Mapping ephemeral wetlands: manual digitisation and logistic regression modelling in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality,South Africa

Until recently, little research has been conducted on the distribution and structure of ephemeral systems in semi-arid areas. This information is critical for appropriate wetland management and conservation. The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is a semi-arid area along the south-eastern coastline of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The Municipality encapsulates a wide range of geological and geomorphological features as well as vegetation types within an area of some 1950 km², providing an ideal area for such research. The distribution and abundance of wetlands were defined, and a logistic regression (LR) model was used to establish whether this modelling technique is viable in semi-arid areas with highly variable rainfall patterns. Wetlands were delineated manually using geographical information systems, high-resolution aerial photographs and environmental data. More than 1700 wetland polygons were identified, with 80% of the systems being categorised as depressions, seeps and wetland flats. Unchannelled (8%) and channelled (7%) valley bottom wetlands and floodplain wetlands (5%) were also identified. The wetland database was then used to create a wetland occurrence probability model. There were 19 environmental variables used to develop the LR model, with eight variables used in the final model output. The predictive capacity of the model was good, with an area under curve value of 0.68 and an overall accuracy of 66%. This indicates that probabilistic wetland models are useful in highly variable environments with high numbers of small (<1 ha) wetlands. Such predictive models provide a tool to assist in improving the accuracy of land cover datasets in semi-arid areas, and can be used to inform management decisions on flood risk areas and key conservation zones. In addition, abiotic variables that are significant in the model output provide an indication of the factors influencing wetland functioning in the region.     

湿地土壤种子库与地上植被相似性关系研究评述

土壤种子库与地上植被的关系是土壤种子库研究的重要组成部分。当前,湿地生态系统面临严重威胁,研究湿地土壤种子库和地上植被关系既可以加强对土壤种子库和植物群落特征的认识,又可以为湿地保护与管理提供理论指导。检索了科学引文索引扩展版(SCIE)数据库中收录的1900—2012年间研究湿地土壤种子库与地上植被关系的文献,通过分析土壤种子库与地上植被的Srensen相似性系数,结果发现:不同湿地类型的土壤种子库和地上植被的相似性存在显著差异,河流湿地中两者的相似性最小;不同植被类型中土壤种子库与地上植被的相似性差异显著:草本群落的相似性大于乔木群落;不同气候带的湿地中两者的相似性也存在显著差异,其中亚热带地区相似性最小。总结了湿地种子库与地上植被相似性关系的时空变化特征。二者的相似性通常随着植物群落的演替而减小,在空间上也随着环境梯度而变化。分析了两者关系的影响因素,如种子传播、环境条件和繁殖策略等。对研究中存在的问题及发展方向提出建议。     

合肥市小微湿地鸟类多样性的时空格局及其影响因素

小微湿地是城市生态系统的重要组成部分, 也是生物多样性的重要庇护场所。鸟类作为城市小微湿地生态系统的指示类群, 其多样性时空格局受多种环境因子影响。本研究于2020年8月至2021年7月采用样点法对合肥市45个小微湿地鸟类的种类、数量分布和生境因子进行了调查, 并获取湿地面积、湿地形状、建筑面积比例、植被面积比例、环境噪声、人为干扰和城市化指数等生境变量。通过α多样性和β多样性分析, 研究城市小微湿地鸟类多样性的时空特征及其决定因素。采用信息论模型选择和模型平均法以及基于距离矩阵的多重回归模型进行计算, 确定影响鸟类群落α多样性和β多样性及其组分的主要环境因子。结果显示, 研究区域共有鸟类13目39科102种, 其中水鸟31种, 国家二级重点保护鸟类2种, 安徽省重点保护鸟类17种, IUCN濒危物种红色名录中的易危(VU)物种1种。湿地面积和城市化指数对小微湿地陆地鸟类和水鸟的α多样性、β多样性及其组分均具有显著影响, 其中陆地鸟类物种丰富度在中度和低度城市化之间的小微湿地中达到最高值, 面积超过4 ha的小微湿地能维持较多的水鸟物种。植被面积比例对陆地鸟类多样性具有重要的影响, 而建筑面积比例对水鸟多样性具有显著影响。此外, 总体β多样性及其组分计算结果显示物种周转组分占明显优势, 表明城市小微湿地群作为城市复合生态系统的重要组成部分, 加强整体保护更为必要。研究结果对于加强城市鸟类保护和提高城市生态环境质量具有指导意义。     

Nestedness theory suggests wetland fragments with large areas and macrophyte diversity benefit waterbirds

Many artificial wetland constructions are currently underway worldwide to compensate for the degradation of natural wetland systems. Researchers face the responsibility of proposing wetland management and species protection strategies to ensure that constructed wetlands positively impact waterbird diversity. Nestedness is a commonly occurring pattern for biotas in fragmented habitats with important implications for conservation; however, only a few studies have focused on seasonal waterbird communities in current artificial wetlands. In this study, we used the nestedness theory for analyzing the annual and seasonal community structures of waterbirds in artificial wetlands at Lake Dianchi (China) to suggest artificial wetland management and waterbird conservation strategies. We carried out three waterbird surveys per month for one year to observe the annual, spring, summer, autumn, and winter waterbird assemblages in 27 lakeside artificial wetland fragments. We used the NeD program to quantify nestedness patterns of waterbirds at the annual and seasonal levels. We also determined Spearman partial correlations to examine the associations of nestedness rank and habitat variables to explore the factors underlying nestedness patterns. We found that annual and all four seasonal waterbird compositions were nested, and selective extinction and habitat nestedness were the main factors governing nestedness. Further, selective colonization was the key driver of nestedness in autumn and winter waterbirds. We suggest that the area of wetland fragments should be as large as possible and that habitat heterogeneity should be maximized to fulfill the conservation needs of different seasonal waterbirds. Furthermore, we suggest that future studies should focus on the least area criterion and that vegetation management of artificial wetland construction should be based on the notion of sustainable development for humans and wildlife.     

The ecology of The Netherlands wetlands: characteristics,threats, prospects and perspectives for ecological research

Wetlands are among the worlds' most important, but also most threatened, environmental resources. Wetland losses have been in progress particularly from the industrial revolution onwards, because wetland functions could not successfully compete for space with other land uses. Wetlands became recently foci of conservation efforts because of the increased awareness of their importance in water management and wildlife conservation, and because of the diversity of their habitats. The Netherlands are relatively rich in wetlands: 16% of its' territory is regarded as internationally important wetland and 7% has been registered as such. The major Dutch wetland types are: coastal ecosystems, large riverine systems, base-rich freshwater systems, and nutrient-poor freshwater systems. Most threats to the Dutch wetlands are of man-made origin. They comprise: (1) Changes in hydrology leading to changed discharges, currents and desiccation; (2) Acidification; (3) Eutrophication; and (4) Toxification. Long-term threats are largely climate-change related, and concern temperature rise and the UV-B increase in irradiation. General conservation goals also apply to wetlands but Ramsar-registered wetlands have a special status. Conservation of the Dutch wetlands is difficult, because of the high population density of the country and its inherent threats. However, ecological targets and standards are increasingly set in national Policy Plans and international agreements. Rehabilitation and creation of wetlands is presently widely advocated, and sometimes realised. For ecological research, the sustainability of wetlands should get top priority. Such a research programme would focus on understanding the underlying ecological processes in natural and man-dominated wetland systems to prescribe conservation, rehabilitation and management strategies that would enhance the sustainability of these systems. Within this framework special attention should be directed to studies (1) At the ecosystem level of ecosystem parameters, of which natural oscillations and trends in time, and on which the impact of disturbances are quantified. Particularly these studies, in which often simulation models are used as tools for interpretation, can provide the basis for extrapolations in space and time; (2) On adaptation capacity and mechanisms of (groups of) species to extreme environmental conditions; (3) On (mutual) relationships between plants, animals and microorganisms (e.g. competition, grazing and mineralization); (4) On dispersion between small wetlands. For the contemporary quantitative assessment of the long-term effects of climate changes, the effects of temperature rise and increase in UV-B irradiation on individual species, communities and ecosystems should also be studied.     

城市化背景下小微湿地景观动态变化及其驱动因素

小微湿地是指自然界在长期演变过程中形成的小型湿地。城市发展导致小微湿地大量消失,了解小微湿地景观动态变化特征及驱动因素是保护与管理小微湿地的重要基础。以合肥市包河区为研究区域,选取2006-2018年4期遥感影像,利用空间分析方法确定2006-2010年、2010-2014年、2014-2018年、2006-2018年4个时期小微湿地景观动态变化,基于300m×300m的网格单元,结合增强回归树和地理加权逻辑回归模型,分析13个预测变量与小微湿地损失之间的关系。结果表明：2006-2018年,小微湿地在整个研究区大范围减少,总面积下降了60.8%,斑块数量减少了60.5%,同时,小微湿地边缘复杂度降低,小微湿地间的空间距离增加,聚集程度降低。增强回归树模型显示,城市发展初期(2006-2010年),周边用地类型(建设用地、旱地、林地和草地)变化是导致小微湿地损失的主要因素,中后期(2010-2018年)各类型土地利用变化的相对影响有不同程度的下降,斑块面积和坡度对小微湿地损失的驱动作用逐渐凸显。2006-2018年,建设用地变化(14.4%)、斑块面积(13.5%)、旱地变化(11.1%)、坡度(10.1%)、林地变化(8.5%)、草地变化(7.0%)是导致小微湿地损失的高重要性变量。地理加权逻辑回归模型揭示了高重要性变量对小微湿地损失影响的空间非平稳性特征,结果显示,除斑块面积系数的空间可视化无解释意义,其余高重要性变量对小微湿地损失的影响随地点的变化,贡献的大小和方向也有所不同。研究方法和结果可以为城市快速发展地区小微湿地的保护与管理提供理论支持。     

时空变化视角下北京市湿地优先保护格局

气候变化通过改变湿地水文过程等影响湿地的空间分布,城市化进程加剧了湿地破碎化程度并导致湿地生境退化,构建连续的湿地生态保护网络体系有利于应对气候变化和城市发展带来的负面影响、提高生物多样性保护水平。北京市现有湿地空间分布呈现斑块面积小、破碎化程度高等特点,为优化湿地保护区格局并应对气候变化和城市发展对北京市湿地生物多样性的影响,基于系统保护规划方法,以Marxan作为空间优化模型,结合PLUS模型和MaxEnt模型,模拟预测北京市湿地优先保护格局、识别湿地保护空缺并构建湿地分级保护区格局。研究表明:2020年北京市湿地存在80.15km²的保护空缺、2035年和2050年优化后湿地保护区占比分别为87.54%和85.95%,在满足本研究预设的生物多样性保护目标的前提下符合北京市湿地保护规划对湿地保护率的要求。为最优化资源分配,综合时空变化对湿地保护区空间分布的影响,构建了湿地分级保护区格局,将湿地保护区分为湿地永久保护区、湿地一级临时保护区和湿地二级临时保护区三个等级,以期为北京市分期建设湿地保护区、优化湿地生态保护网络体系和保护湿地生物多样性提供依据。     

Evaluation of ecosystem health for the coastal wetlands at the Yangtze Estuary, Shanghai

Despite the growing awareness of the important ecological functions and values provided by coastal and estuarine wetlands, wetland degradation continues worldwide due to increasing anthropogenic disturbances. Chongming Dongtan wetlands, adjacent to Shanghai, the largest city and industrial and trading port in China in rapid urban expansion and socioeconomic development are currently threatened with biodiversity reduction, wetland loss, contamination, and invasion of exotic plant. Sustainable protection and management of Dongtan Nature Reserve necessitate research to develop diagnostic tools and indicators for a comprehensive and objective assessment of wetland ecosystem health condition. Based on the pressure-state-response framework and ecological and environmental surveys at the Dongtan wetlands, an indicator system was established for evaluating the coastal wetlands ecosystem health, using indicators detected from satellite imagery and current field surveys. Through the establishment of health assessment units and spatial quantification of the indicators, the spatial clustering analysis, integrated with remote sensing and geographic information system technique was applied to make an accurate diagnosis of ecosystem health for Chongming Dongtan wetlands and highlight the areas in subhealthy and unhealthy condition and urgent need of conservation and management. The results from this research indicated that the ecosystem health condition at the Dongtan wetlands showed spatial variation, to a certain extent, corresponding to the distributions of elevation and land cover types. More than 75 % of the total study area was at a relatively healthy level, with 34.19 km² for the very healthy zone and 41.08 km² for the healthy zone, while the subhealthy and unhealthy zones covered 18.23 and 4.76 km², respectively. This study demonstrated the potential for this integrated approach to give objective and effective evaluation of ecosystem health for the dynamic coastal and estuarine wetlands and provide up-to-date information to assist with early warning for ecological security and management decisions for Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve.     

Biotic wetland connectivity—supporting a new approach for wetland policy

Wetlands are key habitats connected physically and socially with processes occurring over a much wider territory. The biotic connection through dispersal mechanisms among wetlands is of primary importance to wetland management and policies. However, traditional wetland conservation approaches are based on the preservation of isolated sites considered to be of special importance (typically owing to their importance for concentrations of migratory waterbirds). Research linking local species richness and bird migration suggests that the effect of wetland loss on regional diversity might be much larger than what would be expected from direct habitat loss. Since the biotic connection among wetlands serviced by waterbirds appears to be more efficient within a limited range, the distribution of wetlands in space is a key aspect determining wetland connectedness even in the absence of direct hydrologic links. Protected areas should thus be defined with regard to waterfowl movements and waterbird migration as functional processes contributing to aquatic species migration and local species richness. This calls for a regional approach to wetland management within a continental context. This paper aims at defining an operational view of the dispersion function of wetlands and its implication for conservation policies. For this purpose, we examined the conservation policies of the Ramsar Convention (the international treaty that protects wetlands) and the European Union (as an example of relevant continental level policy-making) from the viewpoint of bird-mediated dispersal of aquatic organisms. We propose nine specific avenues for the inclusion of bird-mediated dispersal in the policy documents examined. Non-governmental organisations and other organisations working in waterbird conservation should also recognise the importance of their policies for aquatic biodiversity at broader levels and avoid compartmentalising their conservation activities.     

Wetlands as landscape units: spatial patterns in salinity and water chemistry

Athalassic wetlands play a pivotal role in sediment and nutrient cycling and retention at the catchment level and are important ecosystems for local and regional biodiversity. Yet, the management of wetlands outside of riverine floodplains (non-riverine wetlands) is difficult, as there is limited understanding of these water bodies and of the processes that threaten them, like secondary salinisation. Accordingly, we describe the patterns of variation in wetland salinity and water chemistry across a regional landscape that is threatened by secondary salinisation. Spatial analyses indicated the distribution of the study wetlands was non-random and there was considerable positive spatial auto-correlation in water chemistry among wetlands—indicating a lack of independence. We detected massive variation in water chemistry among wetlands compared to minimal within-wetland variation and conductivity accounted for most of the among-wetland variation confirming its prominence in non-riverine wetland water chemistry. Wetland salinities were classified by their chemical evaporative pathway and we found a number of wetlands that may have become secondary salinised. The results reported here support the notion that the study, conservation and management of non-riverine wetlands should include assessments made at multiple spatial scales from individual waterbodies through to catchments. This is important because wetlands may not be independent units, but components of larger systems. However, we also note that the use of individual wetlands as units of replication may be problematic under some circumstances. We also argue that the identification of secondarily salinised wetlands will often require a multiple lines of evidence approach.     

综合模型法评估黄河三角洲湿地景观连通性

景观连通性是区域生态系统功能完整的重要表征。连通性的评估对生态系统管理和保护规划有重要意义。综合常用的景观连通性评估模型,即最小耗费距离模型与电路理论模型,根据生态网络构建的一般范式,采取两种不同阻力面赋值方案,对黄河三角洲的湿地景观连通性进行评估,并对比分析了两种模型的基本原理、工作性能、分析尺度等。结果表明：最小耗费距离模型能够识别最优生态廊道,为景观连通性评估提供基本模式。电路理论则能扩展到潜在生态廊道和关键生态点的量化识别,能确定具有生态功能的“夹点”和障碍区的空间位置。综合两种模型,可以量化评估黄河三角洲湿地景观连通性,空间化三角洲湿地保护恢复的管理目标,即潜在廊道和关键生态节点,为区域生态系统功能评估和管理提供精准的数据支持。     

广西滨海区域景观格局分析及土地利用变化预测

研究滨海湿地景观动态及其发展趋势对于维持沿海地区可持续发展具有重要意义。利用移动窗口法分析广西滨海湿地景观格局时空变化,同时提取珍珠湾、茅尾海和丹兜海典型区进一步分析景观变化趋势,最后采用土地利用变化模型(Land Change Modeler,LCM)预测区域未来的景观演化趋势。结果表明,2000—2014年间,草地、乔木园地和常绿阔叶灌木林面积减少,而工业用地面积明显增加。研究区总体的景观异质性变化不大,破碎化趋势不明显。比较景观格局指数发现,边缘密度和多样性指数的空间分布特征相似,多样性指数较大的区域,边缘密度也大,并且多集中于珍珠湾、茅尾海和研究区的中东部。3个典型区的格局变化趋势相似,景观多样性指数降低而均匀度增加,其中,湿地斑块数目减少且所占面积比也减少。LCM模型结果表明,至2020年,草本湿地与森林灌丛湿地面积进一步降低,而工业用地和居民区则持续增长;其中,3个典型区土地利用变化均受到了工业发展的影响,以珍珠湾土地利用动态度最高,茅尾海其次,而丹兜海最小。当前,区域景观的变化明显降低了湿地植被的质量,加强湿地植被保护,限制工业区域的无序发展是维持区域生境完整和安全的有效途径。     

长沙城市斑块湿地资源的时空演变

利用GIS技术,对长沙市1955、1972和1990年地形图湿地数据及2007年长沙市湿地资源普查数据进行提取和分析,选取最具代表性的斑块湿地作为研究对象,从时间与空间、动态与静态、规模与填埋等视角,研究50年来城市斑块湿地生态系统各层次要素的时空演变过程和变化规律.结果表明:(1)时间层次上,长沙城市斑块湿地总面积呈现先增后减、总体增加的态势;斑块湿地面积变化幅度不断加大,速率逐步加快;(2)规模层次上,面积在32 hm2规模以下的斑块湿地呈增加态势,32 hm2规模以上斑块湿地呈减少态势;(3)动态空间层次上,被填埋斑块湿地的比例在建成区和郊区呈相反的演变结果;(4)静态空间层次上,斑块湿地密度在建成区范围和郊区范围演变结果相背.研究显示,伴随着城市化进程,不同时间尺度、不同规模尺度、不同空间属性、不同空间状态的城市斑块湿地常常呈现差异很大、甚至是截然相反的演变结果;无论是动态空间还是静态空间,建成区与郊区的空间分界线往往是城市斑块湿地演变态势的分水岭.     

黄海生态区保护空缺分析

黄海生态区是世界自然基金会筛选出来的全球最优先保护的43个海洋生态区之一。目前, 我国已在黄海生态区内建立多处海洋保护地, 有效保护了其海洋生态系统及生物多样性。然而我国海洋保护地管理和建设中仍有许多问题, 存在较多保护空缺区域。因此, 完善黄海生态区内的海洋保护地建设是非常关键的。本文利用空缺分析法研究了黄海生态区内的重要滨海湿地、关键物种以及重点海域, 以识别保护空缺理论图斑, 从而提出新建保护地的提议。根据空缺分析结果, 黄海生态区内的主要保护空缺为辽河口湿地、曹妃甸海草床、天津塘沽和黄骅湿地、胶东半岛湿地、舟山群岛等。建议优化整合黄河口海洋保护地, 扩大或新建斑海豹(Phoca largha)、勺嘴鹬(Eurynorhynchus pygmeus)保护地, 并加强对东亚江豚(Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri)以及小须鲸(Balaenoptera acutorostrata)的调查研究, 以形成更有效的海洋保护地网络。     

Upland–wetland linkages: relationship of upland and wetland characteristics with watersnake abundance

Land-use practices surrounding a wetland may be as important for maintaining wildlife populations as the wetland itself. Although imperiled species may appear to be more impacted than ubiquitous species from changes in the landscape surrounding wetlands, studies of common wetland species are useful for conservation because they provide insight into why some species persist despite landscape changes. We therefore investigated the relationship between connectivity, measured as the wetland distance to other wetlands; connectivity quality, implied by wetland distance to roads and forest area within 30, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 m buffer zones around the wetland; and patch size as indicated by wetland size with northern watersnake Nerodia sipedon sipedon abundance. Our results suggest that both upland and wetland characteristics influence the abundance of N. s. sipedon , as wetland size and wetland connectivity to other wetlands were significantly associated with abundance. Abundance was positively correlated with increasing wetland size and wetland connectivity. We were not able to find a significant relationship between abundance and connectivity quality, and wetland distance to road or forest area within 30, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 m buffer zones. We conclude that wetland conservation should focus on wetland complexes as well as individual wetlands. In addition, common wetland species such as the northern watersnake do not appear to be negatively impacted by modifications to nearby terrestrial habitats, such as deforestation and roads, and may benefit from the creation of larger, permanent wetlands.     

基于植物多样性特征的武汉市城市湖泊湿地植被分类保护和恢复

湿地植被多样性特征及其影响因素的调查分析是湿地植被保护与恢复策略制定的基础。借鉴生物多样性热点分析原理,在武汉市城市湖泊湿地植物多样性调查的基础上,研究了湖泊湿地的植被多样性特征,探讨了城市湖泊湿地植被分类保护与恢复对策。结果表明,武汉市湿地维管束植物的物种丰富度、植物多样性、优势度和均匀度指数在各湖泊间的变化趋势较为一致,但在空间变化幅度上存在一定差异。按照物种丰富度、多样性、优势度、均匀度、湿地植被群丛数目,以及典型湿地植物的物种所占比例、丰富度和优势度的差异,可将调查涉及的26个典型湖泊湿地分为原生植被湖泊、次生植被湖泊、人工植被湖泊和退化植被湖泊4类。原生植被湖泊应建立相对严格的湿地保护区,优先保护原有湿地植被。次生植被湖泊最多,城市发展区内的次生植被湖泊应建立30-100m的植被缓冲带,促进植被自然恢复和发育;而农业区的次生植被湖泊应引导和规范湖泊周围的农业生产模式,以减少人类活动干扰。人工植被湖泊应通过建立城市湿地公园,人工促进植被的近自然恢复。而退化植被湖泊则应尽快采用生态工程法促进湿地植被生境改善,并积极开展近自然湿地植被重建与恢复。     

长江黄河源区湿地分布的时空变化及成因

通过整理解译1969年航片、1986年、2000年、2007年以及2013年TM影像数据,对长江黄河源区的高寒湿地分布的时空变化特征进行分析,并结合气象观测数据和人类活动状况,运用主成分分析和灰色关联度法定量分析造成高寒湿地退化的气候因素和人为因素的贡献,并揭示了高寒湿地退化与各环境因子之间的关联性。结果表明:1969年—2013年间,江河源区的高寒湿地面积减少了19.16%,各湿地类型的斑块分离度不断增大;空间上,高寒湿地的退化区主要分布在长江源区的东北部以及黄河源区的北部地区,与该区域冻土的退化有显著的一致性;1969年以来,江河源区的气候呈气温显著上升、相对湿度降低以及降水量微弱增加的暖干化趋势,湿地的退化与气候变化在时间上有明显的同步性,其中气温升高是形成湿地退化格局的主要原因,降水量和相对湿度的变化会对湿地的变化产生重要影响,尤其是对河流和湖泊的影响更为显著;此外,载畜量的变化是影响湿地变化最重要的人为因素。     

长江中游生态区湿地保护空缺分析及其保护网络构建

构建了综合反映长江中游生态区地形、植被与地表覆盖特征的GIS综合空间数据库,在对长江中游生态区核心湿地保护物种,即白鹤（Grusleucogeranus）、东方白鹳（Ciconiaboyciana）、小白额雁（Anser erythropus）、中华秋沙鸭（Mergus squamatus）分布范围和生境需求分析基础上,建立了反映物种分布与GIS数据库中生态地理因子关联的生境适宜性单元,从而确定了核心物种分布的潜在生境,对照现有保护区分布格局,找到了区域湿地生境保护的薄弱和空缺区域（Gaps）,评价了现有保护区系统对潜在生境保护的有效性。基于Gap分析结果和现有保护区分布格局,进一步考虑保护网络的整体性和连通性以及保护成本,构建了长江中游湿地保护区生物保护网络的合理格局。研究结果表明：长江中游生态区核心物种潜在生境涉及134个县（市）级单元,而目前长江中游湿地保护网络仅覆盖了23．49％的潜在生境,仍有大量潜在生境游离于现有保护区系统外。为完善长江中游生态区湿地保护网络,应在湖北（13县）、安徽（8县）和江西（1县）所属22个县域内建立新的湿地保护区或保护小区,并与现有湿地保护系统有机整合,最终才能形成较为完善的由45个县级单元构成的的长江中游生态区湿地生物保护网络合理格局,并保护80％以上核心物种的潜在生境。本研究同时也表明基于GIS生态地理空间数据库和生境适宜性单元概念进行大尺度生境分析具有一定可行性和应用价值。     

Spatial variation in anuran richness,diversity, and abundance across montane wetland habitat in Volcanoes National Park,Rwanda

The spatial distribution of species has long sparked interest among ecologists and biogeographers, increasingly so in studies of species responses to climate change. However, field studies on spatial patterns of distribution, useful to inform conservation actions at local scales, are still lacking for many regions, especially the tropics. We studied elevational trends and species‐area relationships among anurans in wetland habitats within Volcanoes National Park (VNP) in Rwanda, part of the biodiverse Albertine Rift region. In VNP, wetlands are key sites for anuran reproduction, and anurans are likely threatened by wetland desiccation which has occurred for the last few decades. Between 2012 and 2017, we sampled anuran communities in ten VNP wetlands located along an elevational gradient of c. 600 m (from 2,546 to 3,188 m a.s.l.) and found at least eight species, including at least two Albertine Rift Endemics. We show that species richness, diversity, and abundance likely decline with a decrease in wetland size and with an increase in elevation, though additional sampling (e.g., at night) might be needed to derive definite conclusions. Larger wetlands at lower elevations contained most species and individuals, which indicates the potential threat of wetland size reduction (through desiccation) for anuran conservation. However, we also found that wetlands differed in species composition and that some species (e.g., Sclerophrys kisoloensis) were likely restricted in distribution to only a few of the smaller wetlands—suggesting that the conservation of each individual wetland should be prioritized, regardless of size. We propose that all wetlands in VNP require additional conservation measures, which should be based on knowledge gathered through long‐term monitoring of anuran communities and research on drivers of wetland decline. Only such extended research will allow us to understand the response of anurans in VNP to threats such as climate change and wetland desiccation.     

Long-term changes in spatial patterns of emergent vegetation in a Mediterranean floodplain: natural versus anthropogenic constraints

This study describes the long-term changes of spatial patterns of cut-sedge (Cladium mariscus) and common reed (Phragmites australis) in the Spanish floodplain wetland Las Tablas de Daimiel. Using seven sets of aerial photographs, we determined changes in their spatial patterns (size of patches) between 1945 and 2001 that resulted from combinations of natural change and anthropogenic stress (irrigated agriculture, waste water discharge, fire, ploughing). Our approach consisted in using 1 ha cells as units of spatial resolution in principal coordinates of neighbour matrices and spatial correlograms to assess the spatial scale of interest and spatial patterns at (1) the whole wetland and (2) two areas of the wetland with locally contrasting biophysical settings and anthropogenic stress history. Results showed that vegetation spatial patterns were influenced by natural variability until the 1970s. Thereafter, anthropogenic perturbation became the main driver of vegetation change, especially in the lower part of the wetland where local impacts were stronger. Natural variability did not fragment cut-sedge patches, and the effects of biological traits were less important for its spatial pattern. By contrast, man-made change resulted in a marked cut-sedge cover decrease and patch fragmentation, and the importance of its biological traits on spatial patterns increased. The trends of reed spatial patterns were generally opposite to, but not as clear as those for, cut-sedge. The trends of spatial patterns were especially evident at very broad (3,500–10,000 m) and broad (1,000–3,400 m) spatial scales. Competition for space and abiotic factors (water quality and water depth) were not strong predictors of cover variability at the 1-ha scale, particularly in the lower area of the wetland. This suggests that other environmental variables need to be considered in spatially explicit modelling of vegetation spatial patterns in wetlands. Consideration of spatial hierarchies and species-specific ecological traits is paramount to the conservation of degraded wetlands.