Miniaturizing landscapes to understand species distributions

Species’ geographic distributions shape global patterns of biodiversity and therefore have long been of interest to ecology and conservation. Theory has generated valuable hypotheses about how landscape structure, dispersal, biotic interactions and evolution shape range dynamics, but most predictions have not been tested on real organisms because key variables are difficult to isolate, replicate or manipulate in natural ecosystems. An exciting and rapidly emerging approach is to extend classical microcosm and mesocosm systems to create experimental ‘micro-landscapes’. By enabling researchers to manipulate geographic features of interest, replicate landscapes, control colonization and follow dynamics across evolutionary timescales, micro-landscapes allow explicit tests of the ecological and evolutionary underpinnings of species distributions. Here we review the micro-landscape systems being used to advance biogeography, the major insights they have generated thus far, and the features that limit their application to some scenarios. We end by highlighting important questions about species’ biogeography that are ripe for testing with experimental micro-landscapes, particularly those of immediate concern given rapid global change, such as range contractions and constraints to range expansion.     

生态学的多样性指数:功能与系统发育

生物多样性是生态学的核心问题。传统的多样性指数仅包含物种数和相对多度的信息,这类基于分类学的多样性指数并不能很好地帮助理解群落构建和生态系统功能。不同物种对群落构建和生态系统功能所起到的作用类型和贡献也不完全相同,且物种在生态过程中的作用和贡献往往与性状密切相关,因此功能多样性已经成为反映物种群落构建、干扰以及环境因素对群落影响的重要指标。同时,由于亲缘关系相近的物种往往具有相似的性状,系统发育多样性也可以作为功能多样性的一个替代。功能多样性和系统发育多样性各自具有优缺点,但二者均比分类多样性更能揭示群落和生态系统的构建、维持与功能。     

Linking biodiversity and ecosystems: towards a unifying ecological theory

Community ecology and ecosystem ecology provide two perspectives on complex ecological systems that have largely complementary strengths and weaknesses. Merging the two perspectives is necessary both to ensure continued scientific progress and to provide society with the scientific means to face growing environmental challenges. Recent research on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has contributed to this goal in several ways. By addressing a new question of high relevance for both science and society, by challenging existing paradigms, by tightly linking theory and experiments, by building scientific consensus beyond differences in opinion, by integrating fragmented disciplines and research fields, by connecting itself to other disciplines and management issues, it has helped transform ecology not only in content, but also in form. Creating a genuine evolutionary ecosystem ecology that links the evolution of species traits at the individual level, the dynamics of species interactions, and the overall functioning of ecosystems would give new impetus to this much-needed process of unification across ecological disciplines. Recent community evolution models are a promising step in that direction.     

种间互作网络的结构、生态系统功能及稳定性机制研究

生态群落中不同物种间发生多样化的相互作用, 形成了复杂的种间互作网络。复杂生态网络的结构如何影响群落的生态系统功能及稳定性是群落生态学的核心问题之一。种间互作直接影响到物质和能量在生态系统不同组分之间的流动和循环以及群落构建过程, 使得网络结构与生态系统功能和群落稳定性密切相关。在群落及生态系统水平上开展种间互作网络研究将为群落的构建机制、生物多样性维持、生态系统稳定性、物种协同进化和性状分化等领域提供新的视野。当前生物多样性及生态系统功能受到全球变化的极大影响, 研究种间互作网络的拓扑结构、构建机制、稳定性和生态功能也可为生物多样性的保护和管理提供依据。该文从网络结构、构建机制、网络结构和稳定性关系、种间互作对生态系统功能的影响等4个方面综述当前种间网络研究进展, 并提出在今后的研究中利用机器学习和多层网络等来探究环境变化对种间互作网络结构和功能的影响, 并实现理论和实证研究的有效整合。     

Microbiology of the phyllosphere: a playground for testing ecological concepts

Many concepts and theories in ecology are highly debated, because it is often difficult to design decisive tests with sufficient replicates. Examples include biodiversity theories, succession concepts, invasion theories, coexistence theories, and concepts of life history strategies. Microbiological tests of ecological concepts are rapidly accumulating, but have yet to tap into their full potential to complement traditional macroecological theories. Taking the example of microbial communities on leaf surfaces (i.e. the phyllosphere), we show that most explorations of ecological concepts in this field of microbiology focus on autecology and population ecology, while community ecology remains understudied. Notable exceptions are first tests of the island biogeography theory and of biodiversity theories. Here, the phyllosphere provides the unique opportunity to set up replicated experiments, potentially moving fields such as biogeography, macroecology, and landscape ecology beyond theoretical and observational evidence. Future approaches should take advantage of the great range of spatial scales offered by the leaf surface by iteratively linking laboratory experiments with spatial simulation models.     

Value of long‐term ecological studies

Long‐term ecological studies are critical for providing key insights in ecology, environmental change, natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. In this paper, we briefly discuss five key values of such studies. These are: (1) quantifying ecological responses to drivers of ecosystem change; (2) understanding complex ecosystem processes that occur over prolonged periods; (3) providing core ecological data that may be used to develop theoretical ecological models and to parameterize and validate simulation models; (4) acting as platforms for collaborative studies, thus promoting multidisciplinary research; and (5) providing data and understanding at scales relevant to management, and hence critically supporting evidence‐based policy, decision making and the management of ecosystems. We suggest that the ecological research community needs to put higher priority on communicating the benefits of long‐term ecological studies to resource managers, policy makers and the general public. Long‐term research will be especially important for tackling large‐scale emerging problems confronting humanity such as resource management for a rapidly increasing human population, mass species extinction, and climate change detection, mitigation and adaptation. While some ecologically relevant, long‐term data sets are now becoming more generally available, these are exceptions. This deficiency occurs because ecological studies can be difficult to maintain for long periods as they exceed the length of government administrations and funding cycles. We argue that the ecological research community will need to coordinate ongoing efforts in an open and collaborative way, to ensure that discoverable long‐term ecological studies do not become a long‐term deficiency. It is important to maintain publishing outlets for empirical field‐based ecology, while simultaneously developing new systems of recognition that reward ecologists for the use and collaborative sharing of their long‐term data sets. Funding schemes must be re‐crafted to emphasize collaborative partnerships between field‐based ecologists, theoreticians and modellers, and to provide financial support that is committed over commensurate time frames.     

Revisiting the Holy Grail: using plant functional traits to understand ecological processes

One of ecology's grand challenges is developing general rules to explain and predict highly complex systems. Understanding and predicting ecological processes from species' traits has been considered a ‘Holy Grail’ in ecology. Plant functional traits are increasingly being used to develop mechanistic models that can predict how ecological communities will respond to abiotic and biotic perturbations and how species will affect ecosystem function and services in a rapidly changing world; however, significant challenges remain. In this review, we highlight recent work and outstanding questions in three areas: (i) selecting relevant traits; (ii) describing intraspecific trait variation and incorporating this variation into models; and (iii) scaling trait data to community‐ and ecosystem‐level processes. Over the past decade, there have been significant advances in the characterization of plant strategies based on traits and trait relationships, and the integration of traits into multivariate indices and models of community and ecosystem function. However, the utility of trait‐based approaches in ecology will benefit from efforts that demonstrate how these traits and indices influence organismal, community, and ecosystem processes across vegetation types, which may be achieved through meta‐analysis and enhancement of trait databases. Additionally, intraspecific trait variation and species interactions need to be incorporated into predictive models using tools such as Bayesian hierarchical modelling. Finally, existing models linking traits to community and ecosystem processes need to be empirically tested for their applicability to be realized.     

植物化感作用与生物多样性

本文简要地阐释了化感作用的含义、基本特征以及作用机制,并结合生物多样性理论,综述了化感作用研究中化感物种的多样性、化感物质的多样性及其释放途径的多样性,具体讨论了化感作用对物种多样性、遗传多样性及生态系统多样性中的种群生态、协同进化、土壤生境、生态系统功能和生物入侵等方面的可能影响。文中提出了化感作用的利用、管理应与生物多样性保护相统一的看法,并指出对化感作用与生物多样性的关系以及相互影响机制进行本质的探索,特别是对植物化感作用的生态服务功能与价值评估与探讨,可为保护生物学和系统生态学提供理论基础,这也是今后工作开展的一个重要方向。     

2015年海南省生态学会青年科技工作者学术研讨会述评

为探讨生态学最新前沿和进展,加强青年生态学科技工作者之间的交流与合作。 2015年11月28-30日在海南大学举行了以“加强合作研究,服务地方发展”为主题的2015年海南省生态学会青年科技工作者学术研讨会,有22位生态学领域的科技工作者做了大会报告,内容涵盖了森林生态系统固碳功能、热带云雾林群落生态学、动物寄生行为生态、道路生态、热带植物的分布与进化、生物多样性、生态恢复、环境生态承载力、生态友好行社区建设模式、生态系统生理学、海洋生态风险评估等。     

The disentangled bank: how loss of habitat fragments and disassembles ecological networks

Habitat transformation is one of the leading causes of changes in biodiversity and the breakdown of ecosystem function and services. The impacts of habitat transformation on biodiversity are complex and can be difficult to test and demonstrate. Network approaches to biodiversity science have provided a powerful set of tools and models that are beginning to present new insight into the structural and functional effects of habitat transformation on complex ecological systems. We propose a framework for studying the ways in which habitat loss and fragmentation jointly affect biodiversity by altering both habitat and ecological interaction networks. That is, the explicit study of "networks of networks" is required to understand the impacts of habitat change on biodiversity. We conduct a broad review of network methods and results, with the aim of revealing the common approaches used by landscape ecology and community ecology. We find that while a lot is known about the consequences of habitat transformation for habitat network topology and for the structure and function of simple antagonistic and mutualistic interaction networks, few studies have evaluated the consequences for large interaction networks with complex and spatially explicit architectures. Moreover, almost no studies have been focused on the continuous feedback between the spatial structure and dynamics of the habitat network and the structure and dynamics of the interaction networks inhabiting the habitat network. We conclude that theory and experiments that tackle the ecology of networks of networks are needed to provide a deeper understanding of biodiversity change in fragmented landscapes.     

淡水鱼类功能多样性及其研究方法

目前,群落功能多样性备受生态学界关注,被认为是能解决生态问题的一种重要途径。我国对于群落功能多样性主要集中在植物群落和微生物群落,而在鱼类群落方面的研究几乎是空白。我国鱼类资源正面临着严重威胁,包括水坝建设导致的鱼类通道受阻、水库形成造成鱼类产卵场功能消失、过度捕捞、水质恶化和富营养化加重、外来种入侵等因素,导致渔业资源急剧衰退,水生生态系统功能下降。以淡水鱼类群落为例,对鱼类功能多样性的数据获取及处理分析与评价、测定指标及计算方法与研究难点等进行综述,以期为鱼类资源保护提供新的理论依据和切入点。     

The plaza and the pendulum: two concepts of ecological science

This essay explores two strategies of inquiryin ecological science. Ecologists may regardthe sites they study either as contingentcollections of plants and animals, therelations of which are place-specific andidiosyncratic, or as structured systems andcommunites that are governed by general rules,forces, or principles. Ecologists who take thefirst approach rely on observation, induction,and experiment – a case-study or historicalmethod – to determine the causes of particularevents. Ecologists who take the secondapproach, seeking to explain by inferringevents from general patterns or principles,confront four conceptual obstacles which thisessay describes. Theory in ecology must (1)define and classify the object it studies,e.g., the ecosystem, and thus determine theconditions under which it remains the ``same'system through time and change. Ecologistsmust (2) find ways to reject as well as tocreate mathematical models of the ecosystem,possibly by (3) identifying efficient causes ofecosystem organization or design. Finally,ecologists will (4) show ecological theory canhelp solve environmental problems both inpristine and in human-dominated systems. Afailure to solve – or even to address – theseobstacles suggests that theoretical ecology maybecome a formal science that studies themathematical consequences of assumptionswithout regard to the relation of theseassumptions to the world.     

The prominence of and biases in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning research

The sub-discipline of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) has emerged as a central topic in contemporary ecological research. However, to date no study has evaluated the prominence and publication biases in BEF research. Herein we report the results of a careful quantitative assessment of BEF research published in five core general ecology journals from 1990 to 2007 to determine the position of BEF research within ecology, identify patterns of research effort within BEF research, and discuss their probable proximal and historical causes. The relative importance of BEF publications increased exponentially during the period analyzed and was significantly greater than the average growth of ecological literature, affirming the prominence of BEF as a current paradigm in ecology. However, BEF research exhibited a strong bias toward experimental studies on terrestrial plant communities, with significantly lower effort devoted to the functional aspects of biodiversity in aquatic systems, multiple trophic level systems, and animal or microbial communities. Such trends may be explained by a combination of methodological adequacy and historic epistemological differences in ecological thinking. We suggest that BEF researchers should direct more effort toward the study of aquatic systems and animal communities, emphasize long-term and trophically complex experiments, such as those with multi-trophic microbial communities, employ larger-scale field observational studies and increase the use of integrative and theoretical studies. Many technical and analytical methodologies that are already employed in ecological research, such as stable isotopes, paleobiology, remote sensing, and model selection criteria, can facilitate these aims. Overcoming the above-mentioned shortcomings of current BEF research will greatly improve our ability to predict how biodiversity loss will affect ecosystem processes and services in natural ecosystems.     

城市生态学学科定义、研究内容、研究方法的分析与探索

从生态学的学科定义、生态学的发展现状、城市生态学的发展历史与现状、城市生态学未来发展趋势的出发,认为将城市生态学定义为“研究城市及其群体的发生、发展与自然、资源、环境之间相互作用的过程和规律的科学”,既能涵盖城市生态学已有的内容,也能指导城市生态学未来的发展。城市生态学的研究中,城市与自然、资源、环境相互作用的具体机制应全面深入地展开,城市生态系统的研究应更为精确,城市生态学应参与可持续生态系统、生物多样性保护、全球变化的研究。结合城市生态学的发展经验和目前面对的挑战,案例研究与理论研究相结合、现场观测资料与统计资料相结合、对比研究与定位研究相结合、自然科学和社会科学相结合、并充分利用现代新技术和数理模型分析方法应该是城市生态学研究的主要方法。     

城市生态学学科定义、研究内容、研究方法和分析与探索

从生态学的学科定义、生态学的发展现状、城市生态学的发展历史与现状、城市生态学来发展趋势的出发,认为将城市生态学定义为“研究城市及其群体的发生、发展与自然、资源、环境之间相互作用的过程和规律的科学”,既能涵盖城市生态学已有的内容,也能指导城市生态学未来的局长。城市生态学的研究中,城市与自然、资源、环境相互作用的具体机制应全面深入地展开,城市生态系统的研究应更为精确,城市生态学应参与可持续生态系统、生物多样性保护、全球变化的研究。结合城市生态学的发展的经验和目前面对的挑战,案例研究和理论研究相结合、现场观测资料与统计资料相结合、对比研究与定位研究相结合、自然科学和社会科学相结合、并充分利用现代新技术和数理模型分析方法应该是城市生态学研究的主要方法。     

景观生态学:海洋生态系统研究的一个新视角

全球海洋生态系统作为异质性的复杂巨系统是一类景观生态系统 ,具有明显的等级结构 ,因此 ,景观生态学的原理和方法完全可以应用到海洋生态学的研究中来。生态系统的尺度限制了海洋生态学向更加宏观的方向进一步发展 ,在景观的水平上 ,运用景观生态学的理论和方法可以更好地在多个尺度上开展深入广泛的研究。本文不仅讨论了海洋景观的空间异质性 ,而且就海洋景观生态学的若干研究方向进行了探讨。     

生物多样性-生产力关系研究进展——基于文献计量分析

生态系统的结构和功能是生态学研究的核心内容。早期基于野外调查的生态学研究强调生产力表征的环境梯度对生态系统结构的影响,而基于控制试验的生态学研究则强调生态系统结构变化对生态系统功能的影响。围绕这两类研究所支持理论间的争论是当前生态学的前沿、热点和难点,其中最具代表性的科学问题是生物多样性与以生产力为代表的生态系统功能间是否存在一般性关系。为深入了解生物多样性-生产力关系研究脉络,分析其对生态学研究范式与理论发展的影响以及对未来研究方向的启示,以Web of Science核心合集数据库中的相关文献为数据源,结合文献计量分析和文献综述,系统总结了多样性-生产力关系研究进展。结果表明：(1)生物多样性-生产力关系研究推动了生态学研究范式由以样带调查为主的观察性研究向以控制试验为主的实验性研究的转变,促进了全球联网控制试验研究的发展。(2)研究聚焦的生态系统类型由最初的北美普列利草原逐渐向其它草地、灌丛、森林等多样的生态系统过渡,研究结论及其生态学理论的普适性逐渐增强。(3)该研究推动了对生物多样性不同维度(如功能多样性和系统发育多样性)在生态系统中作用的认识,促进了学界对除生产功能外的生态...     

Poor historical data drive conservation complacency: The case of mammal decline in south‐eastern Australian forests

Forested ecosystems of south‐eastern Australia now differ physically, compositionally and functionally from their condition prior to European settlement. Understanding these changes, and how native species and entire ecosystems have responded, is crucial for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Here I argue that a combination of limited historical information and a knowledge base biased towards modern ecological studies has resulted in a distorted perception of ecosystem condition, hindering the instigation of effective biodiversity conservation measures. This argument is based on recently obtained information about changes to the non‐volant mammal community, which reveals relatively recent but underreported ecological changes, including major declines in species distribution and abundance, shifts in niche utilization and associated disruption of ecosystem functions. Ultimately, many mammal species are being denied the capacity to function to the extent they did historically. Following this re‐assessment, it is evident that current forest management does not adequately address contemporary conservation dilemmas posed by detrimental ecosystem changes. This is especially salient when most of the factors responsible for causing changes to the mammal community are still active and include forest management and utilization activities. Therefore, additional conservation measures are essential to meet forest stewardship and biodiversity conservation obligations. For the health, functionality and sustainability of forested ecosystems, native mammal species must be capable of functioning to their ecological potential and occupy their original niche. This will be facilitated by the suppression of threatening processes (primarily exotic species), ensuring ecologically sensitive fire regimes and the reintroduction/translocation of missing species. The recovery or restoration of forest functionality based on mammal conservation should have wide‐scale benefits for biodiversity conservation.     

Precipitation manipulation experiments--challenges and recommendations for the future

Climatic changes, including altered precipitation regimes, will affect key ecosystem processes, such as plant productivity and biodiversity for many terrestrial ecosystems. Past and ongoing precipitation experiments have been conducted to quantify these potential changes. An analysis of these experiments indicates that they have provided important information on how water regulates ecosystem processes. However, they do not adequately represent global biomes nor forecasted precipitation scenarios and their potential contribution to advance our understanding of ecosystem responses to precipitation changes is therefore limited, as is their potential value for the development and testing of ecosystem models. This highlights the need for new precipitation experiments in biomes and ambient climatic conditions hitherto poorly studied applying relevant complex scenarios including changes in precipitation frequency and amplitude, seasonality, extremity and interactions with other global change drivers. A systematic and holistic approach to investigate how soil and plant community characteristics change with altered precipitation regimes and the consequent effects on ecosystem processes and functioning within these experiments will greatly increase their value to the climate change and ecosystem research communities. Experiments should specifically test how changes in precipitation leading to exceedance of biological thresholds affect ecosystem resilience and acclimation.