Health state of native spruce stands and saplings in the northern timberline forests of the pechora basin

Trees in 10 types of northern timberline native spruce forests were studied for factors that determine their health state.     

Assessment of soil calcium status in red spruce forests in the northeastern United States

Long-term changes in concentrations of available Ca in soils of redspruce forests have been documented, but remaining questions aboutthe magnitude and regional extent of these changes have precluded anassessment of the current and future status of soil Ca. To addressthis problem, soil samples were collected in 1992—93from 12 sites in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine toprovide additional data necessary to synthesize all availableresearch results on soil Ca in red spruce forests. Sites werechosen to encompass the range of environmental conditionsexperienced by red spruce. Concentrations of exchangeableCa ranged from 2.13 to 21.6 cmol_ckg^–1 in the Oa horizon, and from 0.11 to 0.68cmol_c kg^–1 in the upper 10 cm of theB horizon. These measurements expanded the range of exchangeable Ca reported in the literature for both horizons in northeastern redspruce forests. Exchangeable Ca was the largest Ca fraction in theforest floor at most sites (92% ofacid-extractableCa), but mineral Ca was the largest fraction at the three sites that also had the highest mineral-matter concentrations. Theprimary factor causing variability in Ca concentrations among siteswas the mineralogy of parent material, but exchangeable concentrationsin the B horizon of all sites were probably reduced by acidicdeposition. Because the majority of Ca in the forest floor isin a readily leachable form, and Ca inputs to the forest floor from the mineral soil and atmospheric deposition have beendecreasing in recent decades, the previously documented decreasesin Ca concentrations in the forest floor over previous decades mayextend into the future.     

Structure of component parasite communities in the grayling, Thymallus thymallus L. (Salmoniformes, Thymallidae), and minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus L. (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae), from the upper reaches of the Pechora River

A comparative analysis of parasite communities in the grayling and minnow has been performed. These communities differ in the number of constituent species and in the fact that the community of the minnow is dominated by one allogenic species, whereas that of the grayling usually has two dominants, both being autogenic species. The values of species diversity indices characterizing these communities are also different. Differences between the parasite communities of these fish species reflect the position of their hosts in the hydrobiocenosis. Species prevailing in both communities are classified as specialists, which is characteristic of parasite communities of the boreal-piedmont faunal complex. Both these communities consist of three species groups distinguished by their proportions in the total biomass, which indicates that parasitic communities are structured in a certain way and that the distribution of species in them is not random.     

The vertical distribution of macro-invertebrates in the substratum of the upper reaches of the River Wye, Wales

SUMMARY. A study of the vertical distribution of benthic macro-invertebrates in the upper Wye, Wales, using basket samplers, indicated no difference between the number of organisms collected, at one sampling time, after 28, 61 and 93 days. However, densities in samples collected after periods greater than 370 days were generally lower than might have been expected. Overall, 59.4%, 22.6% and 18.0% of the benthic invertebrates were recorded in the top (0–11 cm), middle (12–22 cm) and bottom (23–33 cm) levels of the basket samplers. Some organisms were generally confined to the top level (e.g. Ephemeroptera, Simuliidae, Mollusca), others were more evenly distributed (e.g. Oligochaeta, Chironomidae) and some increased with depth at certain times ( Sericostoma personatum ). Except for organisms confined to the upper layer it was not possible to predict with any certainty the vertical distribution of most organisms within the substratum. The community structure and abundance of invertebrates in the basket samplers differed from collections obtained with a conventional surface sampler.     

岷江上游山地牧道与锥花小檗种群特征的关系

以干旱河谷/山地森林交错带的锥花小檗灌丛为对象,采用跟踪放牧和野外调查的方法获取家畜生境利用和牧道分布特征,并使用RDA排序筛选出影响牧道分布的主要因子,探讨牧道特征与锥花小檗盖度、大小级和分布格局的关系.结果表明:牧道分布能够直观反映家畜的生境利用特点,并与跟踪放牧结果一致;5 m尺度的Morisita指数能客观地反映牧道的分布类型,样地1、2和6呈集群分布,其他样地呈均匀分布;在坡面尺度上,灌丛盖度、灌丛高度与牧道特征呈负相关,为显著影响因子;锥花小檗种群盖度和牧道面积呈显著负相关;种群结构与牧道分布密切相关,锥花小檗灌木长轴和短轴比平均为1.29,灌木形状趋近于圆形,牧道景观及牧道上的放牧家畜对灌木具有塑形作用;锥花小檗种群和牧道Morisita指数指向性一致,但实际上两者呈反向分布,灌木斑块或集聚或均匀分布于偏离牧道的区域.     

长江上游长鳍吻鮈的种群特征及其物种保护

根据2005—2007年对长江上游攀枝花、宜宾、合江、木洞、万州江段渔业资源调查资料,运用体长频率分析法(FiSATⅡ软件)对长鳍吻鮈的生长、死亡参数进行估算。结果表明:长鳍吻鮈的体质量与体长的关系式为W=8×10-6L3.1577;用Shepherd技术拟合vonBertalanffy生长方程的各参数为L∞=530.5mm,K=0.21a-1,t0=-0.5a;根据Pauly经验公式得出自然死亡系数M=0.24,以长度变换渔获曲线法估算总死亡系数Z=2.67,捕捞死亡系数F=2.43;种群补充模式表明,长鳍吻鮈每年5—9月为主要补充期,开发率E=91.2%,长鳍吻鮈处于资源过度利用状态。     

Diatoms as water quality indicators in the upper reaches of the Great Fish River,Eastern Cape,South Africa

This study focused on the spring-fed upper reaches of the economically important Great Fish River with the aim of determining if diatoms could be used for biomonitoring in semi-arid conditions in southern Africa. Five sites were monitored monthly from 2010 to 2012. Of the 269 diatom taxa belonging to 51 genera identified, the dominant taxa were mostly those considered to be pollution-tolerant: Amphora pediculus, Craticula buderi, Fragilaria biceps, Nitzschia frustulum, Nitzschia paleacea, Planothidium lanceolatum and Rhopalodia gibba. A number of diatom-based numerical indices were used to infer water quality, including the generic diatom index, the specific pollution sensitivity index, the biological diatom index, and percentage pollution-tolerant valves, which forms part of the UK trophic diatom index. All index scores showed the Great Fish River to be impacted, and showed significant correlations of diatom species abundance with pH, NO₃-N, electrical conductivity, NH4-N and CaCO_3. Analysis revealed EC and NO3-N as the main environmental drivers affecting diatom community composition, followed by pH and PO4-P. The percentage of diatom deformities at all sites was high, at 3.5%. Diatom indices showed the river to be impacted by decades of agricultural activity, which was confirmed by chemical water analysis. Thus diatom indices can be used for biomonitoring in semi-arid areas.     

冀北高原闪电河流域上游不同介质体中总P分布特征

对冀北高原闪电河水库上游２０ｋｍ长的河段的多介质体中总Ｐ含量及其动态变化分析表明,同源水体的总Ｐ含量各段不一,其中最高量（０．０８２４ｍｇ·Ｌ（－１））为最低量（０．０２２８ｍｇ·Ｌ（－１））的３．６倍;不同介质体总Ｐ含量以土壤（３４０２ｍｇ·ｋｇ（－１））＞淤泥（１９９２ｍｇ·ｋｇ（－１））＞岩石（５４２ｍｇ·ｋｇ（－１））＞水体（０．０５５３ｍｇ·Ｌ（－１））的排序递减,并随温度升高而增高．     

长江上游南溪段饵料生物资源初步调查

南溪江段地处长江上游,与金沙江相接,在长江上游河流生态上占有重要的地位,因此研究其饵料资源状况,对深入探讨长江上游水域生态、水生生物区系、群落组成和鱼类资源变化都有重要的科学价值和实际意义。过去未见有系统的调查研究,我们于1998～2000年按“内陆水域渔业自然资源调查规范”的方法,在这一江段设5个调查点（图1）,对饵料生物进行了调查,获得了大量的资料,现将结果整理简报如下。     

Biogeographical indices of the freshwater fish spatial distribution in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River

The spatial distribution of freshwater fish species (Total species and Unique species) in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River was studied, focusing on the spatial distribution of geographic ranges. Two biogeographical indices: environmental resistance (R₅₀), anisotropy (A₅₀) and a fractal dimension method were used to identify the relationship between them and spatial distribution of freshwater fish. R₅₀ quantifies the loss of biotic resemblance occurring from any point in the map to the rest of the study area. A₅₀ quantifies the extent to which the perimeter: area ratio of the geographical ranges of all species whose distributions overlap at any particular location depart from the perimeter of area ratio of a circle. We concluded that the western of the study area is populated by a large number of total and unique species, the eastern part with the total species richness, the middle regions populated by small number of unique species, the mid-west region populated by small number of total species, and the mid-eastern region populated by a large number of total species. We also analyzed how topology affects the spatial arrangement of species, species density has strong curvilinear correlation (species density increases with increased of fractal dimension), the species density in the tributaries is lower than that in mainstream. The results and methods used give us detailed information about the spatial distribution of species, so as to illuminate the species distribution and change by the human activities.     

Hybridization between native white-spotted charr and nonnative brook trout in the upper Sorachi River,Hokkaido, Japan

Invasion status and impacts of nonnative brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in a Hokkaido stream were investigated with field surveys and genetic analyses. Nonnative brook trout was detected in nine (41 %) of the 22 sampled reaches in three tributaries of the Sorachi River, Hokkaido, Japan. Based on the external pigmentation, twelve putative hybrids between brook trout and native white-spotted charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis) were collected in two reaches. Microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data established that 58% of these hybrids were first-generation (F₁) progenies between male brook trout and female white-spotted charr. Our results suggest potential negative impacts of nonnative brook trout on native charr populations in Hokkaido through interspecific interactions.     

Biomass, morphology and nutrient contents of fine roots in four Norway spruce stands

Fine root systems may respond to soil chemical conditions, but contrasting results have been obtained from field studies in non-manipulated forests with distinct soil chemical properties. We investigated biomass, necromass, live/dead ratios, morphology and nutrient concentrations of fine roots (<2 mm) in four mature Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) stands of south-east Germany, encompassing variations in soil chemical properties and climate. All stands were established on acidic soils (pH (CaCl₂) range 2.8–3.8 in the humus layer), two of the four stands had molar ratios in soil solution below 1 and one of the four stands had received a liming treatment 22 years before the study. Soil cores down to 40 cm mineral soil depth were taken in autumn and separated into four fractions: humus layer, 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20–40 cm. We found no indications of negative effects of N availability on fine root properties despite large variations in inorganic N seepage fluxes (4–34 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), suggesting that the variation in N deposition between 17 and 26 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ does not affect the fine root system of Norway spruce. Fine root biomass was largest in the humus layer and increased with the amount of organic matter stored in the humus layer, indicating that the vertical pattern of fine roots is largely affected by the thickness of this horizon. Only two stands showed significant differences in fine root biomass of the mineral soil which can be explained by differences in soil chemical conditions. The stand with the lowest total biomass had the lowest Ca/Al ratio of 0.1 in seepage, however, Al, Ca, Mg and K concentrations of fine roots were not different among the stands. The Ca/Al ratio in seepage might be a less reliable stress parameter because another stand also had Ca/Al ratios in seepage far below the critical value of 1.0 without any signs of fine root damages. Large differences in the live/dead ratio were positively correlated with the Mn concentration of live fine roots from the mineral soil. This relationship was attributed to faster decay of dead fine roots because Mn is known as an essential element of lignin degrading enzymes. It is questionable if the live/dead ratio can be used as a vitality parameter of fine roots since both longevity of fine roots and decay of root litter may affect this parameter. Morphological properties were different in the humus layer of one stand that was limed in 1983, indicating that a single lime dose of 3–4 Mg ha⁻¹ has a long-lasting effect on fine root architecture of Norway spruce. Almost no differences were found in morphological properties in the mineral soil among the stands, but vertical patterns were apparently different. Two stands with high base saturation in the subsoil showed a vertical decrease in specific root length and specific root tip density whereas the other two stands showed an opposite pattern or no effect. Our results suggest that proliferation of fine roots increased with decreasing base saturation in the subsoil of Norway spruce stands.     

Humus bacteria of Norway spruce stands: plant growth promoting properties and birch, red fescue and alder colonizing capacity

We studied the potential of the humus layer of the Norway spruce stands to supply beneficial rhizobacteria to birch (Betula pendula), alder (Alnus incana) and fescue grass (Festuca rubra), representatives of pioneer vegetation after clear-cutting of the coniferous forest. Axenically grown seedlings of these species were inoculated with the acid spruce humus, pH 3.7-5.3. Actinorhizal propagules, capable of nodulating alder, were present in high density (10(3) g(-1)) in humus of long-term limed plots, whereas plots with nitrogen fertilization contained almost none (相似文献   

Abundance of two threatened woodpecker species in relation to the proportion of spruce plantations in native pine forests of western Norway

In a comparative study we investigated woodpecker abundance in forest landscapes with different proportion of native pine forest and spruce plantations in western Norway. In 100 circular study plots of 100ha each we recorded 38 white-backed –Dendrocopos leucotos, 22 grey-headed –Picus canus, 13 great spotted –Dendrocopos major, 6 green –Picus viridis, and 2 lesser spotted –Dendrocopos minor woodpeckers in the breeding season. The mean number of recorded woodpecker species peaked at 20–40% spruce plantations. The two most common species in the study, the white-backed and the grey-headed woodpeckers are both Red-listed species in Norway and among the rarest woodpeckers in Europe. The white-backed woodpecker preferred plots with higher than average proportions of standing dead trees and deciduous trees, and low proportions of spruce plantations in the plots. The grey-headed woodpecker preferred plots in the western (coastal) parts of the study area with presence of large aspen Populus tremula trees. Logistic regression models did not reveal any clear threshold values with respect to proportion of spruce plantations in plots, although both woodpecker species were extremely rare in plots with >60% spruce plantations. We recommend spruce plantations to be kept at moderate levels to ensure viable populations of woodpeckers in western Norway.     

Past and current status of sturgeons in the upper and middle Danube River

Of the six species of sturgeons native to the Danube basin, five occurred in the upper and middle Danube. Among anadromous sturgeons were the large winter races of beluga, Huso huso, Russian sturgeon, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, and stellate sturgeon, A. stellatus, which ascended the middle, and sometimes also the upper Danube, to spawn. Due to overfishing, followed by severe habitat alteration including damming and pollution, these anadromous sturgeons are critically endangered or extirpated from the upper and middle Danube. Acipenser gueldenstaedtii and A. nudiventris are represented only as resident non-migratory races with very small populations. The most abundant and widely distributed species is the sterlet, A. ruthenus, although it is presently limited to the middle Danube. Its population increased in some sections of the middle Danube during the past 15 years, presumably because of improving water quality, but this species remains at risk because of continuing habitat degradation.     

黑河上游天然草地亚洲小车蝗多度与地形的关系

在小尺度范围内,地形差异导致的环境异质性是物种格局形成和演变的环境基础.在2009年7-8月野外调查的基础上,借助GIS和S-PLUS软件,利用广义相加模型(GAM)定量分析了黑河上游祁连山北坡天然草地亚洲小车蝗多度与海拔、坡向、坡度和剖面曲率等地形因子之间的关系.结果表明:亚洲小车蝗具有较好的模型结构和模拟效果,能够较好地反映亚洲小车蝗的多度分布状况;各地形因子对亚洲小车蝗多度分布的影响不尽相同,其中海拔和剖面曲率起主导控制作用;在海拔梯度上,亚洲小车蝗多度随海拔的升高大体呈现倒“V”型变化趋势,在2380 ～ 2560 m,多度与海拔呈正相关,海拔升至2560 m以上时多度开始降低,与海拔呈负相关;亚洲小车蝗多度主要集中分布在剖面曲率＜0的区域,在剖面曲率＜-1.6的区域,多度与剖面曲率呈正相关,在剖面曲率＞-1.6的区域,二者呈负相关.亚洲小车蝗多度与地形因子之间的相互关系及分布状态,反映了地形因子对水热条件的重分配,使亚洲小车蝗空间分布格局出现异质化.     

Fluctuations of the soil environment and fine root growth in a young Sitka spruce plantation

Summary From soil cores extracted at 5 day intervals from 3 May to 6 August it was found that the biomass of fine roots in a Sitka spruce plantation, 14 years old, fluctuated with maxima in late May and mid July. The earlier peak coincides with increasing soil temperatures during a period of high incident precipitation and the latter developed when the soil profile was rewetted. Fine root biomass and soil moisture tension (SMT) were significantly and negatively correlated in three of four soil horizons. Root mortality occurred whenever incident precipitation failed to maintain soil moisture tension near zero. In the very open pored horizons the critical SMT for root death was unexpected small, <0.1 bars; in the peat horizons it wasc 0.2 bars.     

Soil properties under Norway spruce differ in spruce dominated and mixed broadleaf forests of the Southern Taiga

In natural forest, disturbance changes tree species composition which in turn affects soil properties. Two areas in the Central Forest State Biosphere Reserve, in the Russian Southern Taiga Zone, differed in the intensity of disturbance: Norway spruce was the dominant species at one site, while at the other spruce was mixed with broadleaves. The presence of broadleaves was due to large gaps in the canopy having been formed, which have triggered vegetation succession. At both sites, five plots were selected to evaluate how the presence of broadleaves influences the properties of the soils under spruce. Soil samples were taken close to spruce trees and the O, A and E horizons were analysed. A difference in the distribution of organic matter in the soil horizons was evident, with a higher concentration in the O and A horizons at the spruce dominated site, while a more homogeneous distribution was found under spruce at the site where broadleaves were abundant. The organic matter did not only differ in quantity, but also in quality as estimated by the C/N ratio, and therefore affected the CEC and element relative availability. No differences at the two sites were found for water-extractable and exchangeable elements, but the ratio between the exchangeable and the acid-extractable forms were different, suggesting a higher relative availability of the elements at the spruce dominated site, and thus potentially higher leaching. Both theoretical and empirical studies have suggested that podzolisation and accumulation of organic matter in the O horizon are related to stagnation of ecosystem processes and ecosystem decline. Our data suggest that the presence to windthrow sites and the inclusion of broadleaf species acts to slow or even reverse podzolisation even in spruce dominated sites.     

Factors determining the distribution of the green spruce aphid, Elatobium abietinum, on young and mature needles of spruce

1. The green spruce aphid Elatobium abietinum , was less active and more likely to feed when on mature rather than young needles of Sitka spruce.
2. Compared with survival on mature needles, survival of aphids on young needles was significantly reduced, especially on newly flushed needles, but became less so as the needles matured. The survival of aphids kept close to, but not in contact with, young needles was similarly reduced.
3. On young needles stripped of epicuticular wax, aphids were less active and fed and survived for longer than aphids on untreated young needles. In contrast, the supply of additional amino acids to shoots bearing young needles did not significantly improve the survival of aphids on these needles.
4. In a choice test, aphids were able to discriminate between epicuticular wax from young and mature needles. The reciprocal transfer of wax between young and mature needles reversed the aphids' marked preference for mature needles.
5. These results indicate that the aphid is deterred from settling and feeding on young needles by a volatile substance present in the epicuticular wax.