鼠扩散能力进行评估,以检验阿拉善荒漠区长爪沙鼠种群空间结构是否具有经典集合种群的功能。结果表明：（1） 不同生境斑块可被长爪沙鼠局域种群占据,11年间捕获长爪沙鼠2~7次不等;（2） 长爪沙鼠所有局域种群均具有灭绝风险,在轮牧区和禁牧区灭绝率高达1.000 0,开垦区灭绝率最低,也达到0.333 4,而本研究期间最大局域种群（2008年过牧区,26只/hm²）,在2010年发生了局域灭绝;（3） 不同生境斑块间没有明显的空间隔离而阻碍局域种群的重新建立,长爪沙鼠扩散能力较强,绝大部分月份的种群周转率在50.0%以上,特别是周转率达到100.0%的月份较多;（4） 不同生境斑块间仅轮牧区和禁牧区中长爪沙鼠种群密度显著正相关（P<0.05）,而其他生境斑块间相关性均不显著（P >0.05）,长爪沙鼠局域种群整体显示出明显的非同步空间动态。阿拉善荒漠区长爪沙鼠种群满足作为经典集合种群物种区域续存的4个条件,具有作为研究小哺乳动物集合种群的潜在价值。     

洞庭湖洲滩及滨湖区鼠类分布格局及其多样性

为全面了解洞庭湖洲滩及滨湖区鼠类分布格局,统计自2003—2013年该湖区15个调查点5种不同生境的鼠类群落调查数据,并对鼠类群落的物种多样性进行分析。结果表明:2003—2013年洞庭湖区捕获鼠类有10种,主要优势种为黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)和东方田鼠(Microtus fortis);不同生境下的优势种不同,东方田鼠为湖滩生境优势种,黑线姬鼠是滨湖农田和退田还湖洲滩生境优势种,针毛鼠(Niviventer fulvescens)和社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)为滨湖丘岗林地优势种,小家鼠(Mus musculus)及黄胸鼠(Rattus tanzumi)则多出现在农房生境;不同生境的鼠类群落物种多样性不同,滨湖丘岗林地生境受人类活动或洪水干扰程度最低,因此,优势集中性指数最低,而物种多样性Shannon-Wiener指数在干扰较少的滨湖丘岗林地生境物种多样性指数最高。尽管湖滩生境受三峡工程的影响,物种数大量增加,但由于仍受汛期洪涝的干扰,依然具有优势种突出的特征。研究表明,人类社会活动或洪涝等干扰因素降低了鼠类群落物种多样性,致使优势种突出,形成只利于少数几个种群栖息的环境,最终导致种群大暴发。     

人为干扰下雅安市雨城区青衣江河岸带草本植物群落物种多样性及生态位的研究

以雅安市雨城区段青衣江河岸带的草本植被为研究对象,采用典型样地法选取沿岸受3种不同强度人为干扰的样地(轻度干扰的河滩地、中度干扰的割草地和重度干扰的弃耕地),探究不同人为干扰强度对青衣江沿岸的草本植物群落物种多样性和生态位的影响。结果表明:在3种类型的样地中共观测到64个物种,隶属于26科53属,物种数随着干扰强度的增加而降低;分析重要值发现,不同干扰强度下群落的主体均为菊科(Compositae)、禾本科(Gramineae)、蓼科(Polygonaceae)和豆科(Leguminosae)的种类,各物种重要值的差异不大,优势种不明显,种间竞争激烈;受不同干扰强度群落的生境存在差异,轻度干扰、中度干扰和重度干扰群落的生态位重叠值在0.5以上的物种数比率分别为95.0%、85.4%、74.2%,受不同强度干扰群落之间的物种相似程度不同,轻度干扰与中度干扰、中度干扰与重度干扰、轻度干扰与重度干扰的群落相似性系数分别为0.733、0.719、0.625;受不同强度人为干扰的群落中物种丰富度指数D值和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H值的大小排序为轻度干扰中度干扰重度干扰,但Simpson指数H'值和Pielou均匀度指数Jsw值在样地之间的差异不显著。     

The non-impact of hunting on moose <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alces alces</Emphasis> movement,diurnal activity,and activity range

Previous studies on moose Alces alces have suggested that interactions with humans may trigger anti-predator behaviors and generate a demographical cost. Therefore, we hypothesized that disturbances from small and big game hunting may have negative effects on moose movements, diurnal activity, and activity range. Using location data from 64 moose equipped with GPS collars from three populations (Low Alpine, Inland, Coastal) with different temporal human presence and spatial accessibility, we evaluated the impact of hunting on moose activity rhythms. On average, female moose in the low human population density (Low Alpine) area (<0.5/km²) had significantly lower movement rates during moose hunting season, but variation in movement rates among individuals were higher compared with female moose in regions with denser human populations (6–24/km²). We found no evidence that reproductive status influenced female moose sensitivity to disturbance. As expected, females used smaller activity ranges and were less active nocturnally than males. The high within-group variation suggests that current hunting disturbance levels do not alter moose population behavior in general. Our data indicate that alterations in movement were related to rutting activity, not human disturbance induced by hunting. In line with behavioral theory, our study suggests that some individuals were more sensitive to hunting disturbance than the general population. Our work suggests that individual moose may perceive human predation risk to be similar to other predation risks.     

Vegetation heterogeneity and ditches create spatial variability in methane fluxes from peatlands drained for forestry

Drainage of peatlands for forestry starts a succession of ground vegetation in which mire species are gradually replaced by forest species. Some mire plant communities vanish quickly following the water-level drawdown; some may prevail longer in the moister patches of peatland. Drainage ditches, as a new kind of surface, introduce another component of spatial variation in drained peatlands. These variations were hypothesized to affect methane (CH₄) fluxes from drained peatlands. Methane fluxes from different plant communities and unvegetated surfaces, including ditches, were measured at the drained part of Lakkasuo mire, Central Finland. The fluxes were found to be related to peatland site type, plant community, water-table position and soil temperature. At nutrient-rich fen sites fluxes between plant communities differed only a little: almost all plots acted as CH₄ sinks (−0.9 to −0.4 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹), with the exception of Eriophorum angustifolium Honck. communities, which emitted 0.9 g CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹. At nutrient-poor bog site the differences between plant communities were clearer. The highest emissions were measured from Eriophorum vaginatum L. communities (29.7 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹), with a decreasing trend to Sphagna (10.0 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹) and forest moss communities (2.6 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹). CH₄ emissions from different kinds of ditches were highly variable, and extremely high emissions (summertime averages 182–600 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹) were measured from continuously water-covered ditches at the drained fen. Variability in the emissions was caused by differences in the origin and movement of water in the ditches, as well as differences in vegetation communities in the ditches. While drainage on average greatly decreases CH₄ emissions from peatlands, a great spatial variability in fluxes is emerged. Emissions from ditches constantly covered with water, may in some cases have a great impact on the overall CH₄ emissions from drained peatlands.     

基于结构方程模型分析荒漠啮齿动物优势种对不同放牧干扰的响应

放牧被认为是草地生态系统的主要干扰之一。许多研究表明,放牧影响了啮齿动物的个体条件、繁殖、种群动态、群落组成及群落多样性等多个方面。由于受传统统计学方法的限制,这些研究只是单独的对放牧作用进行假设检验,而没有将多个假设放在同一个框架内进行验证。2006—2011年,采用标志重捕法对内蒙古阿拉善荒漠区不同放牧生境中啮齿动物优势种的数量进行研究并使用结构方程建模的方法将可能影响荒漠啮齿动物优势种的环境因子(气候条件、土壤硬度、植物隐蔽、植物生物量等19个指标)与啮齿动物优势种种群动态结合后进行多假设检验,旨在找出不同放牧干扰下制约优势啮齿动物环境因子的发生途径。结果表明:气候条件对五趾跳鼠和三趾跳鼠有直接不利影响,隐蔽对于两足活动的五趾跳鼠有负效应,而对四足活动的子午沙鼠有正效应。植物生物量对五趾跳鼠有正效应,但对子午沙鼠有负效应。土壤硬度的增加间接的有利于五趾跳鼠,对子午沙鼠有直接的正效应。因此荒漠啮齿动物优势种种群动态是多个过程共同作用的结果,气候条件是驱动啮齿动物种群动态的根本原因,而放牧会因为改变植物隐蔽而影响啮齿动物在群落中的组成。     

Long-term variations in rodent abundance in a rural landscape of the Pampas, Argentina

The goal of this study was to analyze the variations in abundance of rodent communities over the last 24 years in a rural area, and their relation to possible changes in climatic variables and land use. The principal change in the area observed along the study period was an increase in the area covered by soybean. The habitats studied were crop fields and borders. The total abundance of rodents did not show a significant trend of variation over time in crop fields while in borders the abundance in autumn–winter (A–W) showed a significant trend to decrease over time. The different rodent species showed a differential response over time. While Calomys laucha and C. musculinus showed a decrease between the period before and after the soybean expansion, Akodon azarae did not change its abundance over time. The mean minimum temperature increased over time while the number of days with frost decreased. Total rodent abundance in A–W was positively associated with the cumulated precipitation of the previous spring–summer period and negatively with the cumulated precipitation of the same period. We conclude that rodent abundance variations in crop fields and borders of the study area are influenced by precipitation, but the observed trends of variation over time are better explained by changes in agricultural practices than by meteorological variables.     

Herbivore-induced expansion of generalist species as a driver of homogenization in post-disturbance plant communities

We used a controlled experiment to investigate how disturbance scale (canopy gap area) and herbivory influence post-disturbance plant community dynamics. Twenty canopy gaps were installed in a temperate hemlock-hardwood forest during the winter of 2002–2003: seven small gaps (50–150 m²), seven medium gaps (151–250 m²), and six large gaps (251–450 m²). Within each gap, we established 4–12 sample plots (depending on gap size); 1–3 of which were enclosed with wire mesh white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) exclosures in 2005. Gaps were revisited and intensively sampled in 2007. After five growing seasons, ground-layer plant communities in non-exclosed plots were more similar compositionally than exclosure plots. Non-exclosed plots in small and medium gaps were more similar to non-exclosed plots in large gaps than they were to exclosed plots in their respective gap size class. Shade-tolerant forbs and trees were less common outside exclosures, while generalist species associated with higher understory light levels and exotics were more prevalent outside exclosures. Our results suggest that even in forests with relatively low deer densities (6.5–9.3 deer km⁻²), white-tailed deer herbivory may influence the developmental trajectory of post-disturbance plant communities and be a mechanism for decreasing β-diversity along environmental gradients.     

Net carbon exchange and evapotranspiration in postfire and intact sagebrush communities in the Great Basin

Invasion of non-native annuals across the Intermountain West is causing a widespread transition from perennial sagebrush communities to fire-prone annual herbaceous communities and grasslands. To determine how this invasion affects ecosystem function, carbon and water fluxes were quantified in three, paired sagebrush and adjacent postfire communities in the northern Great Basin using a 1-m³ gas exchange chamber. Most of the plant cover in the postfire communities was invasive species including Bromus tectorum L., Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn and Sisymbrium altissimum L. Instantaneous morning net carbon exchange (NCE) and evapotranspiration (ET) in native shrub plots were greater than either intershrub or postfire plots. Native sagebrush communities were net carbon sinks (mean NCE 0.2–4.3 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) throughout the growing season. The magnitude and seasonal variation of NCE in the postfire communities were controlled by the dominant species and availability of soil moisture. Net C exchange in postfire communities dominated by perennial bunchgrasses was similar to sagebrush. However, communities dominated by annuals (cheatgrass and mustard) had significantly lower NCE than sagebrush and became net sources of carbon to the atmosphere (NCE declined to −0.5 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) with increased severity of the summer drought. Differences in the patterns of ET led to lower surface soil moisture content and increased soil temperatures during summer in the cheatgrass-dominated community compared to the adjacent sagebrush community. Intensive measurements at one site revealed that temporal and spatial patterns of NCE and ET were correlated most closely with changes in leaf area in each community. By altering the patterns of carbon and water exchange, conversion of native sagebrush to postfire invasive communities may disrupt surface-atmosphere exchange and degrade the carbon storage capacity of these systems.     

1975-2015年宁夏生态系统格局宏观变化分析

以1975-2015年的Landsat MSS/TM/OLI影像为数据源,选用年均生态系统类型净变化率、生态系统类型转移矩阵及土地开发度综合指数对宁夏回族自治区近40年来生态系统格局宏观变化的幅度、速率、转换类型及人类活动扰动程度进行定量分析,揭示了宁夏生态系统时空变化过程及其区域分异性。研究结果表明：（1）宁夏农田和草地生态系统优势度较大,占比75%以上,且两者面积变化趋势呈负相关。近40年中,森林净增加了477.5 km²,人工表面净增加了884.6 km²,农田净增加了209.8 km²;草地净减少了115.5 km²,湿地净减少了69.4 km²,荒漠净减少了1387.0 km²。（2）生态系统变化转移矩阵表明每时段内大约有占宁夏总土地面积6%的生态系统面积发生变化,主要转换类型有农田和草地间相互转换、草地和荒漠转为农田及农田转为草地和人工表面。（3）人为活动对生态系统的干扰全区整体处于我国的中等水平,且呈增加趋势,其中北部是持续增强,且金凤区、西夏区和永宁县土地开发效果最为明显,中部是轻微减轻,南部是显著减轻,人类活动对宁夏北部和中部自然生态系统的扰动大于南部。     

Cadmium and lead toxicity on tropical freshwater periphyton communities under laboratory-based mesocosm experiments

Periphyton constitutes an important community that is useful for assessment of ecological conditions in lotic systems. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of different mixtures of Cd and Pb on periphyton growth as well as Cd and Pb mixtures toxicity to diatom assemblages in laboratory mesocosm experiments. A natural periphyton community sampled from the Monjolinho River (South of Brazil) was inoculated into five experimental systems containing clean glass substrates for periphyton colonization. The communities were exposed to mixtures of dissolved Cd and Pb concentrations of 0.01 and 0.1 mg l⁻¹ Cd and 0.033 and 0.1 mg l⁻¹ Pb. Periphyton ash-free dry weight, growth rate, diatom cell density and diatom community composition were analyzed on samples collected after 1, 2 and 3 weeks of colonization. High Cd concentration (0.1 mg l⁻¹) has negative effects on periphyton growth while high concentration of Pb (0.1 mg l⁻¹) decreased the toxic effects of Cd on periphyton growth. Shifts in species composition (development of more resistant species like Achnanthidium minutissimum and reduction of sensitive ones like Cymbopleura naviculiformis, Fragilaria capucina, Navicula cryptocephala, Encyonema silesiacum, Eunotia bilunaris, and Gomphonema parvulum), decreases in species diversity of diatom communities with increasing Cd and Pb concentrations and exposure duration have been demonstrated in this study making diatom communities appropriate monitors of metal mixtures in aquatic systems.     

Considerations for using occupancy surveys to monitor forest primates: a case study with Sclater’s monkey (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cercopithecus sclateri</Emphasis>)

Count-based indices and distance sampling are widely used to monitor primate populations. Indices are often confounded by variation in detectability, whereas distance sampling is generally ineffective with species that flee or hide from observers and where it is difficult to accurately measure detection distances. We tested occupancy modeling as a means to monitor Sclater’s monkey (Cercopithecus sclateri), an endemic of Nigeria. We evaluated effects of survey methodology, habitat, and human disturbance on detection probability and site occupancy. Average detectability was high (p = 0.81), but varied substantially between two observers. Occupancy was highest in areas with intermediate levels (20–40%) of farmland and secondary forest, and was unaffected by human disturbance. Sampling plots (4 and 6.25 ha) did not concurrently contain >1 monkey group, were likely closed to monkey movements during the replicate surveys of each plot, and were spatially separated so that it was unlikely the same group was observed in >1 plot. These conditions enabled the conversion of occupancy to group density. Scaled to 6.25 ha, model-weighted occupancy averaged 0.230 (SE 0.103), yielding an estimate of 3.7 groups/km² (95% CI 1.4–7.7 groups/km²). Because some groups straddled plot boundaries, we assumed that half of these groups were inside the plots, resulting in an adjusted estimate of 3.1 groups/km². Our results illustrate that occupancy can be suitable for monitoring vigilant forest primates where detection distances are difficult to measure. However, special attention is required to choose spatial and temporal scales that accommodate the method’s closure and independent-detection assumptions.     

黑龙江省不同纬度梯度农田大型土壤动物群落分布特征

沿着由高到低的纬度梯度,分别在塔河、带岭、帽儿山的农田生境选择研究样地,采用手捡法调查不同纬度农田生态系统大型土壤动物的群落组成、水平结构、垂直结构和多样性特征,并运用双变量相关分析及典范对应分析阐明土壤动物群落和环境因子的相互关系,旨在揭示黑龙江省不同纬度梯度农田大型土壤动物群落分布特征及其影响因素。调查共捕获大型土壤动物35类2339只,隶属于2门6纲14目35科。其中线蚓科(Enchytraeidae)、正蚓科(Lumbricidae)、步甲科(Carabida)、隐翅虫科(Staphylinidae)为优势类群,其个体数占总个体数的58.84%;常见类群为蚁科(Formicidae)、蜘蛛目(Araneida)和地蜈蚣目(Geophilomorpha)等8类,其个体数占总个体数的32.79%。结果表明:(1)水平分布上:大型土壤动物个体密度和丰富度(即类群数)的水平分布均表现为帽儿山带岭塔河,单因素方差分析表明大型土壤动物的个体密度和丰富度在不同纬度地区无显著差异。Shannon-wiener多样性指数(H')和Pielou均匀度指数(E)均为帽儿山带岭塔河;Simpson优势度指数(C)表现为塔河和带岭最高,帽儿山最少;Margalef丰富度指数(D)则是塔河最多,其次为帽儿山和带岭。(2)垂直分布上:3个不同纬度样地的农田土壤动物个体密度和丰富度在同垂直层次间不存在明显差异(P0.05)。除帽儿山5—10 cm土层土壤动物类群数量较表层增加之外,其他样地大型土壤动物个体密度和丰富度均随土层深度的增加而逐渐降低,表聚性明显。(3)与土壤环境因子关系上:双变量相关分析表明,不同纬度农田大型土壤动物的类群数、个体密度、多样性指数、均匀度指数和优势度指数与土壤p H值、有机质、全氮、全磷和速效磷均没有显著的相关性;典范对应分析(CCA)进一步表明,优势类群和常见类群对环境因子具有较强的适应能力,广泛的分布在3个样地内。研究表明,农田生态系统大型土壤动物的类群数、个体密度和多样性指数随纬度梯度的增加先增加后减少,但不同纬度间均无显著性差异。不同土壤动物类群受到环境变量的影响程度不同,在局地尺度环境因子对土壤动物的影响不容忽视。研究为区域尺度农田生态系统土壤动物空间格局和生物多样性维持机制研究奠定基础。     

Conservation implications of competition between generalist and specialist rodents in Mediterranean afforested landscape

Density dependent habitat selection at the community level is regarded as a major determinant of biodiversity at the local scale, and data on these processes and how they are affected by human activities is highly applicable to conservation. By studying the competitive relationships between a specialist and a generalist we can acquire valuable insights about how different environmental elements determine species abundance and distribution and consequently biodiversity. Here we describe a study of density dependent processes that determine the community structure of two rodents: a specialist—the broad toothed mouse (Apodemus mystacinus), and a generalist—the common spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) in a Mediterranean maqui habitat, and how this structure is impacted by anthropogenic planting of pine stands. We carried out two field experiments: The first, based on open field trapping, looking at how rodent communities change with habitat structure. The second experiment was an enclosure study aimed at validating the habitat preferences and competitive relationship between the specialist and the generalist. We identified asymmetric competition relationships in which the specialist was dominant over the generalist. Competition intensity was lower in maqui with >10% oak cover, although both species abundances were high. Competition was found only during the limiting season (summer). Based on these findings we produced management recommendations to keep indigenous small mammals’ biodiversity high. Density dependent habitat selection processes play a central role in determining biodiversity, and understanding the mechanisms motivating these processes is needed if alterations in biodiversity in response to human disturbance are to be understood.     

Spatial variation in taxonomic distinctness of ciliated protozoan communities at genus-level resolution and relationships to marine water quality in Jiaozhou Bay,northern China

Taxonomic distinctness of ciliated protozoan communities at genus-level resolution was studied over a 12-month period (June 2007–May 2008) in Jiaozhou Bay, northern China. Samples were collected biweekly from three different depths at each of five sites. A range of physico-chemical parameters were also measured in order to determine water quality. Multivariate and univariate analyses showed that (1) spatial patterns of ciliated protozoan communities were significantly different among the five sampling sites (P < 0.05); (2) there were no significant differences among the three depths at each site (P > 0.05); (3) the taxonomic patterns of ciliate communities at genus-level resolution were significantly correlated with the spatial variation of environmental variables, in particular nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N), sum of NO₃-N and nitrite nitrogen (NO _n -N), and soluble reactive phosphate (SRP); (4) the Margalef’s index did not show a significant correlation with chemical parameters although it was higher for the less eutrophic than the more eutrophic sites (P > 0.05); (5) the average taxonomic distinctness (Δ⁺) and variation in taxonomic distinctness (Λ⁺) of the ciliate communities at genus-level resolution were significantly negatively correlated with the combination of NO _n -N and SRP; (6) the paired taxonomic biodiversity indices (Δ⁺ and Λ⁺) showed a clear decreasing trend of departure from the expected taxonomic breadth in response to water quality. These results suggest that spatial patterns and taxonomic distinctness (especially the paired Δ⁺ and Λ⁺) of ciliated protozoan communities at genus-level resolution can be used as potential indicators for assessing marine water quality while minimizing costs in terms of the time and resources needed for sample analysis.