Influence of vegetation and soil types on the wheatbelt termite,Drepanotermes tamminensis (Hill), in the Western Australian wheatbelt

A survey of the distribution and density of mounds of the harvester termite,Drepanotermes tamminensis (Hill), was carried out in the Durokoppin Nature Reserve, Western Australia in 1990. Vegetation and, to a lesser extent, soil type, appear to be important factors in determining density and distribution of termite mounds within the Reserve. A more detailed study of mounds in Wandoo (Eucalyptus capillosa) woodland and Casuarina (Allocasuarina campestris) shrubland indicated that the total number and size of mounds were significantly higher in the woodland than in the shrubland. The total wet weight biomass ofD. tamminensis was calculated as 3.74 gm⁻² (37.4 kg ha⁻¹) in the woodland and 1.69 gm⁻² (16.9 kg ha⁻¹) in the shrubland. Thus, of the two favored habitats, Wandoo woodland appears to be more optimal for this termite species than the Casuarina shrubland.     

Reconstructing pre-impact vegetation cover in modified landscapes using environmental modelling, historical surveys and remnant vegetation data: a case study in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia

Aim To investigate the application of environmental modelling to reconstructive mapping of pre‐impact vegetation using historical survey records and remnant vegetation data. Location The higher elevation regions of the Fleurieu Peninsula region in South Australia were selected as a case study. The Fleurieu Peninsula is an area typical of many agricultural regions in temperate Australia that have undergone massive environmental transformation since European settlement. Around 9% of the present land cover is remnant vegetation and historical survey records from the ad 1880s exist. It is a region with strong gradients in climate and topography. Methods Records of pre‐impact vegetation distribution made in surveyors’ field notebooks were transcribed into a geographical information system and the spatial and classificatory accuracy of these records was assessed. Maps of remnant vegetation distribution were obtained. Analysis was undertaken to quantify the environmental domains of historical survey record and remnant vegetation data to selected meso‐scaled climatic parameters and topo‐scaled terrain‐related indices at a 20 m resolution. An exploratory analytical procedure was used to quantify the probability of occurrence of vegetation types in environmental domains. Probability models spatially extended to geographical space produce maps of the probability of occurrence of vegetation types. Individual probability maps were combined to produce a pre‐impact vegetation map of the region. Results Surveyors’ field notebook records provide reliable information that is accurately locatable to levels of resolution such that the vegetation data can be spatially correlated with environmental variables generated on 20 m resolution environmental data sets. Historical survey records of vegetation were weakly correlated with the topo‐scaled environmental variables but were correlated with meso‐scaled climate. Remnant vegetation records similarly not only correlated to climate but also displayed stronger relationships with the topo‐scaled environmental variables, particularly slope. Main conclusions A major conclusion of this study is that multiple sources of evidence are required to reconstruct past vegetation patterns in heavily transformed region. Neither the remnant vegetation data nor historical survey records provided adequate data sets on their own to reconstruct the pre‐impact vegetation of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Multiple sources of evidence provide the only means of assessing the environmental and historical representativeness of data sets. The spatial distribution of historical survey records was more environmentally representative than remnant vegetation data, which reflect biases due to land clearance. Historical survey records were also shown to be classificatory and spatially accurate, thus are suitable for quantitative spatial analyses. Analysis of different spatial vegetation data sets in an environmental modelling framework provided a rigorous means of assessing and comparing respective data sets as well as mapping their predicted distributions based on quantitative correlations. The method could be usefully applied to other regions where predictions of pre‐impact vegetation cover are required.     

短期极端干旱事件干扰后退化沙质草地群落恢复力稳定性的测度与比较

利用对不同沙漠化程度的6个沙质草地群落样地的调查资料,并通过构建恢复力指数,尝试性地对沙漠化过程草地群落在经历约为0.5个生长季的短时间尺度极端干旱事件干扰后、在当年后0.5个生长季表现出的恢复力稳定性进行了定量测定与比较。结果表明:6个不同退化程度沙质草地群落在降水条件恢复后具有反应快速和补偿生长的能力,从而表现出良好的恢复力,即使最严重沙漠化程度的群落也恢复到甚至超过了其在干旱前的状况。各群落恢复力综合指数在2.21-1.16之间,分别以多度、高度、盖度和生物量指标计算的恢复力分指数在4.69-1.23,1.21-0.98,1.59-1.15和1.28-1.00之间,基本呈随沙漠化程度提高而减小的趋势。恢复力指数的计算结果表明,在经历短时间尺度干旱事件干扰后,所研究的退化沙质草地群落具有以较强的恢复力维持植被稳定的倾向和能力。群落之间的比较显示,恢复力随沙漠化程度的发展而降低。对群落恢复力来源与构成进行的分析表明,以多度指标计算的恢复力分指数最大,显示各群落都有充足的种源条件和土壤种子库为群落恢复力提供基本保障条件;群落恢复力不仅来源于1年生植物,也来源于多年生植物;一些群落的优势物种在恢复过程中发生了快速转换。通过综合分析本研究以群落内部生态过程为基础对群落恢复力进行的数量测定结果以及对该群落在同一干旱事件干扰下的抵抗力进行的已有研究结果,认为退化沙质草地群落较低的抵抗力和较高的恢复力都说明了植被稳定性对降水条件的依赖不可替代和无法超越。因而,群落在短时间尺度上具有随降水波动的必然性和不稳定性,而在较长时间尺度上又具有主要由群落恢复力所维持的稳定性;恢复过程中发生的群落优势物种快速转换现象是生物多样性的表现形式之一,进一步证明生物多样性对维持生态系统功能和促进植被稳定性具有重要作用,是植被生态系统的一个基本特征。     

Recognition of Aboriginal rights, interests and values in river research and management: Perspectives from northern Australia

Summary Aboriginal people perceive land and water as equal components of country, and hold distinct perspectives on water relating to identity and attachment to place, environmental knowledge, resource security, and the exercise of custodial responsibilities to manage interrelated parts of customary estates. This paper documents Aboriginal perspectives from certain areas in northern Australia, defined as the region of tropical savannas stretching from Townsville to Broome, and offers a number of suggestions for improving current knowledge of Aboriginal values and Aboriginal participation rates in water and catchment management. The paper highlights the cultural significance of rivers and water in selected northern regions, and provides a preliminary outline of research and management priorities as determined by key north Australian Aboriginal land management organizations. Priorities include developing the capacity for collaborative aquatic resource management, conservation of traditional ecological knowledge, riparian resource inventories and threat assessment, as well as improved Aboriginal participation in catchment management and water policy. Although there is a strong north Australian focus to this paper, the issues raised are relevant to water and natural resource management policy throughout Australia.     

Indicators of biodiversity and carbon storage in remnant and planted vegetation in the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia: lessons for ‘biodiverse’ plantings

Planting of woody perennial vegetation for carbon sequestration continues to gain momentum as markets for carbon develop in Australia. With the impetus of the Clean Energy Future package, these plantings have the potential to contribute to biodiversity gains if established and managed appropriately. In this study, we sought to link indicators of biodiversity to carbon storage in remnant vegetation, mixed‐species native revegetation and single‐species eucalypt plantations in the Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR) of South Australia. Native plant species richness was higher in remnant vegetation than in revegetation and plantation sites in the southern MLR, but only remnant and plantation sites were different in the northern MLR. Native bird species richness was higher in remnant than plantation sites, but revegetation sites were similar to both plantation and remnant sites in northern and southern sites. Mean total standing carbon varied across treatments in southern sites, and there were no statistically significant differences in mean carbon sequestration rate between planted treatments. Monoculture plantation sites lack the structural complexity required and offer limited resources for native fauna compared with mixed‐species revegetation or remnant vegetation. This reinforces the importance of carefully constructed incentives to compensate landholders for potential carbon shortfalls if the opportunity for biodiversity gains from carbon plantings is to be realised in the longer term. The value of the standing carbon in remnant vegetation should also be recognised in emerging markets.     

深圳福田红树林鸟类自然保护区管理策略初探

位于深圳经济特区的福田红树林鸟类自然保护区,是城市边缘一块不可多得的生物多样性宝地。面对经济建设的快速发展和市区的不断扩张,福田自然保护区正承受着来自各方面的巨大压力。如何在积极推动保护区立法的同时,通过开放式生物多样性保护管理,主动参与地方经济建设,实现与周边社区、地方政府和各相关社会利益集团结成合作伙伴关系,是本文探讨的重点。     

From natural woodlands to cultivated land: diversity of fruit‐feeding butterflies and beetles in the mid‐Zambezi valley,northern Zimbabwe

We tested the effect of cultivation on butterfly (Nymphalidae: Charaxes) and beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) species richness and abundance along a cultivation intensification gradient. Results showed significant differences in species richness and abundance between natural woodlands and cultivated landscapes with larger differences in areas of high cultivation intensity. The results indicate that natural woodland clearing for cultivation purposes has negative impacts on arthropod diversity, a situation more severe in highly intensified cultivated areas. Our results imply that mosaics of different land‐use units, each in a different phase of clearance‐cultivation‐abandonment‐recovery‐clearance cycle could counter the negative effects of cultivation intensity on arthropod diversity.     

Conservationists,hunters and farmers: the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus management conflict in the Iberian Peninsula

相似文献   

短期极端干旱事件干扰下退化沙质草地群落抵抗力稳定性的测度与比较

利用对不同沙漠化程度的6个沙质草地群落样地在经历时间尺度约为0.5个生长季、强度约为正常降雨量15%的短期干旱事件干扰前后2a同期进行的植被调查资料,从抵抗力概念出发构建抵抗力指数,尝试性地对沙漠化过程退化沙质草地群落在短时间尺度极端干旱事件干扰下的抵抗力稳定性进行了量化测定与比较。结果表明:6个不同沙漠化程度沙质草地群落以活生物质盖度计算的抵抗力指数,除群落4由于其组成以差吧嘎蒿为主而抵抗力指数较高为0.8615,其余5个群落抵抗力指数较小,在0.1760-0.0217之间,且随沙漠化程度的提高,群落抵抗力指数减小,即群落稳定性下降;而以立枯和地面枯落物等非活生物质组分计算的抵抗力指数较高,分别在0.4394-2.4128和0.7983-5.3810之间,且在群落之间的变化与群落沙漠化程度并无一致性,这恰当地反映了立枯和地面枯落物等非活生物质受干旱影响较小、对维持群落功能稳定起着重要作用的事实。对群落抵抗力来源与构成进行的分析表明,群落抵抗力主要由多年生植物构成。通过本研究对群落抵抗力以群落内部生态过程为基础进行的数量测定与比较,证明生物多样性的损失,特别是多年生植物的严重缺失,是沙漠化过程植被抵抗力稳定性降低的主要机理和根本原因。研究结果从相反方面说明生物多样性促进退化沙质草地群落对短期极端干旱事件干扰的抵抗力稳定性,这一结论是对"多样性的生态系统功能"、"多样性与稳定性"等生态学基本问题给出的以所研究的特定生物气候带内退化沙质草地群落为例证的回答。     

Grazing hay meadows: History,distribution, and ecological context

Aims

Once widely used across Europe, grazing of hay meadows is now a rare agricultural practice that is mainly applied in rural regions with maintained traditional agriculture. In this review, we examine the knowledge on grazing hay meadows in the Carpathian Mountains, including its historical distribution, implementation and timing, potential impacts on grassland productivity and biodiversity, and implications for grassland conservation and restoration.

Location

The Carpathian Mountains (43.8–50.1°N, 16.9–27.1°E).

Methods

We conducted a literature review including biological, ecological, agricultural, ethnological, and historical sources.

Results and Conclusions

In each of the seven farming systems that existed in parallel in the Carpathian Mountains before agricultural intensification, grazing of hay meadows was applied regularly. Spring, autumn, and occasionally summer grazing, along with corralling and manuring of hay meadows, were integral parts of these systems, adapted to the seasonal movement of dairy farms across various agroecosystems. The data reviewed provide insight into the role of animals in hay meadow management, as well as how the breakdown of these historical farming systems is impacting local biodiversity, the economy, and the community. According to the literature sources, grazing hay meadows has numerous positive impacts on grassland biodiversity, including suppressing fast-growing competitors, reducing the accumulation of litter, increasing the availability of germination gaps, dispersing seeds through zoochory, supporting ground-nesting birds through later mowing, and promoting the regeneration of plants from seeds. From this perspective, the combination of mowing and grazing can be considered a promising tool in current grassland conservation and restoration efforts.     

A study on the relationship between vegetation pattern and environment in the upstream of Minjiang River,China

The vegetation pattern in the upstream of Minjiang River,and its relationship with environment factors,such as landscape position(elevation,slope,aspect),precipitation and temperature and soil are analyzed in this paper.The data used in this Paper were based on the landscape map derived from 1994 TM imagery.The results were as follows:1)dominant landscape types were forest,shrub land and grassland,which were very similar in terms of area ratio(32.87%,31.85% and 28.44%,respectively);2)the patch shape of conifer forest and mixed forest was complicated while that of broad-leaved forest and cultivated land was simple;3)the fragmentation of conifer forest and mixed forest was serious in contrast with low fragmentation of broad-leaved forest and cultivated land;and 4)closed scrub and grassland had a high contagion and good connectivity while mixed forest had a lower contagion and bad connectivity.In addition,the vegetation distribution pattern of upstream of Minjiang River Was closely related with elevation and temperature,but the relationship between vegetation and precipitation was not statistically significant.     

An overview of the ecology,management and conservation of Australia’s temperate woodlands

Summary Australia’s temperate woodlands are environments of cultural and ecological importance and significant repositories of Australia’s biodiversity. Despite this, they have been heavily cleared, much remaining vegetation is in poor condition and many species of plants and animals are threatened. Here, we provide a brief overview of key issues relating to the ecology, management and policy directions for temperate woodlands, by identifying and discussing ten themes. When addressing issues relating to the conservation and management of temperate woodlands, spatial scale is very important, as are the needs for a temporal perspective and a complementary understanding of pattern and process. The extent of landscape change in many woodland environments means that woodland patches, linear networks and paddock trees are critical elements, and that there can be pervasive effects from ‘problem’ native species such as the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala). These consequences of landscape change highlight the challenge to undertake active management and restoration as well as effective monitoring and long‐term data collection. In developing approaches for conservation and management of temperate woodlands, it is essential to move our thinking beyond reserves to woodland conservation and management on private land, and recognise the criticality of cross‐disciplinary linkages. We conclude by identifying some emerging issues in woodland conservation and management. These include the need to further develop non‐traditional approaches to conservation particularly off‐reserve management; the value of documenting approaches and programmes that demonstrably lead to effective change; new lessons that can be learned from intact examples of temperate woodlands; and the need to recognise how climate change and human population growth will interact with conservation and management of temperate woodlands in future decades.     

Butterfly habitats, broad-scale biotope affiliations, and structural exploitation of vegetation at finer scales: the matrix revisited

Abstract. 1. Biotope and resources data are rarely attached to arthropod (butterfly) synoptic monitoring systems, and invariably not linked to behavioural exploitation of vegetation substrates. Yet, these data allow us to examine resource use within different biotopes and to distinguish more clearly between habitat and the matrix. 2. Comparative data on vegetation exploitation for different behaviours (search flight, direct flight, tactile inspections, perching, feeding, interactions, oviposition) were collected using transect sections over a range of biotopes from bare ground to mature woodland for two closely related satyrine butterflies, Maniola jurtina and Pyronia tithonus with overlapping flight times. Occupancy data were obtained on Pararge aegeria as a marker for the woodland end of the biotope spectrum. 3. There were clear distinctions in biotope occupancy between M. jurtina (grassland bias) and P. tithonus (shrub bias); significant differences in exploitation of vegetation substrates (except for nectar feeding) coincided with this bias in transect sections which comprise both grassland and shrubs. The exception (nectar feeding) is explained by the decline in shrub (Rubus fruticosus) nectar and increase in herb nectar during the later emergence of P. tithonus. 4. Direct flight increased in unsuitable biotopes for both species. However, resource‐exploiting behaviour (>70%) predominated even in biotopes that would be regarded as completely unsuitable for supporting the species and where less than 2% of individuals for each species were observed. 5. Simultaneous collection of biotope, resources, and behavioural data is needed for monitoring affinities of butterflies to vegetation structures and using butterflies as indicators of environmental changes. 6. Much of the landscape is shown to comprise valuable resources for butterflies, even when classified for metapopulation studies as empty matrix.     

A study on the relationship between vegetation pattern and environment in the upstream of Minjiang River, China

The vegetation pattern in the upstream of Minjiang River, and its relationship with environment factors, such as landscape position (elevation, slope, aspect), precipitation and temperature and soil are analyzed in this paper. The data used in this paper were based on the landscape map derived from 1994 TM imagery. The results were as follows: 1) dominant landscape types were forest, shrub land and grassland, which were very similar in terms of area ratio (32.87%, 31.85% and 28.44%, respectively); 2) the patch shape of conifer forest and mixed forest was complicated while that of broad-leaved forest and cultivated land was simple; 3) the fragmentation of conifer forest and mixed forest was serious in contrast with low fragmentation of broad-leaved forest and cultivated land; and 4) closed scrub and grassland had a high contagion and good connectivity while mixed forest had a lower contagion and bad connectivity. In addition, the vegetation distribution pattern of upstream of Minjiang River was closely related with elevation and temperature, but the relationship between vegetation and precipitation was not statistically significant. __________ Translated from Journal of Beijing Normal University (Natural Science), 2005,41(4) [译自: 北京师范大学学报(自然科学版), 2005,41(4)]     

云南楚雄彝族植物崇拜的调查研究

本文对云南楚雄彝族传统的植物崇拜进行了广泛的调查,对被崇拜植物及其文化内涵进行了编目,着重植物崇拜文化对当地生物多样性保护的影响,讨论了楚雄彝族的植物文化在当地生物多样性保护和管理中的作用和意义,进一步探讨了在我国利用传统文化进行现代自然保护的必要性、可能性和可行性。     

基于GIS识别生态保护红线边界的方法——以北京市昌平区为例

生态保护红线是中国生态保护的一项重要创新,已被列为国家监管生态环境的重要政策。国家环境保护部于2015年发布了《生态保护红线划定技术指南》,确定了生态保护红线的划定方法,但是在识别生态保护红线边界时还存在一些技术难点。针对这一问题,本文探索了生态保护红线边界的优化方法。提出了生态保护红线边界优化遵循基本原则。以北京市昌平区为例,阐明了如何利用Arc GIS软件将划定生态保护红线的技术流程,包括评价各类生态功能区和敏感区,识别生态保护红线范围,准确定位生态红线边界3个主要步骤。最后通过对比优化前后的生态保护红线划定方案,阐明了该方法的可行性和存在的问题。     

Assessing the hydrologic impact of historical railroad embankments on wetland vegetation response in Canaan Valley,West Virginia: the value of high‐resolution data

The recovery of natural ecological processes after disturbance is poorly understood. Some disturbances may be so severe as to set ecosystems onto a new trajectory. The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia protects a unique high‐altitude wetland that was heavily disturbed by logging 100 years before present (BP) and has since transitioned to a new ecological state (shrub wetland). Refuge managers interested in preserving and restoring ecosystem states expressed concern about lingering impacts of previous disturbances (logging, railroads, beaver, deer, fire). Available data suggested hydrologic impacts from a remnant railroad grade, but managers had insufficient quantitative data to assess these impacts. We initiated a fine‐scale assessment of topography, vegetation distribution, and hydrology to assess impacts from the remnant rail grade using lidar data, vegetation surveys, and piezometers. We developed topographic models, hydrological models, and mapped vegetation distribution. We developed statistical models to assess relationships between vegetation communities, hydrology, and distance to the rail grade. Surprisingly, we found that hydrologic flow paths did not conform to expectation and were not restricted by remnant land use features. For the most part, vegetation communities are responding to topographic and environmental gradients that existed prior to disturbance. Use of highly detailed topographic data (lidar), field hydrology, and vegetation studies allowed us to more accurately assess hydrologic and vegetation regimes, eliminating the need for mitigation, thus saving significant resources.     

Trait‐based analysis of decline in plant species ranges during the 20th century: a regional comparison between the UK and Estonia

Although the distribution ranges and abundance of many plant species have declined dramatically in recent decades, detailed analysis of these changes and their cause have only become possible following the publication of second‐ and third‐generation national distribution atlases. Decline can now be compared both between species and in different parts of species' ranges. We extracted data from distribution atlases to compare range persistence of 736 plant species common to both the UK and Estonia between survey periods encompassing almost the same years (1969 and 1999 in the UK and 1970 and 2004 in Estonia). We determined which traits were most closely associated with variation in species persistence, whether these were the same in each country, and the extent to which they explained differences in persistence between the countries. Mean range size declined less in Estonia than in the UK (24.3% vs. 30.3%). One‐third of species in Estonia (239) maintained >90% of their distribution range compared with one‐fifth (141) in the UK. In Estonia, 99 species lost >50% of their range compared with 127 species in the UK. Persistence was very positively related to original range in both countries. Major differences in species persistence between the studied countries were primarily determined by biogeographic (affiliation to floristic element) and ecoevolutionary (plant strategy) factors. In contrast, within‐country persistence was most strongly determined by tolerance of anthropogenic activities. Decline of species in the families Orchidaceae and Potamogetonaceae was significantly greater in the UK than in Estonia. Almost all of the 736 common and native European plant species in our study are currently declining in their range due to pressure from anthropogenic activities. Those species with low tolerance of human activity, with biotic pollination vectors and in the families referred to above are the most vulnerable, especially where human population density is high.     

广西南丹县生物多样性和文化多样性与生态旅游的关系

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