Nature reserve group planning for conservation of giant pandas in North Minshan, China

Formation of nature reserve groups (NRGs) is an important approach for optimising spatial patterns in nature reserves and for improving the efficiency of nature reserve networks. In this study, based on habitat evaluation and connectivity analysis, the approach and method for optimising spatial patterns and functional zoning of reserves were analysed using the case study of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) reserves in North Minshan. Results indicated that five panda nature reserves had been established, which formed a reserve group and covered 48.4% of panda habitat and three of five population components. Although the nature reserves were connected to each other, core zones were divided into seven isolated areas. These divisions can reduce the efficiency of protecting giant pandas in reserve systems. To optimise spatial patterns in nature reserves, one new reserve is proposed and it is recommended that core zones be expanded and merged into two areas, in accordance with the spatial distribution of the panda population. Three linkage areas are also proposed—for facilitating panda exchange and movement among different populations. The study is expected to provide a scientific basis for planning the development of nature reserves in this mountain range, to promote the establishment of nature reserve groups in other areas, and to optimise entire nature reserve systems in China.     

From research to implementation: Nature conservation in the Eastern Rhodopes mountains (Greece and Bulgaria), European Green Belt

Nature conservation should ideally build on the scientific recommendations that are concluded from applied conservation research, as well as on monitoring schemes that evaluate the effectiveness of recommendations. We considered as a case study a system of six protected areas located in the Eastern Rhodopes mountains in the southern part of the European Green Belt (EGB). To investigate nature conservation effectiveness, we reviewed 196 articles from scientific journals and books, eight doctoral and master theses, and 39 scientific reports regarding the Greek (one protected area, 428 km²) and the Bulgarian (five protected areas, 904 km²) part of the study area. We extracted 743 conservation recommendations, and through questionnaires completed by 10 local experts, we found that 74% of the recommendations were familiar for the experts. In the Greek (GR) and the Bulgarian part (BG) only 52% and 16%, respectively, of the recommendations were implemented, and only 15% (GR) and 3.1% (BG) were implemented and evaluated regarding their effectiveness. According to the experts, the main reasons for non-implementation and non-evaluation were absence or incompetence of the responsible authorities. Some recommendations obtained a remarkable low rate of implementation, such as those regarding agriculture and livestock rearing practices (GR: 29%, BG: 16%) or mammal conservation (GR: 0%, BG: 16%). Some other recommendations obtained rather high rates at least for Greece, such as tourism and environmental education (GR: 57%, BG: 42%) and bird conservation (GR: 57%, BG: 11%). We found that researchers and conservation managers at both sides of the Greek-Bulgarian border face similar implementation problems, related often to the lack of political will for nature conservation and establishment of competent authorities. The role of the EGB is crucial in enhancing the established cross-border collaborations between stakeholders involved in nature conservation.     

广东象头山国家级自然保护区珍稀野生花卉资源

对广东象头山国家级自然保护区珍稀野生花卉资源调查结果表明,本区内有52科68属88种,其中蕨类植物11科11属13种;被子植物41科57属75种,并对其基本组成、多样性等进行分析。根据本区珍稀野生花卉的现状与特点,划分出生活类型,提出园林配置方式,对资源保护和开发利用提出建议。     

Isolation and Phylogenetic Analysis of Halophilic Archaeon AJ6

Halophilic archaeon A J6 was isolated and purified from the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Strain AJ6 is a Gram-negative rod whose size is 0.2-0.6 by 1.6-4.2 μm,wherein a few cells are globular.The optimum salt concentration for its growth is 20% NaC1 and 0.6% Mg2+,and the optimum pH is 6.0-7.0.Morphological,physiological,and biochemical characteristics of strain AJ6 were observed.The 16S rRNA encoding gene (16S rDNA)sequence of strain A J6 was amplified by PCR,and its nucteotide sequence was determined subsequently."Clustalw"and"PHYLIP"software bags were used to analyze the 16S rDNA sequence;the homology was compared,and then the phylogenetic tree was established.The results indicate that strain AJ6 is a novel species of the genus Natrinema.The GenBank accession number of the 16S rDNA sequences of strain AJ6 is AY277584.     

松山自然保护区森林群落的数量分类和排序

根据68个森林群落样方数据,采用双向指示种分析(TW INSPAN)方法,对松山自然保护区的森林群落进行分类和采用除趋势对应分析(DCA)、典范对应分析(CCA)方法进行排序。结果表明:(1)TW INSPAN将该区的森林群落分为13类型;(2)样方的DCA排序及样方和优势种的CCA排序较好地揭示了该区森林群落的分布格局与环境梯度的关系;CCA第一轴明显地反映出森林群落的海拔梯度、枯枝落叶层厚度和土壤深度变化,沿CCA第一轴从左到右,海拔逐渐升高,枯枝落叶层越厚和土壤越深;第二轴与海拔高度和坡度成正相关,而与土壤紧实度成负相关。其中海拔梯度是环境因子中对森林群落起决定性作用的因子。(3)与DCA相比,CCA的排序轴更有利于生态意义的解释,后者能同时反映样方间在种类组成上及环境因子组成上的相似性,表现在排序图中样方较集中,群落间的界线变得较模糊,因此如果排序同分类结合使用,DCA的效果要好于CCA。(4)TW INSPAN分类与DCA和CCA排序的结果,同时表明了该地区森林群落的垂直分布格局。     

湖南小溪国家级自然保护区野生观赏植物资源初步研究

实地调查了小溪国家级自然保护区内的野生观赏植物资源的种类、生活习性、利用价值及现状。结果表明,小溪自然保护区的野生观赏植物资源十分丰富,有81科171属519种及变种。蔷薇科、菊科等10科植物含有10种以上的植物,为该区的优势类群。对其中具有一定代表性、开发利用潜力较大的40种植物的生活型及供观赏的主要特征、花(果)期、生境、其他用途等进行了扼要描述。就如何充分合理地开发和保护野生观赏资源提出了建议。     

Molecular diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria from the Tibetan Plateau, China

To understand the composition and structure of nitrogen-fixing bacterial communities from the Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve on the Tibetan Plateau, the molecular diversity of nifH genes from soil obtained at six sites was examined using a PCR-based cloning approach. Six samples were collected from different regions at an altitude of 3907-4824 m above sea level, and a principal component analysis (PCA) showed that they had different biogeochemical properties. A total of 446 clones and 162 unique RFLP patterns were found. PCA of the RFLP patterns and their biogeochemical parameters showed that the content of soil organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N) and altitude were the most important factors affecting the nitrogen-fixing bacteria community. Fifty-nine nifH clones were sequenced and their nucleotide identity varied from 64% to 98%, subdivisible into four groups in our phylogenetic tree. Some of the clone sequences were related to nifH genes belonging to four phylogenetic subdivisions (alpha, beta, gamma and delta subclasses of the Proteobacteria), while most of the clones were closely related to the genes of the uncultured bacteria. The tree also showed that the sequence distributions were not clearly related to the sample sites.     

哀牢山国家级自然保护区南华片三种雉类春季取食地利用比较

探讨亲缘关系密切、营养关系相似的物种间的共存机制,是群落生态学的研究热点之一。研究结果有助于了解同域物种的资源利用特点和分化方式,对于地区生物多样性的保育工作亦具有指导意义。黑颈长尾雉(Syrmaticushumiae)、白鹇(Lophuranycthemera)和红喉山鹧鸪(Arborophilarufogularis)为哀牢山国家自然保护区南华片区同域分布的3种雉类,它们亲缘关系较近,食性相似。比较三者春季取食地18个生态因子生态位宽度和重叠指数,结果显示,黑颈长尾雉广适性(生态位宽度值>0·8)的取食地因子最少(1个),专一性(生态位宽度<0·8)因子最多(4个);白鹇居中(3个和2个);红喉山鹧鸪与黑颈长尾雉恰好相反(6个和0个)。黑颈长尾雉与白鹇生态位重叠指数≥0·5的因子数(5个)多于黑颈长尾雉与红喉山鹧鸪的(2个)和白鹇与红喉山鹧鸪的(4个);灌木层盖度、草本层盖度和种子密度的生态位重叠指数在3种雉类间均较大。单因素方差分析结果表明,3种雉类在坡向、乔木密度、草本层盖度、种子密度和土壤动物等5个因子均无差异;在距空旷地距离、距道路距离和灌木层盖度等3个因子均有差异;而其余因子则是在不同的两个物种之间有差异。主成分分析结果显示,黑颈长尾雉取食地前7个主成分的累计信息量达85·6%,白鹇的前6个达86·0%,红喉山鹧鸪的前5个达79·0%。影响这三种雉类取食地选择的因子主要集中于前3个主成分。3种雉类间取食地因子差异状态呈镶嵌分布,意味着种间生态位呈分化状态。各物种优先选择的因子组合不同,各因子的重要程度亦不一。     

Nutrient fluxes via litterfall and leaf litter decomposition vary across a gradient of soil nutrient supply in a lowland tropical rain forest

The extent to which plant communities are determined by resource availability is a central theme in ecosystem science, but patterns of small-scale variation in resource availability are poorly known. Studies of carbon (C) and nutrient cycling provide insights into factors limiting tree growth and forest productivity. To investigate rates of tropical forest litter production and decomposition in relation to nutrient availability and topography in the absence of confounding large-scale variation in climate and altitude we quantified nutrient fluxes via litterfall and leaf litter decomposition within three distinct floristic associations of tropical rain forest growing along a soil fertility gradient at the Sepilok Forest Reserve (SFR), Sabah, Malaysia. The quantity and nutrient content of small litter decreased along a gradient of soil nutrient availability from alluvial forest (most fertile) through sandstone forest to heath forest (least fertile). Temporal variation in litterfall was greatest in the sandstone forest, where the amount of litter was correlated negatively with rainfall in the previous month. Mass loss and N and P release were fastest from alluvial forest litter, and slowest from heath forest litter. All litter types decomposed most rapidly in the alluvial forest. Stand-level N and P use efficiencies (ratios of litter dry mass to nutrient content) were greatest for the heath forest followed by the sandstone ridge, sandstone valley and alluvial forests, respectively. We conclude that nutrient supply limits productivity most in the heath forest and least in the alluvial forest. Nutrient supply limited productivity in sandstone forest, especially on ridge and hill top sites where nutrient limitation may be exacerbated by reduced rates of litter decomposition during dry periods. The fluxes of N and P varied significantly between the different floristic communities at SFR and these differences may contribute to small-scale variation in species composition.