Hopes and challenges for giant panda conservation under climate change in the Qinling Mountains of China

One way that climate change will impact animal distributions is by altering habitat suitability and habitat fragmentation. Understanding the impacts of climate change on currently threatened species is of immediate importance because complex conservation planning will be required. Here, we mapped changes to the distribution, suitability, and fragmentation of giant panda habitat under climate change and quantified the direction and elevation of habitat shift and fragmentation patterns. These data were used to develop a series of new conservation strategies for the giant panda. Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China. Data from the most recent giant panda census, habitat factors, anthropogenic disturbance, climate variables, and climate predictions for the year 2050 (averaged across four general circulation models) were used to project giant panda habitat in Maxent. Differences in habitat patches were compared between now and 2050. While climate change will cause a 9.1% increase in suitable habitat and 9% reduction in subsuitable habitat by 2050, no significant net variation in the proportion of suitable and subsuitable habitat was found. However, a distinct climate change‐induced habitat shift of 11 km eastward by 2050 is predicted firstly. Climate change will reduce the fragmentation of suitable habitat at high elevations and exacerbate the fragmentation of subsuitable habitat below 1,900 m above sea level. Reduced fragmentation at higher elevations and worsening fragmentation at lower elevations have the potential to cause overcrowding of giant pandas at higher altitudes, further exacerbating habitat shortage in the central Qinling Mountains. The habitat shift to the east due to climate change may provide new areas for giant pandas but poses severe challenges for future conservation.     

Canada lynx use of burned areas: Conservation implications of changing fire regimes

A fundamental problem in ecology is forecasting how species will react to major disturbances. As the climate warms, large, frequent, and severe fires are restructuring forested landscapes at large spatial scales, with unknown impacts on imperilled predators. We use the United States federally Threatened Canada lynx as a case study to examine how predators navigate recent large burns, with particular focus on habitat features and the spatial configuration (e.g., distance to edge) that enabled lynx use of these transformed landscapes. We coupled GPS location data of lynx in Washington in an area with several recent large fires and a number of GIS layers of habitat data to develop models of lynx habitat selection in recent burns. Random Forest habitat models showed lynx‐selected islands of forest skipped by large fires, residual vegetation, and areas where some trees survived to use newly burned areas. Lynx used burned areas as early as 1 year postfire, which is much earlier than the 2–4 decades postfire previously thought for this predator. These findings are encouraging for predator persistence in the face of fires, but increasingly severe fires or management that reduces postfire residual trees or slow regeneration will likely jeopardize lynx and other predators. Fire management should change to ensure heterogeneity is retained within the footprint of large fires to enable viable predator populations as fire regimes worsen with climate change.     

新疆天山一号冰川地区12种藓类植物叶形态结构研究

采用石蜡切片和扫描电镜的方法,对新疆天山一号冰川地区的12种藓类植物叶片结构及叶表面微形态进行了观察。结果显示,不同苔藓植物叶细胞、中肋、细胞壁、细胞表面等各项指标在类型、大小、分布、干燥时细胞壁的凹陷程度以及表面角质层纹饰和小孔形态、分布等都明显不同,这些微形态特点不仅在藓类植物属下种间的区分上具有分类学意义,同时也反映出藓类植物叶片为保水抗旱,抵御长期寒冷、多风和强光照射等恶劣环境对其的伤害而形成的生存策略。本研究结果为苔藓植物在极端环境地区的生态学功能研究提供了重要的科学依据。     

大兴安岭人为火发生影响因素及气候变化下的趋势

我国重要的北方针叶林地区大兴安岭是林火高发地区.受气候变暖影响,该地区林火发生频率将会发生显著变化.模拟人为火的发生分布与影响因素之间的关系、加强气候变化下人为火的发生分布预测,对于林火管理和减少森林碳损失具有重要作用.本文采用点格局分析方法,基于大兴安岭1967—2006年的火烧数据,建立人为火空间分布与影响因素之间的关系模型,该模型以林火发生次数为因变量,选取非生物因子(年均温和降水量、坡度、坡向和海拔)、生物因子(植被类型)和人为活动因子(距离道路距离、距离居民点距离、道路密度)共9个因子为自变量.并采用RCP 2.6和RCP 8.5气候情景数据代替当前气候情景预测2050年大兴安岭人为火的空间分布状况.结果表明: 点格局模型能够较好地模拟人为火发生分布与空间变量的关系,可以预测未来气候下人为火的发生概率.其中,气候因子对人为火的发生具有明显的控制作用,植被类型、海拔和人为活动等因子对人为火的发生也具有重要影响.林火发生预测结果表明,未来气候变化下,南部地区的林火发生概率将进一步增加,北部和沿主要道路干线附近将成为新的人为火高发区.与当前相比,2050年大兴安岭人为火的发生概率将增加72.2%～166.7%.在未来气候情景下,人为火的发生更多受气候和人为活动因素的控制.     

小兴安岭红松和鱼鳞云杉径向生长对气候变化的响应

基于树木年代学方法,利用小兴安岭低海拔阔叶红松林优势树种红松和鱼鳞云杉树轮宽度资料,分别建立年轮宽度年表,探讨影响2个树种径向生长的关键气候因子.结果表明:2个树种对气候因子的响应存在差异,红松较鱼鳞云杉对气候因子的响应更加敏感,更适合用于年轮气候学研究;响应函数分析表明,红松径向生长与当年6月平均温度呈显著负相关,与当年6月降水量呈显著正相关,而鱼鳞云杉与气候因子未表现出显著相关关系;空间相关分析揭示,红松年表具有较大的空间代表性,相关性最高出现在研究区域附近;升温导致的干旱胁迫是限制红松树木生长的主要原因,如果未来全球气温进一步增加,将对红松产生不利的影响;一些大尺度的大气-海洋变化的耦合作用可能对小兴安岭红松径向生长产生影响.     

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus): Important wintering sites and breeding records in the United Arab Emirates

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) monitoring was undertaken in the United Arab Emirates from 2003 to 2015 at 36 permanent sites to find key wintering and breeding sites. Bul Syayeef Marine Protected Area with monthly mean of 6553 (±3594) flamingos followed by Al Wathba Wetland Reserve with 1228 (±1190) flamingos topped the list. In addition, Shahama Wetland and Al Aryam Mudflats in Abu Dhabi Emirate form a complex of four nearby sites that hold the majority of nearly 15,000–20,000 birds wintering in the country. Lagoons (Khors) in the northern emirates are the other key wintering sites, that suffer habitat destruction and high disturbance. Breeding has been sporadic and infrequent since the first breeding attempt in 1993. Greater Flamingos have bred successfully only in the Abu Dhabi Emirate on 10 occasions at three sites with the highest eight breeding attempts at Al Wathba and one each at Shahama and Bul Syayeef. A total of 1,972 young have fledged with a high overall breeding success of 43%. The highest number of 801 young fledged at Bul Syayeef in 2009 followed by 420 at Al Wathba in 2015 and 350 at Shahama in 2007. Successful breeding occurred both in summer and winter seasons, breeding attempts were more (58%) in summer compared to winter. Flamingos have bred regularly at Al Wathba Wetland Reserve since 2011, this was made possible due to the provision of an artificial island to aid nesting and better control of predators. Breeding is successful at sites that maintain higher bird numbers and are free from disturbance.     

秦岭地区大熊猫种群空间利用消长状态以及道路影响研究

研究大熊猫种群空间利用的消长动态及其干扰因素对识别大熊猫潜在生境、保护大熊猫种群可持续增长具有重要的现实意义。本文收集了第三次和第四次秦岭大熊猫种群及栖息地调查数据,借助地理信息系统空间分析工具,对比分析了大熊猫种群的空间利用变化格局,并探究了道路干扰对大熊猫种群空间利用格局的影响。结果显示：（1）2000-2012年间,佛坪、长青核心密集区大熊猫种群空间利用密度西北方向增加,东南方向减少,即黄柏塬保护区呈增加趋势,而佛坪、观音山和周至保护区交界处呈减少趋势。其中,局部高密度区面积减少,但整体空间利用面积增大,并呈向外围扩散趋势。种群空间利用密度最大增长达3.05痕迹点/ km²,最大减小密度达2.71痕迹点/km²。（2）距国道、省道和县道2000 m以内种群空间利用密度增幅上升,距乡村道路2000 m外种群空间利用密度变化减小,且距高速公路3500 m大熊猫种群空间利用密度由减转增。深入探讨大熊猫种群空间利用格局可为建设优良栖息地和潜在栖息地提供参考,其结论将有助于优化道路选址和保护区规划,缓解人为活动和野生动物之间的冲突。     

鳞网衣属1中国新记录种

通过对鳞网衣属地衣形态和化学的研究,并结合核基因ITS序列的系统发育分析,报道了采自中国秦岭山区鳞网衣属1中国新记录种——球鳞网衣(新拟)[Psora globifera(Ach.)A.Massal.]。其识别特征为地衣体由密集、重叠鳞片组成,边缘常上翘,具有光泽,无粉霜,老鳞片上表面常具裂纹;子囊盘微凸至半球形,单一或数个簇生。该研究提供了该种基于中国标本的详细描述,并与相似种进行了比较。     

太白山表土花粉和气孔器与植物类型的关系研究

通过陕西太白山13个样点表土花粉组合特征和气孔器及其与植物类型之间关系的分析,结果发现:针阔混交林花粉组合能很好地反映植物类型特征,落叶阔叶林和针叶林花粉组合能较好地与植物类型相对应,高山灌丛草甸花粉组合未能反映植物类型数量特征;主要花粉类型松属、铁杉属和桦属花粉具超代表性,胡桃属和榆属花粉具适宜代表性,落叶松属、冷杉属、杜鹃花科和槭属花粉具低代表性;DCA(Detrended Correspondence Analysis)分析表明,通过花粉数据能够较好区分不同植被类型,结合气孔器特征能够准确反映植被特征。