生态保护红线战略视域下自然保护地如何划界和分区管控?

本文在生态保护红线战略背景下, 探讨自然保护地如何通过合理划界、分区管控及相应管理措施来处理人地关系。主要观点包括: 在国家生态保护红线战略指导下开展自然保护地边界划定及分区管控, 不仅是单一的自然科学问题, 同时也是多目标管理问题; 生态保护红线并不仅是一条静态物理空间划线, 而且也是生态系统动态管控的基线(baseline); 在生态保护红线战略思想下, 自然保护地分区管控需要考虑地理差异性, 应因地制策、因时施策。生态保护红线内区域的人地关系的处理需要明确保护地可建设范围、科学许可自然资源可利用方式, 应当对保护地的生态系统特征进行研究, 充分论证其对人类活动的承受能力, 在保护自然生态系统的前提下, 最终将人类活动控制在生态系统稳定性可以接受的“基线”之内。     

Why conserve biodiversity? A multi-national exploration of stakeholders’ views on the arguments for biodiversity conservation

Given the concern about biodiversity loss, there are a number of arguments used for biodiversity conservation ranging from those emphasising the intrinsic value of biodiversity to those on the direct use value of ecosystems. Yet arguing the case for biodiversity conservation effectively requires an understanding of why people value biodiversity. We used Q methodology to explore and understand how different conservation practitioners (social and natural science researchers, environmental non-Governmental organisations and decision-makers) in nine European countries argue for conservation. We found that there was a plurality of views about biodiversity and its conservation. A moral argument and some arguments around the intrinsic and ecological value of biodiversity were held by all stakeholder groups. They also shared the view that species valuation does not justify the destruction of nature. However, there were also some differences within and between the groups, which primarily reflected the espousal of either ecocentric or anthropocentric viewpoints. Our findings suggest that moral arguments and those around biodiversity’s intrinsic and ecological value could potentially serve as a starting point for building consensus among conservation practitioners.     

A biotic index using the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (BiPo), to evaluate ecological status of coastal waters

The development of ecologically based indices that respond to disturbances in a predictable manner has been stressed by the EU Water Framework Directive. The seagrass Posidonia oceanica, given its ecological indicator characteristics, has been identified as one of the elements to determine ecological status under the EU Water Framework Directive. The purpose of this study is therefore to develop a biotic index based on P. oceanica (BiPo), focussing on: (i) the necessity of an index that may be applied over the largest geographical extent possible, (ii) the necessity of a tool for a baseline evaluation of P. oceanica status in the Mediterranean, (iii) the compliance with WFD requirements, (iv) the efficiency of the method in terms of reliability and cost. The BiPo index is developed on the basis of all P. oceanica monitoring data available in the western Mediterranean and on a standard assessment of anthropogenic pressures. The index metrics are selected and evaluated on the basis of this pressures assessment, and are subsequently integrated for the evaluation of ecological status. The index is then tested on 15 sites around Corsica (France). The results show that the BiPo well reflects meadow health status and ecological status. Furthermore it is reliable, standard and cost-effective, and can be applied to a wide array of management and conservation purposes.     

青藏高原高寒荒漠区藏羚生态廊道识别及其保护状况评估

青藏高原高寒荒漠区是以藏羚、藏野驴和野牦牛等为代表的濒危有蹄类野生动物全球的主要分布区域,然而该区域高速公路、铁路等基础设施建设所带来的人为干扰,往往对上述濒危有蹄类迁徙廊道产生干扰及阻隔效应.基于最小费用距离路径原理及其Linkage Mapper模型,本研究模拟识别了青藏高原高寒荒漠区藏羚种群的潜在廊道分布,并依据主要自然保护区(阿尔金、可可西里和羌塘)和廊道之间的关系,将潜在廊道划分为封闭廊道(保护区内部廊道)、连通廊道(保护区之间廊道)、开放廊道(保护区与其外部非保护区区域之间廊道)和外部廊道（保护区区域之外的廊道）4种类型,并比较了它们的空间分布特征及其受扰状况.结果表明：尽管青藏高原高寒荒漠区有蹄类生境及其廊道总体保护状况仍相对较好,但日益增强的人为干扰对连接主要保护区之间部分廊道生态功能的干扰和影响不容忽视;目前划片分区式保护区管理模式不利于对以藏羚羊为代表的濒危有蹄类迁徙廊道进行有效的整体性保护,未来需要建立基于生态完整性和廊道连通性,整合上述3大保护区,建立青藏高原高寒荒漠保护区网络体系,打破保护区间的行政边界割裂和管理体系分割,通过建立保护区之间信息、资源共享以及保护措施的统一协调机制,实现整个高寒荒漠区生态系统、高原珍稀濒危物种的统一保护管理,提升高寒荒漠保护区的整体保护效率.     

Development and assessment of a landscape-scale ecological threat index for the Lower Colorado River Basin

Anthropogenic disturbances impact freshwater biota but are rarely incorporated into conservation planning due to the difficulties in quantifying threats. There is currently no widely accepted method to quantify disturbances, and determining how to measure threats to upstream catchments using disturbance metrics can be time consuming and subjective. We compared four watershed-scale ecological threat indices for the Lower Colorado River Basin (LCRB) using landscape-level threats of land use (e.g., agricultural and urban lands), waterway development and diversions (e.g., number of canals, dams), and human development (e.g., road and railroads density, pollution sites). The LCRB is an ideal region to assess ecological threat indices because of the increasing need for conservation to ensure the persistence of native fishes in highly altered habitat. Each threat was measured for severity (i.e., level of influence on the upstream watershed) and frequency throughout each watershed; both severity and frequency were measured using two different methods. Severity values were based either on peer-reviewed literature and weighted in accordance to their published ecological impact, or assumed equal severity across stressors. Threat frequency was calculated according to either the presence/absence of each stressor, or on the relative density of each stressor in the watershed. Each measure of severity was combined with a measure of frequency, creating four ecological threat indices, and transformed to a 0–100 scale. Threat indices were highly correlated (slopes of 0.94–1.63; R² of 0.82–0.98), and were highest for watersheds close to urban centers, including Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Road crossings and density appeared to be the most influential stressors in the index, but the removal of any individual stressor only changed the index by <5.1 units. Our results indicate that a simpler index with less subjectivity (i.e., presence/absence of a stressor in a watershed) provides similar results to the more subjective measure of threats (i.e., peer-reviewed threat severity). Because these threats have been linked to ecological health, the development of the index should be a useful tool to identify regions of greatest potential threat to aquatic biota and can aid in conservation planning for the Lower Colorado River Basin.     

基于地理模型与优化的城市扩张与生态保护二元空间协调优化

协调城市扩张与生态敏感区保护之间的矛盾是当前我国新型城镇化建设中的一项重要任务,但基于传统供需平衡模式或历史惯性驱动模拟的城市规划布局可能导致一系列潜在的生态环境问题。根据城市发展具有历史惯性驱动和空间规划引导的双重特性,提出将地理模拟与优化(Geographical Simulation and Optimization Systems,简写为GeoSOS)等复杂GIS空间分析技术引入规划决策分析。通过利用最小累积阻力模型获取生态敏感区保护压力格局,并利用元胞自动机模型进行城市扩张模拟,分析城市惯性扩张模式对生态敏感区的潜在影响;然后根据生态敏感区保护和城市空间扩张的协调性发展目标进行生态适宜性评价,进而利用蚁群智能空间优化配置模型产生一种优化的城市空间布局方案。研究以我国珠江三角洲地区的广州市为案例,详细分析了基于GeoSOS的城市扩张与生态保护的协调决策过程。结果表明,整合了城市发展惯性与生态敏感区保护双重目标的空间优化布局方案,比单纯基于地理模拟进行规划布局更符合生态型城市建设需求,研究所提出的城市与生态二元空间协调分析框架可为城市规划提供可靠的定量决策支撑。     

长江源区生态系统完整性测量与评价

生态系统完整性概念正在逐步成为公共环境政策和决策的基础,许多区域生态系统管理的规划和政策都将生态系统完整性作为目标和原则.本文建立了长江源区多尺度生态系统框架,依照生态系统完整性的定义,发展了长江源区生态系统完整性评价的指标体系,对源区进行了生态系统完整性的测量和评价.根据完整性的评价结果,将长江源区划分为生态良好区、生态脆弱区和优先生态恢复区.     

Resolving the genetic basis of invasiveness and predicting invasions

Considerable effort has been invested in determining traits underlying invasiveness. Yet, identifying a set of traits that commonly confers invasiveness in a range of species has proven elusive, and almost nothing is known about genetic loci affecting invasive success. Incorporating genetic model organisms into ecologically relevant studies is one promising avenue to begin dissecting the genetic underpinnings of invasiveness. Molecular biologists are rapidly characterizing genes mediating developmental responses to diverse environmental cues, i.e., genes for plasticity, as well as to environmental factors likely to impose strong selection on invading species, e.g., resistance to herbivores and competitors, coordination of life-history events with seasonal changes, and physiological tolerance of heat, drought, or cold. Here, we give an overview of molecular genetic tools increasingly used to characterize the genetic basis of adaptation and that may be used to begin identifying genetic mechanisms of invasiveness. Given the divergent traits that affect invasiveness, “invasiveness genes” common to many clades are unlikely, but the combination of developmental genetic advances with further evolutionary studies and modeling may provide a framework for identifying genes that account for invasiveness in related species.     

Covert moral bioenhancement,public health,and autonomy

In a recent article in this journal, Parker Crutchfield argues that if moral bioenhancement ought to be compulsory, as some authors claim, then it ought to be covert, i.e., performed without the knowledge of the population that is being morally enhanced. Crutchfield argues that since the aim of compulsory moral bioenhancement is to prevent ultimate harm to the population, compulsory moral bioenhancement is best categorized as a public health issue, and should therefore be governed by the norms and values that apply in public health settings. In this article, I argue for two related claims. First, I question the extent to which compulsory moral enhancement should be considered a public health issue that ought to be governed by the norms and values that apply in public health settings. Second, I argue that Crutchfield's argument that covert moral bioenhancement would better respect people's autonomy than an overt program overlooks two important autonomy‐based reasons that, in fact, favor an overt moral enhancement program over a covert one.     

生态脆弱区贫困与生态环境的博弈分析

生态脆弱区既是生态环境破坏最典型、最强烈的区域,也是贫困问题最集中的区域。然而,实践中试图摆脱"贫困陷阱"的成功案例并不多见。其中一个重要原因是鲜有协同生态保护与扶贫的研究,尤其是忽视了不同利益主体的相互作用过程与机制。从博弈论的视角,探讨生态脆弱区不同利益主体的两组核心博弈,即政府与民众以及政府与企业的博弈。研究发现,扶贫与生态环境保护相互作用过程事实上就是协调不同利益主体的目标与利益的博弈过程,博弈结果一定程度上决定了扶贫的效果以及生态环境保护的效应。研究为深入理解贫困与生态环境相互作用的过程与机制提供一个理论分析框架,并为中国生态脆弱区可持续发展实践提供有益借鉴。     

The aesthetic value of reef fishes is globally mismatched to their conservation priorities

Reef fishes are closely connected to many human populations, yet their contributions to society are mostly considered through their economic and ecological values. Cultural and intrinsic values of reef fishes to the public can be critical drivers of conservation investment and success, but remain challenging to quantify. Aesthetic value represents one of the most immediate and direct means by which human societies engage with biodiversity, and can be evaluated from species to ecosystems. Here, we provide the aesthetic value of 2,417 ray-finned reef fish species by combining intensive evaluation of photographs of fishes by humans with predicted values from machine learning. We identified important biases in species’ aesthetic value relating to evolutionary history, ecological traits, and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat status. The most beautiful fishes are tightly packed into small parts of both the phylogenetic tree and the ecological trait space. In contrast, the less attractive fishes are the most ecologically and evolutionary distinct species and those recognized as threatened. Our study highlights likely important mismatches between potential public support for conservation and the species most in need of this support. It also provides a pathway for scaling-up our understanding of what are both an important nonmaterial facet of biodiversity and a key component of nature’s contribution to people, which could help better anticipate consequences of species loss and assist in developing appropriate communication strategies.

The most beautiful reef fish are tightly packed into small regions of both the phylogenetic tree and the ecological trait space of the world’s reef fish fauna and are less threatened than unattractive fish. This study highlights likely important mismatches between potential public support for conservation and the species most in need of this support.     

Branching out: Towards a trait-based understanding of fungal ecology

Fungal ecology lags behind in the use of traits (i.e. phenotypic characteristics) to understand ecological phenomena. We argue that this is a missed opportunity and that the selection and systematic collection of trait data throughout the fungal kingdom will reap major benefits in ecological and evolutionary understanding of fungi. To develop our argument, we first employ plant trait examples to show the power of trait-based approaches in understanding ecological phenomena such as identifying species allocation resources patterns, inferring community assembly and understanding diversity–ecosystem functioning relationships. Second, we discuss ecologically relevant traits in fungi that could be used to answer such ecological phenomena and can be measured on a large proportion of the fungal kingdom. Third, we identify major challenges and opportunities for widespread, coordinated collection and sharing of fungal trait data. The view that we propose has the potential to allow mycologists to contribute considerably more influential studies in the area of fungal ecology and evolution, as has been demonstrated by comparable earlier efforts by plant ecologists. This represents a change of paradigm, from community profiling efforts through massive sequencing tools, to a more mechanistic understanding of fungal ecology.     

Optimizing coastal and marine spatial planning through the use of high-resolution benthic sensitivity models

Effective management of coastal and marine resources requires knowledge of how community sensitivity varies spatially. With this in mind, we developed a benthic sensitivity index (SI), based on the distribution and abundance of five ecological groups that can be used to assess community tolerance to organic enrichment and other disturbances. The index, projected as a high-resolution map, ranks communities from those dominated by sensitive and ecologically important species (i.e. low SI values) to those composed mainly of tolerant and/or opportunistic species (i.e., high SI values). Applying our model to a multiple-use case study in southeast Brazil, we were able to show considerable variability in the sensitivity of communities across the study area that was relatively stable over time. This allowed us to evaluate the possible direct (i.e., spatially overlapping) and indirect effects (i.e., cumulative changes to the physical environment) of a range of activities on sensitive and ecologically diverse benthic communities. Our approach and the resulting high-resolution maps hold promise for a range of spatial planning applications, including the development of coastal infrastructure, assessments of the representativeness of marine protected areas and other activities such as the selection of appropriate locations for dredge spoil dumping. Overall, we present a novel and transparent way of extrapolating limited survey data to provide spatial and temporal information on the sensitivity of benthic communities in multiple-use coastal and marine areas.     

Conservation potential of semi-natural habitats for birds in intensively-used agricultural landscapes

Agricultural intensification resulted in substantial loss of farmland biodiversity. Semi-natural habitats may be viewed as potential buffers of these adverse impacts, but a rigorous assessment of their capacity for supporting farmland biodiversity is lacking. In this study, we explored conservation potential of two different types of semi-natural habitats for birds in intensively-used agricultural landscapes – farmland hedges (i.e., linear strips of shrubby and tree vegetation) and open scrubland (i.e., scattered shrubs and abandoned orchards). Specifically, we tested whether the abundance and species richness of birds differ between these habitats considering various species traits, such as habitat affinity (i.e., forest, farmland and urban species), diet specialization (i.e., animal eaters, plant eaters, and omnivores) and conservation status (Species of European Conservation Concern). We found that open scrubland hosted on average 37.9 bird species and 122.6 individuals per 1 km² of the transect, whereas farmland hedges hosted only 19 species and 61.8 individuals per 1 km² of the transect. However, results have substantially changed if we considered the area of suitable habitat into account. More specifically, open scrubland hosted more bird species and individuals when we considered open habitat species and the area of open habitats, whereas farmland hedges had higher species diversity and individuals of woodland bird species when we considered the area of woodland habitats. Similarly, analyses of habitat affiliations of individual species corresponded to the whole-community patterns; and revealed that several woodland bird species were mainly associated with farmland hedges (e.g., Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla), whereas the open scrubland was preferred by open habitat bird species (e.g., Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra, Quail Coturnix coturnix and Skylark Alauda arvensis). These results demonstrate that semi-natural habitats, both open scrubland and farmland hedges, have large potential for promotion and conservation of bird communities within intensively used agricultural landscapes, as both may have represented suitable habitats for species with different ecological requirements. Therefore, management measures focused on the enlargement of the area of these habitats, in combination with suitable management (e.g., regulating the progress of natural succession in open scrubland; increasing structural diversity of existing farmland hedges), may substantially contribute to bird conservation within agricultural landscapes.     

Ecological aspects of the origin of Yersinia pestis,causative agent of the plague: Concept of intermediate environment

Modern phylogenies of Yersinia pestis (Logh.), causative agent of the plague, constructed using molecular-genetic methods, do not receive a satisfactory functional and adaptive interpretation and are far from being ecologically valid. We have presented an ecological scenario of the origin of the causative agent of the plague through the transition of the initial pseudotuberculosis microbe Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O:1b to a free hostal ecological niche (and a new adaptive zone) under ultracontinental climatic conditions of the Late Pleistocene (Sartan time, 22000–15000 years ago) in southern Siberia and Central Asia. An intermediate environment, i.e., the “Mongolian marmot Marmota sibirica-flea Oropsylla silatiewi” parasitic system, where the process of adaptation development of the plague microbe took place, has been characterized. A scenario based on the major principles of the modern synthetic theory of evolution opens the way to an ecological-genetic synthesis of the problem of plague origin and is an appropriate model for developing a theory of molecular evolution of pathogenic (plaguelike) microorganisms.     

Quantitative trait loci for foliar terpenes in a global eucalypt species

Terpenes are a diverse group of plant secondary metabolites that mediate a plethora of ecological interactions in many plant species. Despite increasing research into the genetic control of important adaptive traits in some plant species, the genetic control of terpenes in forest tree species is still relatively poorly studied. In this study, we use quantitative genetic and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis to investigate the genetic control of foliar terpenes in an ecologically and commercially important eucalypt species, Eucalyptus globulus. We show a moderate to high within-family broad-sense heritability and significant genetic basis to the variation in 14 of the 16 terpenes assayed. This is the first report of QTL for terpenes in this species. Eleven QTL influenced the terpenes overall. One QTL on linkage group 6 affected six of the seven different sesquiterpenes assayed (plus one monoterpene), which, in combination with highly significant correlations between these compounds, argues that their variation is influenced by a QTL with pleiotropic effect early in the biosynthetic pathway. We examine the homology of these QTL to those found in a closely related eucalypt, Eucalyptus nitens, and provide evidence that both common and unique QTL influence terpene levels.     

Habitat selection of three cryptic Plecotus bat species in the European Alps reveals contrasting implications for conservation

Assessing the ecological requirements of species coexisting within a community is an essential requisite for developing sound conservation action. A particularly interesting question is what mechanisms govern the stable coexistence of cryptic species within a community, i.e. species that are almost impossible to distinguish. Resource partitioning theory predicts that cryptic species, like other sympatric taxa, will occupy distinct ecological niches. This prediction is widely inferred from eco-morphological studies. A new cryptic long-eared bat species, Plecotus macrobullaris, has been recently discovered in the complex of two other species present in the European Alps, with even evidence for a few mixed colonies. This discovery poses challenges to bat ecologists concerned with planning conservation measures beyond roost protection. We therefore tested whether foraging habitat segregation occurred among the three cryptic Plecotus bat species in Switzerland by radiotracking 24 breeding female bats (8 of each species). We compared habitat features at locations visited by a bat versus random locations within individual home ranges, applying mixed effects logistic regression. Distinct, species-specific habitat preferences were revealed. P. auritus foraged mostly within traditional orchards in roost vicinity, with a marked preference for habitat heterogeneity. P. austriacus foraged up to 4.7 km from the roost, selecting mostly fruit tree plantations, hedges and tree lines. P. macrobullaris preferred patchy deciduous and mixed forests with high vertical heterogeneity in a grassland dominated-matrix. These species-specific habitat preferences should inform future conservation programmes. They highlight the possible need of distinct conservation measures for species that look very much alike.     

Low Levels of Empathic Concern Predict Utilitarian Moral Judgment

Is it permissible to harm one to save many? Classic moral dilemmas are often defined by the conflict between a putatively rational response to maximize aggregate welfare (i.e., the utilitarian judgment) and an emotional aversion to harm (i.e., the non-utilitarian judgment). Here, we address two questions. First, what specific aspect of emotional responding is relevant for these judgments? Second, is this aspect of emotional responding selectively reduced in utilitarians or enhanced in non-utilitarians? The results reveal a key relationship between moral judgment and empathic concern in particular (i.e., feelings of warmth and compassion in response to someone in distress). Utilitarian participants showed significantly reduced empathic concern on an independent empathy measure. These findings therefore reveal diminished empathic concern in utilitarian moral judges.     

Whence useful plants? A direct relationship between biodiversity and useful plants among the Dusun of Mt. Kinabalu

Traditionally the Dusun indigenous people of Borneo consider Mt. Kinabalu the home of spirits and ancestors, and they are loath to climb the summit without good cause and plentiful propitiation. In apparent accordance with these beliefs, Projek Etnobotani Kinabalu has recorded few useful plants at high elevations on Mt. Kinabalu. We ask the question: is this an ecological relationship with fewer useful plants being collected at high elevations, or is it an ethnological product of belief with fewer plants collected where people fear to tread? With an indigenous Dusun plant expert (second author) well versed with all areas of Mt. Kinabalu, data on the number and kinds of useful plants were collected for dominant and indicator plant species (168 spp.) among all ecologically identified vegetation types. Results indicate that there are more useful plant species at lower elevations – but there are also more unused species. Once the data are corrected for change in the number of plant species with elevation (useful spp./total spp.), the proportion of useful species are not significantly different over elevation. Thus, useful species are a function of overall biodiversity (i.e., number of useful spp. are correlated with number of plant species, a secondary ecological factor) and not a direct ecological correlate with elevation. The number or kinds of uses also correlates with total number of plant species. In support of direct ecological causation, there is evidence that edaphic conditions (i.e., ultramafic and other poor soils) are associated with reduced proportions of useful species. Ultimately, both ethnological and ecological factors contribute to patterns of people's use of plants with many implications for conservation and biodiversity.