放牧方式影响高寒草地矮生嵩草种子大小与数量的关系

种子大小和种子数量变异是植物适合度研究的核心问题, 探究不同大型草食动物对嵩草(Kobresia spp.)草地优势种种子大小与数量的影响, 有助于了解其繁殖策略和种群更新机制。该研究依托青藏高原高寒草地-家畜系统适应性管理技术平台, 对不放牧(对照)、牦牛单牧、藏羊单牧、牦牛藏羊1:2混牧、牦牛藏羊1:4混牧、牦牛藏羊1:6混牧6个放牧处理下矮生嵩草(K. humilis)的种子大小和数量特征, 种子大小和数量与生殖性状的关系, 种子大小和数量的权衡关系进行研究。结果显示: 1)放牧处理增加矮生嵩草种子大小15%以上, 增加种子数量30%以上; 除了牦牛藏羊1:2混牧处理, 其他放牧处理与对照相比种子大小变异系数降低15%以上, 种子数量变异系数降低25%以上。2) Pearson相关分析结果显示, 放牧处理下矮生嵩草种子数量、种子大小与生殖相关性状均呈正相关关系。3)放牧处理增加了矮生嵩草种子大小与数量的权衡, 单条生殖枝质量是影响种子大小与数量权衡的重要性状。研究表明, 即使是中度放牧, 家畜依旧是矮生嵩草资源获取的限制性因子; 长期的放牧改变了矮生嵩草性状间的潜在联系和权衡关系, 稳定了种子大小和种子数量特征, 并通过提高种子大小和种子数量的方式优化繁殖策略, 提高了子代的竞争力和适合度。     

放牧对全球草地生态系统碳氮磷化学计量特征影响的Meta分析

为明确全球尺度下放牧管理措施对草地生态系统碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)化学计量特征的影响,提高草地生态系统管理水平,本研究选取国内外83篇中英文文献进行Meta分析,并通过亚组分析探讨了放牧家畜组合(羊单牧、牛单牧和牛羊混牧)和放牧强度(轻度、中度、重度)对草地生态系统叶片、凋落物、根系,以及土壤C、N、P化学计量特征的影响。结果表明: 放牧会显著降低叶片和凋落物C含量、C/N、C/P,增加N、P含量及N/P;显著降低根系和土壤C、N含量,C/P和N/P,增加P含量和C/N。叶片、凋落物化学计量特征变化对牛、羊单独放牧响应更为明显,而根系、土壤化学计量特征变化则对混牧响应更为明显,重度放牧会对草地生态系统化学计量特征产生更大的影响。放牧会降低土壤N含量,增加P含量,表明放牧对草地N、P含量的影响路径不同。进一步研究N、P含量变化对放牧活动不平衡响应机制,将放牧方式、强度的影响纳入草地生态系统预测、管理模型,能够有效提高草地生态系统管理水平。     

高寒草地植物群落关键种对不同放牧家畜组合放牧的响应

如何通过合理的利用方式提高高寒草地管理水平,实现其可持续利用一直是草地生态学领域的研究热点。为明确不同放牧家畜组合下高寒草地植物群落关键种的演替规律及其驱动因素,基于中等放牧强度设置了不同放牧家畜组合放牧样地（牦牛单牧、藏羊单牧、牦牛藏羊1 ： 2混牧、牦牛藏羊1 ： 4混牧、牦牛藏羊1 ： 6混牧）以及围封样地,并在连续放牧处理7年后系统分析了不同放牧家畜组合下植物群落特征与土壤理化性质变化,以期确定最优放牧组合。结果表明：（1）不同放牧家畜组合均会显著降低高寒草地植物盖度,但对其物种丰富度与多样性指数的影响并不显著。（2）牦牛藏羊1 ： 2混牧下植物群落特征与禁牧处理下植物群落特征较为相似,且牦牛藏羊1 ： 2混牧下的植物群落稳定性最强、组织水平最高。（3）牦牛单牧与1 ： 2混牧下关键种为矮生嵩草;藏羊单牧下关键种为天山针茅;1 ： 4混牧下关键种为星毛委陵菜;1 ： 6混牧与围封下关键种为赖草。（4）围封能够显著降低土壤容重,藏羊单牧则会显著增加土壤容重与土壤速效氮、磷含量。（5）土壤速效氮、容重与含水量是驱动不同放牧家畜组合下植物群落关键种演替的重要理化因子。综上所述,中等放牧强度下,牦牛藏羊1 ： 2混牧是青藏高原高寒草地较为理想的利用方式。此外,相较于单纯增加草地物种丰富度或多样性,建立植物群落物种之间的有效关联是提高青藏高原高寒草地管理水平的另一关键途径。     

Response of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to livestock grazing in southeastern Arizona: differences between seasons and subfamilies

Summary Grasshopper densities were compared between grazed and ungrazed semidesert grassland sites in southeastern Arizona. Bouteloua-dominated perennial grass cover was about 1.5 times greater on the livestock exclosure. Grasshoppers were 3.7 times more abundant on the protected area in the summers of 1983 and 1984, when dominant species were grass-feeding members of the subfamily Gomphocerinae. In fall 1984, grasshoppers were 3.8 times more common on the grazed site, when dominants were mainly herb-feeders in the subfamily Melanoplinae. These results indicate important seasonal and taxonomic differences in the responses of grasshoppers to the activities of vertebrate grazers.     

DYNAMICS OF GRASSHOPPER COMMUNITIES UNDER DIFFERENT GRAZING INTENSITIES IN INNER MONGOLIAN STEPPES

Abstract Vegetation and grasshopper community variables were monitored on the natural steppes grazed by livestock in Inner Mongolia, China. The sites sampled belong to 3 vegetation types laid separately in 3 continuums from different grazing intensities. Each continuum consisted of 5 plots along grazing gradients. Within the plots, the species composition, population number and population calorific value of grasshoppers that was converted from their biomass varied sensitively with increase of grazing intensities. The methods of neartude and choosing rules of fuzzy mathematics were used to analyze successive populations of grasshoppers. By combining the gray relation with hierarchic cluster analysis, eleven grasshopper species were divided into 3 grazing guilds based on their responses to grazing. The results from detrended correspondence and the multivariate regression analysis proved that there were close successive relationships among the grasshopper species that varied with the changes of plant species, biomass, height and coverage. The importance of some grasshopper indicators to grassland change is discussed.     

放牧对草地昆虫多样性的影响研究进展

在草地生态系统中,大型草食动物放牧是重要的管理方式之一,对草地生物多样性起着关键的驱动作用。昆虫是草地生态系统中生物多样性的重要组成成分,对生态系统的食物网结构以及其功能与稳定性起着关键作用。已有研究结果表明,大型草食动物与昆虫存在密切联系,放牧对草地昆虫多样性或有正向、或负向、或无明显作用,这依赖于放牧管理方式、昆虫类群以及草地类型。放牧必然通过直接(采食、践踏或粪尿)或间接(植物群落组成或植被结构)作用对昆虫多样性产生显著的影响。当前,关于大型草食动物放牧对草地昆虫多样性影响研究较多,但是,从研究系统性、深入性和延续性来说还存在一定问题。本文在综述国内外对放牧对草地昆虫多样性的影响研究基础上,提出了今后的研究方向,对于理解放牧管理的草地昆虫多样性变化规律,以及为积极探索维持草地昆虫多样性的长期有效的科学管理措施提供理论指导。     

Illecebrum verticillatum L. in the outer Hebrides

Summary

Scottish habitats are here reviewed in a European context. Examples are selected in order to identify those recognisable as distinctively Scottish as well as others related to Scandinavian or European counterparts. The paper begins with a resumé of the main environmental influences in Scotland, then describes examples of habitats almost unique to, or best represented in Scotland. This is followed by reference to some distinctively western versions of more widely distributed habitats, and others corresponding to related types elsewhere. The bearing of this on site selection for nature conservation is discussed. Hitherto, in the UK selection for National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest has been based largely on the criteria listed in A Nature Conservation Review (Ratcliffe, 1977). It is important, however, also to review Scottish habitats in a European context, as attempted in this paper. In making proposals (now approaching completion) for Special Areas of Conservation, to be recommended by the UK Government for adoption by the European Commission, it is now our duty to include not only habitats for which we have special responsibility because they are unique to or best represented in Scotland, or have distinctively western features, but also sufficient examples of all the main European types occurring in our country.

Nomenclature of British flowering plants and ferns follows Stace (1991).     

不同放牧强度下的内蒙古草原蝗虫群落动态

本文研究了内蒙古草原蝗虫群落在不同放牧强度下的动态变化。植物和蝗虫的取样涉及3种植物群落类型。每一种群落类型又根据放牧强度的不同,划分为5个放牧梯度。随着放牧强度的增加,蝗虫群落的组成和结构均发生了明显的变化。使用贴近度分析及择近原则的方法,阐明了蝗虫种的优势度变化及替代种的替代次序。通过灰色关联及系统聚类分析方法的结合,分析了11个蝗虫种对不同放牧强度的反应。对应性分析和多元逐步回归分析说明,蝗虫群落的变化是与某些植被因子和土壤因子密切相关,特别是植物种类数、生物量、高度以及土壤硬度和含水量等。某些蝗虫种的生态指示意义也在文中进行了讨论。     

内蒙古典型草原土壤酶化学计量与限制性养分对放牧的响应

土壤胞外酶介导有机物分解, 维持生态系统内养分循环, 其活性及化学计量比是反映土壤养分可利用性、解析微生物资源限制的重要指标。然而放牧, 特别是过度放牧引起的内蒙古典型草原退化对土壤胞外酶化学计量和养分限制特征的影响尚不清楚。该研究以内蒙古典型草原为研究对象, 基于放牧强度梯度实验, 分析了不同放牧强度下土壤胞外酶活性及其化学计量比的变化, 并通过矢量模型解析了土壤养分限制特征。结果表明: (1)研究区域土壤水解酶活性在0-300 nmol·g^-1·h^-1范围内, 与全球土壤酶库中的相应数值相比偏低。放牧强度显著影响α-葡萄糖苷酶、纤维素水解酶、木糖苷酶、纤维素二糖苷酶、β-1,4-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶、亮氨酸氨基肽酶、酸性磷酸酶活性。随放牧强度的增加, 酶活性动态呈现“双峰曲线”格局, 分别在推荐放牧(RG)和中度放牧(MG)下出现活性峰值。(2)标准主轴回归分析表明, 碳循环酶活性和氮循环酶活性、磷循环酶活性三者之间存在显著的线性关系。土壤酶碳:氮:磷化学计量比约为1:2.3:1.3, 偏离了全球1:1:1的结果。(3)基于土壤酶化学计量比的矢量模型分析表明内蒙古典型草原放牧草地受到氮磷共同限制, 磷限制更强烈, 且随着放牧强度的增强, 磷限制加剧。     

放牧干扰下的蝗虫－植物相互作用关系

本文研究了内蒙古典型草原植物和蝗虫群落在不同放牧强度影响下的多样性、均匀性和丰盛度变化。比较了蝗虫群落与植物群落在放牧梯度上的相互作用关系。研究发现,放牧干扰活动会明显地影响植物和蝗虫群落结构,但蝗虫群落结构的变化趋势并非与植物完全同步。蝗早与植物间的联系列多地表现在植物起着蝗虫栖息地条件的作用,而并不完全是食料植物作用。文中对放牧实践与多样性保护的关系进行了讨论。     

放牧干扰下的蝗虫－植物相互作用关系

本文研究了内蒙古典型草原植物和蝗虫群落在不同放牧强度影响下的多样性、均匀性和丰盛度变化。比较了蝗虫群落与植物群落在放牧梯度上的相互作用关系。研究发现,放牧干扰活动会明显地影响植物和蝗虫群落结构,但蝗虫群落结构的变化趋势并非与植物完全同步。蝗虫与植物间的联系更多地表现在植物起着蝗虫栖息地条件的作用,而并不完全是食料植物的作用。文中对放牧实践与多样性保护的关系进行了讨论。     

Herbivores and the Spatial Distributions of the Phytoplankton. II. Estimating Grazing in Planktonic Environments

Large errors are made when laboratory measurements of the ingestion rate of herbivorous zoo-plankton are used to estimate grazing in planktonic environments. The errors arise because the spatial heterogeneity in natural plankton distributions is greater than the heterogeneity present in laboratory experiments. Two probability models are developed for extrapolating laboratory measurements of ingestion to planktonic environments. Both models require sample statistics of the plankton distributions, and these are estimated from sampling studies of the small scale distribution of marine plankton. One model predicts laboratory measurements overestimate the ration obtained by an individual copepod by 30 %. A second model predicts errors exceeding ±50 % are possible when laboratory measurements are used to estimate the grazing by a population of cope-pods.     

Plant and soil microbial responses to defoliation in temperate semi-natural grassland

There is much interest in understanding the nature of feedback mechanisms between plants and soil organisms in grazed ecosystems. In this study, we examine the effects of different intensities of defoliation on the growth of three dominant grass species, and observe how these plant responses relate to the biomass and activity of the microbial community in the root zone. Our data show that grassland plants with varying tolerances to grazing have markedly different growth responses to defoliation, and that these responses vary with the intensity of cutting. Defoliation of grasses which are tolerant to grazing, namely Festuca rubra and Cynosurus cristatus, leads to a reduction in root mass and an increase in the allocation of resources to shoots. In contrast, defoliation of a grass with low tolerance to grazing, Anthoxanthum odoratum, had little effect on root mass, but increased the relative allocation of resources below-ground. In all plant species, defoliation led to an increase in soil microbial biomass and C use efficiency in the root zone. This response was greatest in the root zone of A. odoratum and is likely to be related to changes in root exudation pattern following defoliation. The significance of these changes in relation to soil nutrient dynamics and plant nutrient uptake during regrowth require further exploration. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.