Consistent nutrient storage and supply mediated by diverse fish communities in coral reef ecosystems

Corals thrive in low nutrient environments and the conservation of these globally imperiled ecosystems is largely dependent on mitigating the effects of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment. However, to better understand the implications of anthropogenic nutrients requires a heightened understanding of baseline nutrient dynamics within these ecosystems. Here, we provide a novel perspective on coral reef nutrient dynamics by examining the role of fish communities in the supply and storage of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). We quantified fish‐mediated nutrient storage and supply for 144 species and modeled these data onto 172 fish communities (71 729 individual fish), in four types of coral reefs, as well as seagrass and mangrove ecosystems, throughout the Northern Antilles. Fish communities supplied and stored large quantities of nutrients, with rates varying among ecosystem types. The size structure and diversity of the fish communities best predicted N and P supply and storage and N : P supply, suggesting that alterations to fish communities (e.g., overfishing) will have important implications for nutrient dynamics in these systems. The stoichiometric ratio (N : P) for storage in fish mass (~8 : 1) and supply (~20 : 1) was notably consistent across the four coral reef types (but not seagrass or mangrove ecosystems). Published nutrient enrichment studies on corals show that deviations from this N : P supply ratio may be associated with poor coral fitness, providing qualitative support for the hypothesis that corals and their symbionts may be adapted to specific ratios of nutrient supply. Consumer nutrient stoichiometry provides a baseline from which to better understand nutrient dynamics in coral reef and other coastal ecosystems, information that is greatly needed if we are to implement more effective measures to ensure the future health of the world's oceans.     

The significance of fish in the marine Antarctic ecosystems

Paper presented at the Symposium on Polar regions: the challenge for biological and ecological research organised by the Swiss Committee for Polar Research, Basel on 2 October 1992     

广西主要人工林生态系统氮储量格局

森林生态系统作为陆地最大氮素储存库,在维系氮素生物地球化学循环方面发挥了重要作用。以我国人工林主产地广西马尾松(Pinus massoniana)、杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolate)、桉树(Eucalyptus robusta)3种主要人工林为研究对象,探讨了3种林型不同龄组、不同层次的氮储量组成与分配格局,结果表明:(1)随着林龄的变化,不同林龄马尾松、杉木、桉树林氮储量大小范围在6.64-15.15、8.44-14.90、3.22-11.29 Mg/hm²之间,其中马尾松、杉木、桉树分别在幼龄林、过熟林、成熟林达到最大,除幼龄阶段马尾松氮储量最高外,其他各林龄阶段均为杉木林最大。(2)各个林龄总体来看,3种人工林生态系统氮储量生态格局基本一致,绝大部分氮储存于土壤中(0-100 cm),乔木层氮储量仅次于土壤层,灌木层氮储量最小。0-100cm土层范围内,按10 cm每层进行划分,三种人工林各个林龄均是0-10 cm表层土壤氮储量最高。马尾松、杉木除幼龄林外土壤层氮储量均随着林龄增大而逐渐升高,在过熟林分别达到了10.71和16.63 Mg/hm²,桉树则幼龄林到成熟林逐渐升高,成熟林氮储量为11.26 Mg/hm²,过熟林则下降。同一林分各层次不同器官氮储量存在着差异,3种人工林乔木层中树干氮储量均占比最高,树干是乔木层的主要氮库;灌木层中叶片中含有更多的氮储量;草本层地上部分>地下部分,地上部分是氮储存的主要场所;细根氮储量0-20 cm>20-40 cm。不同造林树种生态系统氮固持能力有所差异,总体上,人工造林后期生态系统固氮能力逐渐增强,而速生桉树人工林收获期生态系统固氮有所下降。     

Novel ecosystems: altering fish assemblages in warming waters

The effects of increasing sea temperatures extend far beyond changes in species' distributions. By altering local fish abundances, temperature changes will have profound effects on the structure, functioning and services of marine ecosystems.     

Plant functional identity as the predictor of carbon storage in semi-arid ecosystems

Background: There is an increasing consensus that ecosystem processes are governed by functional identity and trait variation rather than species richness. Despite its importance, the relative effect of relevant functional traits for carbon storage has remained mostly untested in different bioclimatic regions.

Aims: In this study, different components of functional diversity such as community-weighted means of trait values (CWM), functional trait diversity (Rao’s quadratic diversity), functional richness (FRi), functional evenness (FEv) and functional divergence (FDiv) were used to associate carbon content of above-ground biomass, litter and soil in four bioclimatic regions including warm and cold-steppe, semi-steppe rangelands and oak dry forest in the south-west of Iran.

Methods: Several key important traits highly associated with carbon storage including specific leaf area (SLA), height (H), leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus content (LNC and LPC), leaf longevity, wood specific gravity and life form were determined to quantify single and multiple traits that contribute to different components of plant functional diversity.

Results: The results showed that CWM of H, Chamaephyte life form, LNC and LPC were among the most important aspects of functional diversity that positively predicted carbon storage in above-ground biomass and soil. We also observed the negative association of carbon storage with FEv of LNC, Rao of LNC and FEv of multiple traits in the rangelands and the negative association of carbon storage with FDiv of SLA in the forest.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that different components of functional diversity are essential for a mechanistic understanding of the role of plant diversity for carbon storage. The negative associations between FDiv and FEv and carbon storage do not provide support for the complementarity niche hypothesis. Our results suggest that in the more functionally diverse ecosystems dominated by functionally important species with key traits, the so-called functional identity does indeed promote carbon storage, at least in these semi-arid ecosystems.     

中国森林生态系统的植物碳储量和碳密度研究

提高森林生态系统C贮量的估算精度,对于研究森林生态系统向大气吸收和排放含C气体量具有重大意义.中国的森林生态系统植物C贮量的研究刚刚开始,由于估算方法问题,不同估算结果存在着较大的差异.本研究以各林龄级森林类型为统计单元,得出中国森林生态系统的植物C贮量为3.26～3.73Pg,占全球的0.6～0.7%;各森林类型和省市间有较大的差异.森林生态系统植物C密度在各森林类型间差异比较大,介于6.47～118.14Mg·hm^-2,并且有从东南向北和西增加的趋势.这种分布规律与我国人口密度的变化趋势正好相反,两者有一种对数关系.这说明我国实际森林植物C密度大小首先取决于人类活动干扰的程度.     

Viscous medium promotes cooperation in the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa

There has been extensive theoretical debate over whether population viscosity (limited dispersal) can favour cooperation. While limited dispersal increases the probability of interactions occurring between relatives, which can favour cooperation, it can also lead to an increase in competition between relatives and this can reduce or completely negate selection for cooperation. Despite much theoretical attention, there is a lack of empirical research investigating these issues. We cultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria in medium with different degrees of viscosity and examined the fitness consequences for a cooperative trait—the production of iron-scavenging siderophore molecules. We found that increasing viscosity of the growth medium (i) significantly limited bacterial dispersal and the diffusion of siderophore molecules and (ii) increased the fitness of individuals that produced siderophores relative to mutants that did not. We propose that viscosity favours siderophore-producing individuals in this system, because the benefits of siderophore production are more likely to accrue to relatives (i.e. greater indirect benefits), and, at the same time, bacteria are more likely to gain direct fitness benefits by taking up siderophore molecules produced by themselves (i.e. the trait becomes less cooperative). Our results suggest that viscosity of the microbial growth environment is a crucial factor determining the dynamics of wild-type bacteria and siderophore-deficient mutants in natural habitats, such as the viscous mucus in cystic fibrosis lung.     

Hydrologic versus geomorphic limitation on CPOM storage in stream ecosystems

1. Stream ecosystems are the products of interactions between hydrology, geomorphology and ecology, but examining all three components simultaneously is difficult and rarely attempted. Frequently, either geomorphology or hydrology is treated as invariable or static. 2. To examine the validity of treating either hydrology or geomorphology as static, we studied the individual and combined effects of hydrology and channel geomorphology on coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) storage. Using data from an experimental leaf release in a hydrologically regulated stream we created a simple numerical model. This allowed us to quantify the relative influence of CPOM trapping and CPOM retention on total long‐term CPOM storage under variable regimes of flood frequency and geomorphic structure. 3. CPOM storage is a function of supply, flood frequency and the type and frequency of in‐stream structures. In‐stream structures perform two distinct functions, trapping and retention, whose relative importance in leaf storage changes with stream hydrology. Trapping is more important for CPOM storage in streams with few floods, while retention is more important in streams with frequent floods. Different structures (e.g. boulders, large wood, small wood) perform these functions at different efficiencies. We found that large wood trapped two to three times more leaves than the bank, but that the bank retained leaves two to three times more efficiently. 4. A modelled channel with five times the amount of large wood as the study channel (a ‘wood restoration’) initially stored 14% more leaves than the modelled ‘natural’ channel. After six floods, however, the modelled wood restoration channel stored 50% less CPOM than the natural channel as the large wood had high trapping but poor retention. The modelled natural channel contained structures that could both trap and retain. Thus, as different structures performed different functions, the structural complexity buffered the stream allochthonous energy base against changes in hydrology through its balance of trapping and retention. 5. As the frequency of floods increased, the spatial distribution of CPOM became increasingly patchy as storage was driven entirely by structures with high retention. Thus, the coupling of flood frequency and geomorphic structure influenced CPOM availability, which in turn has ramifications for the entire stream food web.     

Performance index in assessing the physiological state of trees in urban ecosystems

Based on PAM and PEA measurements of fluorescence of bark chloroplasts, we have compared the information capacity of the methods for assessing the physiological state of Tilia cordata Mill. by the maximal quantum efficiency of PS II photochemistry (F _v/F _m) and by the performance index (PI). The measurements were made on annual shoots of linden trees growing in different environs. It was shown that the chlorophyll content in the bark of shoots growing near a busy urban street was twice less than in controls growing out of town. For the trees in the unfavorable environment, a small decrease in (F _v/F _m) was registered, and there was a significant statistical scatter in these values as compared with controls. The PI and its constituent parameters calculated from fluorescence induction curves (PEA method) are more informative and allow recognizing changes in the primary energy conversion processes in PS II when they are still small. Thus, PI can be used as a sensitive, robust, and rapid test to evaluate the physiological state of trees and other plant objects even under minor environmental changes.     

基于InVEST模型估算富阳市森林生态系统碳储量

基于森林资源遥感影像数据资料和ArcGIS10.0软件,以属于典型亚热带气候的富阳市为案例,运用InVEST-Carbon模型对其森林生态系统碳储量进行估算,可视化定量富阳市森林生态系统碳储量并明确其空间分布规律。结果表明：富阳市森林生态系统碳储量分布具有明显的区域差异性,由东向西呈现高－低－高－低的分布带规律。富阳市森林生态系统总的碳储量为26.7437×106 t,其价值量为39.9042亿元;得出富阳市各类森林类型平均碳密度的高低分布为常绿阔叶林碳密度>针阔混交林碳密度>竹林碳密度>马尾松林碳密度>杉木林碳密度,这与浙江省生态公益林各主要林型的碳密度分布规律基本一致,得到其森林生态系统总的碳密度约为180.75 t.hm-2,高于浙江省生态公益林平均碳密度和全国森林平均碳密度。与基于森林二类清查资料,由生物量与蓄积量的关系式估算出的碳储量(28.3780×106 t)相差不大,InVEST模型可适用于森林生态系统碳储量的总体估算。通过研究可以得出,InVEST模型评估结果简明直观,导入较少的数据,将量化的森林碳储量以地图的形式表现出来。 InVEST模型还可用于对未来或多种模拟场景情况下的预测估算等,可为政府、非盈利组织和公司企业等自然资源的管理提供决策信息,其多功能和模块化的设计为权衡评估得失提供了有效的工具。     

Variability in storage potential of banana shoot cultures under medium term storage conditions

Shoot cultures of 401 banana clones were conserved under slow growth conditions (16±1°C, 25mol m^–2 s^–1). Storage duration-defined as 60% survival time of 20 shoot cultures of a clone-averaged 334 days. However, large differences occurred among the different genomic (sub)groups and even within the same (sub)group. East-African highland bananas and non-plantain AAB bananas can be stored for significantly longer periods. Shoot tip cultures of another 41 banana clones conserved at higher ambient temperature (22±3°C) needed to be subcultured sooner (every 220 days on average).Abbreviations BA 6-benzyladenine - CIRAD Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - IBPGR International Board for Plant Genetic Resources - INIBAP International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain - PPF photosynthetic photon flux - QDPI Queensland Department of Primary Industries     

The habitat diversity and fish reproductive function of floodplain ecosystems

Synopsis Fish reproduction in floodplain ecosystems, based on relative abundance and total biomass of 0+ juveniles, was studied using the synchronic approach to typological analysis in conjunction with Point Abundance Sampling by modified electrofishing. In 3 different flood plains of the Upper Rhône River, 1015 point samples yielding 4573 juveniles (0+) from 21 species were collected from 48 ecosystems of various geomorphological origin. The results demonstrate the lotic-to-lentic succession of floodplain ecosystems to be a series of non-sequential reproductive zones, with spawning conditions being reflected by the specific composition and guild structure of the YOY fish assemblages. The habitat diversity and the fish reproductive potential of floodplain ecosystems are strongly influenced by geomorphological origin and by past and present hydrological conditions. The YOY assemblages of autogenically driven ecosystems (usually of anastomose or meander origin) tend to differ both in composition and in quantity from those found in allogenically driven ecosystems (generally of braided origin). Ecosystems of intermediate character, and fish reproduction thereof, occur as the result of either ecosystem rejuvenation or senescence: autogenically driven ecosystems by allogenic mechanisms, or allogenically driven ecosystems by anthropic and/or autogenic mechanisms, respectively. Because of co-occurrence of ecosystems at similar and at different successional status, the flood plain as an entity is seen as stable with respect to fish reproduction.     

Element storage in native, agri-, and silvicultural ecosystems of the Brazilian savanna

The expanding agriculture in the Brazilian savanna, the Cerrado, changes C and nutrient storages of the savanna ecosystems thereby affecting the global C budget and the sustainability of the local land use. We examined the biomass and the C, N, P, and S storages in above- and belowground biomass, in the organic layer, and in the top 2 m of the mineral soil (Anionic Acrustoxes) of three replicate plots of each of native Cerrado, Pinus caribaea Morelet plantations, productive and degraded Bracchiaria decumbens Stapf. pastures, and of conventional and no-tillage soybean cultivation. Aboveground biomass – in the cropping systems shortly before harvest – decreased in the order, Pinus (15 kg m^–2) > Cerrado (2.3) > conventional tillage (1.9) > no tillage (1.5) > productive pasture (0.64) > degraded pasture (0.37) and belowground biomass in the order, Pinus (9.1) > Cerrado (3.0) > productive pasture (2.2) > degraded pasture (1.5) > conventional tillage (0.60) > no tillage (0.41). The aboveground biomass contained 1.1 (degraded pasture) to 19% (Pinus) of the total C storage, 0.3 (productive pasture, degraded pasture) to 3.5% of the total N storage, 0.3 (degraded pasture) to 2.1% (no tillage, conventional tillage) of the total P storage, and 0.3 (degraded pasture) to 3.7% (Pinus) of the total S storage of the ecosystems. Total C storage in the ecosystems was significantly larger in the Pinus stands (36 kg m^–2) than in all other systems; differences among Cerrado (20), degraded pasture (19), productive pasture (20), no tillage (19), and conventional tillage (19) were small and not significant. All land-use systems had larger N (Pinus, 1.5; degraded pasture, 1.3; productive pasture, 1.4; no tillage, 1.4; conventional tillage, 1.4 kg m^–2) and S storage (PI, 28; degraded pasture, 33; productive pasture, 34; no tillage, 36; conventional tillage, 38 g m^–2) than the Cerrado (N, 1.2 kg; S, 26 g m^–2). The P storages varied between 17 and 29 g m^–2 and were not significantly different among the studied ecosystems. The N and S accumulations in the 12–20-year-old land-use systems were larger than the cumulative known fertilizer inputs indicating that there were unknown inputs possibly including the exploration of the deeper subsoil by deep-reaching roots and transfer of nutrients to the topsoil. Our results indicate that afforestation with Pinus trees has the potential to sequester large amounts of C while pasture degradation, no tillage, and conventional tillage tended to result in small C losses. Land use resulted in a marked accumulation of N and S relative to the Cerrado.     

喀斯特风水林和荒山生态系统碳储量的研究

所研究的风水林和荒山属于喀斯特地貌。喀斯特森林是一种脆弱的低生物量生态系统,土壤贫瘠,自我修复能力低,易受人为因素干扰。风水林指人们居住地附近的一片茂盛的森林,认为有神居住而崇拜,严禁被砍伐和破坏。荒山是喀斯特森林植被在人为干扰后出现岩石裸露产生的石漠化现象。该研究通过野外调查、实验室分析、数理统计等对广西罗城喀斯特风水林和荒山生态系统碳储量进行对比性研究。结果表明:喀斯特风水林植被、土壤和枯落物碳储量分别是荒山的7.42倍、5.9倍和1.1倍,风水林和荒山生态系统碳储量分别为137.06、93.73 t·hm~(-2),其中土壤碳库贡献率最高,而林下植被和枯落物却较低,表明风水林森林生态系统碳储量明显高于荒山。通过风水林和荒山的碳储量比较研究,为评价风水林碳汇提供依据,为制定森林管理政策、保护村社水平的植被提供数据参考。此外,还探讨了少数民族朴素的生态伦理思想在保护森林和增汇方面的作用,丰富了生态伦理学内容,对传承和弘扬少数民族传统文化、恢复生态具有重要意义。     

Climatic and biotic controls on annual carbon storage in Amazonian ecosystems

• 1 The role of undisturbed tropical land ecosystems in the global carbon budget is not well understood. It has been suggested that interannual climate variability can affect the capacity of these ecosystems to store carbon in the short term. In this paper, we use a transient version of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM) to estimate annual carbon storage in undisturbed Amazonian ecosystems during the period 1980–94, and to understand the underlying causes of the year‐to‐year variations in net carbon storage for this region.
  • 2 We estimate that the total carbon storage in the undisturbed ecosystems of the Amazon Basin in 1980 was 127.6 Pg C, with about 94.3 Pg C in vegetation and 33.3 Pg C in the reactive pool of soil organic carbon. About 83% of the total carbon storage occurred in tropical evergreen forests. Based on our model’s results, we estimate that, over the past 15 years, the total carbon storage has increased by 3.1 Pg C (+ 2%), with a 1.9‐Pg C (+2%) increase in vegetation carbon and a 1.2‐Pg C (+4%) increase in reactive soil organic carbon. The modelled results indicate that the largest relative changes in net carbon storage have occurred in tropical deciduous forests, but that the largest absolute changes in net carbon storage have occurred in the moist and wet forests of the Basin.
    • 3 Our results show that the strength of interannual variations in net carbon storage of undisturbed ecosystems in the Amazon Basin varies from a carbon source of 0.2 Pg C/year to a carbon sink of 0.7 Pg C/year. Precipitation, especially the amount received during the drier months, appears to be a major controller of annual net carbon storage in the Amazon Basin. Our analysis indicates further that changes in precipitation combine with changes in temperature to affect net carbon storage through influencing soil moisture and nutrient availability.
      • 4 On average, our results suggest that the undisturbed Amazonian ecosystems accumulated 0.2 Pg C/year as a result of climate variability and increasing atmospheric CO₂ over the study period. This amount is large enough to have compensated for most of the carbon losses associated with tropical deforestation in the Amazon during the same period.
        • 5 Comparisons with empirical data indicate that climate variability and CO₂ fertilization explain most of the variation in net carbon storage for the undisturbed ecosystems. Our analyses suggest that assessment of the regional carbon budget in the tropics should be made over at least one cycle of El Niño–Southern Oscillation because of interannual climate variability. Our analyses also suggest that proper scaling of the site‐specific and subannual measurements of carbon fluxes to produce Basin‐wide flux estimates must take into account seasonal and spatial variations in net carbon storage.

     

黄河流域陆地生态系统碳储量测算及其影响因素

准确估算陆地生态系统碳储量,科学制定生态环境保护和土地利用政策,对促进区域低碳可持续发展,实现"碳中和"目标具有重要意义。基于大量碳密度样点数据,将其与生态地理分区和土地利用类型图空间叠置,采用克里金插值法得到黄河流域碳密度空间分布数据集。应用InVEST模型对2000年、2010年和2020年黄河流域陆地生态系统碳储量的时空演变测度,提高了碳储量估算结果的准确性。利用Pearson相关性分析和多尺度地理加权回归模型(MGWR)对自然、社会经济和景观格局指数等因素对县级行政单元尺度单位面积碳储量的影响进行分析。主要结论如下:(1)黄河流域碳密度空间分布呈西部大于东部、东部地区自东南向西北递减的格局;(2)2000-2020年黄河流域陆地生态系统碳储量增加0.02%(7.011×10⁹-7.012×10⁹t),空间分布与碳密度相同,空间集聚特征显著,"高高集聚区"主要分布在黄河上游西南部的青藏高原地区, "低低集聚区"主要分布在黄河上游北部和黄河下游大部分地区;(3)Pearson相关性分析得出与碳储量呈正相关的影响因素为Pr(降水)、NDVI(归一化植被指数)和Slope(坡度);呈负相关的影响因素为TEM(温度)、HAI(人类影响指数)、SHDI(香农多样性指数)、DN(夜间灯光数据像素值)和PPOD(人口密度)。(4)MGWR模型得出TEM、Pr、NDVI和SHDI空间异质性强,HAI在2010年后异质性强;Slope空间异质性中等;DN和PPOD为全局尺度变量,空间影响平稳;(5)MGWR模型得出NDVI对黄河流域县级单位面积碳储量作用强度最大。NDVI、Slope对县级单位面积碳储量的影响呈正效应,TEM、HAI、DN和PPOD呈负效应,Pr、SHDI呈正、负双向效应。     

森林生态系统粗死木质残体碳储量研究进展

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