新西兰的负鼠——一场尚未完结的与外来入侵有袋类的较量（英）

为发展毛皮工业,新西兰19世纪中叶从澳大利亚引入刷尾负鼠（Trichosurus vulpecula),后成为新西兰一大害兽,刷尾负鼠不仅因破坏当地植被,捕食鸟蛋等而严重影响了新西兰的生物多样性,而且因其传播结核病菌对当地畜牧业造成了很大损失,新西兰每年花费巨额资金来控制这一害兽,虽然刷尾负鼠在一些孤立的岛屿和重复自然保护区已完全被消灭或得到有交和的控制,但在新西兰大部分地区其分布却还在扩展,依然威胁着新西兰的生物多样性和农牧业生产,传统的控制方法包括兽夹捕杀,射杀和药物灭杀,其效果不佳的主要原因是：1）受资金的限制;2）小面积控制后因为种群密度减小,负鼠的生育率,存活率随之增高,加上新个体从周围迁入,种群数量迅速恢复,生物防治特别是免疫绝育法被认为是经济,人道及有效的方法,新的研究结果证明刷尾负鼠具有一雄多雌的繁殖方式,而且在雌兽被绝育后,种群中雄兽与雌兽之比率反而增高,因此雌兽绝育可能不会降低雌雄负鼠之间的接触频率,这些研究结果表明免疫绝育控制刷尾负鼠是很有前景的。     

樟子松人工林树冠结构的分形分析

基于樟子松人工林7块固定标准地中的31株解析木的树冠体积和叶量,以幂函数关系(F=Av^(D/3))建立了预估树冠表面积的分形维数。同时根据生物量实测数据,建立预估叶量的生物模型Lw=0.180397D^3045903H^-1.67348。基于枝解析、树干解析数据,动态地预估了一年、二年、三年前的树冠体积,并结合树冠体积、叶量的这种幂函数关系可以动态地预估一年、二年、三年前树冠表面积的分形维数,从而反映出树冠结构的动态变化规律。为了了解不同分级样木的分维数变化情况,利用2003年调查的4块生物量标准地数据,根据单株树木各个枝条占据的空间体积与该枝条的带叶枝干重的关系,计算了各标准地不同分级样木树冠的分维数。为探讨单株样木树冠的分维数的计算提供了一种可行方法。树冠的分维数作为表征树冠的动态生长变化是一有用和可靠的指标。     

Natural immigration of brushtail possums,Trichosurus vulpecula,onto Aroha Island,Kerikeri Inlet,Bay of Islands,New Zealand

Abstract

Aroha is a 5 ha island in Kerikeri Inlet, Bay of Islands, which is joined to the North Island mainland by a 200 m long causeway. Introduced Australian brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) spread into the general area only in the mid 1970s, and were first trapped on Aroha Island in June 1979. Since then possums have regularly crossed the causeway, and have been systematically trapped to keep the island free of them. Two hundred and sixty two possums have been trapped on Aroha Island to December 1990, and the annual catch has increased steadily since 1981. About equal numbers of males and females have been trapped. Most possums were caught in March-April and fewest in July-August. Captures on the island were clustered, particularly during the breeding seasons. Average body weight was 2.2 kg; 97% were greys and 3% blacks; the young of females trapped on the island had been born in all months except December to February. In colour, body weight, and breeding pattern the possums trapped on Aroha Island were similar to other possum populations from the northern North Island. Most of the possums invading Aroha Island were 1-2 years old: in contrast to findings from previous studies of possum dispersal, Arona Island was invaded year-round by young male and female possums equally. Some older animals may also have been attracted to the island by fruits available in an orchard there. Maintenance of the possum-free state of Aroha Island will require continuous management.     

Competition for space between introduced brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) and a native galaxiid (Galaxias vulgaris Stokell) in a New Zealand stream

Increasing circumstantial evidence indicates that the introduction of brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) to New Zealand has caused a widespread decline in native fish populations but few of the underlying mechanisms have been investigated. The possibility of spatial competition was investigated by comparing the microhabitat used by native Galaxias vulgaris Stokell (Family Galaxiidae) that were sympatric and allopatric with brown trout. A range of microhabitat variables was measured from random locations where G. vulgaris were present in the Shag River during the day. G. vulgaris preferred coarse substrates, using them as resting places, but showed no other microhabitat preferences. This pattern of microhabitat use did not change in the presence of brown trout although galaxiid densities were considerably lower. Experiments in in situ stream channels confirmed that competition for space does not occur during the day even at high galaxiid densities. This situation changed dramatically at night, however, with G. vulgaris spending significantly more time in slower areas when trout were present. G. vulgaris feeds on drifting invertebrates, so brown trout could affect the galaxiids deleteriously by forcing them to occupy less profitable feeding positions. Interspecific competition for space, perhaps combined with competition for food and predation by trout, could explain declines in G. vulgaris populations.     

Assessing canopy health of native eucalypt forests

Summary   The assessment of forest health is an essential part of the monitoring of ecological sustainability in managed native forests. In Australia, unfortunately, very limited quantitative information on forest health is actually obtained for management and reporting purposes. In this article, we summarize current approaches used in Australia to assess native forest health and some recent developments in the application of remotely acquired digital imagery for classifying canopy health. In a recent study examining Bell miner associated dieback (BMAD), high-resolution airborne imagery was successfully manipulated to present severity categories for BMAD affected canopy. The potential of remotely sensed imagery lies not in map production but in the statistical modelling capacity of this spatial information, particularly when added to climatic and terrain-based spatial data sets. There are several statistical approaches to modelling these spatial datasets and in this article, we discuss our approach to producing a preliminary BMAD model. The importance of ground-based assessments is also emphasized and we recommend tree crown condition as a key health attribute for the spatial modelling of forests. Although significant progress has been made in the application of remote sensing technologies, the structural complexity of native forests means that there are still technical issues that require resolving before this approach becomes operationally routine.