Carabid beetle assemblage under diversified agroecosystems

Corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max Merrill) were planted in monoculture and strip-intercropping plots (18.3×15.5 m each) under conventional tillage and no-tillage to create differences in habitat structure. The effects of these agronomic practices on carabid beetle species composition were measured by pitfall-trap collections during three years. Although neither the number of individuals or number of species were significantly affected by treatments, analyses of variance indicated that four of the six dominant species (75.7% of the total number of carabids captured in three years) responded to tillage treatments.Harpalus pensylvanicus DeGeer andCyclotrachelus sodalis (LeConte) were more abundant in no-tillage plots, whereasPterostichus chalcites Say andScarites substriatus Haldeman were more common in conventional tillage plots.Pterostichus chalcites was also significantly more abundant in soybean plots than in intercropping or corn plots.H. pensylvanicus, a primarily herbivorous carabid, was the most common species collected. However,P. chalcites, a predaceous carabid, was the dominant species in soybean/conventional tillage plots. The results suggest that characteristics of individual species should be carefully considered for studies of communities such as carabid beetles, which have few strongly dominant species and a wide range of resource utilization.     

The genus Typhlocharis Dieck 1869 (Coleoptera: Carabidae): description of a new species from Portugal and remarks on the external microsculpture of the last abdominal sternum “belt”

The endogean carabid Typhlocharis zaballosi n. sp., belonging to the T. gomezi group, is described and illustrated. The work provides diagnostic characters, in particular the structure of male and female genitalia, affinities to putative relatives and some remarks on its ecology and distribution. A key for the identification of all known species of the T. gomezi species group are provided. Some remarks on the external microsculpture of the last abdominal sternum “belt” of T. carinata Serrano & Aguiar 2006, T. quarta Pérez-González & Zaballos 2013, T. crespoi Serrano & Aguiar 2007 and T. zaballosi n. sp. are given. An overall revision of the presence/absence of this structure in the genus is provided and its taxonomic relevance is also discussed.     

The ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of exposed riverine sediments in Scotland and northern England

A survey of invertebrates on exposed riverine sediments (ERS) in four catchments of rivers in Scotland and northern England was carried out in 1996 and 1997 using pitfall traps. The resulting 179 lists of ground beetle species were used in ordination and classification analyses to determine the different types of habitats and the environmental factors influencing species assemblage distribution. Types of ERS habitat differed between highland and lowland catchments; there were also different numbers of habitat types in each catchment. The distribution of ERS within catchments was related to geology, position in catchment, sediment composition and the amount of vegetation. Evidence of the positive nature of river engineering was identified and the role of river management is discussed. The numbers of nationally rare and scarce ground beetle species recorded from the ERS habitats in each catchment are reported and the factors affecting their distribution discussed.     

爪步甲属一新种记述(鞘翅目,步甲科)

记述了采自中国云南、越南和老挝的爪步甲属1新种：垂角爪步甲Onycholabis pendulangulus sp．nov．。新种前胸背板前角垂直向下方弯曲,呈刺状,从而和同属其它种类明显不同。新种模式标本分别保存在中国科学院动物研究所、中国科学院昆明动物所标本馆、美国加州科学院标本馆(旧金山)、日本自然科学博物馆(东京)和英国自然历史博物馆(伦敦)。     

A Protocol for Integrated Management, Monitoring, and Enhancement of Degraded Themeda triandra Grasslands based on Plantings of Indicator Species

Abstract Lowland temperate grasslands dominated by Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass) are an endangered ecosystem in southeastern Australia. Grass biomass must be removed frequently to maintain plant diversity, but few studies of the impacts of different biomass removal techniques have been undertaken, and no rapid monitoring schemes have been developed. Low species densities in many reserves (due to past stock grazing) make it difficult to assess the effects of management regimes on plant diversity. Management impacts could be assessed by planting indicator species in replicated enhancement plots and subjecting these plots to adaptive management trials. A protocol for selecting potential indicator species is described, based on a regional quadrat database, using clearly defined criteria. Potential indicator species need to be conspicuous, easy to identify and abundant in high quality diverse grassland remnants, to have relatively broad ecological tolerances, to occur in sites that are relatively species rich and have a comparatively low cover of dominant exotic species, to commonly persist at low densities in long‐grazed reserves, to be responsive to changes in management, and to have been studied ecologically. Only three species from western Victorian grasslands satisfied these criteria: Calocephalus citreus (lemon beauty‐heads), Chrysocephalum apiculatum (common everlasting), and Leptorhynchos squamatus (scaly buttons). All are widespread, herbaceous, hemicryptophytic daisies. Despite a number of caveats, the scheme has the potential to provide a more clearly focused framework for grassland ecosystem management than currently exists.     

深圳大鹏半岛“风水林”香蒲桃群落特征及物种多样性研究

根据样方调查,对罕见的大鹏半岛\"风水林\"香蒲桃群落的区系组成、外貌、群落结构特征和物种多样性进行分析,并与邻近4个地区的森林群落作比较。结果表明,该群落属于南亚热带次生性常绿阔叶林,在1200m2样地中,有维管束植物86种,隶属于44科80属,其中以热带性分布属占明显优势,所占比例为89.33%。群落主要优势种为香蒲桃、乌饭树、银柴、密花树。群落外貌终年常绿,生活型以高位芽为主,占86.05%;通过对优势种群的年龄结构分析显示,该群落处于增长状态,按照Raunkiaer的频度等级定律,属于A级的种类最多,频度值为52.32。整个群落物种丰富度Magarlef指数为9.65,Shannon-Wiener指数为3.17,均匀度指数为0.71,3个层次多样性格局为\"灌木层>乔木层>草本层\"。物种多样性比较结果显示,大鹏半岛香蒲桃群落的物种多样性水平高于受不同程度干扰的深圳南山假萍婆群落和澳门假苹婆群落,但比保护较好的香港黄桐群落和鼎湖山厚壳桂群落低,过度的人为干扰将导致植物物种多样性的降低。     

四川黄龙沟草本层植物种类组成与数量特征

四川黄龙沟草本植物群落在所调查样方中(N=662)共出现维管植物124种,分属于37科91属,有54个中国特有种:其中兰科植物多达21属33种,中国特有种有12个,新种一个。如此众多的地生兰科植物聚集在面积不到1公里的沟内,而且部分兰科植物种类在沟内形成优势草本群落,这在中国地生兰的分布区域中是不多见的。大多数物种,包括兰科植物在内,出现的频率都较小,并且分布不均匀。黄龙沟兰科植物主要分布在两种生境中,即钙化滩流地和森林中。在这两种生境中微环境条件以及兰科植物的种类组成、数量特征和分布格局的差异都很大。钙化滩流地的兰科植物种类数目和每个样方中包含的兰科植物种类数目都比森林生境中的高。钙化滩流地中发现有30种兰科植物,最为常见的是无苞杓兰、黄花杓兰、西藏杓兰、广布小碟兰、二叶根茎兰和少花鹤顶兰。森林生境中有21种兰科植物分布,其中筒距兰和斑叶兰出现最多,光照强度可能对兰科植物的分布起到重要的决定作用。钙化滩流地中的溪流对建立和维持兰科植物生存所必须的稳定环境条件起到至关重要的作用,如果随意改变水流的方向或减少水流的流量,将给某些兰科植物带来灾难性的后果。     

北京地区隼形目鸟类物种多样性现状调查

为有效保护珍稀野生动物多样性,于2001～2005年利用固定样线法对北京地区隼形目猛禽物种和生态分布进行了调查,获得珍稀鸟类14种,其中国家一级保护物种为金雕和白肩雕.与历史纪录比较分析了物种数量发展趋势,依据观察记录时间讨论了居留型的变化特点,结合猎物资源和生态旅游开发现状提出了促进猛禽种群恢复的对策.     

Can taxonomic distinctness assess anthropogenic impacts in inland waters? A case study from a Mediterranean river basin

1. It is increasingly recognised that adequate measures of biodiversity should include information on the ‘relatedness’ of species within ecological assemblages, or the phylogenetic levels at which diversity is expressed. Taxonomic distinctness measures provide a series of indices to achieve this, which are independent of sample size. Taxonomic distinctness has been employed widely in marine systems, where it has been suggested that this index can provide a reliable measure of anthropogenic impact. 2. We tested the behaviour of three related taxonomic distinctiveness indices (Average Taxonomic Distinctness, Δ⁺; Variation in Taxonomic Distinctness, Λ⁺; and Total Taxonomic Distinctness, sΔ⁺) in relation to putative levels of anthropogenic impact in inland waters and their potential utility in environmental monitoring, using an extensive data set for aquatic beetles from the south‐east of the Iberian Peninsula. 3. Taxonomic distinctness measures were not able to identify human disturbance effects and there were no clear relationships between these new biodiversity measures and the disturbance level recorded at individual localities. Furthermore, the taxonomic distinctness measures used were apparently less sensitive to the effects of anthropogenic impact than other diversity metrics, such as species richness and rarity. 4. We conclude that taxonomic distinctness indices may not always perform as well as other metrics in the assessment of environmental quality. In addition, taxonomic distinctness measure should be interpreted with caution, as their performance and ability to detect anthropogenic disturbance may depend on the phylogenetic structure of sampled taxa within a region, and their evolutionary and ecological history.     

海南鹦哥岭的种子植物区系

海南鹦哥岭保存了我国华南地区面积最大和最原始的热带雨林。2003–2006年间, 作者通过近4个月的野外调查, 对该地区植物物种多样性进行了研究, 以期阐明其种子植物区系组成及其在中国植物物种多样性研究及保育中的重要性。结果如下: 该地区共有野生种子植物173科825属1,706种(含变种)。该地植物区系成分热带性质较强, 在属的水平上, 泛热带和热带亚洲成分占优势, 各占非世界属总数的25.28%和32.36%; 中国特有属8个, 占非世界属总数的1.01%, 其中海南特有属2个, 分别为多核果属(Pyrenocarpa)、盾叶苣苔属(Metapetrocosmea)。在种的水平上, 热带成分占非世界种总数的70.50%, 处于明显优势地位; 中国特有种474种, 占非世界种总数的28.42%, 其中海南特有种149种, 占中国特有种的31.44%。鹦哥岭的植物区系在组成上具有较强的特殊性, 主要表现在不但具有较多的特殊类群, 而且是亚热带植物种类与典型热带植物种类、干热性植物种类与湿热性植物种类相互渗透的交汇地带, 在植物区系地理研究方面具有重要意义。最后作者还讨论了该地区与邻近4个地区植物区系的联系, 认为鹦哥岭与吊罗山的种子植物区系相似性最大, 而与鼎湖山、西双版纳的种子植物区系相比, 鹦哥岭表现出更强的热带性。     

The role of leaf wounding and an epigeal predator on caterpillar damage to tomato plants

The effects of leaf wounding and the presence of a New Zealand carabid predator, Megadromus antarcticus, on the mortality of, and leaf damage caused by, Spodoptera litura on tomatoes were examined in glass houses. The presence of the non-climbing carabid increased S. litura mortality with a subsequent decrease in leaf damage. Leaf wounding produced a possible decrease in herbivory but did not affect S. litura mortality. Neither leaf wounding or the presence of carabids affected the vertical distribution of leaf damage on the tomato plants. The role of M. antarcticus as a biocontrol agent for tomato pests in New Zealand is briefly discussed.