Comparison of recent vegetation and diaspore banks along abiotic gradients in brackish coastal lagoons

Submerged vegetation and diaspore banks were investigated in three shallow brackish lagoons along the German southern Baltic Sea coast. The distribution of vegetation and diaspores was analysed at three depths (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 m) on three transects in each lagoon along salinity and nutrient gradients. Thirteen taxa of submerged vegetation were identified in three lagoons: 8 angiosperms and 5 charophytes. The diaspore analysis yielded 11 taxa of submerged diaspore types: 7 angiosperm taxa and 4 charophyte taxa groups.Salinity and nutrient gradients are the key factors governing the distribution of the vegetation and diaspore banks here. Statistical analysis (SIMPER) of vegetation and diaspore bank show differences in dissimilarities, i.e. Bray-Curtis similarities subtracted from 100, between the lagoon parts and between the lagoons. These differences increased with increasing intensity of the salinity and nutrient gradients. We argue that the diaspore bank reflects the former vegetation gradients shaped primarily by salinity gradients, whereas the present vegetation gradients are more affected by eutrophication. Vegetation surveys and diaspore bank analyses therefore supplement each other, and their combined use provides insight into former as well as recent gradients in the vegetation and the factors governing these gradients.     

Regime shifts: catastrophic responses of ecosystems to human impacts

Evidence of abrupt changes in ecosystem states, such as sudden eutrophication in lakes, has been increasingly reported in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial systems. Ecosystems may have more than one state with a self-stabilizing mechanism, so that a shift between states does not occur frequently and is not readily reversible. These big changes are termed regime shifts where often one state is preferred over another. Thus, regime shifts are problematic for ecosystem managers, and the need exists for studies that lead to the identification of thresholds of key variables that trigger regime shifts. Regime shifts are currently difficult to predict and in many cases may be caused by the human pursuit of efficiency in land and water productivity in the last few decades. Here I briefly introduce a theoretical approach to predict the shift between a clear-water state and a turbid state in lakes, the best-studied example of regime shifts. This paper also discusses alternative states in other natural systems besides ecosystems to draw more attention to the research currently being performed on regime shifts. Motomi Genkai-Kato is the recipient of the 10th Denzaburo Miyadi Award.     

Human-induced Trophic Cascades and Ecological Regime Shifts in the Baltic Sea

Abstract The ecosystems of coastal and enclosed seas are under increasing anthropogenic pressure worldwide, with Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Black and Baltic Seas as well known examples. We use an ecosystem model (Ecopath with Ecosim, EwE) to show that reduced top-down control (seal predation) and increased bottom-up forcing (eutrophication) can largely explain the historical dynamics of the main fish stocks (cod, herring and sprat) in the Baltic Sea between 1900 and 1980. Based on these results and the historical fish stock development we identify two major ecological transitions. A shift from seal to cod domination was caused by a virtual elimination of marine mammals followed by a shift from an oligotrophic to a eutrophic state. A third shift from cod to clupeid domination in the late 1980s has previously been explained by overfishing of cod and climatic changes. We propose that the shift from an oligotrophic to a eutrophic state represents a true regime shift with a stabilizing mechanism for a hysteresis phenomenon. There are also mechanisms that could stabilize the shift from a cod to clupeid dominated ecosystem, but there are no indications that the ecosystem has been pushed that far yet. We argue that the shifts in the Baltic Sea are a consequence of human impacts, although variations in climate may have influenced their timing, magnitude and persistence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Towards a theory of ecotone resilience: coastal vegetation on a salinity gradient

Ecotones represent locations where vegetation change is likely to occur as a result of climate and other environmental changes. Using a model of an ecotone vulnerable to such future changes, we estimated the resilience of the ecotone to disturbances. The specific ecotone is that between two different vegetation types, salinity-tolerant and salinity-intolerant, along a gradient in groundwater salinity. In the case studied, each vegetation type, through soil feedback loops, promoted local soil salinity levels that favor itself in competition with the other type. Bifurcation analysis was used to study the system of equations for the two vegetation types and soil salinity. Alternative stable equilibria, one for salinity-tolerant and one for salinity intolerant vegetation, were shown to exist over a region of the groundwater salinity gradient, bounded by two bifurcation points. This region was shown to depend sensitively on parameters such as the rate of upward infiltration of salinity from groundwater into the soil due to evaporation. We showed also that increasing diffusion rates of vegetation can lead to shrinkage of the range between the two bifurcation points. Sharp ecotones are typical of salt-tolerant vegetation (mangroves) near the coastline and salt-intolerant vegetation inland, even though the underlying elevation and groundwater salinity change very gradually. A disturbance such as an input of salinity to the soil from a storm surge could upset this stable boundary, leading to a regime shift of salinity-tolerant vegetation inland. We showed, however, that, for our model as least, a simple pulse disturbance would not be sufficient; the salinity would have to be held at a high level, as a ‘press’, for some time. The approach used here should be generalizable to study the resilience of a variety of ecotones to disturbances.     

Screening for marine nanoplanktic microalgae from Greek coastal lagoons (Ionian Sea) for use in mariculture

Mediterranean mariculture uses imported strains of marine phytoplankton, raising questions of ecological risk and ability to adapt to local conditions for mass culture outdoors. In this context, we report here on the mass-culture potential and chemical composition of six strains of Prasinophyceae (five strains of Tetraselmis sp. and one Pyramimonas sp.) isolated from a Greek coastal lagoon. Proximate composition had a pattern of 10–20% ash, 35–65% protein, 6–10% lipids, and 25–45% other organics including carbohydrates. The amino acid profiles were typical for the marine representatives of the class. All strains had a high PUFA content with dominant the ω3 fraction in four of them. The fatty acid profiles indicated a Tetraselmis strain with high EPA (14%) and a Pyramimonas strain with high DHA (6%). These strains might be a good alternative for the common commercial strains used in Mediterranean aquaculture.     

The fate of organic matter sources in coastal environments: a comparison of three Mediterranean lagoons

Trophic processes in coastal lagoons are strongly influenced by freshwater inputs and water exchanges with the sea. In recent years, stable isotope analysis has become a widespread and reliable method for the examination of trophic structure over time and space, also in complex ecosystems such as coastal lagoons. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were studied in primary producers and consumers to identify organic matter source pools from terrestrial, benthic and pelagic environments and to characterise the trophic structure in three Mediterranean coastal lagoons (Lake Fusaro, the Lake of Sabaudia and Stagnone di Marsala). The results highlighted the negligible importance of terrestrial production to higher trophic levels in all the ecosystems investigated. Consumer dependence on benthic and pelagic organic matter showed high variability: overall macroalgae were at the base of the food web in Lake Fusaro and the Lake of Sabaudia, while mixed sources (seagrass detritus, epiphytes, macroalgae and sedimentary organic matter) appeared to be the major baseline food resource in the Stagnone di Marsala. We have found evidence for significant changes in the trophic structure in these Mediterranean coastal lagoons and such differences may be triggered by differential environmental features (e.g. freshwater inputs and hydrodynamic regime). Guest editors: A. Razinkovas, Z. R. Gasiūnaitė, J. M. Zaldivar & P. Viaroli European Lagoons and their Watersheds: Function and Biodiversity     

干旱区生态系统稳态转换及其预警信号——基于景观格局特征的识别方法

在日益加剧的气候变化和土地开垦、放牧等人类活动干扰下,具有多稳态特征的干旱区生态系统可能会经历从相对健康状态到退化状态的稳态转换,导致生态系统的功能下降。早期预警信号的识别是生态系统稳态转换研究的热点,也是管理实践中防止生态系统退化的关键环节。以往预警信号研究聚焦于通用信号如自相关性、方差等统计学指标,然而这些指标对于具有特定机制的干旱区生态系统可能并不适用。基于干旱区景观格局特征所发展起来的空间指标为生态系统稳态转换提供了独特的空间视角,对于理解干旱区生态系统退化过程和机理具有科学意义和实践价值。介绍了干旱区生态系统稳态转换现象及其转换机制;聚焦景观生态学的指标和方法,从空间视角总结基于干旱区景观格局特征的关键预警指标(植被覆盖度、植被斑块形态、植被斑块大小频率分布和水文连通性等),重点剖析这些关键指标的概念、量化方法、识别特征及其实践应用;最后针对指标的优势和局限性对未来的研究方向进行展望,包括发掘潜在景观指标,加强干旱区生态系统变化的多种驱动要素的相互作用机制研究,开展多时空尺度的实证研究,构建生态系统稳态转换预警信号的整体分析框架,以及加强指标阈值的量化研究等方面。     

Germination in Baltic coastal wetland meadows: similarities and differences between vegetation and seed bank

The abundance and variety of seedlings in Baltic coastal grasslands was studied in cattle grazed and ungrazed areas in seashore and delta on the western coast of Finland. The vegetation, seed bank and environmental conditions of the same sites were also studied. Altogether 4609 seedlings were observed in 79 field plots (20 cm× 20 cm) making an average of 1458.54 seedlings/m². The majority of the seedlings were dicots (67.5%) and perennials (96.8%). Altogether 44 species and an average of 4.14 species per plot were identified as seedlings. The most abundant taxon, Carex formed 23.2% of all the seedlings observed in the field. In the delta the seedling density was two times that found at the seashore. Also, the numbers of species of seedlings per plot were significantly higher in the delta than in the seashore, but in total, more species germinated from the seashore than from the delta even though the number of plots was higher in the delta (n = 51) than in the seashore (n = 28). The numbers of species and seedlings per plot were smaller in grazed sites than in ungrazed ones similar to the pattern earlier reported concerning the mature vegetation and seed bank. The mean numbers of seedlings were the highest at lower geolittoral plots (about 20 cm elevation), where the seed bank was also densest. About 60.0% of the mature species in the plots were also detected as seedlings and 91.4% of the seedling species were found in the mature vegetation of the plots. The number of seedlings was positively correlated with the cover of mature vegetation giving support to the nurse effect theory. Seedling numbers were negatively correlated with the abundance of litter indicating that litter restricts germination because it is a mechanical barrier but also decreases the amount of light. The number of seedlings and species, both in total and per unit area, were greater in the seed bank than in the field seedling population. The seedling population was more similar to the mature vegetation than to the seed bank. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Increased freshwater discharge shifts the trophic balance in the coastal zone of the northern Baltic Sea

Increased precipitation is one projected outcome of climate change that may enhance the discharge of freshwater to the coastal zone. The resulting lower salinity, and associated discharge of both nutrients and dissolved organic carbon, may influence food web functioning. The scope of this study was to determine the net outcome of increased freshwater discharge on the balance between auto‐ and heterotrophic processes in the coastal zone. By using long‐term ecological time series data covering 13 years, we show that increased river discharge suppresses phytoplankton biomass production and shifts the carbon flow towards microbial heterotrophy. A 76% increase in freshwater discharge resulted in a 2.2 times higher ratio of bacterio‐ to phytoplankton production (P_b:P_p). The level of P_b:P_p is a function of riverine total organic carbon supply to the coastal zone. This is mainly due to the negative effect of freshwater and total organic carbon discharge on phytoplankton growth, despite a concomitant increase in discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus. With a time lag of 2 years the bacterial production recovered after an initial decline, further synergistically elevating the microbial heterotrophy. Current climate change projections suggesting increased precipitation may therefore lead to increased microbial heterotrophy, thereby decreasing the transfer efficiency of biomass to higher trophic levels. This prognosis would suggest reduced fish production and lower sedimentation rates of phytoplankton, a factor of detriment to benthic fauna. Our findings show that discharge of freshwater and total organic carbon significantly contributes to the balance of coastal processes at large spatial and temporal scales, and that model's would be greatly augmented by the inclusion of these environmental drivers as regulators of coastal productivity.     

Local completion of the pelagic larval stage of coastal fishes in coral-reef lagoons of the Society and Tuamotu Islands

In four lagoons at two atolls and one high island in the Tuamotu and Society Islands, French Polynesia, plankton samples were taken weekly during 4 weeks in January/February 1989. A third atoll lagoon was sampled once. The lagoons varied in size and physical openness. We also sampled in the ocean near two atolls and the high island. All locations were sampled during the day, and three lagoons (two atolls and one high island) were also sampled at night. Pelagic fish eggs were more abundant in the ocean than in the lagoons at the atolls, but not at the high island. Larvae of coastal fishes were abundant in all lagoons. In the atoll lagoons, larvae of oceanic fishes were very rare to absent, but in the high-island lagoons and in the ocean, they were commonly encountered. In the ocean, larvae of many typical reef-fish taxa were abundant (58 taxa were represented by at least 10 individuals), but in the lagoons, most of these were rare or absent, and we conclude that these rare and absent taxa normally do not complete their larval phase in lagoons.Taxa were considered to be able to complete their pelagic phase in a lagoon (i.e., were 'completers') if they were present in the lagoon plankton samples from across a full larval size range. In the high-island barrier-reef lagoon, young, preflexion larvae were abundant, but only two taxa (of 56 captured) were present over a wide size range and were considered completers in this lagoon. In the high-island lagoonal bay, 11 taxa (of 67 captured) were considered completers. The numbers of taxa captured in the three atoll lagoons ranged from 39–44, and the number of taxa considered to be completers increased with increasing lagoon size and physical openness. The 17 completer taxa in the smallest, most enclosed atoll lagoon were, with one exception, a subset of those (18) in the second lagoon which, in turn, with one exception, were a subset of those in the largest, most open lagoon (26). Completer taxa were of the families Apogonidae, Blenniidae, Bothidae, Callionymidae, Carangidae, Gobiidae, Microdesmidae, Mullidae, Pomacentridae, Schindleriidae, and Tetraodontidae. The species that can complete their pelagic periods in coral-reef lagoons are a highly predictable group, and not simply a random selection of the potential species pool. Most of these species hatch from non-pelagic eggs. Water renewal times in the atoll lagoons, unlike the high-island barrier-reef lagoon, were much longer than expected pelagic larval durations of completer taxa. Demographically, lagoon populations of completer taxa apparently self-recruit and are probably near the closed end of the open/closed population continuum. The lagoonal bay on the high island differs from the other lagoons in containing larvae of species not found elsewhere, including some completers, and lacking some species that are abundant completers in other lagoons. In French Polynesia, lagoon size is a strong predictor of the number of lagoon completer taxa. The number of completer taxa apparently peaks at intermediate lagoon water-exchange times.     

Phenology of woody species in tropical coastal vegetation, northeastern Brazil

The study was carried out in the Private Nature Reservation Nossa Senhora do Outeiro de Maracaípe, located along the southern coast of Pernambuco state, in the Nossa Senhora do Ó District (08°31′48″S and 35°01′05″W), Ipojuca municipality, northeastern Brazil. The reserve has 76.20 ha of tropical coastal vegetation (Restinga forest). The aims were to determine the existence of seasonal phenological pattern of woody species as a function of rainfall. During the study period, the rainfall was 26.8 mm in the driest month (November 2003) and 538.9 in the wettest (June 2004). Observations on flowering, fruiting, leaf fall, and leaf flushing were recorded monthly, during 16 months (April 2003 to July 2004). All species with a ground level perimeter >10 cm and represented by at least three individuals, were selected and tagged. A total of 51 species represented by 156 individuals were recorded. Leaf flushing and leaf fall did not have seasonal variation and the species continued to gain and loose leaves during the dry (August to February) and rainy (March to July) seasons. Flowering, when evaluated by the Fournier's percentage, varied between 1.9% and 20.2%, with maximum intensity in December 2003 (16.4%) and January 2004 (20.2%). Likewise, fruiting varied between 3.8% and 21.4% with the highest percentages in February (17.2%) and March (21.4%) 2004. The analysis comparing reproductive phenological patterns with monthly rainfall did not show a significant correlation, which may suggest investigations concerning other factors, including biotic ones, as pollination and/or dispersal modes, which can be influencing reproductive events of plants in the studied Restinga forest.     

广西岩溶植被演替过程中主要小气候因子日变化特征

选择广西不同气候带下具有典型性和代表性的岩溶区作为研究区域,调查和监测了岩溶植被演替过程中主要小气候因子的日变化特征。结果表明,在石荒漠阶段和草丛阶段,群落光照强、土温和气温高、空气相对湿度低,时间波动比较明显:灌丛阶段群落冠层以下的照度、气温均较低,随时间变化的幅度不大,而冠层以上的光照强度和气温均出现了大幅上升,而且随时间变化的幅度较大;落叶阔叶林阶段和常绿落叶阔叶混交林阶段群落内部的照度、气温及土壤温度均大幅降低,空气相对湿度保持在较大水平,主要小气候因子的时空变化比较平缓。主要小气候因子的时空动态与群落结构和群落种类组成特征密切相关。     

南亚热带人工马尾松林下植物组成特征及主要木本种群生态位研究

1引言物种多样性是生态系统的重要特征并维持系统的功能运行,生物多样性与生态系统抵御逆境和抗干扰能力有关,多样性的提高会增强系统的稳定性及生态服务功能[4,5,13,14,24,25,32,36].林下植被在维持森林物种多样性、立地指示、水土保持、促进人工林养分循环、维护林地地力和揭示植被演替特征等方面具有不可忽视的作用[3,12,19,20,35].马尾松(Pinus massoniana)是我国南亚热带地区的主要针叶林之一,由于人为活动(造林、抚育、樵采等)对人工林下物种丰富度干扰很大,造成了森林的严重退化[33,34,37],不利于人工林的可持续发展.南亚热带植被的…     

广西阳朔岩溶植被演替过程种群变化及物种多样性

采用时空替代法研究广西阳朔岩溶植被在演替过程中的种群变化和物种多样性。研究表明,随着演替的进展,耐荫种群增加,乔木种群增加,优势种的更替呈现出一定的连续性,后一演替阶段的优势种往往已经隐含在前一演替阶段中;物种丰富度随演替进展表现出草丛<落叶阔叶林<灌丛<常绿落叶阔叶混交林的趋势;灌木层的物种丰富度在各演替阶段中均是最高的;在各演替阶段中,落叶阔叶林阶段的群落均匀度均表现为最大。     

Assessing maximum depth distribution,vegetated area,and production of submerged macrophytes in shallow,turbid coastal lagoons of the southern Baltic Sea

Submerged macrophytes improve water quality in shallow coastal lagoons but eutrophication often resulted in a degradation of macrophytes. Management measures that protect and restore macrophyte stands require knowledge on what limits macrophyte distribution. Information on macrophyte production and distribution in the Darss-Zingst Bodden Chain (southern Baltic Sea) is lacking since an almost complete loss of submerged vegetation in the 1980s. Nutrient input was reduced in the 1990s and macrophytes seem to recover, although turbidity is high and light conditions are still poor. However, this recovery raised hope that returning macrophytes could stabilize sediments and improve water clarity. In this study, seasonal changes in photosynthesis–irradiance curves of selected macrophyte species were used to calculate potential primary production in different depths and turbidity situations. Bathymetry of the area is then used to assess depth distribution and vegetated area. Since the so-calculated depth limits correspond well with the actual depth distribution in the field, macrophyte depth distribution is concluded to be mostly determined by light conditions. Most macrophytes grow in very shallow areas up to 50 cm depth where also 70% of potential primary production takes place. Present light conditions do not support a further expansion of macrophyte distribution in the DZBC.     

黄土高原森林草原区退耕地植被自然恢复与土壤养分变化

研究了黄土高原森林草原区退耕地植被自然恢复过程与土壤养分变化.结果表明,在显域生境下,植被自然演替过程虽然趋向于该区原有植物群落类型,但经过40～0年的时间,仍未形成灌丛或稀树等群落,分布较多的仍是长芒草、铁杆蒿、白羊草、大针茅和达乌里胡枝子等群落类型.从植被恢复时间对土壤养分变化的影响来看,除全P外(P＞0.0),有机质、全N、速效氮、速效钾的变化极显著(P＜0.001),速效磷变化较显著(0.0＜P＜0.01),并随植被恢复时间的延长而呈增加趋势.除恢复时间外,养分含量变化也随土壤剖面深度而变化,其中除全P含量变化较显著外(P＜0.0),其余各养分含量变化都达极显著水平(P＜0.001).土壤养分变化具有明显的表聚性.相关分析表明,土壤有机质、全N、有效氮与速效钾相互间相关极显著(P＜0.001),而与全P与速效磷相关性不明显(P＞0.0),全P与速效磷二者相关性也不明显(P＞0.0).     

Species composition of coastal dune vegetation in Scotland has proved resistant to climate change over a third of a century

Climate change is expected to have an impact on plant communities as increased temperatures are expected to drive individual species' distributions polewards. The results of a revisitation study after c. 34 years of 89 coastal sites in Scotland, UK, were examined to assess the degree of shifts in species composition that could be accounted for by climate change. There was little evidence for either species retreat northwards or for plots to become more dominated by species with a more southern distribution. At a few sites where significant change occurred, the changes were accounted for by the invasion, or in one instance the removal, of woody species. Also, the vegetation types that showed the most sensitivity to change were all early successional types and changes were primarily the result of succession rather than climate‐driven changes. Dune vegetation appears resistant to climate change impacts on the vegetation, either as the vegetation is inherently resistant to change, management prevents increased dominance of more southerly species or because of dispersal limitation to geographically isolated sites.