Conservation of temperate forest birds in Chile: implications from the study of an isolated forest relict

We characterize the bird assemblage of an isolated relict temperaterainforest (Santa Inés) in terms of its structure, composition anddynamics. The relict character and long-term isolation of this forest remnant,immersed in a matrix of semiarid scrub, provide a natural experiment to assessthe consequences of long-term isolation and forest area reduction for temperatebird species. Bird surveys were conducted in a forest fragment and thesurrounding scrub matrix between April 1999 (austral autumn) and October 2000(austral spring) on a seasonal basis. Within the forest fragment wedistinguished two microhabitat types: creeks and areas far from creeks (i.e.slopes). A total of 36 species were recorded in the study site, of which 21were inside the relict forest. Highest bird abundance and richness wererecorded during winter and spring, and these were always higher in creek plotsrather than slope plots. Comparisons between this assemblage and thosedistributed in the continuous temperate forest (located more than 900km southwards) indicate that this bird assemblage shares moresimilarities, with regard to bird species composition, to southern temperateforest localities and to other relict forests, than to nearer scrub habitats.However, there are eight species, endemic to temperate forests in southern SouthAmerica, missing from our system. In this regard, our analyses indicate thatthese eight endemic species should be of great conservation concern and willlikely be the ones that will go extinct first if the fragmentation of thetemperate forest continues.     

基于生态足迹模型的延边林区可持续发展评价

生态足迹是评价可持续发展状况和能力的重要指标之一。本文以统计年鉴和林业年鉴为主要数据来源,对延边林区1996~2002年的生态足迹进行了计算和分析。结果表明,该区人均生态足迹逐年下降,人均生态承载力波动较小,而人均生态盈余逐年增长。人均万元GDP生态足迹逐年递减,同西部地区相当,而明显高于东部。人均林地生态足迹变化平稳,天然林保护工程实施前后林地生产足迹和林地出口足迹的平均值分别降低了0.341和0.327 hm2.人-1,降幅分别为46.32%和54.94%。延边区域和林业的发展是可持续的,天然林保护工程的实施有助于增强其可持续发展能力,但同林业发达国家相比,仍有很大差距。依靠科技,提高单位面积林地产量和资源利用率,合理经营和管理森林生态系统是今后的工作重点。     

Hydraulic architecture and water use of selected species from a lower montane forest in Panama

 Plant water relations of nine woody species were studied in a lower montane rain forest in Panama. These data provide a partial test of the hypothesis that hydraulic architecture of lower montane species might limit transpiration and thus leaf size or nutrient transport (as suggested by J. Cavelier and E. G. Leigh, respectively). Diurnal variation in leaf transpiration was closely correlated with changes in net radiation. Peak transpiration rates (7 × 10^–5 kg s^–1 m^–2) were as high as peak transpiration rates from tropical lowland forests but mean daily water use [0.39 ± 0.08 (SEM) kg m^–2 day^–1] were mostly lower than comparable data from tropical lowland forests. Thus transpiration rates are sufficiently high for sufficiently long periods to make it unlikely that nutrient transport is limited by transpiration. Another objective of this study was a comparison of two different methods to measure hydraulic conductance (K_h = flow rate per unit pressure gradient) and leaf specific conductance of stem segments (K_L = K_h/leaf area distal to the segment). The results obtained with the traditional conductivity apparatus and the high pressure flow meter method, yielded similar results in six out of seven cases. Received: 20 March / Accepted: 21 October 1997     

Distribution and size of capercaillie leks in relation to old forest fragmentation

Summary Distribution and size of 38 capercaillie Tetrao urogallus leks were related to amount and configuration of old forest patches in two south-east Norwegian coniferous forests. The smallest occupied patch was 48 ha containing a solitary displaying cock. All patches larger than 1 km² contained leks. Number of cocks per lek increased with increasing patch size. Number of leks per patch increased in a step-wise manner with one lek added for each 2.5–3 km² increase in patch size. In large patches there was one lek per 3–5 km² old forest, and density of lekking cocks was 2–2.5 per km². In small patches density of cocks varied considerably. Density of cocks was not related to patch isolation or patch shape. However, among leks surrounded by 50–60% old forest within a 1 km radius, number of cocks increased with increasing old forest fine-graininess. We argue that when old forests cover more than 50%, a fine-grained mosaic may support higher densities of lekking cocks than a coarse-grained mosaic. Conversely, when old forests cover less than 50%, a fine-grained mosaic is unfavourable, because each old forest patch becomes too small and isolated. Finally, we present a predictive model of how old forest fragmentation influences density of leks, number of cocks per lek, and total density of cocks.     

1965–2010年大兴安岭森林火灾碳排放的估算研究

 火干扰是森林生态系统的重要干扰因子, 是导致植被和土壤碳储量发生变化的重要原因。火干扰所排放的含碳气体对气候变化具有重要的影响。科学有效地对森林火灾所排放的碳进行计量, 对了解区域和全球的碳平衡及碳循环具有重要的意义。根据大兴安岭森林资源调查数据和1965–2010年森林火灾统计资料, 利用地理信息系统GIS (geographic information system)技术, 通过野外火烧迹地调查与室内控制环境实验相结合的方法确定各种计量参数, 从林分水平上, 采用排放因子法, 估算了大兴安岭1965–2010年46年间森林火灾所排放的碳和含碳气体量。结果表明: 大兴安岭46年间森林火灾排放的碳为2.93 × 10⁷ t, 年平均排放量为6.38 × 10⁵ t, 约占全国年均森林火灾碳排放量的5.64%; 含碳气体CO₂、CO、CH₄和非甲烷烃(NMHC)的排放量分别为1.02 × 10⁸、9.41 × 10⁶、5.41 × 10⁵和2.11 × 10⁵ t, 含碳气体CO₂、CO、CH₄和NMHC的年均排放量分别为2.22 × 10⁶、2.05 × 10⁵、1.18 × 10⁴和4.59 × 10³ t, 分别占全国年均森林火灾各含碳气体排放量的5.46%、7.56%、10.54%和4.06%; 针阔混交林燃烧效率较低, 虽然火烧面积占总过火面积的21.23%, 但排放的碳只占总排放量的7.81%, 为此提出了相应的林火管理策略。     

Assessing the impacts of fragmentation on plant communities in New Zealand: scaling from survey plots to landscapes

Aim Few studies have attempted to assess the overall impact of fragmentation at the landscape scale. We quantify the impacts of fragmentation on plant diversity by assessing patterns of community composition in relation to a range of fragmentation measures. Location The investigation was undertaken in two regions of New Zealand – a relatively unfragmented area of lowland rain forest in south Westland and a highly fragmented montane forest on the eastern slopes of the Southern Alps. Methods We calculated an index of community similarity (Bray–Curtis) between forest plots we regarded as potentially affected by fragmentation and control forest plots located deep inside continuous forest areas. Using a multiple nonlinear regression technique that incorporates spatial autocorrelation effects, we analysed plant community composition in relation to measures of fragmentation at the patch and landscape levels. From the resulting regression equation, we predicted community composition for every forest pixel on land‐cover maps of the study areas and used these maps to calculate a landscape‐level estimate of compositional change, which we term ‘BioFrag’. BioFrag has a value of one if fragmentation has no detectable effect on communities within a landscape, and tends towards zero if fragmentation has a strong effect. Results We detected a weak, but significant, impact of fragmentation metrics operating at both the patch and landscape levels. Observed values of BioFrag ranged from 0.68 to 0.90, suggesting that patterns of fragmentation have medium to weak impacts on forest plant communities in New Zealand. BioFrag values varied in meaningful ways among landscapes and between the ground‐cover and tree and shrub communities. Main conclusions BioFrag advances methods that describe spatial patterns of forest cover by incorporating the exact spatial patterns of observed species responses to fragmentation operating at multiple spatial scales. BioFrag can be applied to any landscape and ecological community across the globe and represents a significant step towards developing a biologically relevant, landscape‐scale index of habitat fragmentation.     

山西忻州地区1900-2012年典型森林的健康历史

健康的森林对维持其区域生态系统服务起着至关重要的作用,了解树木的生长历史对评估气候变化背景下森林的健康状况具有促进作用。选择山西高原中北部忻州地区保存较好的4个森林为研究对象,利用树木年轮学方法分析其生长变化特征,获得了该地区森林健康的时间和空间特征。结果表明：该地区森林在过去1个世纪中,存在3次不健康事件（1910-1940、1970-1987和1990-2012年）且在空间上表现出明显的同步性,不同时期的不健康事件持续时间和强度不尽相同,1930s的不健康事件持续时间最长也最为显着。树木径向生长与气象观测资料的相关分析显示,该地区森林生长主要与当年5-6月份温度呈负相关,与7月份降水和5-9月PDSI指数显着正相关。生长季持续的高温或降水减少造成的极端干旱事件是不健康事件空间一致性的主要驱动力,各采样点树种以及林分组成差异是影响时间特征不一致的可能原因。研究结果提供的森林健康历史数据对评估极端气候条件对森林健康生长的影响及制定合理的森林保护措施具有积极的现实意义。     

黑龙江省温带森林火灾碳排放的计量估算

森林火灾干扰作为森林生态系统重要的干扰因子,剧烈地改变着森林生态系统的结构、功能、格局与过程,对区域乃至全球的碳循环与碳平衡产生重要影响。随着全球气候变暖,森林火灾干扰的频率和强度进一步加剧,其排放的含碳气体对大气中温室气体浓度的贡献率更大,进而加快气候变暖的速率。科学有效地对森林火灾碳排放及含碳气体排放量进行计量估算,对了解区域乃至全球的碳循环及碳平衡具有重要的理论价值和实践意义。根据黑龙江省温带森林1953—2012年火灾统计资料和森林调查数据,结合地理信息系统GIS技术,通过野外火烧迹地调查以及实验室的控制环境实验来确定森林火灾碳排放计量中的各种参数,在林分水平上,利用排放因子的方法,估算了黑龙江省温带森林60年间火灾碳排放量和含碳气体排放量。结果表明:黑龙江省温带森林60年间火灾碳排放量为5.88×107t,年均排放量为9.80×105t,约占全国年均森林火灾碳排放量的8.66%;含碳气体CO2、CO、CH4和非甲烷烃(nonmethane hydrocarbons,NMHC)的排放量分别为1.89×108、1.06×107、6.33×105和4.43×105t,含碳气体CO2、CO、CH4和NMHC的年均排放量分别为3.15×106、1.77×105、1.05×104和7.38×103t,分别占全国年均森林火灾各含碳气体排放量的7.74%、6.52%、9.42%和6.53%。研究发现针阔混交林型的森林火灾面积占总过火林地面积的57.54%,由于其燃烧效率较低,在森林火灾中的碳排放量仅占排放总量的38.57%;尤其是针阔混交林森林火灾面积占总过火林地面积的20.71%,而碳排放量仅占总排放量的9.67%;且CO2的排放因子较低,其CO2排放量仅占总排放量的8.95%。同时研究表明,黑龙江省温带森林年均的碳排放对该区域的碳循环与碳平衡产生重要影响,并针对研究结果提出了应对气候变化的森林经营可持续管理策略,亦提出了科学的林火管理策略及其合理化的林火管理路径。     

Landscape and farm scale management to enhance biodiversity conservation in the cocoa producing region of southern Bahia, Brazil

In southern Bahia, Brazil, large land areas are used for the production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao), which is predominantly grown under the shade of native trees in an agroforestry system locally known as cabruca. As a dominant forest-like landscape element of the cocoa region, the cabrucas play an important role in the conservation of the region’s biodiversity. The purpose of this review is to provide the scientific basis for an action plan to reconcile cocoa production and biodiversity conservation in southern Bahia. The available research collectively highlights the diversity of responses of different species and biological groups to both the habitat quality of the cabrucas themselves and to the general characteristics of the landscape, such as the relative extent and spatial configuration of different vegetation types within the landscape mosaic. We identify factors that influence directly or indirectly the occurrence of native species in the cabrucas and the wider landscape of the cocoa region and develop recommendations for their conservation management. We show that the current scientific knowledge already provides a good basis for a biodiversity friendly management of the cocoa region of southern Bahia, although more work is needed to refine some management recommendations, especially on shade canopy composition and density, and verify their economic viability. The implementation of our recommendations should be accompanied by appropriate biological and socioeconomic monitoring and the findings should inform a broad program of adaptive management of the cabrucas and the wider cocoa landscape.     

1999—2003年陕西省森林生态系统固碳释氧服务功能价值评估

基于陕西省森林生态系统的长期、连续定位观测,采用陕西省第6次森林资源清查数据,根据陕西省南北部气候差异显著的情况,采用森林在陕西南、北不同气候带下的实际生产力计算了森林生态系统固碳释氧的实物量。并采用市场价值法、费用代替法、替代工程法、Volume-derived biomass等方法估算森林生态系统固碳释氧服务功能的经济价值。结果表明:19992003年间,(1)陕西省北部森林生态系统年固碳量524.6×104t,年释氧量1404.6×104t,单位面积年固碳量1.364t/(hm.2a),单位面积年释氧量3.652t/(hm.2a)。(2)南部森林生态系统年固碳量1797×104t,年释氧量5918.9×104t,单位面积年固碳量3.459t/(hm.2a);南部单位面积年释氧量9.260t/(hm.2a)。陕西省南部森林生态功能明显优于北部森林。(3)从森林类型来看,林分单位面积生态功能最强,经济价值最大,疏林地的功能和价值则最小。(4)陕西省森林生态系统年固碳经济价值是328.27×108元,年释氧经济价值为732.35×108元,总价值1060.62×108元。(5)文中对陕西省优势树种固碳释氧功能的计算由于未能按照不同林龄分别计算,存在一定误差,需要进行更为深入、细致的研究。     

The responses to shade of seedlings of very small-seeded tree and shrub species from tropical rain forest in Singapore

1. Newly germinated seedlings of six tree and shrub species with very small seeds (31–460 μg dry mass), one light-demanding and five shade-tolerant at the stage of establishment in the wild, were grown for 5 months in neutral shade houses with 0·5, 1, 3·5 and 7·5% daylight.
2. The ratio of yield in 7·5% to that in 1% was 8:1 for the light-demanding Melastoma malabathricum but only 2:1 for the confamilial shade-tolerator Pternandra echinata. The Pternandra, Urophyllum hirsutum, Ficus chartacea, Ficus grossularioides and Pellacalyx saccardianus showed a graded series of responses to irradiance, generally consistent with their apparent demands for light in the wild. In contrast, survival of very deep shade was not clearly related to light demand in nature.
3. The results support the conclusion drawn from observational studies that large seed size is not primarily adaptive in resisting shade but in resisting the associated risks of burial by litter, desiccation during dry spells, uprooting by birds and other kinds of damage by animals or falling debris.     

Somatic embryogenesis by liquid culture of epidermal layers in sunflower: from genetic control to cell development

Embryos were obtained using liquid medium culture of sunflower hypocotyl epidermis layers according to the Pélissier etal. (1990) method. In the present work we identified genetic factors controlling somatic embryogenesis and we evidenced the role of ionic channels in embryogenic tissues. Two traits, the number of embryogenic explants (EE) and the number of embryos (EM) were scored in 74 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross between lines PAC-2 and RHA-266. Analysis of variance indicated the existence of highly significant differences among the parental genotypes and their RILs. Heritability for the somatic embryogenesis traits studied were high (0.64 for EE and 0.77 for EM). Four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for EE and seven for EM were detected using composite interval mapping. The QTLs for EE explained 48% of the phenotypic variation while the QTLs for EM explained about 89% of the variation, thus revealing several genomic regions related to somatic embryogenesis control in sunflower. In order to study the distribution of ion channels in somatic embryos as compared to zygotic ones, we used a fluorescent-labelled phenylalkylamine, DM-Bodipy PAA, as a probe. Fluorescence labelling was determined by confocal microscopy. The probe intensively labelled the protoderm and epidermis cells in both zygotic and somatic embryos. Callus exhibited labelling on sites where somatic embryos developed. Considering that the location of phenylalkylamine (PAA) binding sites is related to the distribution of ion channels, the high intensity in the protoderm and epidermis of embryos, point to similar properties and functions and their key role in embryo development.     

Idiosyncratic responses to climate‐driven forest fragmentation and marine incursions in reed frogs from Central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea Islands

Organismal traits interact with environmental variation to mediate how species respond to shared landscapes. Thus, differences in traits related to dispersal ability or physiological tolerance may result in phylogeographic discordance among co‐distributed taxa, even when they are responding to common barriers. We quantified climatic suitability and stability, and phylogeographic divergence within three reed frog species complexes across the Guineo‐Congolian forests and Gulf of Guinea archipelago of Central Africa to investigate how they responded to a shared climatic and geological history. Our species‐specific estimates of climatic suitability through time are consistent with temporal and spatial heterogeneity in diversification among the species complexes, indicating that differences in ecological breadth may partly explain these idiosyncratic patterns. Likewise, we demonstrated that fluctuating sea levels periodically exposed a land bridge connecting Bioko Island with the mainland Guineo‐Congolian forest and that habitats across the exposed land bridge likely enabled dispersal in some species, but not in others. We did not find evidence that rivers are biogeographic barriers across any of the species complexes. Despite marked differences in the geographic extent of stable climates and temporal estimates of divergence among the species complexes, we recovered a shared pattern of intermittent climatic suitability with recent population connectivity and demographic expansion across the Congo Basin. This pattern supports the hypothesis that genetic exchange across the Congo Basin during humid periods, followed by vicariance during arid periods, has shaped regional diversity. Finally, we identified many distinct lineages among our focal taxa, some of which may reflect incipient or unrecognized species.     

Lentiviral vector-derived shRNAs confer enhanced suppression of Semliki forest virus replication in BHK-21 cells compared to shRNAs expressed from plasmids

Semliki forest virus (SFV) is a pathogen causing lethal encephalitis in laboratory mice. In this study, we obtained three short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) which could specifically target SFV sequence in GFP reporting systems and effectively suppress SFV replication in luciferase-containing reporter virus system. At a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.001, the luciferase reporter activity was reduced by 78–92% by shRNA expression plasmids and virus yields reduced 2 to 10-fold at 20 h post-infection. When lentiviral vector-derived shRNAs were employed, the virus titers decreased 8 to 126-fold at 24 h post-infection and 6 to 19-fold at 48 h post-infection and the cell survival was prolonged. These data formed the basis for further in vivo studies of RNA interference in mouse models.     

坝上地区不同年代退耕还林生境的草本层植物多样性及影响因子

退耕还林是坝上地区重要的生态修复工程,其生态效益日益受到广泛关注,但针对林下植物多样性保护功能的研究还较少,虽然草本层植被是森林生态系统服务功能的重要指标之一。为评估不同年代退耕还林生境的生物多样性,调查了20世纪70年代至21世纪初共4个年代退耕还林生境的草本层植物多样性,并与弃耕生境及自然林生境进行了对比。为进一步分析林下草本层植物多样性的影响因子,还分析了乔灌层植被、土壤理化性质与林下草本植物多样性的关系。结果显示,不同年代退耕还林的林下草本植物多样性未有显著差异,且均显著低于弃耕生境与自然林生境。草本层物种丰富度对土壤碱解氮含量、灌木层丰富度、灌木层密度具有显著的正响应,Simpson多样性主要与乔木层林木密度呈显著负相关。研究表明,不同年代退耕还林后的林下草本层植物多样性保护功能低于预期,而改善林分空间结构与建设模式可能利于提升其生物多样性保护功能。未来植被修复中需充分权衡生态系统不同服务功能之间的关系,因地制宜,宜林则林,宜草则草,重视自然恢复与多元化生态修复方式,以实现更好生态效益。     

中国主要城市森林对大气PM2.5的削减量及其占大气PM2.5总量比例

空气中的细颗粒物(PM_2.5)是我国城市空气污染的主要污染物之一,严重威胁着城市居民的健康,限制城市发展的可持续性。PM_2.5去除的自然途径有两种,分别是干沉降和湿沉降,其中干沉降占据主导作用,且干沉降的过程和效率与城市森林紧密关联。目前针对城市森林对干沉降作用的研究主要是在小尺度中从不同树种、不同群落结构、不同景观类型等角度来估算并比较其滞尘量,较少关注其占空气污染总量的比率,从而可能影响对城市森林滞尘服务能力的判断。因此,利用城市森林效益(Urban Forest Effect, UFORE)模型中的大气污染干沉降模块的核心算法,以2015年为例,估算了我国主要城市辖区的城市森林一年内对大气中的PM_2.5削减量以及其占空气中PM_2.5污染总量的比重。结果显示：(1)2015年全国主要城市单位绿地面积日均滞尘量较高地区主要集中在华北地区、华东地区、以及东北地区。其中北京30.47mg/m²,苏州24.63mg/m²,沈阳28.55mg/m²