Geophagy in new world monkeys (Platyrrhini): ecological and geographic patterns

Geophagy has been recorded in an increasing number of New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) over recent years, permitting a tentative analysis of ecological patterns. While geophagy has now been recorded in species representing all 4 platyrrhine families and a majority of genera, there is a marked tendency for it to occur in the larger-bodied Pitheciidae and Atelidae. Howlers (Alouatta) are responsible for almost a third of reports, which are concentrated in the more frugivorous species, Alouatta belzebul and Alouatta seniculus. Geophagy may also be relatively common in the spider monkeys (Ateles) and the pitheciids, which are specialised frugivores and seed predators, respectively. An overview of the available data points to a marked Amazonian bias, allowing for geographical differences in the number of species and field studies. This pattern is demonstrated most emphatically by Alouatta, for which there are almost as many reports as field studies in the Amazon basin, in stark contrast with Central American sites, which have a long tradition of fieldwork, but no published records of geophagy. There are also relatively few reports from the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Despite the growth in reports, and the patterns identified here, the functional aspects of geophagy in the platyrrhines still remain unclear.     

Mitigating the impacts of rainforest roads in Queensland’s Wet Tropics: Effective or are further evaluations and new mitigation strategies required?

Summary Research into mitigation of the ecological impacts of rainforest roads in North Queensland has a long history, commencing during the formative years of Australian road ecology. In Queensland’s Wet Tropics and throughout Australia, installation of engineered structures to ameliorate ecological road impacts is now common during larger construction projects, but unusual in smaller road projects. Retro‐fitting of engineering solutions to roads that are causing obvious impacts is also uncommon. Currently, Australian mitigation measures concentrate on two important impacts: road mortality and terrestrial habitat fragmentation. Unfortunately, other important ecological impacts of roads are seldom addressed. These include edge effects, traffic disturbance, exotic invasions and fragmentation of stream habitats. In North Queensland, faunal underpasses and canopy bridges across rainforest roads have been monitored over long periods. These structures are used frequently by multiple individuals of various species, implying effectiveness for movements and dispersal of many generalist and specialised rainforest animals. However, without addressing population and genetic implications, assessment of effectiveness of these connectivity structures is not holistic. These aspects need sufficient long‐term funding to allow similar systematic monitoring before and after construction. Throughout Australia, more holistic approaches to mitigation of road impacts would routinely examine population and genetic connectivity, consider mitigation against more ecological impacts where appropriate and include landscape‐scale replication.     

Marine protected area strategies: issues,divergences and the search for middle ground

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries - There has been a dramatic increase in recentyears in the number of papers, reports, etc.,which have been published concerning MarineProtected Areas (MPAs)....     

Disproportional Representation of Primates in the Ecological Literature

We address the question why papers dealing with the ecology of primates are so sparsely represented in the general ecological literature. A literature analyses based on entries in Web of Science and PrimateLit reveals that despite a large number of papers published on primates in general and on the ecology of primates, only a very small fraction of these papers is published in high-ranking international ecological journals. We discuss a number of potential reasons for the disproportion and highlight the problems associated with experimental research on wild primates and constraints on sample size as major issues.     

道路对陆栖野生动物的生态学影响

道路网络为大多数景观所共同具有的空间特征,在增进社会财富、方便人们生活的同时。也会产生严重的生态学后果。就道路对陆栖野生动物的生态学影响进行了综述。道路交通导致动物死亡。已成为野生脊椎动物死亡的首要原因;阻碍动物个体在同种种群问的交流以及在互补性资源间的周期性迁移;迫使森林内部种、边缘敏感种主动回避道路栖息地;导致道路区域栖息鸟类繁殖下降;有利于小型物种沿道路边缘扩散,造成生物入侵。道路区域为一种特殊的边缘。对一些边缘物种以及其它被吸引过来的动物来说是一种死亡陷阱。这些影响的综合作用会导致孤立的小种群问题。从而严重威胁到渐危濒危物种的长期存活。     

道路网络扩展对区域生态系统的影响——以景洪市纵向岭谷区为例

道路网络的存在和扩展影响着周边景观的生态格局和过程,进而影响区域生态安全,定量表达道路影响域生态系统变化对生态系统管理具有重要意义.选取景洪市为研究区,利用缓冲区分析、对比分析和情景分析,研究道路与生态系统格局变化的关系,进而揭示不同道路类型对区域生态安全的影响.结果表明：近20a研究区林地、灌丛有所减少,旱地和建设用地增加显著,而道路为显著的驱动因子.景观的多样性,均匀度,斑块密度和人工干扰指数也随着道路缓冲距离增加而降低.道路影响域内林地受道路影响最大,其次为草地,旱地或灌丛,而旱地的斑块数目受低等级道路影响最多,其他等级林地数目最多.情景分析表明,随着道路网络的扩展,生态系统分维数、斑块数目增加,平均斑块面积减少,显示破碎化程度加剧,而低等级道路对区域景观格局的变化贡献率最大.     

旅游地道路生态持续性评价——以云南省玉龙县为例

从生态效应与连通功能两个角度,综合运用景观格局指数、总体变异系数、稳定性系数等方法,以云南省玉龙县为例,构建旅游地道路生态持续性评价体系,定量评价全县主要旅游道路生态持续性状态及其空间分异。结果表明,研究区道路的生态持续性状态总体良好,有助于旅游业发展,同时对生态系统影响有限;受承载游客规模不同、沿线生态系统敏感性差异等因素影响,玉龙县道路的生态持续性具有明显的空间差异;旅游地道路生态持续性的影响因素主要包括道路所承载的旅游活动强度,道路的坡度,道路周边山体的地质构造,道路所经过区域的生态系统敏感程度等。     

The genetic effects of roads: A review of empirical evidence

Roads exert various effects of conservation concern. They cause road mortality of wildlife, change the behaviour of animals and lead to habitat fragmentation. Roads also have genetic effects, as they restrict animal movement and increase the functional isolation of populations. We first formulate theoretical expectations on the genetic effects of roads with respect to a decrease in genetic diversity and an increase in genetic differentiation or distance of populations or individuals. We then review the empirical evidence on the genetic effects of roads based on the available literature. We found that roads often, but not always, decrease the genetic diversity of affected populations due to reduced population size and genetic drift. Whether the reduction in genetic diversity influences the long-term fitness of affected populations is, however, not yet clear. Roads, especially fenced highways, also act as barriers to movement, migration and gene flow. Roads therefore often decrease functional connectivity and increase the genetic differentiation of populations or the genetic distance among individuals. Nevertheless, roads and highways rarely act as complete barriers as shown by genetic studies assessing contemporary migration across roads (by using assignment tests). Some studies also showed that road verges act as dispersal corridors for native and exotic plants and animals. Genetic methods are well suited to retrospectively trace such migration pathways. Most roads and highways have only recently been built. Although only few generations might thus have passed since road construction, our literature survey showed that many studies found negative effects of roads on genetic diversity and genetic differentiation in animal species, especially for larger mammals and amphibians. Roads may thus rapidly cause genetic effects. This result stresses the importance of defragmentation measures such as over- and underpasses or wildlife bridges across roads.     

Neurophysiological effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on humans: a comprehensive review

In recent years a growing number of people have begun to use mobile phone technology. This phenomenon has raised questions and doubts about possible effects on users' brains. This literature review focuses on the human electrophysiological and neuro-metabolic effects of mobile phone (MP)-related electromagnetic fields (EMFs) published in the last 10 years. To this end, all relevant papers have been reported and, subsequently, a literature selection has been carried out by taking several criteria into account, such as: blind techniques, randomization or counter-balancing of conditions and subjects, detail of exposure characteristics and the statistical analyses used. As a result, only the studies meeting the selection criteria have been described, evaluated and discussed further. The main goal of this review is to provide a clear scenario of the most reliable experiments carried out over the last decade and to offer a critical point of view in their evaluation. It is concluded that MP-EMFs may influence normal physiology through changes in cortical excitability and that in future research particular care should be dedicated to both methodological and statistical control, the most relevant criteria in this research field.     

Statistical mechanics unifies different ecological patterns

Recently there has been growing interest in the use of maximum relative entropy (MaxREnt) as a tool for statistical inference in ecology. In contrast, here we propose MaxREnt as a tool for applying statistical mechanics to ecology. We use MaxREnt to explain and predict species abundance patterns in ecological communities in terms of the most probable behaviour under given environmental constraints, in the same way that statistical mechanics explains and predicts the behaviour of thermodynamic systems. We show that MaxREnt unifies a number of different ecological patterns: (i) at relatively local scales a unimodal biodiversity-productivity relationship is predicted in good agreement with published data on grassland communities, (ii) the predicted relative frequency of rare vs. abundant species is very similar to the empirical lognormal distribution, (iii) both neutral and non-neutral species abundance patterns are explained, (iv) on larger scales a monotonic biodiversity-productivity relationship is predicted in agreement with the species-energy law, (v) energetic equivalence and power law self-thinning behaviour are predicted in resource-rich communities. We identify mathematical similarities between these ecological patterns and the behaviour of thermodynamic systems, and conclude that the explanation of ecological patterns is not unique to ecology but rather reflects the generic statistical behaviour of complex systems with many degrees of freedom under very general types of environmental constraints.     

道路对景观的影响及其生态风险评价--以澜沧江流域为例

道路贯穿于各类景观。道路网络的发展也产生了许多生态效应。道路的生态风险分析是基于生态效应,通过格局和过程的研究,综合评估各类潜在生态影响及其累积性后果。从景观生态学理论入手．分析了道路对景观的影响,将道路对景观的影响区分为建设期和运营期2个阶段,并提出了基于格局和过程的生态环境指数,进而得出道路综合生态风险评价的方法。以澜沧江流域上中下游的3个典型区为例,研究道路对景观的影响。结果表明,虽然不同案例区道路影响的景观类型和格局不同,其风险的分布也不同．但综合风险指数和道路密度具有很高的一致性。     

岷江上游生态补偿的博弈论

为了建立合理的生态补偿机制,制定更为科学的生态补偿政策,以岷江上游退耕还林补偿为例,运用博弈论模型考察了岷江上游现有生态补偿机制,以及在补偿政策实践过程中补偿主体与补偿对象之间的决策和行为过程.结果表明:(1)长期来看,生态补偿政策的实施效果不完全在于补偿金额的大小,仅仅依靠提高对生态建设者(保护者)的补偿标准来保护环境是不明智的;(2)生态补偿年限对岷江上游地区生态补偿政策的实施效果起着重要作用,政府制定生态补偿政策时应该将补偿年限纳入政策制定范畴中,并作为重点考虑的因素;(3)岷江上游地区第三产业的发展水平及生态建设者(保护者)外出务工收入水平的高低直接影响生态建设工程实施的效果;(4)对生态补偿的重要策略是应该通过建立相应的配套措施来增加农民务工的机会.     

短期围栏封育后再利用对草地植物群落的影响

短期围栏封育后再适度利用是当前生态治理工程中使用较多的草地恢复措施,明确其实施效果对后续生态工程的优化调整具有重要意义。目前关于围栏封育和放牧对草地影响的研究较为丰富,但鲜有研究探讨短期围栏封育后再利用对草地的长期影响。以京津风沙源工程2002—2005年间在锡林郭勒地区实施的围栏封育地块为研究对象,通过配对采样调查和遥感数据分析,开展围栏封育期和重新放牧利用期连续近20年的草地植物群落变化研究。结果表明,草地植被高度、覆盖度和地上生物量在3年的围栏封育期内迅速增加,重新放牧利用后这些指标虽有所下降但仍显著高于持续放牧草地,并最终达到稳定状态。2002—2020年间短期围栏封育后再利用地块的植被覆盖度(FVC)整体上呈不显著的增加趋势、净初级生产力(NPP)呈显著增加趋势,FVC和NPP呈增加趋势的地块比例在温性草甸草原区、温性荒漠草原区和温性草原区依次减少。总的来说,3年的围栏封育后再放牧利用对草地植物群落具有一定的恢复作用。     

道路的生态学影响及其生态建设

道路的生态学影响及其生态建设章家恩,徐琅（中国科学院南京土壤研究所,２１０００８）ＥｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＩｍｐａｃｔｓｏｆＲｏａｄｓａｎｄＩｔｓＥｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＣｏｎｓｔｒｕｃｔｉｏｎ．￥ＺｈａｎｇＪｉａｅｎ;ＸｕＱｉ（ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＳｏｉ...     

Assessing the Risk of Herbicides to Terrestrial Non-Target Plants Using Higher-Tier Studies

Risk assessment for non-target plants is based on single species phytotoxicity tests. This approach may not reflect relevant ecological processes in terrestrial ecosystems. The current risk assessment scheme is based on endpoints measured at the species level and the assessment of ecological effects relies on the extrapolation from one species to another or from a single species to a community. This extrapolation contains many uncertainties that may be reduced by adopting more realistic testing approaches. However, currently higher-tier plant studies are not obligatory in herbicide risk assessment. We reviewed the published literature and found that potential higher-tier approaches for terrestrial non-target plants are extremely limited. Sixteen studies were found that assessed the effects of herbicides on non-target plants by performing microcosms, mesocosms, or field studies. These studies showed that microcosms might provide useful data and help to reduce uncertainties associated with single-species tests. However, due to the limited number of available studies, much work is required to develop appropriate testing methods for regulatory processes. In addition, field experiments are necessary to establish baseline knowledge concerning the effects of herbicides on natural plant communities and to compare data generated in tiered testing approaches with data obtained from natural systems.     

Imaging plant cells by two-photon excitation

Summary. Along the past recent years, two-photon excitation (TPE) microscopy has moved from the realms of technical curiosity to be a standard application in many advanced cell biology laboratories. The growing body of literature covered in this review points out the obvious advantages of TPE over any other imaging method based on fluorescence, clearly improving signal-to-noise ratio and thick-tissue penetration and showing added potential for vital imaging. Like any new technology that has to gain its own space, TPE microscopy is still going through the growing pains in which reproducible protocols, probes, and applications are scarce. Yet, the published reports and unpublished results covered in this review point out that TPE can eventually accommodate most available protocols and probes, most of the times with evident advantages. Further, the potential for plant sciences is obvious, as plant cells possess many absorbing molecules and structures and are routinely more opaque than tissues of other organisms. Since prices make it one of the most expensive microscopies, TPE is coming slow to be a generalised technology, but enough data are emerging to establish it as a method with no alternative for some objectives.Correspondence and reprints: Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.     

The hyperkinetic child: some misleading assumptions.

There is much controversy in the literature concerning prevalence, cause, diagnosis and treatment of hyperkinesis. The subject is complex; there is much ambiguity, and many research studies and reports of successful treatment appear to be overly simplistic in their approach to the problem. The use of the term "hyperkinesis" as synonymous with "hyperactivity" and often also with "minimal cerebral dysfunction" causes much confusion. There appear to be some common underlying beliefs about hyperkinetic children; these are critically examined. From integration of reports in the literature with clinical experience, it is contended that the term hyperkinesis should be restricted to the definition used in the British studies, and hyperactivity should be considered only a symptom. Hyperactivity has a large number of underlying causes, and management plans need to be individualized.     

Rapid evolution as an ecological process

Rapid evolution of interspecific interactions (during a timespan of about 100 years) has the potential to be an important influence on the ecological dynamics of communities. However, despite the growing number of examples, rapid evolution is still not a standard working hypothesis for many ecological studies on the dynamics of population structure or the organization of communities. Analysis of rapid evolution as an ecological process has the potential to make evolutionary ecology one of the most central of applied biological sciences.     

Effects of roads on spatial distribution,abundance and mortality of brown hare (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepus europaeus</Emphasis>) in Switzerland

Brown hare populations (Lepus europaeus) are in decline throughout Europe since the 1960s, and numerous impact factors have been discussed in the literature. Although landscape fragmentation by roads is assumed to be one potential factor, the effects of roads on brown hare populations are poorly understood. We studied three potential effects of roads on brown hares asking: (1) Do roads affect the spatial distribution of hares due to disturbance effects? (2) Does road network density affect hare abundance due to barrier effects? (3) Does road network density affect road mortality rates in hare populations? The study is based on harvest statistics and spotlight taxations in Canton Aargau, Switzerland and was conducted at three different spatial scales. Spatial distribution was studied in plots established in varying distances parallel to roads, effects on abundance were analysed on the basis of raster grids, and road mortality was studied on the level of hunting districts. We show that (1) hares avoid the proximity to roads and prefer large non-fragmented areas over small isolated patches. (2) The density of freeways, federal and main roads has a negative effect on hare abundance. The density of unpaved field tracks has a positive effect probably because vegetation at field tracks contributes to the diet spectrum. (3) Effects of road network density on road mortality rates could not be shown, although road mortality has increased since the 1990s. We conclude that in debilitated populations, roads act as threatening factor for brown hare. We recommend establishing large un-dissected areas as a new category of wildlife refuge and to protect these areas from being further fragmented.