Population trends in bird species at Dungeness, Kent

Most wintering wildfowl species increased in numbers on the Dungeness Reserve during the period 1969-87, particularly teal, gadwall and wigeon. Wigeon, teal and gadwall showed the fastest rates of increase. An exponential model provided a better fit to the data for smew and gadwall than a linear one. Populations were more or less as variable in number in the early years of management (1969-77) as in subsequent years (1978-86).
Of wintering and passage wader species, turnstone, redshank, black-tailed godwit and common sandpiper increased. Snipe showed a decline in abundance in spring. Numbers of black terns, the only non-wading migrant analysed, remained variable over the period.
Breeding tufted duck and great-crested grebe increased in numbers during the period 1969-86 whereas mallard declined. Black-headed gull numbers increased, as did exponentially-breeding common and sandwich terns. Of four passerine species analysed, only breeding reed warblers increased during the period 1968-86, whereas numbers of breeding sedge warbler and whitethroat remained stable. Wheatear numbers declined in early years but have increased since 1983.
Increases in species richness were documented in wintering and passage, and breeding species.     

Effects of data characteristics on the results of reserve selection algorithms

We tested the effects of four data characteristics on the results of reserve selection algorithms. The data characteristics were nestedness of features (land types in this case), rarity of features, size variation of sites (potential reserves) and size of data sets (numbers of sites and features). We manipulated data sets to produce three levels, with replication, of each of these data characteristics while holding the other three characteristics constant. We then used an optimizing algorithm and three heuristic algorithms to select sites to solve several reservation problems. We measured efficiency as the number or total area of selected sites, indicating the relative cost of a reserve system. Higher nestedness increased the efficiency of all algorithms (reduced the total cost of new reserves). Higher rarity reduced the efficiency of all algorithms (increased the total cost of new reserves). More variation in site size increased the efficiency of all algorithms expressed in terms of total area of selected sites. We measured the suboptimality of heuristic algorithms as the percentage increase of their results over optimal (minimum possible) results. Suboptimality is a measure of the reliability of heuristics as indicative costing analyses. Higher rarity reduced the suboptimality of heuristics (increased their reliability) and there is some evidence that more size variation did the same for the total area of selected sites. We discuss the implications of these results for the use of reserve selection algorithms as indicative and real-world planning tools.     

A new system for understanding the biodiversity in different nature reserves:capacity,connectivity and quality of biodiversity

In this paper,we propose a new system for understanding the biodiversity in different conservation areas.It includes three aspects:the capacity,the connectivity and the quality.The capacity refers to the numbers of biodiversity,including absolute and relative richness of the vegetation types Nv and Dv = (Nv-1)/lnA,species numbers S and richness of species dGI = (S- 1)/lnA,and germ plasm resources within a nature reserve,and also the potential biological living space offered by the natural resource.It comprises the total biological resources in a nature reserve.The connectivity refers to the flux of biodiversity,including similarity and connected status of the vegetation types SILi = 2z/(x + y) and species numbers SIc = 2z/(x + y) among different nature reserves.The quality refers to the stability of biodiversity,including relative species richness index RSLi = d/dmax,relative vegetation richness index RVLi =Dv/Dmaxv,fastness to invasion species fLi = 1-Si/St,weighted values,representativeness and vulnerability of special vegetations,special species,CITES species and rare species as the protected targets.     

A new system for understanding the biodiversity in different nature reserves: capacity, connectivity and quality of biodiversity

In this paper, we propose a new system for understanding the biodiversity in different conservation areas. It includes three aspects: the capacity, the connectivity and the quality. The capacity refers to the numbers of biodiversity, including absolute and relative richness of the vegetation types N _v and D _v =(N _v −1)/lnA, species numbers S and richness of species d _Gl =(S − 1)/lnA, and germ plasm resources within a nature reserve, and also the potential biological living space offered by the natural resource. It comprises the total biological resources in a nature reserve. The connectivity refers to the flux of biodiversity, including similarity and connected status of the vegetation types SI _Li =2z/(x + y) and species numbers SI _C =2z/(x + y) among different nature reserves. The quality refers to the stability of biodiversity, including relative species richness index RS _Li =d/d _max, relative vegetation richness index RV _Li =D _v /D _maxv , fastness to invasion species ƒ _Li =1−S _i /S _t , weighted values, representativeness and vulnerability of special vegetations, special species, CITES species and rare species as the protected targets.     

Larval supply to a marine reserve and adjacent fished area in the Soufrière Marine Management Area, St Lucia, West Indies

A total of 76 reef fish species from 31 families was collected at two coral reef sites, one in a marine reserve and the other in an adjacent fished area of the Soufrière Marine Management Area (SMMA) in St. Lucia. Five families (Scaridae, Pomacentridae, Synodontidae, Apogonidae and Blennidae) dominated the collections at both sites while species of high commercial value were rare. Monthly patterns of larval supply differed among selected species, but overall trends were similar between the two sites for most species. However, despite the geographical proximity of the two sites, the fished area received a consistently higher abundance and diversity of larvae than the marine reserve throughout the study period. Patterns in larval supply generally were reflected in the settlement patterns of Stegastes partitus. Results suggest that local-scale variation in hydrodynamic and or biological features is influencing the arrival and hence settlement of larvae at the reef.     

Species-area relations in a New Zealand tussock grassland,with implications for nature reserve design and for community structure

Abstract. A tussock grassland, in Blackrock Reserve, New Zealand, was sampled thoroughly at scales ranging from 0.01 m x 0.01 m to 20 m x 20 m, to investigate species-area relations of relevance to plant community structure, and to offer a pointer to reserve design. In total, 96 species were found. Of the native vascular species among these, 20% were new records for the reserve. For the total and the native vascular flora the observed points fell midway between the Arrhenius and Gleason fitted curves. Cryptogams fitted the Arrhenius model well, with z close to the 0.26 value expected for isolates under Preston's Canonical hypothesis. Extrapolation of the Arrhenius curve to the whole of the New Zealand uplands gave values far too large; the Gleason curve gave values much too low. A General Root model is introduced. It fits the observed species richnesses at various quadrat sizes considerably better than previous models. When biogeographic limitations on species richness are included, extrapolation of the General Root curve accurately predicts the size of the upland flora. This fit, the lack of an asymptote, and the rarity structure, are compatible with a random and individualistic model of community structure. However, there are differences in species-area relation between vascular and cryptogamic plants, which cautions against expecting any universal type of community structure. Extrapolations using the General Root model suggest that if the ideal is a 10 km x 10 km reserve, a reserve one tenth that size would contain 81% of the native species in that ideal, and the present Blackrock Reserve contains 67%.     

Connectivity,biodiversity conservation and the design of marine reserve networks for coral reefs

Networks of no-take reserves are important for protecting coral reef biodiversity from climate change and other human impacts. Ensuring that reserve populations are connected to each other and non-reserve populations by larval dispersal allows for recovery from disturbance and is a key aspect of resilience. In general, connectivity between reserves should increase as the distance between them decreases. However, enhancing connectivity may often tradeoff against a network’s ability to representatively sample the system’s natural variability. This “representation” objective is typically measured in terms of species richness or diversity of habitats, but has other important elements (e.g., minimizing the risk that multiple reserves will be impacted by catastrophic events). Such representation objectives tend to be better achieved as reserves become more widely spaced. Thus, optimizing the location, size and spacing of reserves requires both an understanding of larval dispersal and explicit consideration of how well the network represents the broader system; indeed the lack of an integrated theory for optimizing tradeoffs between connectivity and representation objectives has inhibited the incorporation of connectivity into reserve selection algorithms. This article addresses these issues by (1) updating general recommendations for the location, size and spacing of reserves based on emerging data on larval dispersal in corals and reef fishes, and on considerations for maintaining genetic diversity; (2) using a spatial analysis of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to examine potential tradeoffs between connectivity and representation of biodiversity and (3) describing a framework for incorporating environmental fluctuations into the conceptualization of the tradeoff between connectivity and representation, and that expresses both in a common, demographically meaningful currency, thus making optimization possible.     

A reserve for feral sheep on Pitt Island,Chatham group,New Zealand

Abstract

A scientific reserve of 200 ha has been created on Pitt Island, Chatham Islands for some 300 sheep from a flock of merino origin which has been feral for about 70 years. The reserve has a history of burning-off, and of grazing by cattle, sheep, and pigs. Transects have been established to follow changes in the vegetation. Although the original sheep were white, about 90% of the feral sheep have pigmented fleeces. Self-shedding of the wool is common in the population. The contribution that feral mammals can make to genetic conservation, and the problems that they pose to other conservation priorities, are discussed.     

In-situ Protection Management and Conservation Study of Some Medicinal Plants

1　IntroductionManyplantwereusedin pharmaceuticalindustrieswhilesomearestillusedinfolkmedicinesindifferenttraditionalways .However ,duetomodernizationthetraditionaluseofherbalmedicineshasdecreased .Furthermore ,theunsustainableexploitation ,deforestation …     

Mobilization of the reserve N in citrus

The mobilization of N from reserve organs (leaves, roots, branches and trunk) to developing new organs was studied at different moments of the growth cycle. Three-year-old Valencia Late orange trees (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) were grown individually outdoors in 150 L containers filled with siliceous sand. Trees were irrigated with a nutrient solution labelled with potassium nitrate with an enrichment of 4 atom ¹⁵N % excess during a complete growth cycle. At the following year, plants were irrigated with unlabelled nutrient solution, and harvested throughout the growth cycle (flowering, fruit set, second flush, third flush, and dormancy). Total N and ¹⁵N analyses were carried out in the different organs of the plants.The highest amounts of N were found in leaves and roots (33–42% and 30–38%, respectively). Distribution of ¹⁵N was similar to that obtained for total N (42 and 39% of total ¹⁵N in leaves and roots, respectively) as is expected after a long period of labelling. Old leaves were the main reserve organs, contributing a 40–50% of the total N exported. Roots and aerial woody tissues exported between 30–35% and 15–25% of total reserve N, respectively. N exported by old leaves was approximately 57% of the N accumulated during the preceding year, while roots translocated 40% and trunk plus branches 35%. More than 70% of N accumulated in new organs during spring came from N stored in old organs.