生态位概念及其在昆虫生态学中的应用

生态位理论已成为现代生态学的重要内容。在生态位概念百年演变史中,“空间生态位”、“功能生态位”与“多维超体积生态位”最具代表性。生态位宽度和生态位重叠是描述物种内和物种间生态位关系最重要的2个指标。本文系统总结了生态位概念的演变历史及其主要测度公式在昆虫生态学中的应用概况;并就如何利用生态位理论,开展害虫综合治理提出了几点看法;最后就生态位理论在昆虫生态学中存在的问题及应用前景进行了分析和展望。合理利用生态位理论,将为切实制定有害生物综合治理策略和探讨外来入侵物种种群形成机理等方面提供理论指导。     

水稻纹枯病菌营养及寄主资源生态位

由于IPM概念的局限性,有害生物生态调控（EPM）理论和方法的提出发展了IPM,生态位原则是有害生物生态调控（EPM）的重要原则之一,生态位研究为EPM的具体实施提供了依据。应用可持续农业和EPM理论及生态位理论研究了水稻纹枯病的生态位,分析了水稻纹枯病菌氮肥营养生态位和寄主品种资源生态位,结果表明：以相对侵染效率作为指标,在水稻不同生育期,纹枯病的氮肥营养生态位宽度不同,其中以孕穗期的生态位宽度最小,为0.6979,拔节期、抽穗期、灌浆期和乳熟期的生态位宽度分别是0.9741,0.8884,0.7974和0.9815,表明水稻纹枯病在水稻不同生育阶段利用氮肥的效能不同。寄主品种资源生态位宽度在拔节期、孕穗期、抽穗期、乳熟期分别为0.9348,0.7677,0.8875和0.9962。以病情指数为指标,氮肥营养生态位宽度在拔节期、孕穗期、抽穗期、灌浆期和乳熟期分别为0.9379,0.9696,0.6775,0.6729和0.7691。其氮肥营养生态位宽度在拔节期与孕穗期最大,生态位宽度指数接近于1。寄主品种资源生态位宽度在各生育期均接近1,表明寄主品种资源生态位宽度在各生育期是相似的,即说明水长期稻纹枯病菌利用品种资源各状态的选择和利用效能是相似的。     

生态位模型的理论基础、发展方向与挑战

生态位模型是一个以生态位理论为基础的新兴研究领域.它通过采集研究对象的已知分布点及其相关的环境数据组成训练样本,利用数理统计或机器学习理论分析数据,构建特征函数表示物种在生态位空间的实际生态位.以生态位模型预测物种潜在分布地或计算物种间的生态位重叠等研究,在生态学、生物地理学和进化生物学研究中显得越来越重要.本文从生态位概念出发,详细解析了生态位模型的理论基础、相关的焦点争论、使用时的注意点以及可能的发展方向与面临的挑战,指出模型中要考虑人类活动对物种生态位的影响.希望本文所探讨的本领域最新的争论焦点能引起相关学者的关注与深入思考.     

生态卫生系统研究进展

生态卫生作为一种新的可持续卫生理念,旨在改变人们对现代城市卫生系统的认识,其基本原理是基于生态系统的物质流闭合循环,包括营养循环和水资源循环。本文在阐述生态卫生概念和内涵的基础上,从技术创新、规划与管理、社会实践三个视角对国内外研究现状进行了评述。指出目前生态卫生系统研究中存在的问题:首先,方案设计对居民意见的反馈环节不到位;其次,全套生态卫生技术的集成和示范相对比较欠缺;第三,不同类型方案的成本效益分析以及环境、卫生风险的比较研究有待加强。结合中国实际,分析制约中国生态卫生建设的瓶颈因素包括对生态卫生系统可接受性考虑不周、缺乏政策法规和标准体系的支持与保障、关键设备和工艺有待研发、服务支撑体系的配套辅助不够完善等四方面,并提出城乡不同的生态卫生发展方案、设置管理机构、落实技术规范及标准、推进宣传教育、制定政策法规等建议,以期为中国生态卫生事业的发展提供理论参考。     

生态位模型的基本原理及其在生物多样性保护中的应用

生态位模型是利用物种已知的分布数据和相关环境变量,根据一定的算法来推算物种的生态需求,然后将运算结果投射至不同的空间和时间中来预测物种的实际分布和潜在分布.近年来,该类模型被越来越多地应用在入侵生物学、保护生物学、全球气候变化对物种分布影响以及传染病空间传播的研究中.然而,由于生态位模型的理论基础未被深入理解,导致得出入侵物种生态位迁移等不符合实际的结论.作者从生态位与物种分布的关系、生态位模型构建的基本原理以及生态位模型和生态位的关系等方面探讨了生态位模型的理论基础.非生物的气候因素、物种间的相互作用和物种的迁移能力是影响物种分布的3个主要因素,它们在不同的空间尺度下作用于物种的分布.生态位模型是利用物种分布点所关联的环境变量来模拟物种的分布,这些分布点本身关联着该物种和其他物种间的相互作用,因此生态位模型所模拟的是现实生态位(realized niche)或潜在生态位(potential niche),而不是基础生态位(fundamental niche).Grinnell生态位和Elton生态位均在生态位模型中得到反映,这取决于环境变量类型的选择、所采用环境变量的分辨率以及物种自身的迁移能力.生态位模型在生物多样性保护中的应用主要包括物种的生态需求分析、未知物种或种群的探索和发现、自然保护区的选择和设计、物种入侵风险评价、气候变化对物种分布的影响、近缘物种生态位保守性及基于生态位分化的物种界定等方面.     

高中生物学教学应关注有丝分裂概念内涵的挖掘

剖析了现行中学生物学教材中有丝分裂的概念内涵,结合生命科学研究的新进展,阐述有丝分裂概念相关内涵的发展和完善。建议教材编写者和一线生物学教师重视有丝分裂概念内涵的更新,为培养学生的科学素养,尽早深入浅出地向学生传递有丝分裂新概念。     

水稻纹枯病时空生态位施药干扰研究

以施药作为干扰因子,研究干扰条件下水稻纹枯病菌的时间和空间生态位变化.结果表明,各施药处理与对照纹枯病菌的空间生态位存在差异,其中孕穗期施药+齐穗期施药和孕穗期施药+灌浆期施药两处理的空间生态位宽度指数分别为0.520、0.572,与对照的空间生态位宽度指数0.8563相差最大;分蘖盛期一次施药处理的空间生态位宽度指数为0.8577,与对照相差最小.各施药处理和对照的时间生态位宽度无显著差异,表明施药对纹枯病菌的时间生态位宽度影响不大.空间生态位宽度指数、病叶(鞘)率、病情指数及防治效果等计测结果表明,两次施药对病害的控制好于一次施药,其中两次施药中以孕穗期施药+齐穗期施药和孕穗期施药+灌浆期施药对病害的控制作用最强.施药不但压缩了水稻纹枯病菌的空间生态位宽度,限制了其在产量形成较为重要的上部叶位的扩张,而且压缩了水稻纹枯病菌的时间生态位宽度,限制了其在水稻产量形成时期的扩张.但施药只改变了病菌生态位的分布,调整压缩了水稻产量形成期的病害生态位,病菌生态位势的总和不变.     

生态记忆及其在生态学中的潜在应用

生态记忆指群落过去的状态或经验影响其目前或未来生态响应的能力.作为研究生态系统结构和功能的一个新视角,生态记忆在群落演替、生态恢复、生物入侵和自然资源管理等多个领域中受到重视.本文在综述生态记忆的概念、组成、类别的基础上,进一步探讨了生态记忆的可能机制和影响因素,并指出了其潜在应用,以期为理解演替机理和指导生态恢复提供参考.     

湿地生态单元定义及其在湿地恢复中的应用

生态单元的概念在生态系统的环境保护和生物保护中被广泛应用。通过阐述湿地生态单元的定义、内涵和外延,分析了湿地生态单元的特征,介绍了湿地生态系统的内部生态单元、湿地"外援"生态单元和人工重建湿地生态单元等在湿地恢复中的应用案例,并对湿地生态单元未来需要关注的研究方向进行了总结,以期为湿地保护与精细化管理提供理论基础和科学依据。     

流域水生态功能分区以及区划方法的研究进展

持续而剧烈的人类活动已经对水生态系统的健康和安全造成了严重的影响。对流域的水生态功能进行甄别,合理划分其生态功能区,并按不同功能合理管理水资源,成为协调经济发展和水生态保护的关键因素之一。本文通过分析流域水生态功能分区的概念、内涵、特征以及区划方法的系统发展,提出了水生态功能分区的一般划分原则、划分指标和方法,为建立和完善我国流域水生态功能分区的理论和方法,提供了基础信息。     

Mathematical contributions to link biota with environment

Hutchinson's pioneering work on the niche concept, dating from 1957, inspired the development of many ecological models. The first proposals, BIOCLIM and HABITAT, were simple geometric approximations to the shape of the niche. Despite their simplicity, they combine two features that make them adequate for the purpose of exploring the niche: they fit a predefined shape to the empirical data; and produce binary or ordinal predictions rather than continuous predictions. Thus, both explicitly delineate a precise boundary for the niche. However, the two methods present some limitations: BIOCLIM assumes that the variables are independent in their action on the species; and HABITAT, although not having that limitation, only delineates the boundaries of the niches without distinguishing levels of suitability for the species. We propose, discuss and illustrate: (1) the use of depth functions to identify regions with distinct suitability inside the niche; and (2) a general framework to assess overlap of the niches of two species, which can be applied to predictions from models that decompose the niche into a finite number of measurable regions.     

Tolerance niche expansion and potential distribution prediction during Asian openbill bird range expansion

It is prevalent to use ecological niche models in the analysis of species expansion and niche changes. However, it is difficult to estimate the niche when alien species fail to establish in exotic areas. Here, we applied the tolerance niche concept, which means that niche of species can live and grow but preclude a species from establishing self‐sustaining populations, in such fail‐to‐establish events. Taking the rapidly expanded bird, Asian openbill (Anastomus oscitans), as a model species, we investigated niche dynamics and its potential effects on the population by Niche A and ecospat, predicted potential distribution by biomod2. Results showed that niche expansion has occurred in two non‐native populations caused by the tolerance of colder and wetter environments, and potential distribution mainly concentrated on equatorial islands. Our study suggested that the expanded niche belongs to tolerance niche concept according to the populations'' dynamics and GPS tracking evidence. It is essential to consider source populations when we analyze the alien species. We recommended more consideration to the application of tolerance niche in alien species research, and there is still a need for standard measurement frameworks for analyzing the tolerance niche.     

Ecological opportunity and the adaptive diversification of lineages

The tenet that ecological opportunity drives adaptive diversification has been central to theories of speciation since Darwin, yet no widely accepted definition or mechanistic framework for the concept currently exists. We propose a definition for ecological opportunity that provides an explicit mechanism for its action. In our formulation, ecological opportunity refers to environmental conditions that both permit the persistence of a lineage within a community, as well as generate divergent natural selection within that lineage. Thus, ecological opportunity arises from two fundamental elements: (1) niche availability, the ability of a population with a phenotype previously absent from a community to persist within that community and (2) niche discordance, the diversifying selection generated by the adaptive mismatch between a population's niche‐related traits and the newly encountered ecological conditions. Evolutionary response to ecological opportunity is primarily governed by (1) spatiotemporal structure of ecological opportunity, which influences dynamics of selection and development of reproductive isolation and (2) diversification potential, the biological properties of a lineage that determine its capacity to diversify. Diversification under ecological opportunity proceeds as an increase in niche breadth, development of intraspecific ecotypes, speciation, and additional cycles of diversification that may themselves be triggered by speciation. Extensive ecological opportunity may exist in depauperate communities, but it is unclear whether ecological opportunity abates in species‐rich communities. Because ecological opportunity should generally increase during times of rapid and multifarious environmental change, human activities may currently be generating elevated ecological opportunity – but so far little work has directly addressed this topic. Our framework highlights the need for greater synthesis of community ecology and evolutionary biology, unifying the four major components of the concept of ecological opportunity.     

The ripples of modernity: How we can extend paleoanthropology with the extended evolutionary synthesis

Contemporary understandings of paleoanthropological data illustrate that the search for a line defining, or a specific point designating, “modern human” is problematic. Here we lend support to the argument for the need to look for patterns in the paleoanthropological record that indicate how multiple evolutionary processes intersected to form the human niche, a concept critical to assessing the development and processes involved in the emergence of a contemporary human phenotype. We suggest that incorporating key elements of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) into our endeavors offers a better and more integrative toolkit for modeling and assessing the evolution of the genus Homo. To illustrate our points, we highlight how aspects of the genetic exchanges, morphology, and material culture of the later Pleistocene complicate the concept of “modern” human behavior and suggest that multiple evolutionary patterns, processes, and pathways intersected to form the human niche.     

Pitch the niche – taking responsibility for the concepts we use in ecology and species distribution modelling

In a discussion it is often easier to staunchly reject or offer resolute support for an idea. This third paper on the niche concept aims to develop a balanced argument by exploring general principles for determining an appropriate level for pitching the niche concept that will guide better use and less abuse of niche concepts. To do this we first have to accept that niche concepts are not necessarily essential for ecology. Rather than to improve niche concepts, our aim should then be to pitch the niche in terms of ecology. This aim helps us develop an ‘ultimate goal of the niche’ by which we can evaluate the concepts we use. For species distribution modelling, there has been a focus on the niche as an equilibrium outcome that perhaps has less relevance for disequilibrium situations (e.g. climate change projections). As is the case for much of ecology, more causal explanations of species' distributions use alternative terminologies and less frequently use the word ‘niche’. We suggest that niche concepts that are better aligned with the rest of ecology could arise from taking more responsibility for our own implementations, and by explaining our models with terms other than niche. A general, holistic niche concept promotes this view and promotes practical thinking about what we are modelling and how we interpret those models, which in turn should help inspire and support innovative modelling approaches in species distribution modelling.     

Competition theory,evolution, and the concept of an ecological niche

This article examines some of the main tenets of competition theory in light of the theory of evolution and the concept of an ecological niche. The principle of competitive exclusion and the related assumption that communities exist at competitive equilibrium - fundamental parts of many competition theories and models - may be violated if non-equilibrium conditions exist in natural communities or are incorporated into competition models. Furthermore, these two basic tenets of competition theory are not compatible with the theory of evolution. Variation in ecologically significant environmental factors and non-equilibrium in population numbers should occur in most natural communities, and such changes have important effects on community relations, niche overlap, and the evolution of ecosystems. Ecologists should view competition as a process occurring within a complexdynamic system, and should be wary of theoretical positions built upon simple laboratory experiments or simplistic mathematical models.In considering the relationship between niche overlap and competition, niche overlap should not be taken as a sufficient condition for competition; many factors may prevent or diminish competition between populations with similar resource utilization patterns. The typically opposing forces of intraspecific and interspecific competition need to be simultaneously considered, for it is the balance between them that in large part determines niche boundaries.     

Preniche as missing link of the metastatic niche concept explaining organ-preferential metastasis of malignant tumors and the type of metastatic disease

Here we attempt to supplement the metastatic niche concept with a stage of “preniche” that determines the site of development of a premetastatic niche and of a subsequent metastasis. The “preniche” includes all cellular and molecular events in the site of a prospective metastasis preceding the entrance of myeloid progenitor cells. The “preniche” integrates an activation of vascular endothelium of the microcirculatory vessels of target organs in the site of a future metastasis under conditions of chronic persistent productive inflammation that can be induced by cytokines from the primary tumor and independently of it. The endothelium activation is responsible for adhesion and clustering of the recruited myeloid progenitor cells and also for the retention of cells of malignant tumors. The preniche easily arises in organs enriched with organspecific macrophages (lungs, liver, brain, etc.) where the endothelium is predisposed for intensive recruiting of myeloid progenitor cells of macrophages, especially under conditions of inflammation. Introduction of the “preniche” concept allows us to avoid difficulties associated with the development of the metastatic niche concept, especially concerning the problem of organ-preferential localization of metastases, and to make some predictions for experimental verification and potential approaches for preventing metastasizing in some oncologic patients.