生态恢复评价研究进展与展望： 第5届国际生态恢复学会大会会议述评

第5届国际生态恢复学会大会于2013年10月6—11日在美国威斯康星州麦迪逊召开.来自50多个国家的约1200位代表参加了本次大会,讨论了生态恢复不同领域的最新进展.会议中关于生态恢复评价的探讨主要从生态恢复评价指标体系的建立、生态恢复的评价方法、生态恢复监测与动态评价三方面展开.会议强调了生态恢复评价在生态恢复过程中的重要地位,关注了生态恢复评价研究中面临的挑战.对我国生态恢复评价研究主要有以下启示： 1)加强构建全面、综合的评价指标体系,注重评价过程的多方参与;2)注重生态恢复评价的尺度效应与尺度转换研究;3)拓展3S技术在生态恢复评价中的应用,促进生态恢复动态监测的发展;4)积极开展国际交流合作,提升我国生态恢复研究的国际影响力.
     

Where is the Evidence for Assessing Evidence‐Based Restoration? Comments on Ntshotsho et al. (2010)

In their article “Assessing the evidence base for restoration in South Africa,” Ntshotsho et al. attempt to determine whether restoration in South Africa is evidence based by reporting on 10 projects' baseline data collection, goal setting, and monitoring. However, their contribution suffers from two major constraints. First, they confuse assessing the evidence base with assessing whether restoration is evidence based. Truly, assessing the evidence base would entail a systematic review of the quantity and quality of information available as well as the conclusions supported, perhaps in a meta‐analytical framework. Determining if restoration is evidence based would require a survey of project managers to evaluate if they take decisions based on scientific information. Second, Ntshotsho et al. do not clearly distinguish successfully achieving restoration project goals from successfully restoring ecosystems. They largely focus on projects' socioeconomic goals without emphasizing that these goals are, by definition, secondary to ecological goals in determining restoration success. Thus, Ntshotsho et al. provide neither a sound assessment of the evidence base for restoration nor whether restoration is evidence based. To evaluate and encourage evidence‐based restoration in South Africa, we recommend a simple assessment of the basis on which restoration managers make decisions, identification of factors precluding evidence‐based decision‐making, and development of platforms to evaluate the data collected in restoration programs to generate an evidence base from which to make defendable decisions.     

生物多样性监测指标体系构建研究进展

生物多样性监测是为确定与预期标准相一致或相背离的程度,而对生物多样性进行定期或不定期的监视,目前已成为生物多样性研究和保护的热点问题。生物多样性监测指标则是一些简化的生物或环境特征参数,说明生物多样性现状和变化趋势,以及人类活动压力对生物多样性的影响,以促进科学界、政府和公众间的沟通,提高生物多样性管理水平。近10年来,国际组织、政府机构和各国学者对生物多样性指标体系的构建进行了大量的探索工作,取得了很多进展,其中有些指标已经应用于实际监测项目。本文综述了生物多样性监测指标筛选的一般标准和指标体系构建的主要理论,梳理目前已提出或应用的主要生物多样性监测指标,以期为我国构建国家或区域尺度生物多样性监测指标体系提供参考。在此基础上分析提出：生物多样性概念的泛化、指标含义模糊以及知识和数据的缺乏是构建生物多样性监测指标的主要困难。我国未来的生物多样性监测指标体系构建需要关注以下两个方面：（1）紧密联系实际,构建适应性的监测指标体系,加强对典型生态系统区域的监测;（2）发展经济社会发展方面的指标,分析生物多样性变化的驱动力,为生物多样性保护和区域可持续发展提供科学依据。     

湿地退化研究进展

受经济发展、城市扩张、气候变化的影响,湿地退化已经成为全球性现象,是当前国际湿地科学前沿领域的热点。从湿地退化标准、退化特征、退化分级、退化过程、退化机理、退化监测体系、退化评价指标与指标体系、退化监测新技术及其生态恢复理论与技术9个方面系统地介绍了当前湿地退化研究进展。结果表明湿地退化过程、退化机理、退化评价指标体系和退化湿地监测、恢复与重建研究是当前研究的重点,在未来相当长的时间内,全球气候变化、湿地退化的微观过程与机理、湿地生态系统的可持续利用将会是重要的研究方向。最后就我国当前湿地退化研究存在的问题进行了分析,并提出近期湿地退化研究亟待开展的11项研究工作,供我国湿地退化研究工作者参考。     

金鱼藻科系统位置评述

金鱼藻科(ceratophyllaceae)含1属7种,广布全世界。形态学研究显示,金鱼藻科具有许多难以解释的性状,与其它类群无法比较;最新的分子系统发育研究显示,金鱼藻科是现存被子植物的基部类群之一;有关金鱼藻科的系统位置存在争议,被子植物(有花植物)的起源与辐射一直是植物系统学家关注的热点。本文对该科系统位置的研究历史与现状进行评述。     

The selection, testing and application of terrestrial insects as bioindicators

Although the uses and merits of terrestrial insects as indicators have been extensively discussed, there is a lack of clear definition, goal directedness and hypothesis testing in studies in the field. In an attempt to redress some of these issues and outline an approach for further studies, three categories of terrestrial insect indicators, corresponding to differences in their application, are proposed, i.e. environmental, ecological and biodiversity indicators. The procedures in terrestrial insect bioindicator studies should start with a clear definition of the study objectives and proposed use of the bioindicator, as well as with a consideration of the scale at which the study is to be carried out. Bioindication studies are conducted at a variety of spatial and temporal scales within the context of earth-system processes, but the objectives of the study will largely determine the scale at which it would be optimally conducted. There is a tendency for studies to be conducted below their space-time scaling functions, giving them apparent predictability. The selection of potential indicator taxa or groups is then based on a priori suitability criteria, the identification of predictive relationships between the indicator and environmental variables and, most importantly, the development and testing of hypotheses according to the correlative patterns found. Finally, recommendations for the use of the indicator in monitoring should be made. Although advocating rigorous, long-term protocols to identify indicators may presently be questionable in the face of the urgency with which conservation decisions have to be made, this approach is critical if bioindicators are to be used with any measurable degree of confidence.     

Ciliates as restoration indicators in peatbogs — 10 years of study

There is almost no information on how restoration of Sphagnum-dominated peatbogs, and in particular removal of reeds, affects the functioning of ciliate communities. Changes in vegetation patterns caused by restoration procedures may take years to be observed, while microbial processes already display effects after short-term exposure to changes in environmental conditions due to restoration. Based on the results of a long-term study, we assumed that mowing down of reeds causes changes in the physicochemical properties of peatbog water and sought to answer the question of how ciliate communities react to these changes and whether these microorganisms can play a significant role as bioindicators in evaluating the restoration process. Removal of reeds clearly modified the taxonomic composition and abundance of ciliates. This was reflected in an increase in the abundance and diversity of these protozoa and in a significant increase in the proportion of sphagnophilous species. Our results suggest an indicator species approach based on functional groups may be appropriate for biomonitoring peatbog restoration. A better understanding of what regulates microbial populations and activity in peatbogs and unravelling of these fundamental mechanisms are particularly critical in order to more accurately predict how peatbogs will respond to anthropogenic disturbances.     

海草床恢复研究进展

海草床是热带和温带重要的海洋生态系统,是许多海洋动物的栖息地、生存场所和食物来源地,具有重要的生态系统服务价值。20世纪以来,全世界的海草床衰退严重,仅1993年到2003年间约有2.6×104km2消失,达到15%,开展海草床的生态恢复已迫在眉睫。总结了海草床衰退的原因及恢复的主要方法。海草床衰退的原因包括自然灾害和人类活动的影响。海草床恢复的方法包括生境恢复法、种子法和移植法。移植法是目前最常用的方法,可分为草皮法、草块法和根状茎法。比较了各方法的优缺点,即(1)生境恢复法投入少、代价低,但周期长;(2)种子法破坏小,但种子难收集、易丧失、萌发率低;(3)草块法成活率高,但对原海草床有破坏作用;(4)根状茎法节约种源,但固定困难。因此,海草床恢复的具体方法取决于种源地、移植地及恢复的目标。我国的海草研究与恢复尚处在起始阶段,移植法应是目前我国海草床恢复的首选方法。就未来我国海草恢复的关键技术和研究重点提出了建议。