稀有种丧失对鱼类群落物种多样性和功能多样性的影响

稀有种是海洋生态系统中物种共存与多样性维持的重要类群,但其对鱼类群落物种多样性、功能多样性的调控机制不明。以三门湾鱼类群落为研究对象,基于地理范围、栖息地特异性和种群规模大小识别群落稀有种,利用自抽样技术模拟稀有种在自然条件下的随机丧失,探讨稀有种丧失对物种多样性、功能多样性的影响。结果表明,稀有种的丧失造成物种丰富度与功能丰富度呈显著下降趋势;物种均匀度在夏季稳定性较低,在其余季节稳定性较高,功能均匀度在冬季稳定性较高,在其余季节稳定性较低,这与稀有种地理分布范围及其功能性状所占据的空间特殊位置有关;Simpson指数与Shannon-Wiener指数呈现下降趋势,但前者数值变化区间小于后者,这与群落丰富度、均匀度密切相关;功能离散度在夏季呈下降趋势,而在其他季节保持相对稳定,主要受位于性状空间边缘物种数量的影响。总体上,稀有种的丧失对物种多样性、功能多样性的稳定性产生影响,且物种多样性与功能多样性的相关性较强。     

Substrate water potential constraints on germination of the strangler fig Ficus aurea (Moraceae)

Palms are the most common support hosts for strangler fig (Ficus aurea) in the tropical dry forest. At Hummingbird Cay Tropical Field Station in the Bahamas, viable F. aurea seeds scattered on open soil germinate within 6 d in the laboratory at 27C in light or darkness. To test the hypothesis that water relations between seed and substrate can restrict the site of F. aurea establishment, fig seeds were imbibed in mannitol solutions with water potential (psi) from 0 MPa to -2.0 MPa. At psi > -1.0 MPa, germination ranges from 70 to 90%. Below -1.0 MPa, germination drops under 4%. Seedling growth rate slows linearly with decreasing psi, due to reduced cell enlargement in the radicle. Sensitivity of F. aurea seeds to psi stress is similar to that of mesophytic crops with "threshold' psi of -1.2 to -1.5 MPa, below which germination and/or seedling growth stops. F. aurea shows no evidence of xerophytic adaptation in germination physiology. In the field, psi of humus in palm leaf bases does not drop below -1.0 to -1.1 MPa, while humus in terrestrial sites reaches psi F. aurea germination and seedling growth is met by humus in palm leaf bases, not by terrestrial sites. In dry forests, this restricts F. aurea establishment to the crown of palm trees.     

How many freshwater diatoms are pH specialists? A response to Pither & Aarssen (2005)

Pither & Aarssen (2005) propose a null model approach to assess the proportion of niche specialist taxa along ecological gradients. They apply this methodology to a large data set of lacustrine diatom assemblages and conclude that a majority of the taxa are generalists on a pH gradient. This conflicts with previous work, which shows that many diatom taxa have a statistically significant relationship with pH. We demonstrate the methods used by Pither & Aarssen (2005) have a high Type II error for rare taxa, and that this problem is compounded by the non-uniform sampling of the pH gradient which effectively precludes acid-lake specialist diatoms from being recognized as such. We re-analyse the data used by Pither & Aarssen (2005) and show that most of the diatoms have a statistically significant relationship with pH, and we thus refute their conclusions that few diatom species are specialists.     

云南省榕小蜂和榕树的物种组成及多样性

榕小蜂是榕树(Ficus spp．)唯一的传粉昆虫,榕树隐头果又是榕小蜂唯一的寄主：榕树必须依靠榕小蜂传粉才能获得有性繁殖;而榕小蜂又必须依靠榕树隐头果内的瘿花作为食物和栖息场所才能正常生长、发育和繁衍后代,因此两者间有着不可互缺的互惠共生关系,二者缺一就面临着两类物种同时消亡和群落的灭绝。云南是中国榕树和榕小蜂种类最丰富的省份。本文报道了在云南采集到的榕小蜂类群,隶属12属50种。云南的榕树和榕小蜂主要分布在热带和南亚热带地区的河谷和海拔1600m以下区域：随着海拔的升高,两类物种数量随之减少,到了海拔3700m以上地区,除了人工种植外,已无自然分布的榕树种群。榕小蜂的个体数量、物种丰富度、多样性指数都是在滇南地区热带雨林内最高,滇西北的高山峡谷区最低。     

柴达木盆地中西部土壤中暗色丝孢菌群落多样性分析

从柴达木盆地中西部采集土样59份,涵盖的生态类型有:沙漠、戈壁、湿地、小镇-绿洲等。分离获得暗色丝孢菌108株,经鉴定分属于15属。利用种群优势度、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、物种均匀度、生态位宽度四项指数,对柴达木盆地中西部不同生境土壤中的有关暗色丝孢菌物种(属级)进行物种多样性分析。结果表明,该地区土壤中暗色丝孢菌的物种优势度存在明显差异:沙漠生境中,链格孢属Alternaria和细基格孢属Ulocladium真菌优势度较高;戈壁生境中,单格孢属Monodictys真菌的优势度最高;湿地和小镇-绿洲生境中,则分别以瓶霉属Phialophora和枝孢属Cladosporium真菌占优势。在小镇-绿洲生境中,土壤暗色丝孢菌的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数最高,均匀度较低;而在沙漠和戈壁生境中多样性指数明显较低,而物种的均匀度较高。在上述四类生境中,链格孢属Alternaria和细基格孢属Ulocladium真菌具有较宽的生态位,为广适性物种;而平脐蠕孢属Bipolaris、卷旋孢属Cirrenaria、弯孢属Curvularia、矛束霉属Doratomyces、粘束孢属Graphium、漆斑霉属Myrothecium、齿梗孢属Scolecobasidium、帚霉属Scopulariopsis、节隔孢属Scytalidium和葡萄穂霉属Stachybotrys10个属真菌的生态位较窄,为狭适性物种。     

Intraspecific genetic variation and competition interact to influence niche expansion

Theory and empirical evidence show that intraspecific competition can drive selection favouring the use of novel resources (i.e. niche expansion). The evolutionary response to such selection depends on genetic variation for resource use. However, while genetic variation might facilitate niche expansion, genetically diverse groups may also experience weaker competition, reducing density-dependent selection on resource use. Therefore, genetic variation for fitness on different resources could directly facilitate, or indirectly retard, niche expansion. To test these alternatives, we factorially manipulated both the degree of genetic variation and population density in flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum) exposed to both novel and familiar food resources. Using stable carbon isotope analysis, we measured temporal change and individual variation in beetle diet across eight generations. Intraspecific competition and genetic variation acted on different components of niche evolution: competition facilitated niche expansion, while genetic variation increased individual variation in niche use. In addition, genetic variation and competition together facilitated niche expansion, but all these impacts were temporally variable. Thus, we show that the interaction between genetic variation and competition can also determine niche evolution at different time scales.     

人为干扰对传粉昆虫群落物种多样性及其优势类群生态位的影响

物种多样性是群落功能复杂性和稳定性的重要量度指标,不同干扰强度下物种多样性和生态位特征不同,人为干扰对传粉群落的影响可以通过群落结构和物种多样性的变化直接表现出来。在巩义市选取24个采样点,3种景观类型(农田、灌丛、林地)进行取样,共捕获传粉昆虫18576头,分属于14目,147科,双翅目、膜翅目、鞘翅目、鳞翅目、半翅目与缨翅目6个传粉功能群。为了解研究区人为干扰对传粉昆虫类群传粉类群及其生态位的影响,本研究选取双翅目、膜翅目、鞘翅目3类主要传粉昆虫作为研究对象,在景观类型分类与实际情况的基础上,依据人为干扰指数赋值表和干扰强度计算公式,分析不同干扰强度下传粉昆虫优势种群生态位特征情况,结果表明:各传粉类群在不同的干扰条件下物种多样性不同;作为优势类群的蠓科、胡蜂科,生态位宽度和生态位重叠均均值高于其他几个类群,且中度干扰强度下值最大,但其生态宽度值与生态重叠值之间没有明显的相关关系。     

Requirements for plant coexistence through pollination niche partitioning

Plant–pollinator interactions are often thought to have been a decisive factor in the diversification of flowering plants, but to be of little or no importance for the maintenance of existing plant diversity. In a recent opinion paper, Pauw (2013 Trends Ecol. Evol. 28, 30–37. (doi:10.1016/j.tree.2012.07.019)) challenged this view by proposing a mechanism of diversity maintenance based on pollination niche partitioning. In this article, I investigate under which conditions the mechanism suggested by Pauw can promote plant coexistence, using a mathematical model of plant and pollinator population dynamics. Numerical simulations show that this mechanism is most effective when the costs of searching for flowers are low, pollinator populations are strongly limited by resources other than pollen and nectar, and plant–pollinator interactions are sufficiently specialized. I review the empirical literature on these three requirements, discuss additional factors that may be important for diversity maintenance through pollination niche partitioning, and provide recommendations on how to detect this coexistence mechanism in natural plant communities.     

湘中丘陵区石栎群落研究

以湘中丘陵区石栎 (L ithocarp us glaber)群落为调查研究对象 ,分析了群落的特征 ,定量计测了乔木层主要树种的生态位宽度和重叠值。结果表明 ,石栎群落垂直结构较为复杂 ,可分为乔木层、灌木层、草本层 ,亦有少量的层间植物。群落的优势种较明显 ,乔木层的物种多样性指数较高。主要树种生态位宽度值大小顺序为 :石栎、苦槠、木荷、白栎、拟赤杨、南酸枣和柏木。在生态位重叠值中 ,以优势种石栎与白栎、柏木、枫香、樟树、拟赤杨、木荷、南酸枣、苦槠、秃瓣杜英重叠值较大 ,枫香与苦槠的重叠值最小 ,石栎与马尾松、君迁子属中等重叠     

内蒙古草原布氏田鼠与绵羊的营养生态位研究

放牧活动对小型啮齿动物种群数量的影响是草原生态系统研究中的热点问题,确定绵羊和小型啮齿动物的营养生态位关系对于草原生态系统的管理具有重要的作用。运用粪便显微分析法分析了内蒙古草原动物生态研究站大型野外围栏内布氏田鼠和绵羊在6—9月份的食谱组成,确定两种草食动物食性选择和营养生态位的变化,从食物利用途径揭示放牧活动对布氏田鼠种群数量的影响方式及二者之间的竞争与共存关系。研究结果表明：围栏中共有23种植物,其中糙隐子草、克氏针茅、羊草和刺藜是围栏中的优势植物;布氏田鼠共取食10种植物,绵羊共取食8种植物,禾本植物为两种动物的主要采食植物。布氏田鼠和绵羊的喜食植物种类都存在季节性变化;除7月外,两种动物的食物多样性与围栏植物多样性有显著的正相关关系,表明动物的食性选择受植物资源变化的影响。布氏田鼠和绵羊具有很高的营养生态位重叠度,除8月(0.691)外,6、7、9月份的营养生态位重叠度均高于0.9,表明二者之间存在激烈的食物竞争;放牧活动极显著地降低了禾本科植物的地上生物量,导致布氏田鼠的食物数量减少;放牧处理下布氏田鼠的喜食植物的物种数和营养生态位宽度(除9月)增加,导致布氏田鼠的食物质量...     

Effects of selective logging on the arboreal ants of a Bornean rainforest

We examined the effect of selective logging and corresponding forest canopy loss on arboreal ant diversity in a tropical rainforest. Arboreal ants were collected from an unlogged forest plot and from forest plots selectively logged 14 years and 24 years earlier in Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia, using a canopy fogging method. Selective logging was associated with a significant decrease in canopy cover and an increase in understory vegetation density relative to unlogged forest. Our study showed that selective logging in primary forest might not dramatically decrease total species number and overall abundance of arboreal ants; however, it may influence the species composition and dominance structure of the ant community, accompanied by an increase in abundance of shrub‐layer species and trophobiotic species. In view of the results of this study, management techniques that minimize logging impact on understory vegetation structure are likely to help maintain the conservation value of logged forests for arboreal ants. Our results also suggest that accurate assessment of the impacts on biodiversity should not be based only on measurement of species number and overall abundance, but also on analysis of species composition and community structure.