生物多样性保护优先区抽样调查策略研究——以武陵山地区为例

生物多样性保护优先区是我国为加强生物多样性保护和监管划定的重要区域,目前部分优先区已陆续开展生物本底资料的调查评估工作,但受限于经费、时间等条件,对区内所有县域或网格全覆盖式科考,既不现实也无必要,因而区域尺度的抽样设计是一个亟需解决的关键问题。以武陵山生物多样性保护优先区为例,结合层次聚类和系统抽样方法,同时考虑历史调查资料的系统完整程度和空间保护属性,提出了一个科学可行的抽样方案。首先将研究区域内的所有县域聚为5类,每类挑选出2个重点县域,共获得6个历史上进行过系统科学考察的县域和4个本底资料相对缺乏的县域,进而挑选出76个重点调查网格（10 km×10 km）,其中生物多样性富集网格36个,保护区外的人类干扰网格40个,抽样比例为11.09%,每个网格平均调查经费为2.52万元。该抽样策略区分了调查层次并突出重点区域,使调查和评估更有针对性,进一步完善了保护优先区基础调查系统,也强化了项目管理能力,对其他保护优先区项目开展具有一定参考价值。     

线粒体DNA（mtDNA）多态性在动物保护生物学中的应用

本文从两个方面论述了mtDNA在动物保护生物学中的应用：一是对物种进行遗传多样性的检 测与管理,二是进行与种群统计学数据相关的遗传分析。前者与保护的长期效益（如进化） 密切相关,而后者则主要用于指导短期管理措施的制定。同时,本文重点论述了mtDNA在进 化显著单位(ESUs)和管理单位(MUs)的认定方面的作用。认定ESUs的目的是隔离管理遗传多 样性,它是一系列系统进化史独特的种群,这种独特性同时表现在mtDNA和核DNA上;MUs是 种群统计意义上的生殖隔离单位,具有独特的等位基因频率,与系统发生结构和遗传分歧水 平无关。ESUs与MUs都是保护生物学中保护与管理的重要基本单位。     

保护生物学概要

保护生物学的形成是对生物危机的反应和生物科学迅速发展的结果。它是应用科学解决由于人类活动干扰或其它因素引起的物种、群落和生态系统出现的问题的新学科。其”目的是提供保护生物多样性的原理和工具“,其基础科学和应用科学的综合性交叉学科。系统学、生态学、生物地理学和种群生态学的原理和方法是保护生物学重要的理论和实践基础。     

中国极小种群野生植物保护理论与实践研究进展

极小种群野生植物大都分布范围狭窄、个体数量稀少且自然更新困难, 面临随时灭绝的风险, 迫切需要拯救性保护。极小种群野生植物这一概念自提出以来受到了保护生物学领域的广泛关注, 已成为当前中国生物多样性保护的一个热点方向。我国于2010年正式启动实施极小种群野生植物拯救保护工程, 并开展了大量的保护研究和实践。以“extremely small population*”和“plant”为检索词在Web of Science进行了主题检索, 以“极小种群”和“植物”为检索词在中国知网进行了主题检索, 对获取的的学术期刊论文、学位论文和会议论文进行了梳理。本文从极小种群野生植物种群、群落及生境调查与监测、适应性、遗传多样性、繁殖生物学、濒危机制、动态模型6个方面对近年来极小种群野生植物的理论研究工作进行了较为系统的综述。在此基础上, 从就地保护、迁地保护与种质资源保存、野外回归、人工繁育、标准化体系5个方面回顾了极小种群野生植物保护实践及取得的进展。基于极小种群野生植物保护理论与实践研究现状, 我们建议在极小种群野生植物未来保护工作中不断调整和完善保护名录, 加强种群结构的观测和预测、小种群形成和恢复机制的针对性研究以及特定物种的长期系统性研究, 同时促进这一概念在国际上的推广。希望本文能为国家生物多样性保护和生态文明建设提供参考。     

Conservation genetics of the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata): population structure,genetic diversity and landscape effects in an endangered amphibian

Revealing patterns of genetic diversity and barriers for gene flow are key points for successful conservation in endangered species. Methods based on molecular markers are also often used to delineate conservation units such as evolutionary significant units and management units. Here we combine phylo-geographic analyses (based on mtDNA) with population and landscape genetic analyses (based on microsatellites) for the endangered yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata over a wide distribution range in Germany. Our analyses show that two genetic clusters are present in the study area, a northern and a southern/central one, but that these clusters are not deeply divergent. The genetic data suggest high fragmentation among toad occurrences and consequently low genetic diversity. Genetic diversity and genetic connectivity showed a negative relationship with road densities and urban areas surrounding toad occurrences, indicating that these landscape features act as barriers to gene flow. To preserve a maximum of genetic diversity, we recommend considering both genetic clusters as management units, and to increase gene flow among toad occurrences with the aim of restoring and protecting functional meta-populations within each of the clusters. Several isolated populations with especially low genetic diversity and signs of inbreeding need particular short-term conservation attention to avoid extinction. We also recommend to allow natural gene flow between both clusters but not to use individuals from one cluster for translocation or reintroduction into the other. Our results underscore the utility of molecular tools for species conservation, highlight outcomes of habitat fragmentation onto the genetic structure of an endangered amphibian and reveal particularly threatened populations in need for urgent conservation efforts.

     

When the shoe doesn’t fit: applying conservation unit concepts to western painted turtles at their northern periphery

As biodiversity continues to be lost at an alarming rate, strategies for prioritizing populations for conservation have become increasingly important. Maintaining intraspecific genetic diversity is of particular importance for preserving evolutionary history and the potential for future adaptation. In order to effectively protect this diversity, units below the species level need to be defined. However, delineation of such units is subject to many challenges, with no one strategy applying universally across taxa. In this study we carried out the first genetic assessment of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) at its northern periphery in British Columbia (BC), Canada, using mitochondrial DNA haplotypic and microsatellite genotypic data to examine population structure and demographic history. We compared the application of evolutionarily significant unit and management unit criteria with Canadian designatable unit guidelines to determine appropriate conservation units. Our results show that BC western painted turtles form a single evolutionarily significant unit, with each occupied site constituting a separate management unit. In contrast, there is evidence for six discrete designatable units. Patterns of genetic variation in BC western painted turtles indicate that the conservation of each region is important to maintaining regional diversity and evolutionary novelty in this widespread species.     

Species as units of analysis in ecology and biogeography: time to take the blinders off

Species and their geographical distributions, tabulated either from regional faunal and floral monographs or directly from natural history collections, often are used as the basic units of analysis by ecologists and biogeographers. It has been argued that in order for species to be operationally useful units for evolutionary and ecological studies, they need to be recognizable and identifiable as distinct entities. A growing body of molecular phylogeographic studies demonstrates that currently recognized species often are unreliable in their approximation of fundamental evolutionary and geographical units, leading, for example, to proposed usage of molecular-based evolutionarily significant units in lieu of species in conservation biology. We argue that ecologists and bio- geographers should likewise employ evolutionarily significant units as basic units of analysis when evidence clearly indicates that a formally recognized species either fails to convey important evolutionary and geographical information (i.e. includes multiple geographically distinct evolu- tionary lineages) or fails to delineate a natural entity (i.e. does not represent a monophyletic set of populations). We demonstrate the limitations of current species as evolutionary, geographical, and conservation units within the ecologically well-studied North American desert rodent assemblage. We suggest that biotic surveys should be designed to allow the efficient assembly and dissemination of molecular phylogeographic data from ecologically and biogeographically representative systems.     

Automated audio recording as a means of surveying tinamous (Tinamidae) in the Peruvian Amazon

1. The use of machine learning technologies to process large quantities of remotely collected audio data is a powerful emerging research tool in ecology and conservation.
2. We applied these methods to a field study of tinamou (Tinamidae) biology in Madre de Dios, Peru, a region expected to have high levels of interspecies competition and niche partitioning as a result of high tinamou alpha diversity. We used autonomous recording units to gather environmental audio over a period of several months at lowland rainforest sites in the Los Amigos Conservation Concession and developed a Convolutional Neural Network‐based data processing pipeline to detect tinamou vocalizations in the dataset.
3. The classified acoustic event data are comparable to similar metrics derived from an ongoing camera trapping survey at the same site, and it should be possible to combine the two datasets for future explorations of the target species'' niche space parameters.
4. Here, we provide an overview of the methodology used in the data collection and processing pipeline, offer general suggestions for processing large amounts of environmental audio data, and demonstrate how data collected in this manner can be used to answer questions about bird biology.

     

Systematic Conservation Planning for Groundwater Ecosystems Using Phylogenetic Diversity

Aquifer ecosystems provide a range of important services including clean drinking water. These ecosystems, which are largely inaccessible to humans, comprise a distinct invertebrate fauna (stygofauna), which is characterized by narrow distributions, high levels of endemism and cryptic species. Although being under enormous anthropogenic pressure, aquifers have rarely been included in conservation planning because of the general lack of knowledge of species diversity and distribution. Here we use molecular sequence data and phylogenetic diversity as surrogates for stygofauna diversity in aquifers of New South Wales, Australia. We demonstrate how to incorporate these data as conservation features in the systematic conservation planning software Marxan. We designated each branch of the phylogenetic tree as a conservation feature, with the branch length as a surrogate for the number of distinct characters represented by each branch. Two molecular markers (nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I) were used to evaluate how marker variability and the resulting tree topology affected the site-selection process. We found that the sites containing the deepest phylogenetic branches were deemed the most irreplaceable by Marxan. By integrating phylogenetic data, we provide a method for including taxonomically undescribed groundwater fauna in systematic conservation planning.     

Beyond opportunism: Key principles for systematic reserve selection

The intention and practice of conservation reserve selection are different. A major reason for systems of reserves is to sustain biological diversity. This involves protecting examples of as many natural features, e.g. species, communities or environments, as possible. In reality, however, new reserves have rarely been dedicated for their representation of features. Furthermore, the opportunism that has characterized the development of reserve systems can actually jeopardize the representation of all features in reserves through the inefficient allocation of limited resources. More systematic approaches are essential if reserves are to play their role in protecting biodiversity. Some basic principles for conservation planning are emerging from recent systematic procedures for reserve selection. These principles will help to link intention and practice.     

On the challenge of treating various types of variables: application for improving the measurement of functional diversity

Functional diversity is at the heart of current research in the field of conservation biology. Most of the indices that measure diversity depend on variables that have various statistical types (e.g. circular, fuzzy, ordinal) and that go through a matrix of distances among species. We show how to compute such distances from a generalization of Gower's distance, which is dedicated to the treatment of mixed data. We prove Gower's distance can be extended to include new types of data. The impact of this generalization is illustrated on a real data set containing 80 plant species and 13 various traits. Gower's distance allows an efficient treatment of missing data and the inclusion of variable weights. An evaluation of the real contribution of each variable to the mixed distance is proposed. We conclude that such a generalized index will be crucial for analyzing functional diversity at small and large scales.     

Australian land snails: a review of ecological research and conservation approaches

Land snails are an important yet often neglected component of Australia's biological diversity. Despite high levels of diversity within this group and the identification of many narrow range endemic species as being of conservation concern, there have been few detailed studies that document the ecology and conservation requirements of the group. A range of threats has been suggested, yet relatively few have been rigorously assessed. Whilst factors such as land clearing are readily apparent and have resulted in extinctions, other threats such as climate change are not well understood. This paper reviews studies conducted on terrestrial molluscs in Australia and highlights the need for further targeted ecological research, given the likely level of on-going threats. We urge researchers to apply rigorous approaches to data collection that will enable a deeper understanding of the factors governing distribution and abundance. Approaches used in other areas of conservation biology offer considerable scope for application to land snails and for the development of appropriate conservation strategies.     

Delimitation of evolutionary units in Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paleosuchus palpebrosus</Emphasis> (Cuvier, 1807): insights from conservation of a broadly distributed species

An important goal of evolutionary and conservation biology is the identification of units below the species level, such as Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs), providing objectively delimited units for species conservation and management. In this study we tested the hypothesis that Cuvier’s dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)—a species broadly distributed across several biomes and watersheds of South America—is comprised of different ESUs. We analyzed mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences of 206 individuals and 532 unlinked ddRAD loci of 20 individuals chosen from amongst the mitochondrial haplogroups. Analysis of the cytochrome b sequences revealed four mitochondrial clusters, while STRUCTURE analysis of ddRAD loci detected three genomic clusters with different levels of mixture between them. Using the Adaptive Evolutionary Conservation (AEC) framework we identified three ESUs: “Amazon”, “Madeira-Bolivia” and “Pantanal”; one of them composed of two different Management Units (MUs), “Madeira” and “Bolivia”. In general, based on the comparisons with other crocodilian species, genetic diversity of each lineage was moderate however, the Madeira MU showed fivefold lower genetic diversity than other geographic groups. Considering the particularities of each Paleosuchus palpebrosus conservation unit, we recommend that the conservation status of each is evaluated separately. Tropical biodiversity is largely underestimated and in this context the broadly distributed species are the most likely candidates to harbor distinct evolutionary lineages. Thus, we suggest that conservation research should not neglect species that are generally considered of Least Concern by IUCN due to the taxon’s broad geographic distribution.     

基于空间分析的保护生物学研究

 保护生物学家和生态学家早就认识到只有准确地辨识保护对象的空间位置、 范围、 及其相邻的关系(例如边缘)和连接度, 以及依存的地形和气候等生境条件, 才能发现生物种群和生境在空间的扩散与收缩、 增长与灭绝的动态, 揭示分布的格局, 从而系统、 全面地了解保护对象和生境的存在状态、 破碎程度和变化趋势, 进行有效的自然保护。 得益于新兴的空间分析技术, 保护生物学自20世纪90年代以来取得了很大的进步。基于空间分析的保护生物学研究是最近10年左右大力发展的新保护生物学的重要基础。 该文结合作者的研究工作,综述了基于空间分析的保护生物学项目, 探讨了保护生物学发展历史、 主要研究方法与应用、 以及今后的可能发展趋势。 在生物多样性的丰度和分布的空间解绎部分,通过综述世界保护监测中心的图解全球生物多样性的工作, 如国家尺度的生物多样性水平、 植物多样性的分布中心和维管束植物科的多样性等的空间分布 ,介绍了 Dobson等图示美国主要濒危植物、 鸟类、 鱼类和软体动物等4个主要类群在县(County) 为基本空间单位上分布的空间格局, 讨论了生物多样性空间解绎的意义。在第二部分用世界资源研究所的全球森林监测(Global forest watch)项目, 美国的国家保护缺失区分析(GAP analysis)项目, 美国林务局的无路自然区域(Roadless area)保护项目和加拿大自然审计(Nature audit)项目, 以及北美和东亚生物多样性空间分布的比较分析和生物入侵的空间分析等具体实例来说明生物多样性空间分布变化比较分析方法的应用。 过去20年来, 面向空间格局的生态学和保护生物学研究得到了快速的发展, 特别是空间格局的描述、 由地统计演变而成的空间统计、 地理信息系统、 基于个体(或栅格)的空间解绎模拟模型、 基于斑块(Patch)的种群理论及其发展(如复合种群理论, 源 汇模型等)等。在第三部分, 以美国森林破碎度空间格局分析和美国太平洋西北演替后期森林的空间格局分析为例, 介绍了空间格局分析在保护生物学中的应用。 同时介绍了澳大利亚保护生态学家Lindenmayer 和美国著名景观生态学家Franklin 2002年提出的模板(Matrix)保护理论,把保护的眼光不局限在面积不多而且分散的保护区中,应注意景观模板和保护区相邻的原生区域的综合保护, 这样将大大扩展保护的范围, 并且平衡保护与发展的关系。最后, 介绍了在保护生物学中已有一定应用的空间模型和模拟, 包括了空间解绎模型(Spatial explicit model)、 基于过程(Process-based)的空间模拟模型、 面向代理(Agent-based)的空间适应模拟模型(SWAM)以及与此有关的动态全球植被模型(DGVM)。 通过上面的讨论和综述, 预测一个新的保护生物学的分支: 空间保护生物学, 已经逐渐成熟问世, 这门基于现代信息技术和空间技术的新学科已经而且还将为全球生物多样性的研究和保育作出重大的贡献。     

植物保护遗传学

从遗传多样性、系统发育和地理系统发育角度对当前保护遗传学在植物保护中的作用进行了探讨。在植物保护过程中,要考虑多群遗传多样性的大小,在就地和迁地保护的过程要减少近交和远交衰退影响,并可利用遗传标记为提供关于种群大小、基因流动等方面的信息。系统发育和地理系统发育的研究在于了解物种进化的历史,以确定物种保护单元。同时结合两个具体生态学问题（生境片段化和外来种）对当前植物保护遗传学的研究进行了介绍,揭示了保护遗传学在植物保护上重要作用和不可取代性,为今后研究提供参考。     

Genetic characterization of Western European noble crayfish populations (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Astacus astacus</Emphasis>) for advanced conservation management strategies

One central goal of conservation biology is to conserve the genetic diversity of species in order to protect their adaptive potential. The main objective of this study was to identify management units (MUs) for the threatened noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) in Western Europe by utilizing sequence and microsatellite analysis to determine populations in need of focused conservation programs. With the analysis of noble crayfish from 31 sampling sites from Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Germany, and further comparison of this data with a European-wide dataset, we propose four distinct MUs: the French Meuse (MU 1), the French Rhine (MU 2), the Belgian Scheldt and Meuse (MU 3) as well as populations from the French Seine (MU 4). This knowledge enables advanced A. astacus conservation management practises in these catchments by distinguishing between outbreeding and inbreeding populations and by preserving the maximum genetic diversity. When required, a high genetic diversity can be conserved by strengthen existing populations via stocking with populations that either bear the most common haplotype or population-specific private haplotypes in order to maintain recent and regional adaptions. Above all, stocking with populations that exhibit haplotypes from outside Western Europe should be avoided in these catchments. This study supports the preservation of the genetic diversity of noble crayfish in Western Europe and provides thus a proposition for advanced conservation management.     

The importance of plot size and the number of sampling seasons on capturing macrofungal species richness

The species-area relationship is an important factor in the study of species diversity, conservation biology, and landscape ecology. A deeper understanding of this relationship is necessary, in order to provide recommendations on how to improve the quality of data collection on macrofungal diversity in different land use systems in future studies, a systematic assessment of methodological parameters, in particular optimal plot sizes. The species-area relationship of macrofungi in tropical and temperate climatic zones and four different land use systems were investigated by determining the macrofungal species richness in plot sizes ranging from 100 m² to 10 000 m² over two sampling seasons. We found that the effect of plot size on recorded species richness significantly differed between land use systems with the exception of monoculture systems. For both climate zones, land use system needs to be considered when determining optimal plot size. Using an optimal plot size was more important than temporal replication (over two sampling seasons) in accurately recording species richness.     

系统生物学研究及其在医学中的应用

目前,系统生物学研究已初显端倪。生物学正从分子生物学走向系统生物学,由精细的分解研究转向系统的整体研究,由还原论的研究方法过渡到系统论的研究方法。简要论述了系统生物学的产生背景、结构和内容、研究思路和方法、与医学的关系等,重点介绍系统生物学的内容和研究方法,以及在疾病治疗和药物开发中的研究进展。     

遗传多样性在啮齿动物研究中的应用

遗传多样性是物种多样性和生态系统多样性的基础,也是生命进化和物种分化的前提,更是评价自然生物资源的重要依据.遗传多样性在种类繁多的啮齿动物研究中得到广泛应用,本文综述了啮齿动物遗传多样性在鼠害防控、啮齿动物起源和分化及进化历史、啮齿动物的适应潜力、种群数量动态和调节机制、保护生物学方面研究中的应用,提出今后应系统论证种群数量动态与遗传多样性之间的关系,并对啮齿动物遗传多样性进行长期监控.
     

Neural stem cell biology in vertebrates and invertebrates: more alike than different?

Many of the regulatory mechanisms controlling neural stem cell behavior are proving to be conserved between organisms as diverse as worms and man. Common principles are emerging with respect to the regulation of neural stem cell division and the specification of distinct stem and progenitor cell types. Great progress has been made in recent years in identifying the cellular mechanisms underpinning these processes, thanks in large part to the cross-fertilization of research on different model systems. We review here recent findings that highlight hitherto unappreciated similarities in the cell and molecular biology of neural stem cell self-renewal and differentiation between invertebrates and vertebrates. As well as underscoring the possible conservation of stem cell mechanisms across phyla, these similarities are proving to be practically useful in studying neural stem cell biology in health and disease.