Redundancy in wildflower strip species helps support spatiotemporal variation in wild bee communities on diversified farms

Wildflower strips are a management practice increasingly used to provide floral resources to wild bees in agroecosystems. Yet, despite known spatiotemporal variation in wild bee communities, the degree to which different wildflower strip species consistently support wild bee communities is poorly understood. Additionally, whether such consistency is related to the functional roles wildflower species play (e.g., in supporting diverse, rare, or unique suites of bee species) has not been considered. Over three years and on four diversified farms, we evaluated spatiotemporal variation in wild bee communities and bee-flower interactions in wildflower strips to better understand the roles of flower strip species in supporting bees. We documented spatiotemporal variation in the abundance, richness, and composition of local wild bee communities. Certain wildflower species consistently supported the highest richness of wild bees across years. These wildflower species were regularly core members of the bee-flower interaction network, visited by both generalist and specialist bees. By contrast, wildflower species supporting the most unique suites of bees were variable in this role among farms. In order to select plant species for wildflower strips that consistently support a high diversity of wild bee communities within farm landscapes, it is useful to consider several different functional roles that plants may play. Whereas a handful of wildflower species may be visited by the majority of local wild bee species, achieving support for the remaining, and perhaps rarer, bee species will require planting additional flower species, which may appear redundant until the spatiotemporal variation in wild bee communities is more thoroughly considered. This functional approach to selecting wildflower species for bee conservation efforts is important for making practical recommendations to land managers and for guiding best management practices in different regions and with diverse management goals.     

Modeling urban landscape dynamics: A review

Reviewed here is the historical development of urban growth models, showing how different disciplines and diverse theories have come together over time to produce the models used today. This review is divided into two sections, the first section reviews the early models that are rooted in transportation and land-use planning and form the foundation on which nearly all modeling efforts are based. These models are already well documented in the literature and an overview here is sufficient. In the second section, an exploration is made into the theories and approaches that have been integrated into urban modeling efforts. The concepts are outlined and one or more contemporary examples are highlighted. These theories and approaches represent the major areas of development that exist in published work.     

Predictors of plant phenology in a diverse high‐latitude alpine landscape: growth forms and topography

Question: Different plant growth forms may have distinctly different functioning in ecosystems. Association of phenological patterns with growth form will therefore help elucidate the role of phenology in an ecosystem. We ask whether growth forms of common vascular plants differ in terms of vegetative and flowering phenology, and if such phenological differences are consistent across environmental gradients caused by landscape‐scale topography. Location: A high‐latitude alpine landscape in Finnmark County, Norway (70°N). Methods: We assessed vegetative and flowering phenology repeatedly in five growth forms represented by 11 common vascular plant species across an altitudinal gradient and among differing slope aspects. Results: Species phenology clustered well according to growth form, and growth form strongly explained variation in both flowering and vegetative phenology. Altitude and aspect were poor predictors of phenological variation. Vegetative phenology of the growth forms, ranked from slowest to fastest, was in the order evergreen shrubs <sedges‐deciduous shrubs <grasses <forbs, while a reverse ranking was found for flowering phenology. Conclusion: Growth form‐specific phenological patterns are associated with fundamentally different abilities for resource acquisition and resource conservation. The weak effect of landscape‐scale topographic factors indicates that variation within growth forms is mainly influenced by local environmental factors not accounted for in this study. On the basis of these results, we argue that growth forms should be considered as predictors of phenology together with the customary use of topography and normalized difference vegetation index, especially when assessing the role of phenology in an ecosystem.     

Review of forest landscape models: Types, methods, development and applications

Forest landscape models simulate forest change through time using spatially referenced data across a broad spatial scale (i.e. landscape scale) generally larger than a single forest stand. Spatial interactions between forest stands are a key component of such models. These models can incorporate other spatio-temporal processes such as natural disturbances (e.g. wildfires, hurricanes, outbreaks of native and exotic invasive pests and diseases) and human influences (e.g. harvesting and commercial thinning, planting, fire suppression). The models are increasingly used as tools for studying forest management, ecological assessment, restoration planning, and climate change. In this paper, we define forest landscape models and discuss development, components, and types of the models. We also review commonly used methods and approaches of modeling forest landscapes, their application, and their strengths and weaknesses. New developments in computer sciences, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing technologies, decision-support systems, and geo-spatial statistics have provided opportunities for developing a new generation of forest landscape models that are increasingly valuable for ecological research, restoration planning and resource management.     

Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) tooth annuli as an index of reproduction in the Beaufort Sea

Multi-decadal time-series of biological indices that reflect the state of a population are rare in ecological studies, but invaluable for assessing environmental regulation of population dynamics. We utilized canine teeth extracted from ringed seals (Pusa hispida) killed by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Beaufort Sea, Canada, in 1985–2011, to obtain widths of annual growth layers in the cementum. Canine teeth for 75 individuals were measured and compared across years using a proportional width index (PWI) spanning 1965–2007. PWI was positively correlated with ringed seal ovulation rate obtained independently from other studies and was significantly lower than normal during ringed seal reproductive declines in 1974–75, 1984–87, 1991–93, and 2004–05, suggesting that PWI reflects ringed seal reproductive capacity. The PWI was also examined against climatic and sea ice factors to assess environmental regulation of ringed seal reproduction. Results suggest that ringed seals benefit from cyclonic circulation regimes in the Beaufort Sea, and an earlier breakup of sea ice in summer that may positively influence the quality and quantity of food during the open water season. Results highlight how cementum annuli in the canine teeth of ringed seals can provide an index of body state and linkages to sea ice conditions. Canine teeth from ringed seals can function as a means to monitor the effects of past Arctic marine variability on area-specific populations for which there are few independent empirical data.     

Global analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus limitation of primary producers in freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems

The cycles of the key nutrient elements nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have been massively altered by anthropogenic activities. Thus, it is essential to understand how photosynthetic production across diverse ecosystems is, or is not, limited by N and P. Via a large-scale meta-analysis of experimental enrichments, we show that P limitation is equally strong across these major habitats and that N and P limitation are equivalent within both terrestrial and freshwater systems. Furthermore, simultaneous N and P enrichment produces strongly positive synergistic responses in all three environments. Thus, contrary to some prevailing paradigms, freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems are surprisingly similar in terms of N and P limitation.     

低盐度围隔调控环境浮游纤毛虫群落结构与动态

为了解施肥与水质调控对养殖水体中原生动物的影响,2008年6-10月,对低盐度围隔调控环境中浮游纤毛虫种群结构及动态变化进行了研究.通过活体观察和标本固定染色法共检测到浮游纤毛虫48种,分属于3纲11目37属,其中寡毛目纤毛虫种类8种;缘毛目7种,腹毛目和盾纤目均为6种;优势种多为富营养化水体中或耐污性种类,如圆筒状拟铃壳虫(Tintinnopsis cylindrata)、球形急游虫(Stranbidium globosaneum)、海洋帆口虫(Pleuronema marinum)、蚤状中缢虫(Mesodinium pulex)、毛板壳虫(Coleps hirtus)、瓜形膜袋虫(Cyclidium citrullus)等.围隔不同施肥处理,对纤毛虫的群落组成与动态变化影响显著,试验期间,围隔中纤毛虫种类平均值最高为9种,最低为4种;密度平均值最高为112.30cells·ml-1,最低为19.50 cells·ml-1;10个围隔中纤毛虫种类平均分别为6～7种,密度平均为52.56 cells·ml-1;施有机肥培藻的围隔,优势种始终是嗜污性较强的纤毛虫.纤毛虫动态与浮游藻类动态变化密切相关,二者的密度变化特点为前期和后期低,中期较高;但多样性的变化规律相反,纤毛虫的多样性表现为前期和后期低,中期较高,藻类的多样性表现为前期和后期高,中期较低.     

长白山阔叶红松林生态价位分级与生态系统经营对策

引入生态价位概念,以长白山阔叶红松林为对象,采用层次分析法进行了生态价位划分．长白山阔叶红松林的生态系统价值评价综合指数由物理环境因素、群落结构组成、干扰状况3方面8个指标构成,包括坡度、土层厚度、土壤母质稳定性、结构盖度指数、物种多样性指数、更新力指数、优势种寿命和干扰度．采用层次分析法取得相应指标的系数;根据综合评价指数分布范围划分了3个生态价位类型,即低生态价位,综合指数1～1．874;中生态价位,综合指数1．874～2．749;高生态价位,综合指数2．749～3．623;对典型样地进行了生态价位分级,分析了各个生态价位类型森林的主要特征,据此提出了相应的生态系统管理对策,即高生态价位阔叶红松林采用封禁保护型自然经营,中生态价位阔叶红松林采用生态修复型半自然经营,低生态价位阔叶红松林采用近自然生态重建型经营。     

面向生态系统服务的森林生态系统经营:现状、挑战与展望

森林生态系统是地球陆地生态系统的主体,它具有很高的生物生产力和生物量以及丰富的生物多样性,对全球生态系统和人类经济社会发展起着至关重要和无可替代的作用。伴随着人口的不断增长和经济社会的迅猛发展,对森林资源和森林生态系统服务的需求不断高涨,而且人类对森林资源价值的认识也发生了很大程度的改变。推进森林资源可持续经营,增加森林总量、提高森林质量、增强生态功能,已成为中国林业可持续发展乃至推进中国生态文明建设和建设美丽中国的战略任务。本文全面综述了森林生态系统经营发展历程,分析了森林生态系统经营的现状和存在问题,在此基础上,提出整合基于生态系统管理与满足现代人类福祉对森林多重需求的新的森林生态系统经营理念,面向生态系统服务的森林生态系统经营理念是未来的发展趋势。森林经营发展战略表现为:1)从单纯的森林面积数量扩张,转变到提高单位面积的森林生产力和森林质量;2)从单一追求木材生产逐步转变为多目标经营,将森林林产品单一的经营目标转变为广泛的生态、经济和社会等多目标经营;3)森林经营重点从林分水平转变为森林景观的经营,强调森林景观的时空异质性和动态变化,权衡和协同多种生态系统的服务功能,倡导森林景观的多样性和连通性,提高森林与其它土地利用模式镶嵌构成的复合景观的可持续性和稳定性,增强森林生态系统对气候变化影响的适应能力;4)森林生态系统经营将从依赖传统经验的主观决策转变为信息化、数字化和智能化的决策,发展森林生态系统经营决策支持系统和森林景观恢复与空间经营规划系统。     

中国陆地生态系统服务价值测量

利用遥感技术,结合生态学方法,在对生态参数遥感测量的基础上,计算了中国陆地生态系统2000年的生态服务价值.结果表明,中国陆地生态系统2000年所产生的生态服务价值为9.17×10¹²元,总体空间分布由东向西递减、由中部向东北和南部递增,与植被的地带性分布梯度基本一致;森林的平均单位面积价值最高,为18789元·hm^-2,占总生态服务价值的40.80%;其次是灌丛(13789元·hm^-2)和耕地(13054元·hm^-2),分别占总生态服务价值的10.79%和24.23%.从生态系统服务功能来看,气体调节价值的贡献率最大,占总价值的45.16%;其次是水土保持价值(28.83%)和涵养水源价值(14.44%);有机物质生产和营养物质循环的价值最小,其贡献率为11.57%.生态遥感测量方法克服了传统生态统计方法以点代面的缺点,计算结果能更加客观地反映生态系统服务价值及其空间分布,但该方法本身也存在一些不确定性,对生态系统各项服务功能及其价值的评估只是保守和粗略的估计,有待于深入研究.