Integrating anthropogenic factors into regional‐scale species distribution models—A novel application in the imperiled sagebrush biome

Species distribution models (SDMs) that rely on regional‐scale environmental variables will play a key role in forecasting species occurrence in the face of climate change. However, in the Anthropocene, a number of local‐scale anthropogenic variables, including wildfire history, land‐use change, invasive species, and ecological restoration practices can override regional‐scale variables to drive patterns of species distribution. Incorporating these human‐induced factors into SDMs remains a major research challenge, in part because spatial variability in these factors occurs at fine scales, rendering prediction over regional extents problematic. Here, we used big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) as a model species to explore whether including human‐induced factors improves the fit of the SDM. We applied a Bayesian hurdle spatial approach using 21,753 data points of field‐sampled vegetation obtained from the LANDFIRE program to model sagebrush occurrence and cover by incorporating fire history metrics and restoration treatments from 1980 to 2015 throughout the Great Basin of North America. Models including fire attributes and restoration treatments performed better than those including only climate and topographic variables. Number of fires and fire occurrence had the strongest relative effects on big sagebrush occurrence and cover, respectively. The models predicted that the probability of big sagebrush occurrence decreases by 1.2% (95% CI: ?6.9%, 0.6%) when one fire occurs and cover decreases by 44.7% (95% CI: ?47.9%, ?41.3%) if at least one fire occurred over the 36 year period of record. Restoration practices increased the probability of big sagebrush occurrence but had minimal effect on cover. Our results demonstrate the potential value of including disturbance and land management along with climate in models to predict species distributions. As an increasing number of datasets representing land‐use history become available, we anticipate that our modeling framework will have broad relevance across a range of biomes and species.     

Landscape and organismal factors affecting sagebrush‐seedling transplant survival after megafire restoration

Larger and more frequent disturbances are motivating efforts to accelerate recovery of foundational perennial species by focusing efforts into establishing island patches to sustain keystone species and facilitate recovery of the surrounding plant community. Evaluating the variability in abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to differences in survival and establishment can provide useful insight into the relative importance of these factors. In the western United States, severe degradation of the sagebrush steppe has motivated substantial efforts to restore native perennial cover, but success has been mixed. In this study, we evaluated survival of more than 3,000 sagebrush seedlings transplanted on 12 patches totaling 650 ha within a 113,000 ha burn area, and related the survival to organismal and subtaxonomic traits, and to landscape variables. Big sagebrush has high intraspecific diversity attributed to subspecies and cytotypes identifiable through ultraviolet (UV)‐induced fluorescence, length:width of leaves, or genome size (ploidy). Of these organismal traits, survival was related only to UV fluorescence, and then only so when landscape variables were excluded from analyses. The most significant landscape variable affecting survival was soil taxonomic subgroup, with much lower survival where buried restrictive layers reduce deep water infiltration. Survival also decreased with greater slope steepness, exotic annual grass cover, and burn severity. Survival was optimal where perennial bunchgrasses comprised 8–14% of total cover. These soil, topographic, and community condition factors revealed through monitoring of landscape‐level treatments can be used to explain the success of plantings and to strategically plan future restoration projects.     

Seed germination and dormancy traits of forbs and shrubs important for restoration of North American dryland ecosystems

• In degraded dryland systems, native plant community re‐establishment following disturbance is almost exclusively carried out using seeds, but these efforts commonly fail. Much of this failure can be attributed to the limited understanding of seed dormancy and germination traits.
• We undertook a systematic classification of seed dormancy of 26 species of annual and perennial forbs and shrubs that represent key, dominant genera used in restoration of the Great Basin ecosystem in the western United States. We examined germination across a wide thermal profile to depict species‐specific characteristics and assessed the potential of gibberellic acid (GA₃) and karrikinolide (KAR₁) to expand the thermal germination envelope of fresh seeds.
• Of the tested species, 81% produce seeds that are dormant at maturity. The largest proportion (62%) exhibited physiological (PD), followed by physical (PY, 8%), combinational (PY + PD, 8%) and morphophysiological (MPD, 4%) dormancy classes. The effects of chemical stimulants were temperature‐ and species‐mediated. In general, mean germination across the thermal profile was improved by GA₃ and KAR₁ for 11 and five species, respectively. We detected a strong germination response to temperature in freshly collected seeds of 20 species. Temperatures below 10 °C limited the germination of all except Agoseris heterophylla, suggesting that in their dormant state, the majority of these species are thermally restricted.
• Our findings demonstrate the utility of dormancy classification as a foundation for understanding the critical regenerative traits in these ecologically important species and highlight its importance in restoration planning.

     

长白山区阔叶红松林经营历史与研究历程

长白山区位于中国东北东部的山地森林区,地带性植被是阔叶红松林,是我国珍贵木材生产和东北森林带的重要载体,孕育着丰富的物种资源.短短120年来,长白山区广袤的原始森林几乎消失殆尽,被次生林、过伐林和人工林等替代.建国以来,东北的阔叶红松林经营理论与技术在红松更新规律、皆伐与择伐的争论中,在人们对阔叶红松林结构和功能认识不断深入的过程中逐渐完善.但目前红松更新问题依然存在,森林经营依然十分粗放.本文梳理了过去70年来阔叶红松林的经营历史及研究历程,分析当前森林资源类型和经营制度的形成过程,以期为该区天然林可持续经营和质量的精准提升等提供借鉴.     

滇西北高山微水体与溪流生境底栖动物多样性和环境特征

高山微水体由于面积微小且通过地表径流形成串联结构常常被认为与高山溪流具有类似的生境, 然而由于这两类生境中环境因子与底栖动物多样性存在差异, 它们在生态系统中的作用可能完全不同。滇西北地区是全球生物多样性热点区域之一, 境内高山微水体和高山溪流分布密集, 在区域底栖生物多样性维持方面具有重要的功能, 然而目前对这两类高山淡水生态系统的研究较少。为了比较这两类生境环境因子的异同及其对底栖动物多样性的维持作用, 2015年6月, 作者在云南省怒江州贡山县的高山峡谷内, 对27个高山微水体和同区域分布的1条高山溪流(海拔高差500 m范围)的底栖动物多样性和水环境因子进行了实地调查。结果表明: (1)高山微水体和高山溪流底栖动物群落中优势分类单元种群数量均比较庞大, 而稀有分类单元数量较多且种群较小; (2)两种生境在环境因子、物种多样性、功能多样性和群落结构方面的差异明显, 高山溪流有较高的物种丰富度、物种多样性和功能多样性; (3)高山微水体底栖动物多样性的分布与水环境因子无关, 而高山溪流底栖动物多样性与群落结构的形成受到与流速关联的水环境因子和海拔的影响。因此, 高山微水体与高山溪流不能简单地视为类似的生境类型, 它们对区域底栖动物多样性和生态功能维持可能具有不同的作用。     

PCR-DGGE detection of the bacterial community structure in the Inner Mongolia steppe with two different DNA extraction methods

Compared with conventional methods, molecular biological technique, such as PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), is informative in examining the structure of the soil bacterial community through the extraction of microbial DNA from soil and generation of bacterial community profiles by PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes. Extraction efficiency of soil microbial DNA is the most important step in these methods. At present, the frozen-thawing method and bead-beating method are most widely used in genomic extraction. Nevertheless, comparison of these two methods has not been conducted in different soil types, especially in humus-rich soil. In this study, extraction efficiencies of the two methods were compared in humus-rich steppe soil in Inner Mongolia based on the PCR-DGGE analysis of bacterial community structure. The results indicated that the bead-beating method is better than the frozen-thawing method in genomic DNA extraction efficiency. In addition, 21 bands in the DGGE pattern with the bead-beating method were further selected, cloned and sequenced. Based on similarity matching, all the sequences formed five major clusters: Actinobacteria; α-, β-, γ-, Proteobacteria ; Bacteriodetes ; Gemmatimonadetes and Acidobacteria . Of the 21 clones obtained from DGGE patterns, YC4 showed 99.7% similarity to Pseudomonas sp. (DQ339153); YC5, YC18 and YC19 showed 99.9 % similarity to Gram-positive bacterium (AB008510), Virgisporangium ochraceum (AB006162) and Micromonospora chalcea (X92613), respectively.     

贺兰山东麓酿酒葡萄品质成分对气象因子的响应特征

基于2018-2020年宁夏贺兰山东麓14个葡萄酒庄葡萄园酿酒葡萄品质检测和气象数据,分析影响酿酒葡萄品质成分的关键气象因子,构建酿酒葡萄品质成分与气象因子的关系模型,为提高葡萄园气候资源利用效率、提高葡萄园科学管理水平、主动适应气候变化提供参考依据。结果表明：(1)气象因子是影响酿酒葡萄品质的重要指标,在葡萄生长的全生育期均对葡萄品质产生直接或间接影响,对品质影响最大的时期是7～8月和采收前一个月的气象条件。(2)酿酒葡萄浆果品质受气象因子影响程度从大到小依次为pH、花青素、可滴定酸、总酚、糖酸比、固酸比、可溶性固形物、单宁、还原性糖含量。(3)空气相对湿度及最低气温的变化对酿酒葡萄品质成分影响较大。(4)降低7月的平均空气相对湿度及提高8月的平均空气相对湿度有利于浆果pH的降低;进一步结合浆果酸含量的累积特征,实际生产中应在8月份增加葡萄园灌溉量,以降低因气候变暖导致的酿酒葡萄含糖量偏高。(5)采收前20 d的适度高温与采前10 d的高湿环境有利于葡萄浆果总酚的累积,但后者会使果实中单宁含量下降;在采收前20 d内若环境最低温及最高温均较低,则不利于花青素累积;9月到采收前的生长度日(GDD)达到280 ℃·d左右时,葡萄果实的糖酸比达到最大值。     

基于地理探测器的宁夏贺兰山植被覆盖度时空分异及驱动因子

监测区域植被覆盖变化并分析其驱动因子,有利于实现生态环境的可持续发展。本研究以1989—2021年Landsat 5/8遥感影像为数据源,利用像元二分模型获取宁夏贺兰山植被覆盖度,基于地理探测器量化了环境和人为等10个因子对其时空分布的影响。结果表明: 1989—2021年间,宁夏贺兰山平均植被覆盖度为35.8%,时间尺度上总体呈增加趋势,平均增幅为0.043·(10 a)^-1,空间尺度上呈现从西南向东北递减的分布特征;研究区58.1%的区域植被覆盖度未来将持续性改善,但仍有30.7%的植被存在退化的潜在风险。降水是影响植被分布的主要环境因子,与单因子相比,环境因子和人为因子的交互作用对植被覆盖度的解释力更强,降水与其他因子的交互作用处于主导作用。     

四川贡嘎山国家级自然保护区鸟兽多样性

四川贡嘎山国家级自然保护区位于全球生物多样性热点地区之一的横断山区, 是我国生物多样性保护优先区。本文利用红外相机影像和已发表文献对该保护区的大中型兽类和地面活动鸟类进行编目并提出未来监测建议。2011-2018年在97个1 km × 1 km的网格安放红外相机, 累计39,881个相机日, 获得独立有效照片20,932张, 其中野生兽类16,244张, 鸟类2,775张, 牲畜1,737张, 人176张。鉴定出野生兽类30种, 另有文献报道4种和观察3种, 分属于5目15科; 鸟类78种, 分属于9目22科; 牲畜6种。包括12种国家I级和28种国家II级重点保护野生动物; 被CITES附录I收录的有11种, 附录II收录的有12种。被IUCN红色名录评估为濒危(EN)和易危(VU)等级的分别有3种和8种。被《中国脊椎动物红色名录》评估为极危(CR)、濒危和易危等级的分别有5、5和11种。相对多度指数(relative abundance index, RAI)排名前三的兽类是毛冠鹿(Elaphodus cephalophus, 147.39)、水鹿(Rusa unicolor, 66.10)、野猪(Sus scrofa, 36.03); 鸟类是血雉(Ithaginis cruentus, 14.64)、白马鸡(Crossoptilon crossoptilon, 10.43)、大噪鹛(Garrulax maximus, 8.05)。阔叶林、针阔混交林、高山灌丛草甸和高山流石滩是调查薄弱生境, 后期应开展重点调查, 以厘清本区域大中型兽类资源。     

南京老山秤锤树空间分布格局及种间关联性

以南京老山1 hm 2样地秤锤树(Sinojackia xylocarpa)天然种群为研究对象,运用成对g(r)函数,选择完全随机模型、异质泊松模型与先决条件零模型,分析秤锤树种群结构和空间分布格局及其空间关联性,从空间格局角度来深入认识其种群结构和分布格局及形成该格局可能存在的机制并提出保护建议。结果表明:(1)秤锤树天然种群中小径个体数量占优,属于增长型种群。(2)种内空间分布研究中,基于完全随机模型分析,秤锤树种群在尺度0~26 m时为聚集分布,尺度29~30 m时为均匀分布;基于异质泊松模型分析,秤锤树种群在0~23 m时为聚集分布,尺度27~30 m时为均匀分布。秤锤树空间分布表现为由聚集分布向均匀分布变化。(3)主要种间关联性研究中,秤锤树与朴树(Celtis sinensis)的种间关联性表现为小尺度下负关联,随着空间尺度的增加变为正关联。秤锤树与黄连木(Pistacia chinensis)和秤锤树与三角槭(Acer buergerianum)的种间关联性大致相同,基本为大尺度下正关联,偶尔出现负关联和无关联。上述结果表明,秤锤树种群更新状况良好,种群空间分布以聚集分布为主,其主要受种间竞争、扩散限制与密度制约的影响。基于种群现状开展就地保护与适当干扰其生存群落,是濒危物种秤锤树的科学有效的保护措施。