Classification and ordination of plant communities along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range,New Hampshire,USA

An analysis of vegetation along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range, New Hampshire, USA, using the Braun–Blanquet approach followed by multivariate data analysis is presented. Twelve main plant communities have been distinguished. Floristic information is presented in twelve tables and one appendix. The relationships of the communities to complex environmental gradients are analyzed using Correspondence Analysis. Floristic composition and community structure are controlled primarily by the altitudinal gradient (temperature, precipitation), and by mesotopographic conditions (snow accumulation, exposure and cryoturbation, slope position, and soil moisture).     

Ordination of vegetation change in Guadalupe Mountains,New Mexico,USA

Vegetation change over a nine-year period was studied in Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico. Permanent transects in desert shrub vegetation were sampled in 1972 and 1980. Emphasis was given to shrubs because of their importance to big game diets. Univariate paired t-tests and reciprocal averaging ordination were used to detect and display coordinated changes in species composition over time. Despite apparently less browsing pressure in desert shrub vegetation in 1980 there were few significant changes in species composition. In addition, preferred forage species showed reduced reproduction while species of intermediate and poor forage value dis-played increased reproduction during this time. These data do not support traditional rangeland succession theory which states that enhanced reproduction of preferred species should follow grazing or browsing pressure reduction.     

Analysis of nitrogen saturation potential in Rocky Mountain tundra and forest: implications for aquatic systems

We employed grass and forest versions of the CENTURY model under a range of N deposition values (0.02–1.60 g N m^–2 y^–1) to explore the possibility that high observed lake and stream N was due to terrestrial N saturation of alpine tundra and subalpine forest in Loch Vale Watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Model results suggest that N is limiting to subalpine forest productivity, but that excess leachate from alpine tundra is sufficient to account for the current observed stream N. Tundra leachate, combined with N leached from exposed rock surfaces, produce high N loads in aquatic ecosystems above treeline in the Colorado Front Range. A combination of terrestrial leaching, large N inputs from snowmelt, high watershed gradients, rapid hydrologic flushing and lake turnover times, and possibly other nutrient limitations of aquatic organisms constrain high elevation lakes and streams from assimilating even small increases in atmospheric N. CENTURY model simulations further suggest that, while increased N deposition will worsen the situation, nitrogen saturation is an ongoing phenomenon.     

北京山地植物多样性优先保护地区评价

为促进北京市植物多样性的保护及自然保护区的合理建设与布局,以2001～2006年间在北京市13个自然保护区、森林公园或者风景名胜区内实地调查的1168个样地数据为基础,根据在北京市分布的25种珍稀濒危植物种,以及丰富度高的群落类型、面积较大的天然森林群落类型和具有重要生态功能的森林群落的评定结果,采用等级赋值的方法,利用地理信息系统软件从植物物种和植物群落方面综合评定了北京市山地植物多样性的优先保护地区.评定出综合优先保护地区总面积为184474.64hm2,约占市国土面积的11.25%,其中一级优先保护地区总面积24850.50hm2,二级优先保护地区总面积78606 60hm2,三级优先保护地区总面积81017.54hm2.优先保护地区主要分布于怀柔区、延庆县、房山区和密云县等远郊区县,结合北京市自然保护区分布现状,提出了北京市自然保护区建设优化方案.     

贺兰山马鹿冬春季生境的选择

2007年12月～2008年1月和2008年4～5月,在贺兰山利用痕迹检验法和直接观察法对马鹿阿拉善亚种冬春季生境选择进行研究.通过在选定的15条沟段里进行调查,冬春季各测定了131个和181个样方的18种生态因子.结果表明,冬春季贺兰山马鹿在植被类型、优势乔木、灌木密度、灌木高度、灌木距离、坡向、坡位、海拔高度、距裸岩距离和隐蔽级10种生态因子上差异极显著(P ＜ 0.001),其余生态因子无显著差异(P ＜ 0.05),相对于冬季生境而言,马鹿春季更偏爱选择以油松和青海云杉为优势乔木的山地针叶林带,灌木密度大、高度高、距离近,半阴半阳坡的中坡位,海拔较高,距裸岩较近,隐蔽程度高的生境.典则判别系数显示冬春季马鹿在生境选择上存在一定程度的重叠,但春季马鹿的分布范围要比冬季更广一些,Wilk's λ值显示冬春季马鹿的生境选择具有较高的差异性(Wilk's λ = 0.683,x2 = 116.995,df = 13,P ＜ 0.001).逐步判别分析表明在区分冬春季马鹿生境方面有一系列生态因子发挥作用,依照贡献值的大小依次为:乔木密度、灌木距离、坡度、海拔高度、距水源距离、距裸岩距离和隐蔽级,由这7个变量构成的方程对冬春季马鹿生境的正确区分率达到79.9%,其中对春季的误判率为22.1%,对冬季的误判率为20.6%.     

千山油松年轮宽度年表的建立及其与气候的关系

以千山油松为样本,建立了年轮宽度标准化年表、差值年表和自回归年表.结果表明,油松年轮宽度与5—7和9—11月温度指标的相关性较高,且与低温呈正相关,其中与7月的极端最低温、9月的平均最低温显著相关.3种年表与上年12月和当年1月的极端最低温、1月的平均最低温呈显著相关,且其与全年、上年12月、当年5月的降水量显著相关,与4月的降水量极显著相关.油松与水汽压、相对湿度的月和年指标均有较强的相关性.蒸发的年指标和绝大部分月指标对油松生长具有负效应,其中4—7月最明显.油松年表的窄化突变佐证了1800年以来的30次主要的旱灾年历史记录.千山油松的生长受全球或半球尺度气候变化的影响.年表与太阳活动存在显著的11、23和50年左右的公共周期,与地磁指标在10、20和45年左右存在共同的周期变化.     

Feeding habitats of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) during winter and spring in Helan Mountains, China

The feeding habitat selection of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) was studied by direct observation method in the Helan Mountains, China during winter (from November to December) and spring (from April to June) from 2003 to 2004. We established 25 line transects to collect information on feeding habitats used by blue sheep. Blue sheep in the study area preferred mountain savanna forests, a habitat dominated by Ulmus glaucescens, with medium tree density (<4 individuals / 400 m²), moderate tree height (4–6 m), higher shrub density (> 5 individuals / 100 m²), higher shrub (> 1.3 m), higher food abundance (> 50 g), moderate distance to human disturbance (< 500 m), and mild distance to bare rock (< 2 m). Such habitats characterized by 12 ecological factors were preferred as feeding areas by blue sheep during winter. Similar to habitat selection by the species during winter, blue sheep also showed a preference for mountain savanna with tree dominated by Ulmus glaucescens and medium tree density (< 4 individuals / 400 m²) during spring. Nevertheless, blue sheep preferred medium tree height (< 6 m), moderate tree density (5–10 individuals / 100 m²), medium shrub height (1.3–1.7 m), higher food abundance (> 100 g), moderate altitude (< 2 000 m), moderate distance to water resource (< 500 m), and medium hiding cover (50%–75%) during spring. Selection of the feeding habitats by sheep showed a significant difference in vegetation type, landform feature, dominant tree, tree height, shrub density, distance to the nearest shrub, food abundance, slope direction, slope degree, distance to water resource, and hiding cover between winter and spring. Results of principal components analysis indicated that the first principal component accounted for 24.493% of the total variance among feeding habitat variance during winter, with higher loadings for vegetation type, dominant tree, tree height, distance to the nearest tree, shrub density, shrub height, altitude, distance to water resource, and distance to human disturbance. In spring, the first principal components explained 28.777% of the variance, with higher loadings for vegetation type, distance to the nearest tree, shrub height, distance to the nearest shrub, food abundance, altitude, and distance to human disturbance. Translated from Zoological Research, 2005, 26(6): 580–589 [译自: 动物学研究]     

天山林区雪岭云杉和异果小檗夏季水分来源

天山雪岭云杉针叶林内乔灌木水分利用模式尚不明确,水分利用动态缺乏定量分析。本研究对雪岭云杉和伴生灌木异果小檗茎杆木质部水及各潜在水源的氢氧稳定同位素组成进行测定,运用IsoSource模型定量分析两树种夏季对各潜在水源的相对利用比例。结果表明: 7月,土壤含水量充足时,雪岭云杉和异果小檗主要吸收利用60 cm以上土壤水,相对利用比例分别为73.8%和63.2%。8月,土壤含水量相对较低时,雪岭云杉水分来源保持稳定,对60 cm以上土壤水的相对利用比例为69.5%;异果小檗则转换至利用更深层的水源,对0～20 cm浅层土壤水的相对利用比例降至14.3%,主要吸收利用中层(20～60 cm)和深层(60～100 cm)土壤水,相对利用比例为67.7%。9月,随着0～20 cm浅层土壤含水量升高,两树种恢复对浅层土壤水的吸收利用,相对利用比例达95.0%。综上,雪岭云杉表现出典型的浅根系特征,其吸收利用的水源主要来自浅层土壤水;异果小檗则能够在0～100 cm的土壤各层吸收利用水分,同时随土壤含水量的变化灵活转换其水源,从而应对环境水分变异。     

Species richness,abundance and diversity of ichneumonid wasps in Japanese beech forests impacted by sika deer and sawfly herbivory

We investigated the community structure of ichneumonid wasps inhabiting beech forests at six sites in the Tanzawa Mountains of Japan under different magnitudes of impact by sika deer Cervus nippon and beech sawfly Fagineura crenativora on vegetation. Using yellow flight-interception traps, we captured 2,528 ichneumonid wasps representing 367 species in 23 subfamilies. The number of species at each site ranged from 77 to 136 and approximately 80% of these were low-density species (i.e. only one to two individuals captured per site). The number of individuals at each site ranged from 248 to 897, and the percentage of the beech sawfly parasitoids varied widely from 1% to 57%. The numbers of species in parasitoid groups categorized according to their hosts, that is, sawfly (not including the beech sawfly), Lepidoptera, woodborer, fungivore or the others, did not greatly differ among the study sites. Parasitoids attacking herbivorous insects exceeded others in species richness and abundance at all sites. Six sites were classified into four groups in terms of abundance of the host groups when excluding the parasitoids of the beech sawfly, but into only two groups when including these parasitoids. Species diversity and evenness were the highest at the least impacted site even if the beech sawfly parasitoids were excluded from calculation. We suggested some environmental factors, such as groundcover vegetation, abundance of the beech sawfly and structure and age of forest stands, that could have affected the community structure of ichneumonid wasps in the beech forests.     

New fish assemblages from the Middle Permian from the Guadalupe Mountains,West Texas,USA

Late Wordian/Capitanian (Guadalupian, Middle Permian) fish assemblages are described from the “McKittrick Canyon Limestone”, Lamar Limestone and Reef Trail Members of the Bell Canyon Formation in the Patterson Hills and the PI section (Hegler/Pinery Members) along Highway 62/180 in the Guadalupe Mountains, West Texas. The assemblages contain chondrichthyan teeth of Stethacanthulus meccaensis, Texasodus varidentatus, Cooleyella cf. amazonensis, C. cf. peculiaris, and the new genus and species Lamarodus triangulus; and buccopharyngeal denticles of undetermined symmoriiform; chondrichthyan scales of eight morphotypes; fragment of an actinopterygian jaw, isolated teeth; the scales of Alilepis sp., Varialepis sp. and undetermined elonichthyid and haplolepid fishes. Using microtomography, the vascularization system has been observed for the first time for the teeth of Texasodus varidentatus and a new taxon Lamarodus triangulus. The distribution of chondrichthyan taxa was analyzed for the known fish assemblages of the Early, Middle, and Late Permian of the world. The end-Guadalupian crisis in the evolution of chondrichthyan fishes involved substantially more taxonomic change than the Permian–Triassic mass extinction.