Forest Restoration in Urbanizing Landscapes: Interactions Between Land Uses and Exotic Shrubs

Preventing and controlling exotic plants remains a key challenge in any ecological restoration, and most efforts are currently aimed at local scales. We combined local‐ and landscape‐scale approaches to identify factors that were most closely associated with invasion of riparian forests by exotic shrubs (Amur honeysuckle [Lonicera maackii] and Tatarian honeysuckle [L. tatarica]) in Ohio, U.S.A. Twenty sites were selected in mature riparian forests along a rural–urban gradient (<1–47% urban land cover). Within each site, we measured percent cover of Lonicera spp. and native trees and shrubs, percent canopy cover, and facing edge aspect. We then developed 10 a priori models based on local‐ and landscape‐level variables that we hypothesized would influence percent cover of Lonicera spp. within 25 m of the forest edge. To determine which of these models best fit the data, we used an information‐theoretic approach and Akaike's information criterion. Percent cover of Lonicera was best explained by the proportion of urban land cover within 1 km of riparian forests. In particular, percent cover of Lonicera was greater in forests within more urban landscapes than in forests within rural landscapes. Results suggest that surrounding land uses influence invasion by exotic shrubs, and explicit consideration of land uses may improve our ability to predict or limit invasion. Moreover, identifying land uses that increase the risk of invasion may inform restoration efforts.     

Place prioritization for biodiversity conservation using probabilistic surrogate distribution data

We analyse optimal and heuristic place prioritization algorithms for biodiversity conservation area network design which can use probabilistic data on the distribution of surrogates for biodiversity. We show how an Expected Surrogate Set Covering Problem (ESSCP) and a Maximal Expected Surrogate Covering Problem (MESCP) can be linearized for computationally efficient solution. For the ESSCP, we study the performance of two optimization software packages (XPRESS and CPLEX) and five heuristic algorithms based on traditional measures of complementarity and rarity as well as the Shannon and Simpson indices of α‐diversity which are being used in this context for the first time. On small artificial data sets the optimal place prioritization algorithms often produced more economical solutions than the heuristic algorithms, though not always ones guaranteed to be optimal. However, with large data sets, the optimal algorithms often required long computation times and produced no better results than heuristic ones. Thus there is generally little reason to prefer optimal to heuristic algorithms with probabilistic data sets.     

源库比改变对玉米生育后期茎鞘贮存物质含量及产量的影响

通过对吐丝授粉期两种密度条件下的两个不同类型玉米品种剪1／2叶、剪1／2穗和断1／2根的研究发现：剪叶、断根减源后植株体内可溶性糖浓度下降2．19％～38．6％,剪穗缩库后可溶性糖浓度上升23．17％～38．5％,而单株生产力降低4．1％～40．94％。试验表明：玉米产量的形成与源库关系的协调性有关。     

广东杨东山十二度水省级自然保护区啮齿类、翼手类物种多样性初步研究

对广东杨东山十二度水省级自然保护区的啮齿类、翼手类物种多样性进行了初步调查,采集动物标本61号,为9种,观察或采访记录到3种,该保护区共有两个目的哺乳动物12种,其中我国特有种1种——贵州菊头蝠(为2000年发现的广东省翼手类新记录)。鼠类中进入国家保护的有益的或者有重要经济、有科学研究价值的陆生野生动物名录的动物有5种,约占该保护区啮齿类种类的70％。初步调查显示,该保护区翼手类、啮齿类动物种类较为丰富,是食物链中的重要环节,在该保护区自然生态系统中占有极重要的地位,深入开展对它们的研究十分必要。     

Representing species in reserves from patterns of assemblage diversity

Aim A positive relationship between assemblage diversity (AD) – equivalent to the biotic version of the environment diversity, ED, method – and species diversity has been reported. This being true, reserve networks with many different assemblages would be expected to represent more species than reserve networks including fewer and less different assemblages. This idea was tested using European species atlas distributions of terrestrial vertebrates and plants. It is asked whether: (1) maximizing AD within one group would represent species diversity of this group better than expected by chance; and (2) maximizing AD within one group would represent species diversity of other groups better than expected by chance. Location Europe. Methods Three ordination techniques (non‐metric multidimensional scaling, detrended correspondence analysis and correspondence analysis) are used to summarize patterns of compositional turnover within assemblages. p‐Median location‐allocation models are then calculated from ordination space to measure the degree of expected species representation within the group being sampled as well as the expected representation within other groups. Results are compared with near‐optimal solutions obtained with complementarity‐based algorithms and to a null model obtained by simulating selection of areas at random. Matrix correlation analysis was also performed to investigate broad patterns of covariation in compositional turnover of assemblages of species belonging to different taxonomic groups and these values were compared with correlation in species richness scores between groups. Results The AD model did not always represent more species of the group being sampled than expected by chance (P < 0.05). Results were independent of the method and taxonomic group considered. Effectiveness of AD within one group to represent species of other groups varied, but in most cases it was worse than using complementarity‐based algorithms as a surrogate strategy. Even when correlations indicated high coincidence between assemblages, taxonomic‐based surrogates did not always recover more species than expected by chance (P < 0.05). Main conclusions Results are discussed in the light of two possible explanations: (1) the AD model is based on unrealistic assumptions, namely that species have equal probability of having the centre of their distributions anywhere in ordination space and that species display unimodal, symmetrical, bell‐shaped response curves to gradients; (2) particular implementation of methods may be inadequate to summarize useful complementarity among assemblages, especially for restricted‐range species. We conclude that both arguments are likely to play a role in explaining results, but that opportunities exist to improve performance of existing surrogate strategies.     

福建省毛竹混交林群落结构特征的比较

通过设置临时标准地对龙栖山、武夷山和天宝岩3个国家级自然保护区的3种毛竹混交林群落类型结构进行调查与统计分析.结果表明,在物种数量上从多到少依次为:武夷山国家级自然保护区的毛竹 少叶黄杞(Phyllostachys pubescences Mazel ex H. Delehaie Engelhardtia fenzelii Merr.)混交林(68科125属230种),龙栖山国家级自然保护区的毛竹 南方红豆杉[Taxus chinensis (Pilger) Rehd. var. mairei (Lemee et Lévl.) Cheng et L. K. Fu]混交林(69科135属194种)和天宝岩国家级自然保护区的毛竹 长苞铁杉(Tsuga longibracteata Cheng)混交林(41科71属105种).3个毛竹混交林群落结构分明,毛竹在混交林群落乔木层中占绝对优势的地位.乔木层、灌木层和草本层层次清晰,还具有层间层.毛竹 南方红豆杉群落和毛竹 长苞铁杉群落乔木层可分为3个亚层,而毛竹 少叶黄杞群落乔木层可分为2个亚层.毛竹 少叶黄杞群落的灌木层物种数和草本层盖度均比其他2个群落高.     

小寨子沟自然保护区珍稀濒危植物资源现状

本文利用现代全球定位(GPS)技术和地理信息系统(GIS)手段,对四川省小寨子沟自然保护区内的珍稀濒危植物资源进行了精确定位和详尽地调查,基本掌握其种类、数量、地理分布、濒危状况等信息,并针对目前珍稀濒危植物的受威状况提出保护对策.     

Testing the branch autonomy theory: a 13C/14C double-labelling experiment on differentially shaded branches

The impact of a heterogeneous within‐crown light environment on carbon allocation was investigated on young walnut trees trained on two branches: one left in full sunlight, the other shaded until leaf fall resulting in 67% reduction in photosynthetically active radiation. In September, the two branches were separately labelled with ¹⁴CO₂ and ¹³CO₂, respectively, so that the photosynthates from each branch could be traced independently at the same time. Although some carbon movements could be detected within 5 d in both directions (including from the shaded branch to the sun branch), between‐branch carbon movements were very limited: approximately 1% of the diurnal net assimilation of a branch. At this time of the year branch autonomy was nearly total, leading to increased relative respiratory losses and a moderate growth deficit in the shaded branch. The ratio of growth to reserve storage rate was only slightly affected, indicating that reserves acted not as a mere buffer for excess C but as an active sink for assimilates. In winter, branch autonomy was more questionable, as significant amounts of carbon were imported into both branches, possibly representing up to 10% of total branch reserves. Further within‐plant carbon transfers occurred in spring, which totally abolished plant autonomy, as new shoots sprouted on each branch received significantly more C mobilized from tree‐wide reserves than from local, mother‐branch located reserves. This allowed great flexibility of tree response to environment changes at the yearly time scale. As phloem is considered not functional in winter, it is suggested that xylem is involved as the pathway for carbohydrate movements at this time of the year. This is in agreement with other results regarding sugar exchanges between the xylem vessels and the neighbouring reserve parenchyma tissues.     

A wireless communication system for determining site fidelity of juvenile dusky groupers Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) using coded acoustic transmitters

The value of marine reserves to protect threatened and vulnerable species, such as the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), is often uncertain because of a lack of knowledge about their ecology and habitat utilisation. To address this issue, a Wireless Communication System for location-based positioning of fish tagged with coded acoustic transmitters was installed to determine site fidelity of juvenile dusky groupers (mean total length = 30.4 cm, range: 20.5–40.0 cm; mean total weight = 470 g, range: 113–950 g) within a marine reserve (Island of Ustica, Sicily, Italy). The system was based on five wireless hydrophones distributed approximately 200 m apart along the coastline of the reserve, each monitoring acoustic signals from transmitters within a reception cell. The hydrophones retransmitted detected signals as a radio signal to a land-based receiver and data logger. Unique identifiers for each hydrophone permitted the identification of the detection cell containing the tagged fish. The wireless hydrophones had partly overlapping detection ranges, dividing the marine reserve into more than five different detection cells. The average detection range was 232 m, but coverage varied from site to site and with time, depending on many factors, such as ambient noise, wave action and signal strength of the transmitters. Despite some limitations, the Wireless Hydrophone System (WHS) combined with manual tracking provided a valuable tool for investigating site fidelity in the dusky grouper. Preliminary home ranges for the fish were estimated by the kernel method (probability level of 95%), based on a limited set of manual tracking data, to be a median 5312 m² (range 1673–18626 m²).     

Must There Be a Balance of Nature?

The balance of nature concept is an old idea that manifests itself in anumber of forms in population and community ecology. This paper focuseson population ecology, where controversy surrounding the balance ofnature takes the form of perennial debates over the significance ofdensity dependence, population regulation, and species interactions suchas competition. One of the most striking features of these debates, overthe course of the previous century in ecology, is the tendency to arguethe case on largely conceptual grounds. This paper explores twoquestions. Why this tendency to settle on conceptual grounds what is soobviously an empirical issue? Are there any good conceptual arguments tobe had in this area?