洞穴型蝙蝠的栖息环境选择、生态作用及保护

多数蝙蝠为洞穴型。在野外调查的基础上,结合前人调查的结果,对洞穴型蝙蝠的栖息环境选择及其在洞穴生态系统中的特殊生态作用进行了探讨。针对目前随着人类活动的增加,洞穴型蝙蝠的生存环境遭到日益严重的干扰、破坏和污染而导致蝙蝠的物种多样性降低,加之国内对洞穴型蝙蝠研究不足的现状,提出了加强对洞穴型蝙蝠的栖息和捕食环境进行保护、对蝙蝠的多样性进行调查的建议。     

A checklist for ecological management of landscapes for conservation

The management of landscapes for biological conservation and ecologically sustainable natural resource use are crucial global issues. Research for over two decades has resulted in a large literature, yet there is little consensus on the applicability or even the existence of general principles or broad considerations that could guide landscape conservation. We assess six major themes in the ecology and conservation of landscapes. We identify 13 important issues that need to be considered in developing approaches to landscape conservation. They include recognizing the importance of landscape mosaics (including the integration of terrestrial and aquatic areas), recognizing interactions between vegetation cover and vegetation configuration, using an appropriate landscape conceptual model, maintaining the capacity to recover from disturbance and managing landscapes in an adaptive framework. These considerations are influenced by landscape context, species assemblages and management goals and do not translate directly into on-the-ground management guidelines but they should be recognized by researchers and resource managers when developing guidelines for specific cases. Two crucial overarching issues are: (i) a clearly articulated vision for landscape conservation and (ii) quantifiable objectives that offer unambiguous signposts for measuring progress.     

A review of techniques for spatial modeling in geographical, conservation and landscape genetics

Most evolutionary processes occur in a spatial context and several spatial analysis techniques have been employed in an exploratory context. However, the existence of autocorrelation can also perturb significance tests when data is analyzed using standard correlation and regression techniques on modeling genetic data as a function of explanatory variables. In this case, more complex models incorporating the effects of autocorrelation must be used. Here we review those models and compared their relative performances in a simple simulation, in which spatial patterns in allele frequencies were generated by a balance between random variation within populations and spatially-structured gene flow. Notwithstanding the somewhat idiosyncratic behavior of the techniques evaluated, it is clear that spatial autocorrelation affects Type I errors and that standard linear regression does not provide minimum variance estimators. Due to its flexibility, we stress that principal coordinate of neighbor matrices (PCNM) and related eigenvector mapping techniques seem to be the best approaches to spatial regression. In general, we hope that our review of commonly used spatial regression techniques in biology and ecology may aid population geneticists towards providing better explanations for population structures dealing with more complex regression problems throughout geographic space.     

Habitat selection by threatened burrowing spiders (Araneae: Atypidae,Eresidae) of central Europe: evidence base for conservation management

Habitat selection in sedentary, long-lived burrowing spiders is a key life-history event that directly affects their reproductive success. In this study, we analyzed the role of the chemical and physical properties of soil in habitat selection by threatened temperate burrowing spiders. We examined 296 burrows of three Atypus spp. and three Eresus spp. at 68 sites in Czechia. We found that the study species were associated with soils that have high or very high cation exchange capacity, which allows the presence of a stable and humid microclimate in their burrows. We found that specific bedrock types can be used as predictors of the presence of particular study species. All Eresus spp. avoided compacted soils. However, when present in soils with very low penetration resistance, they were limited to sites with high soil cohesion. The burrows of all study species were located at well-drained sites. The study species seemed to be selective for a steppe-like character of their microhabitat but not necessarily for its southward orientation. We found the study species even at sites where steppes were present in the early 1950s and that underwent later afforestation but not extensive landscaping or plowing. What types of disturbances can be sustained by the study species and how long it takes the decreased populations to recover after, e.g., trampling associated with grazing, remain to be investigated.     

Habitat connectivity analysis for conservation implications in an urban area

In urbanized areas, habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from urban growth and human activities may threaten the biological diversity. It is essential to maintain the connectivity in some isolated and fragmented habitat patches. In 2005, the orchard-based conservation with the legal binding was implemented in Shenzhen to mitigate the ecological threats from forest destruction and to protect the ecological diversity. It is critical to evaluate the efficiency of orchard habitat from the species’ perspective for providing the reference for the habitat management. Based on graph-theoretic methods, we compared the habitats with or without orchards and evaluated the contribution of orchards to the whole network connectivity and its three fractions (intra, flux and connector), and then analyzed the species that could benefit the most from the habitat supplement. We identified the important landscape elements for serving the prioritized conservation. The results showed that orchard-based conservation was an efficient way in maintaining the functional connectivity, which mainly contributed to the intrapatch connectivity and species dispersal flux. The value of orchard incorporation was strongly related with the dispersal ability of threatened species. Our findings indicated that the orchard conservation would be more valuable for species with relatively weak dispersal abilities. We showed the key patches and links that most contribute to uphold functional connectivity in the reserve network. We believe that the assessment based on habitat functional connectivity can effectively serve the practical guidelines of habitat conservation and management in urban areas.     

A comparison of some population density sampling techniques for biodiversity, conservation, and environmental impact studies

Twelve terrestrial and marine studies were conducted at various sites in Malaysia, Brazil, and the United States between April 1999 and February 2004. These data were analyzed using five density estimate techniques for stationary (non-motile) organisms including Stratified Random Sampling, Point-Center Quarter, Third Nearest Object, Weinberg, and Strong. The Strong method gave the most accurate density estimates of stationary animals and plants. Stratified Random Sampling ranked second best and the Third Nearest Object the third best. Belt or strip transects may be preferable but can be restrictive in some situations because of logistics and associated time constraints. Straight line measurements on reefs were 3–27% more accurate than reef slack line and reef contour measurements. Most study areas measured with the standardized Morisita index of dispersion were moderately aggregated. Results from the Third Nearest Object and Point-Center Quarter techniques indicate that the addition of more data to establish a density correction factor does not necessarily give more accurate estimates of density.     

Habitat fragmentation,percolation theory and the conservation of a keystone species

Many species survive in specialized habitats. When these habitats are destroyed or fragmented the threat of extinction looms. In this paper, we use percolation theory to consider how an environment may fragment. We then develop a stochastic, spatially explicit, individual-based model to consider the effect of habitat fragmentation on a keystone species (the army ant Eciton burchelli) in a neo tropical rainforest. The results suggest that species may become extinct even in huge reserves before their habitat is fully fragmented; this has important implications for conservation. We show that sustainable forest-harvesting strategies may not be as successful as is currently thought. We also suggest that habitat corridors, once thought of as the saviour for fragmented environments, may have a detrimental effect on population persistence.     

蜂桶寨自然保护区大熊猫生境适宜性评价与保护管理对策

对濒危野生动物而言,开展生境质量评价是完善就地保护措施、提高自然保护成效的基础。蜂桶寨自然保护区位于邛崃山系中段,是大熊猫模式标本的采集地。而此前有关该保护区大熊猫生境的研究主要集中在生境的选择上,生境适宜性评价方面的研究尚未开展。本文以海拔、坡度、植被类型、食物来源等4个生态因子为指标,通过构建景观连接度模型对保护区内大熊猫生境适宜性进行评价。结果表明,保护区内大熊猫不适宜生境面积、较适宜生境面积及最适宜生境面积分别为223.26、133.67和33.46 km2,分别占保护区总面积的57%、34%和9%。从空间分布来看,最适宜生境和较适宜生境在保护区内的分布较为破碎分散,大熊猫活动痕迹点更多地集中在生境适宜程度较高的区域。为加强该区大熊猫种群的科学保护,应控制敏感区域的人为活动,确保保护区内大熊猫个体在不同生境斑块之间迁移扩散。日常保护管理工作中应重点关注与黄水河自然保护区相连区域,并可适度扩大蜂桶寨自然保护区的管护范围。     

Habitat associations of wild goat in central Iran: implications for conservation

Wild goat (Capra aegagrus) is one of the highly valued but threatened ungulates of Iran. Seasonal habitat use of wild goat was studied from October 2006 to September 2008 in Haftad Gholleh Protected Area, central Iran. We developed averaged logistic regression models based on Akaike Information Criterion weights for each season. The obtained habitat suitability models showed high sensitivity (greater than 88%) for all evaluation datasets. Wild goat habitat use was positively related with steep slopes, areas near rocky substrates and water sources, west-facing slopes and areas far from roads in all seasons. Core zones of protected area covered nearly 70% of suitable habitats for wild goats, predicted by logistic regression models. Northern core zone covered more than 61% of predicted suitable habitats, which should receive more attention in management actions. The southern core zone boundaries should be considered to increase the encompassed suitable habitats. There was a substantial overlap between seasonal suitable habitats with the highest overlap observed between spring and summer and summer and fall.     

Habitat alteration,hunting and the conservation of folivorous primates in African forests

Abstract The colobus monkeys and gorillas of African forests share a strong tendency to depend on foliage during lean seasons. In many areas, both kinds of primate are threatened by habitat destruction. But while the total removal of natural habitat is clearly a major threat to the survival of many African forest primates, an analysis of survey data suggests that human predation tends to have a greater negative impact on primate populations than does selective logging or low-intensity bush-fallow agriculture. In the absence of hunting, the population density of colobus monkeys correlates with the protein: fibre ratio of mature tree foliage in their habitat, and the density of gorillas appears to be correlated with the abundance of terrestrial herbaceous vegetation. Because moderately disturbed forest can be relatively rich in high-quality lean-season folivore foods, such forest sometimes supports a higher density of folivorous primates than forest that has not been recently disturbed but that has been subject to hunting. Conservation plans for African forests should place more emphasis on the control of hunting and less on rural development, and long-range plans should also allow for the strong possibility of political instability.     

生态保护项目对大熊猫栖息地的影响

由于森林砍伐、道路建设、农地扩展等人类活动的干扰,我国特有濒危物种大熊猫的栖息地受到了严重威胁,特别是保护区范围之外的大熊猫栖息地。以平武县木皮藏族乡为例,综合利用遥感图像解析、GIS空间分析以及地面调查的方法,研究了1999 2009年期间大熊猫栖息地的变化情况。Landsat TM卫星图像的解译结果表明,2009年的针叶林、针阔混交林和阔叶林的面积分别比1999年增加了10.87%、4.40%和40.24%,灌木林和草地/耕地的面积则下降了10.74%和33.24%。植被转化矩阵表明这一时期各个植被类型间的变化趋势是农田/草地→灌木林→阔叶林→针阔混交林→针叶林。随着天然林保护和退耕还林工程的实施,当地商业采伐活动全部停止,伐区运输木材的公路减少了12.7km(74.71%),退耕还林对当地剩余劳动力产生的挤出作用使得高山居民点的居民向山下转移。基于社区的保护项目帮助农户装备了沼气池等节柴设施,薪柴消耗量由1999年的5675kg/户减少到2009年的2736kg/户,但高山居民点的节柴设施的装备率与沟谷居民点相比差异显著。随着各个干扰因子的强度和范围下降,当地植被向着有利于大熊猫利用的方向演替,大熊猫栖息地面积和质量均发生了改善。表征栖息地质量的栖息地指数HSI由0.74上升到0.80,增长了7.88%。"最适宜"栖息地面积由1999年的4671.63hm²上升到2009年的6020.28hm²,增加了28.87%。栖息地景观多样性指数由1999年的1.29下降为2009年的1.18,景观破碎化程度降低。但是不同适宜度栖息地的变化情况有所不同,"最适宜"栖息地的斑块数量减少,平均斑块面积增大,其他适宜性较低的栖息地斑块增加、平均斑块面积减小,10a间木皮乡的大熊猫栖息地中的低质量部分向高质量转化。研究结果表明大熊猫栖息地的恢复是消除或减少各种干扰的过程。天保工程消除了大规模商业砍伐这一对大熊猫栖息地威胁最大的干扰,而退耕还林工程则通过减少高山居民点的人口来减少人类对森林的压力,间接促进了大熊猫栖息地的恢复。未来应该开展不同土地利用情景下的大熊猫栖息地的变化情况,为大熊猫栖息地保护提供科学依据。