Assessing Ecoregional-Scale Habitat Suitability Index Models for Priority Landbirds

ABSTRACT Emerging methods in habitat and wildlife population modeling promise new horizons in conservation but only if these methods provide robust population-habitat linkages. We used Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data to verify and validate newly developed habitat suitability index (HSI) models for 40 priority landbird species in the Central Hardwoods and West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachitas Bird Conservation Regions. We considered a species’ HSI model verified if there was a significant rank correlation between mean predicted HSI score and mean observed BBS abundance across the 88 ecological subsections within these Bird Conservation Regions. When we included all subsections, correlations verified 37 models. Models for 3 species were unverified. Rank correlations for an additional 5 species were not significant when analyses included only subsections with BBS abundance >0. To validate models, we developed generalized linear models with mean observed BBS abundance as the response variable and mean HSI score and Bird Conservation Region as predictor variables. We considered verified models validated if the overall model was an improvement over an intercept-only null model and the coefficient on the HSI variable in the model was >0. Validation provided a more rigorous assessment of model performance than verification, and models for 12 species that we verified failed validation. Species whose models failed validation were either poorly sampled by BBS protocols or associated with woodland and shrubland habitats embedded within predominantly open landscapes. We validated models for 25 species. Habitat specialists and species reaching their highest densities in predominantly forested landscapes were more likely to have validated models. In their current form, validated models are useful for conservation planning of priority landbirds and offer both insight into limiting factors at ecoregional scales and a framework for monitoring priority landbird populations from readily available national data sets.     

干旱年份三江平原沼泽甲烷(CH4)排放及影响因子

为了研究淡水沼泽CH4排放的影响因子及其机制,在中国东北部的三江平原样地观测了CH4排放通量以及部分影响因子.结果表明,在2003年4～10月生长季内,毛果苔草沼泽CH4通量平均值为3.30 mg·m-2·h-1(最小值为0.65 mg·m-2·h-1,最大值为13.47 mg·m-2·h-1),低于小叶章沼泽化草甸CH4通量平均值4.91 mg·m-2·h-1(最小值为-0.12 mg·m-2·h-1,最大值为16.25 mg·m-2·h-1).在不同阶段,两种类型沼泽CH4通量有明显的变化,控制因子也不一样.4月份低温限制了CH4通量,两种类型沼泽差异很小.5～7月下旬,小叶章沼泽化草甸CH4通量显著高于毛果苔草沼泽CH4通量(P＜0.01),这种差异是由融冻作用造成的.8月份,植株密度和剖面中活性有机碳的浓度成为主要的影响因子,毛果苔草沼泽CH4通量比小叶章沼泽化草甸高.     

气候变化背景下中国农业气候资源变化Ⅳ.黄淮海平原半湿润暖温麦-玉两熟灌溉农区农业气候资源时空变化特征

基于中国黄淮海平原半湿润暖温麦-玉两熟灌溉农区66个气象台站1961-2007年的气候资料,比较分析了该区域内1961-1980年和1981-2007年2个时段喜凉作物和喜温作物温度生长期长度以及温度生长期内的活动积温、日照时数、降水量、参考作物蒸散量和干燥度等农业气候资源的时空变化特征.结果表明： 随着气候变暖,与1961-1980年的平均状况相比,1981-2007年研究区域喜凉作物和喜温作物温度生长期均呈延长趋势,分别延长了7.4和6.9 d;≥0 ℃和≥10 ℃积温总体表现为增加趋势,其气候倾向率分别为4.0～137.0和1.0～142.0 ℃·d·(10 a)^-1;喜凉作物和喜温作物温度生长期日照时数均呈显著下降趋势;全区仅安徽省北部和河南省东南部喜凉作物和喜温作物温度生长期内降水量呈增加趋势,其他地区均呈减少趋势,且以河北省、山东省北部的减幅最明显;全区大部分区域喜凉作物和喜温作物温度生长期内参考作物蒸散量呈下降趋势,干燥度呈增加趋势.     

三江平原农田土壤跳虫多尺度空间自相关性

土壤动物多尺度空间自相关性特征是土壤动物空间异质性和空间共存格局研究的重要基础。以土壤跳虫为研究对象,以中国科学院三江平原沼泽湿地生态实验站为研究区,于2011年8月和10月,选取具30 a以上耕作历史的旱地为实验样地,以5 m为步长设置一个50 m×50 m的实验样地,采用地统计中的全局Moran's I指数和局部Moran's I指数相结合的方法,研究土壤跳虫多尺度空间自相关性特征。全局空间自相关结果表明,土壤跳虫群落总密度和多数跳虫种类存在显著的多尺度空间自相关特征,多数为显著的正的空间自相关性,形成明显的空间集群。局部空间自相关结果表明,土壤跳虫群落总密度和所有跳虫种类均存在显著的局部空间自相关性,在局部地区形成"高—高"和/或"低—低"的空间集群,并和"高—低"和/或"低—高"的空间孤立区相伴发生,即形成"斑块"和"孔隙"相间分布的水平镶嵌格局;这种镶嵌格局具一定的时间动态特征,从夏季到秋季斑块大小和空间分布范围略有变化。研究表明,土壤跳虫具有明显的多尺度空间自相关性;空间集群是土壤跳虫的常见空间分布格局,在样地内形成"斑块"和"孔隙"相间分布的水平镶嵌格局,这种格局具年内时间变异性。     

Life beneath the surface of the central Texan Balcones Escarpment: genus Anillinus Casey, 1918 (Coleoptera,Carabidae, Bembidiini): new species,a key to the Texas species,and notes about their way of life and evolution

The Texas fauna of the genus Anillinus Casey, 1918 includes three previously described species (A. affabilis (Brues), 1902, A. depressus (Jeannel), 1963 and A. sinuatus (Jeannel), 1963) and four new species here described: A. acutipennis Sokolov & Reddell, sp. n. (type locality: Fort Hood area, Bell County, Texas); A. comalensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh, sp. n. (type locality: 7 miles W of New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas); A. forthoodensis Sokolov & Reddell, sp. n. (type locality: Fort Hood area, Bell County, Texas); A. wisemanensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh, sp. n. (type locality: Wiseman Sink, Hays County, Texas). A key for identification of adults of these species is provided. The fauna includes both soil- and cave-inhabiting species restricted to the Balcones Fault Zone and Lampasas Cut Plain and adjacent areas underlain by the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer. Based on morphological and distributional data, we hypothesize that four lineages of endogean Anillinus species extended their geographical ranges from a source area in the Ouachita-Ozark Mountains to the Balconian region in central Texas. There the cavernous Edwards-Trinity aquifer system provided an excellent refugium as the regional climate in the late Tertiary and early Quaternary became increasingly drier, rendering life at the surface nearly impossible for small, litter-inhabiting arthropods. Isolated within the Edwards-Trinity aquifer system, these anilline lineages subsequently differentiated, accounting for the currently known diversity. The paucity of specimens and difficulty in collecting them suggest that additional undiscovered species remain to be found in the region.     

Asian Herpetological Research Instructions for Authors

Asian Herpetological Research （AHR）, an international journal, is published quarterly by the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences （CIB）, and Science Press in cooperation with the Asiatic Herpetological Research Society （AHRS）. The scope of the journal includes all contemporary herpetological research areas including taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, evolution, zoogeography, physiology, ecology, toxicology and conservation biology of amphibians and reptiles.     

水位梯度对三江平原典型湿地植物根茎萌发及生长的影响

通过水位控制模拟试验,研究了水位梯度对三江平原典型湿地植物——小叶章和毛苔草根茎萌发及生长的影响.结果表明:2种植物对水位的适应策略各异,小叶章种群密度、平均高度和最大高度都在0cm水位条件下出现极大值,而毛苔草种群平均高度和最大高度随水位上升而升高,种群密度则随水位上升而下降.在萌发初期,一定时间的无淹水环境促进2种湿地植物的根茎萌发,而淹水抑制其萌发;在生长期,过度的淹水限制了小叶章的生长,而毛苔草则水分越多生长越旺盛;干旱缺水限制植物生长,可能会引起植物生活史的改变.     

三江平原不同群落小叶章种群生物量及氮、磷营养结构动态

对三江平原典型草甸和沼泽化草甸两个群落的优势植物小叶章的生物量、结构动态、不同生长阶段各器官的氮、磷含量和储量动态以及氮、磷养分限制状况进行了研究.结果表明,二者各器官生物量差异显著,但均符合模式Y=A+B_1t+B_2t2+B_3t3;二者地上各器官生物量均为单峰型,且峰值出现的时间相差15 d左右;F/C 均小于1且前者明显大于后者;二者地上各器官的全氮和全磷含量在生长季均单调下降,且叶＞叶鞘＞茎,根中全氮变化基本一致,但全磷变化差别很大;二者各器官“三氮”含量特别是NH₄⁺-N和NO₃^--N含量变化较大,且NH₄⁺-N/NO₃^--N＞1;根是二者氮、磷的重要储库,而茎、叶和叶鞘的氮、磷储量波动较大;两种小叶章的氮/磷＜14,表明氮是影响二者生长的限制性养分,但其对于前者的限制性程度要高于后者.     

三江平原典型湿地及其开垦后土壤中总硫变化的初步研究

以三江平原3种主要沼泽类型--小叶章(Calamagrostis angustifolia)沼泽、乌拉苔草(Carex meyeriana)沼泽、毛果苔草(Carex lasiocarpa)沼泽以及不同开垦年限的耕地为研究对象,对其土壤中总硫含量进行分析,3种沼泽中总硫量的顺序为小叶章沼泽(622．4mg·kg^-1)<乌拉苔草沼泽(820．5mg·kg^-1)、毛果苔草沼泽(1022．4mg·kg^-1),挠力河、鸭绿河、别拉洪河及浓江流域土壤中总硫量的顺序为挠力河(925．0mg·kg^-1)>鸭绿河(841．8mg·kg^-1)>浓江(636．5mg·kg^-1)>别拉洪河(520．8mg·kg^-1)沼泽湿地及耕地土壤总硫量在层次上具有明显的规律性,即由表土层向下,含量逐渐降低,1980～2000年开垦的耕地土壤中总硫含量平均值为180．5mg·kg^-1,而未开垦湿地中的总硫含量平均值为735．8mg·kg^-1。耕地中的总硫量显著低于湿地中的总硫量,并且开垦年限越长,土壤中的总硫量越低,表明湿地开垦导致土壤总硫明显流失。