Study of the vegetation in the Multiple Use Natural Reserve of Monterrico (Guatemala)

The Multiple Use Natural Reserve of Monterrico lies on the Pacific coast of the southwest Guatemala in the Chiapas Sector of the Chiapaneca-Hondureña Province. It belongs to the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas and has a predominantly estuarine and coastal marine ecosystem. We took 218 vegetation relevés that contained 72 species belonging to 138 genera and 69 plant families. Multivariate analysis techniques have led to the determination of seven different associations. Three of them are mangrove swamp associations (Lagunculario-Rhizophoretum manglis; Lagunculario-Avicennietum germinantis Peinado, Alcaraz, Delgadillo, De la Cruz, Álvarez and Aguirre, 1994; Rhizophoretum manglis Cuatrecasas, 1958). Three new associations are proposed. These are one reed–bulrush association (Typho domingensis-Phragmitetum australisass. nova) and two sand-dwelling associations, one made up of evergreen grasses dominated by Canavalia rosea which grows on mobile dunes (Thephrosio-Canavalietum roseaeass. nova) and a dry forest phytocoenosis dominated by deciduous and some evergreen species, such as Pithecellobium dulce, that grow on more consolidated sandy soils (Gliricidio-Pithecellobietum dulcisass. nova). Finally, special mention must be made of the presence of the pleustohelophytic association Eichhornietum crassipedis Samek and Moncada, 1971. This is the first time that these mangrove swamp associations and this hydrophytic association have been recorded in Guatemala.     

Studies on Australian mangrove algae. III. Victorian communities: Structure and recolonization in western port bay

The algal communities associated with Avicennia pneumatophores in Western Port Bay, Victoria, Australia (145°E:38°S) are composed primarily of the red algae Bostrychia, Caloglossa and Catenella. Trends from seaward to landward indicate a decrease in frequency of occurrence, relative cover, and mean absolute biomass for all algal genera but differing trends occur for each genus in terms of relative biomass, and this is reflected in associated pattern analyses. In terms of vertical community structure, all algae occur most frequently in the 5–10 cm segment above mudline, whereas above 20 cm, values for all measured parameters decline. Vertical structure in the seaward and landward regions is compared, but pattern analyses indicate that no biologically distinctive pattern is present. Deliberately denuded pneumatophores quickly become recolonized; greater algal development occurs above 10 cm above the mudline than below 10 cm, and the new community is differently structured.     

The remnant mangroves of Sei Kecil,Simpang Hilir,West Kalimantan,Indonesia

Phytosociological analysis of the remnant mangrove forest was carried out in Sei Kecil, Telok Melano, West Kalimantan, to describe the forest composition and structure, and to assess the regeneration strategy of the important mangrove species. Six transect plots of 20 × 60 m, 20 × 80 m and 20 × 90 m, with a total area of one hectare were established perpendicular to the coast line.A total of 20 species of trees and saplings, two species of herbs and one species of nypa palm was recorded. Three community types were recognized namely Rhizophora apiculata, Excoecaria agallocha-Rhizophora apiculata and Excoecaria agallocha reflecting the zonation in this forest.The number of trees, saplings and seedlings were 510, 1220 and 11 085 per ha respectively. Rhizophora apiculata was most successful in regeneration with 6231 seedlings per ha (56.2%) and followed by Bruguiera parviflora with 3810 seedlings per ha (34.4%). Seedlings of the first species were mostly growing under gaps while the second species occurred mostly around the mother trees.     

On the suitability of input–output analysis for calculating product-specific biodiversity footprints

Recently it has been estimated that one third of biodiversity threats are driven by consumer demand from outside the country in which the threat occurs. This occurs when the production of export goods exerts pressure on vulnerable populations. While population biologists have in cases been able to establish links between species threats and the causative industry(s), little has been done to trace this biodiversity footprint from the directly implicated industry out to final consumers, a step that would open a wider variety of policy responses. Here we investigate the suitability of multi-region input–output (MRIO) analysis for tracing out links between particular species threats, directly implicated industries, and the countries and consumer goods sectors ultimately driving these industries. Environmentally extended MRIO models are understood to provide reliable results at a macroeconomic level but uncertainty increases as the models are used to investigate individual sectors, companies, and products. In this study we examine several case studies (nickel mining in New Caledonia, coltan from the Democratic Republic of Congo, cut flowers from Kenya, and forestry in Papua New Guinea) in order to understand how and when MRIO techniques can be useful for studying biodiversity implicated supply chains. The study was conducted using the Eora global input–output database that documents >5 billion global supply chains. Calculating the biodiversity footprint at this level of detail, between specific threats, supply chains, and consumer goods, has not been done before. These case studies provide interesting insights in their own right and also serve to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of using input–output analysis techniques to calculate detailed biodiversity footprints. We conclude that MRIO analysis, while no panacea, can be useful for outlining supply chains and identifying which consumption sectors and trade and transformation steps can be subjected to closer analysis in order to enable remedial action.     

1960-2010年广西红树林空间分布演变机制

为全面摸清1960—2010年广西红树林空间分布及其演变机制,采用多源遥感数据提取不同年度的红树林空间分布信息,分析了广西红树林空间分布动态特点,采用基于斑块的红树林空间演变机理分析方法,研究了1960/1976—2010年广西红树林空间演变机制。结果表明:1960/1976年、1990s年、2001年、2007年和2010年广西红树林斑块数量分别为1020、829、1094、1718个和1712个,面积分别为9062.5、7430.1、7015.4、6743.2、7054.3 hm2,近50年间红树林面积减少了22.16%,年均减少0.53%,斑块数量增加了67.8%;斑块平均面积由1960/1976年的8.9 hm2减小至2010年的4.1 hm2,大斑块数量显著减少,斑块破碎化严重;不同时期、不同区域和海湾,红树林面积和斑块数量的变化量、变化速率均不同;1960/1976年的斑块中,只有24个斑块至2010年时尚保持稳定,占2.4%,绝大部分斑块都发生了某种程度的变化。进一步分析结果表明:1960/1976—2010年,斑块消失(46.1%)、碎化(40.4%)、萎缩(13.5%)是面积减少的主要途径,新增(70.0%)和碎化(29.9%)是斑块数量增加的主要途径,但在不同时期,斑块数量和面积在各个途径上发生的变化量不尽相同;养殖塘和盐田建设(80.0%)、工程建设(10.9%)和围垦(9.1%)是面积净减少的驱动因子,自然过程(92.6%)和人工造林(7.4%)是斑块数量净增加的驱动因子,不同驱动因子在不同时期对斑块数量和面积变化的影响程度不同;斑块数量变化主要由自然过程作用下通过新增(39.6%)、消失(-9.1%)两个途径,以及养殖塘和盐田作用下通过消失(-15.3%)、碎化(14.5%)两个途径发生,斑块面积变化主要由自然过程影响下通过新增(17.5%)、扩张(12.6%)、消失(-6.1%),以及养殖塘和盐田建设驱动下通过斑块消失(-14.8%)、碎化(-13.9%)、萎缩(-6.6%)3个途径发生。     

中国红树林植物区系分析

红树林是热带海岸的植被类型,我国仅在海南、广东、广西、福建、台湾、香港、澳门等沿海地区有自然分布．共有真红树１２科１５属２８种,半红树１１科１３属１４种,另约有２７种红树伴生植物．红树林区系性质属于热带亚热带过渡性质．化石证明红树林的起源不会晚于三叠纪．     

Methanogenic bacteria in mangrove sediments

The occurrence of methanogenic bacteria in the Kodiakkarai (10° 18 N; 79° 52 E) mangrove sediments, whereAvicennia spp are predominant, was studied. Trimethylamine under N₂:CO₂ (80:20% v/v) was used as the substrate. Most Probable Number (MPN) of methanogenic bacteria was determined for a period of one year from July 1987 to June 1988 with monthly sampling. The methanogenic bacterial populations were found to be at the maximum of 1.1 × 10⁵ MPN gm^–1 of wet sediment during August 1987 and from February to June 1988. The bacterial numbers were found to decrease during October to December 1987 with a minimal value of 3.6 × 10² MPN gm^–1 during December 1987. Environmental factors were correlated with the methanogenic bacterial population.     

中国红树植物花粉形态

红树林是热带海岸的特殊植被类型。红树植物花粉已被证实加入海泥沉积,因此,可作为海滨、浅海相的直接标志。本文对分布于我国的红树植物22科29属40种以及寄生在红树植物上的桑寄生科植物3属3种进行光学显微镜及扫描电子显微镜的观察,以期为海洋地质勘探提供参考依据。     

Phenotypical traits and gonadal development in mangrove land crab,Ucides cordatus (Decapoda: Ocypodidae)

Castilho, G.G., Ostrensky, A., Pie, M.R. and Boeger, W.A. 2010. Phenotypical traits and gonadal development in mangrove land crab, Ucides cordatus (Decapoda: Ocypodidae). —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92 : 393–397. The association between phenotypical and reproductive traits has been the focus of considerable research in decapod crustaceans, particularly with the goal of facilitating the management and sustainable use of natural stocks of commercial interest. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the existence of a relationship between ovarian maturation and the coloration of the ovary and carapace of Ucides cordatus using histological methods and macroscopic observation. Monthly samples of adult females were obtained between October 2002 and March 2005 in mangroves of the Baía de Antonina, Southern Brazil (25º25′S; 48º42′W). A total of 367 specimens were collected throughout the study. Each specimen was classified subjectively into five ovarian colorations (whitish, yellow, orange, brown, and purple) and five carapace colorations (yellow, blue, dark gray, brown, and purple). Although substantial differences in ovarian development were found among females with different carapace and ovarian colorations, the variability within each class precluded their use as reliable indicators of ovarian development.     

Biodiversity loss and the taxonomic bottleneck: emerging biodiversity science

Human domination of the Earth has resulted in dramatic changes to global and local patterns of biodiversity. Biodiversity is critical to human sustainability because it drives the ecosystem services that provide the core of our life-support system. As we, the human species, are the primary factor leading to the decline in biodiversity, we need detailed information about the biodiversity and species composition of specific locations in order to understand how different species contribute to ecosystem services and how humans can sustainably conserve and manage biodiversity. Taxonomy and ecology, two fundamental sciences that generate the knowledge about biodiversity, are associated with a number of limitations that prevent them from providing the information needed to fully understand the relevance of biodiversity in its entirety for human sustainability: (1) biodiversity conservation strategies that tend to be overly focused on research and policy on a global scale with little impact on local biodiversity; (2) the small knowledge base of extant global biodiversity; (3) a lack of much-needed site-specific data on the species composition of communities in human-dominated landscapes, which hinders ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation; (4) biodiversity studies with a lack of taxonomic precision; (5) a lack of taxonomic expertise and trained taxonomists; (6) a taxonomic bottleneck in biodiversity inventory and assessment; and (7) neglect of taxonomic resources and a lack of taxonomic service infrastructure for biodiversity science. These limitations are directly related to contemporary trends in research, conservation strategies, environmental stewardship, environmental education, sustainable development, and local site-specific conservation. Today’s biological knowledge is built on the known global biodiversity, which represents barely 20% of what is currently extant (commonly accepted estimate of 10 million species) on planet Earth. Much remains unexplored and unknown, particularly in hotspots regions of Africa, South Eastern Asia, and South and Central America, including many developing or underdeveloped countries, where localized biodiversity is scarcely studied or described. "Backyard biodiversity", defined as local biodiversity near human habitation, refers to the natural resources and capital for ecosystem services at the grassroots level, which urgently needs to be explored, documented, and conserved as it is the backbone of sustainable economic development in these countries. Beginning with early identification and documentation of local flora and fauna, taxonomy has documented global biodiversity and natural history based on the collection of "backyard biodiversity" specimens worldwide. However, this branch of science suffered a continuous decline in the latter half of the twentieth century, and has now reached a point of potential demise. At present there are very few professional taxonomists and trained local parataxonomists worldwide, while the need for, and demands on, taxonomic services by conservation and resource management communities are rapidly increasing. Systematic collections, the material basis of biodiversity information, have been neglected and abandoned, particularly at institutions of higher learning. Considering the rapid increase in the human population and urbanization, human sustainability requires new conceptual and practical approaches to refocusing and energizing the study of the biodiversity that is the core of natural resources for sustainable development and biotic capital for sustaining our life-support system. In this paper we aim to document and extrapolate the essence of biodiversity, discuss the state and nature of taxonomic demise, the trends of recent biodiversity studies, and suggest reasonable approaches to a biodiversity science to facilitate the expansion of global biodiversity knowledge and to create useful data on backyard biodiversity worldwide towards human sustainability.     

Observations on vertical distribution of fungi associated with standing senescent Acanthus ilicifolius stems at Mai Po Mangrove,Hong Kong

The present study was carried out to investigate the higher fungi colonizing the herbaceous mangrove associate Acanthus ilicifolius. This paper reports part of an investigation to determine if there is vertical distribution of fungi on the standing plant.The Mai Po Mangrove, Hong Kong is estuarine with great variations in salinity mainly due to the influence of the Pearl River. Senescent and dead stems of standing Acanthus ilicifolius were collected from mangroves in Mai Po from April to December 1992. The maximum tidal range observed was 2.6 m. A stratified sampling strategy was employed to assess the vertical distribution on the standing plant. A total of 44 fungi were collected: 32 Deuteromycotina, 11 Ascomycotina and 1 Basidiomycotina. Very frequent species were Acremonium sp.(55%), Colletotrichum gloesporioides cf.(42.5%), Phoma sp. (42.5%) Fusarium sp.,(25%), Tubercularia sp. (24.2%) and Phialophora sp. cf. (19.2%). Agerita sp., Corynespora cassiicola, Stachybotrys chartarum, Trichoderma sp. and D82 were frequent, while the remaining species were recorded at less than 10%. Vertical zonation of fungi colonizing the standing stems was observed. The apical portions were colonized by typical terrestrial fungi and the basal portions by marine species. This can be attributed to both the nature of the substratum and the degree of exposure due to tidal inundation.     

西门岛人工秋茄林恢复对大型底栖生物的影响

选择乐清湾西门岛海域相同高程断面不同造林时间的人工红树林(秋茄林)、光滩和互花米草丛,采用空间代替时间的方法,分析我国分布最北界人工红树林造林过程对大型底栖生物的影响.大型底栖动物生活型分布基本表现为幼林(1、4、8a秋茄林)以底上附着型为主,而在光滩、50a秋茄林和互花米草中底下生活类群相对增加.并且穴居型动物只出现在发育成熟的生态系统内.各项指标显示50a老林群落生态稳定性较好,光滩和互花米草丛次之,但优于发育中的秋茄幼林.与以往研究结果不同,50a老林的大型底栖动物生物种类的丰度及群落的物种多样性最高,并不与红树林的发育状况呈负相关,也不比邻近光滩低.结合50a林下滩涂底泥情况,西门岛50a红树林林下滩涂的底质发育要落后于国内天然红树林土壤.这可能与当地红树林造林规模小以及强潮差海域有关.此外,红树林恢复过程中,大型底栖动物生物多样性与生态稳定性之间的线性关系,其适用的系统面积和演替时间的尺度范围有必要做更加深入的探讨.     

Impact of expected climate change on mangroves

There is a consensus of scientific opinion that the activities of man will cause a significant change in the global climate over the next hundred years. The rising level of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases in the atmosphere may lead to global warming with an accompanying rise in sea-level. Mangrove ecosystems grow in the intertidal zones in tropical and sub-tropical regions and are likely to be early indicators of the effects of climate change. The best estimates of predicted climate change in the literature are presented. It is suggested that a rise in mean sea-level may be the most important factor influencing the future distribution of mangroves but that the effect will vary dramatically depending on the local rate of sea-level rise and the availability of sediment to support reestablishment of the mangroves. The predicted rise in mean air temperature will probably be of little consequence to the development of mangroves in general but it may mean that the presence of mangroves will move further north and south, though this will depend on a number of additional factors. The effect of enhanced atmospheric CO₂ on the growth of mangroves is unknown at this time but that there is some evidence that not all species of mangroves will respond similarly. The socio-economic impacts of the effects of climate on mangrove ecosystems may include increased risk of flooding, increased erosion of coast lines, saline intrusion and increased storm surges.     

Biodiversity and endemism mapping as a tool for regional conservation planning – case study of the Pleurothallidinae (Orchidaceae) of the Andean rain forests in Bolivia

Analyses of species diversity and endemism patterns provide vital inputs for conservation planning. Therefore, it is an important dilemma of biodiversity conservation that in very diverse but poorly studied tropical countries those patterns can hardly be considered. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop prediction models that make the best use of existing data on species distribution and that can give hints on spatial conservation priorities. This paper presents the results of a pilot study on the diversity of the orchid subtribe Pleurothallidinae (331 mapped species) in the Andean rain forests of Bolivia. Results of a taxon-based mapping methodology, using abiotic (humidity and temperature, the latter indicated by altitude) and historical factors (taken into account as distance from collection localities) that determine species ranges, are compared with outcomes of an inventory-based mapping approach. The patterns of taxon-based diversity and endemism show a strong correlation with the distribution of sample localities. The inventory-based approach is more reliable, but it is interesting to apply both mapping methods in order to make a critical interpretation and comparison that facilitates some valuable conservation recommendations. We end with concrete conclusions for conservation planning and action.     

广东番禺红树林造林研究

结合广东番禺红树林造林的现状,对影响红树林幼苗成活率和生长状况的因素进行初步分析,并据此提出提高造林保存率的措施等。影响红树林造林成活及生长的因素为①水深潮水越深,红树幼苗成活率越低,生长越差;②风浪海面风浪越大,红树幼苗受干扰越大,成活和生长越差;③人为活动干扰会严重影响红树幼苗的成活和生长;④造林地的杂草会影响某些红树植物幼苗的光照条件;⑤海滩垃圾废物会挂断和压倒大量红树幼苗;⑥海滩石油污染会阻止红树胚轴的萌发;⑦幼苗种植时越粗壮,种植得越精细,则种植后生长越好。并提出提高造林成效的措施①加强维护和管理包括护理受损伤的红树幼苗,清除塑料袋等垃圾物,制止在红树幼苗区的捕捞活动,造林前清除杂草和固定某些红树植物幼苗;②补植受破坏的红树幼苗和扩大种植。