Faunal composition of geometrid moths changes with altitude in an Andean montane rain forest

Aim The objective of this study was to describe and interpret the changes in faunal composition in the moth family Geometridae (Lepidoptera) along a small‐scale elevational gradient in a tropical montane rain forest. This gradient was compared with a large‐scale latitudinal gradient in Europe. Location Investigations were carried out in the province Zamora‐Chinchipe in southern Ecuador along a gradient ranging from 1040 to 2677 m above sea level at twenty‐two sites. Methods Moths were sampled with light‐traps in three field periods in 1999 and 2000 and subsequently sorted and determined to species or morphospecies. Results We analysed 13,938 specimens representing 1010 species of geometrid moths. The proportional contribution of subtaxa to the local geometrid fauna changes along the elevational gradient at all systematic levels considered. While proportions of species of the subfamilies Ennominae, Sterrhinae and Geometrinae significantly decrease, the proportion of Larentiinae increases with increasing altitude. Changes also occur within the subfamilies Ennominae and Larentiinae. The host–plant specialist ennomine tribes Cassymini, Macariini and Palyadini completely vanish, and the proportion of the tribe Boarmiini decreases at high altitudes. In contrast, the remaining tribes (mostly comprising polyphagous species) either do not show proportional changes (Azelinini, Nacophorini, Nephodiini, Ourapterygini) or even increase (Caberini, ‘Cratoptera group’). Within Larentiinae, the species proportion of the genus Eois decreases, whereas concomitantly the proportion of Eupithecia increases. There is a remarkable similarity between the altitudinal patterns in Ecuador and those found along the latitudinal gradient in Europe. Main conclusions Species of the subfamily Larentiinae seem to be particularly well‐adapted to harsh environmental conditions, towards both high altitudes and latitudes. They might disproportionately profit from lower predation at higher altitudes. Many changes in the faunal composition can be explained by expected host–plant requirements of the species involved. Our results show that diversity estimates based on taxon ratios which are assumed to be constant must be regarded with caution because such ratios can change rapidly along environmental gradients.     

The vertical distribution of phytoplankton in stratified water columns

What determines the vertical distribution of phytoplankton in different aquatic environments remains an open question. To address this question, we develop a model to explore how phytoplankton respond through growth and movement to opposing resource gradients and different mixing conditions. We assume stratification creates a well-mixed surface layer on top of a poorly mixed deep layer and nutrients are supplied from multiple depth-dependent sources. Intraspecific competition leads to a unique strategic equilibrium for phytoplankton, which allows us to classify the distinct vertical distributions that can exist. Biomass can occur as a benthic layer (BL), a deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), or in the mixed layer (ML), or as a combination of BL+ML or DCM+ML. The ML biomass can be limited by nutrients, light, or both. We predict how the vertical distribution, relative resource limitation, and biomass of phytoplankton will change across environmental gradients. We parameterized our model to represent potentially light and phosphorus limited freshwater lakes, but the model is applicable to a broad range of vertically stratified systems. Increasing nutrient input from the sediments or to the mixed layer increases light limitation, shifts phytoplankton towards the surface, and increases total biomass. Increasing background light attenuation increases light limitation, shifts the phytoplankton towards the surface, and generally decreases total biomass. Increasing mixed layer depth increases, decreases, or has no effect on light limitation and total biomass. Our model is able to replicate the diverse vertical distributions observed in nature and explain what underlying mechanisms drive these distributions.     

中国东北样带(NECT):十年集成与未来挑战

Northeast China Transect (NECT), one of the fifteen International Biosphere-Geosphere Programme (IGBP) terrestrial transects, has been established for 10 years by Prof. Zhang Xin-Shi, through a core project of the IGBP - the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE). This transect is located in the mid-latitude semi-arid region, ranging 42-46°N latitude and 110-132癊 longitude. The primary driving force for global change is precipitation and the secondary one is land use intensity. Research progresses have been performed during the past decade in the following aspects: ecological database development, climate and its variability, ecophysiological response of plants to environments, vegetation and landscape changes, biodiversity patterns and their changes, plant functional types and traits with relation to climatic gradient, productivity and carbon dynamics, pollen-vegetation relationship, trace gas emissions, land use and land cover changes, as well as biogeographical and biogeochemical modelling. In order to achieve the higher level of integrated research, the NECT needs the consistent basic data sets within the same framework, further field experiments and observations, integrated simulations of vegetation structure, process and function from patch, landscape to biome scales, intercomparisons of results and simulations within the transect and to other IGBP transects, multidisciplinary research, national and international co-ordinates, and full scientific plan and implementation strategy.     

Litterfall Production Along Successional and Altitudinal Gradients of Subtropical Monsoon Evergreen Broadleaved Forests in Guangdong, China

Evaluation of litterfall production is important for understanding nutrient cycling, forest growth, successional pathways, and interactions with environmental variables in forest ecosystems. Litterfall was intensively studied during the period of 1982–2001 in two subtropical monsoon vegetation gradients in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, China. The two gradients include: (1) a successional gradient composed of pine forest (PF), mixed pine and broadleaved forest (MF) and monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest (BF), and (2) an altitudinal gradient composed of Baiyunci ravine rain forest (BRF), Qingyunci ravine rain forest (QRF), BF and mountainous evergreen broadleaved forest (MMF). Mean annual litterfall production was 356, 861 and 849 g m⁻² for PF, MF and BF of the successional gradient, and 1016, 1061, 849 and 489 g m⁻² for BRF, QRF, BF and MMF of the altitudinal gradient, respectively. As expected, mean annual litterfall of the pioneer forest PF was the lowest, but rapidly increased over the observation period while those in other forests were relatively stable, confirming that forest litterfall production is closely related to successional stages and growth patterns. Leaf proportions of total litterfall in PF, MF, BF, BRF, QRF and MMF were 76.4%, 68.4%, 56.8%, 55.7%, 57.6% and 69.2%, respectively, which were consistent with the results from studies in other evergreen broadleaved forests. Our analysis on litterfall monthly distributions indicated that litterfall production was much higher during the period of April to September compared to other months for all studied forest types. Although there were significant impacts of some climate variables (maximum and effective temperatures) on litterfall production in some of the studied forests, the mechanisms of how climate factors (temperature and rainfall) interactively affect litterfall await further study.     

生态脆弱带内部空间分异结构与脆弱度划分

内蒙乌盟后山及河北坝上地区是研究土地利用的人为驱动,气候驱动同全球变化关系的理想剖面。区内气候风蚀力代表了自然地理条件的主分异方向,其值在70－3之间,高低差别很大,区内42a内单位面积上牲畜头数累积减少量以旱作界线附近为最高,向南北两侧减低,且南部高于北部。20世纪80年代沙漠化的发展并没改变本世纪70年代沙漠化程度分布的基本格局。两介时代具有相同的空间分布规律;沿旱作农业北界附近的旗县为沙漠化最严重的地带,向南部坝上农业地带和北部牧业地带递减。虽然社会经济因素仍以西北东南为分异的主方向,但滥垦加剧了农牧交错带梯度分异,旱作界线附近构成了社会经济因子分异的跃变地带。对区内20个旗县13个因子的旋转主成分分析表明,前4个主成分约分别为33％,21％,15％和14％,各自代表社会经济条件,灾害,气候风蚀力和沙尘天气四类要素。根据其分异规律,自东南向西北可将本区划为南部农牧中度脆弱,中部牧农重度脆弱和北部牧业轻度脆弱3个弧形地带。     

武夷山五种竹子叶、枝、秆碳氮磷化学计量对生长阶段和海拔的响应

探究竹子化学计量特征对生长阶段和海拔的响应对于了解其生理生态特征及生长适应策略至关重要。对武夷山沿海拔分布的五种典型竹子叶、枝、秆的碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)含量及化学计量内稳态指数(H)进行两个生长阶段的测定。结果显示不论生长阶段的变化,各器官N、P含量的变异系数均显著大于C含量,且秆的N、P含量变异系数要显著大于叶片和竹枝,但不同生长阶段并未改变秆的N∶P (12∶1)。毛竹4月份枝和8月份叶的N、P含量均随海拔增加而降低,而箬竹叶的N、P含量均随海拔增加而增加。海拔和生长阶段的交互作用显著提高了竹秆N含量对生长阶段变化的响应。竹叶N和秆的N、P含量在不同生长阶段具有明显的内稳性调控机制,但竹枝N、P的内稳性特征表现不明显。总而言之,这些结果一方面反映了武夷山五种竹子偏向于选择维持叶N含量的内稳态机制,另一方面调节秆N、P含量的协变来应对海拔和生长阶段变化中养分的利用策略。     

Long-term recovery of macroinvertebrate biota in grossly polluted streams: Re-colonisation as a constraint to ecological quality

To meet targets imposed by the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) it is vital that measures to improve the status of rivers are both effective and economically viable. Achievement of such aims needs robust understanding of biological responses to changes in water quality vis-à-vis mechanisms of and constraints to the colonization of previously polluted sites. This study therefore examined the long-term chemical and biological changes in historically polluted rivers to elucidate the responses of macroinvertebrate biota to improvements in chemical water quality. For three historically polluted sites in the English Midlands, data from surveys over a period of ca. 50 years were analysed. Ammonia (NH₃) and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) were used as chemical water quality indicators. Variations in the ecological recovery of the study sites were assessed using an average pollution sensitivity score (Average Score Per Taxon) and the number of taxa present (usually to family level) present in hand-net samples. Ecological recovery varied widely and was influenced by the intensity and spatial extent of the pollution and the proximity of available sources of potential colonisers. At the site most isolated from potential sources of colonizing taxa, no clean-water macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded 30 years after the major sources of pollution ceased. Where clean-water colonisers were more readily available, significant improvements in ecological quality followed within 2–5 years of the improvements in chemical quality. Macroinvertebrate communities and hence monitoring data may thus be indicative of long past conditions or of biological isolation rather than contemporaneous chemical conditions. Combined chemical and biological data were used to explore a generic model for predicting recovery rates and success. Neither BOD₅ nor NH₃ were found to provide a consistent and meaningful prediction of either average pollution tolerance of macroinvertebrate taxa or of the number of taxa present. Long-term relationships between macroinvertebrate variables and chemical water quality variables, however, were non-linear, suggesting that water quality thresholds may have to be exceeded before biological recovery can occur. Even when chemical water quality has been improved substantially, the apparent ecological status of macroinvertebrate communities may not reflect reduced pollution levels attained until adequate time to allow for re-colonisation (possibly decades) has elapsed.     

Population abundance gradient of Inurois punctigera along altitude

A winter geometrid moth, Inurois punctigera, shows sympatric and genetically isolated seasonal populations (i.e. early‐ and late‐winter populations) in the cold regions of Japan, whereas it shows only mid‐winter populations in the warm regions. Variation in adult flight phenology on a large geographic scale along latitudinal environmental gradients has been described, but the phenological variation on a more local scale along altitudinal environmental gradients has not yet been characterized. In the present study, we assessed the flight phenology at high‐ and low‐elevation areas in Mt. Rokko, Hyogo, Japan. First, we revealed that flight period was not disrupted in mid‐winter, even at high‐elevation areas (>660 m) but the population abundance was much lower in high‐elevation areas than in low‐elevation areas. Then, in the following two seasons, we investigated I. punctigera abundance, winter harshness (i.e. winter temperature) and their host plant abundance in nine closely located stations in Mt. Rokko. A generalized linear mixed model analysis indicated a greater effect of winter temperature on I. punctigera abundance compared to available food resources, suggesting that differences in winter harshness among elevation shapes the gradient of I. punctigera abundance along altitude. Our findings suggest that harsh conditions during winter function as selective agents on mid‐winter types of I. punctigera, and this could be involved in the divergence between sympatric early‐ and late‐winter populations of I. punctigera.     

Phenology and polyploidy in annual Brachypodium species (Poaceae) along the aridity gradient in Israel

Local adaptation of plants along environmental gradients provides strong evidence for clinal evolution mediated by natural selection. Plants have developed diverse strategies to mitigate stress, for example, drought escape is a phenological strategy to avoid drought stress, while polyploidy was proposed as a genomic adaptation to stress. Polyploidy as an adaptation to aridity (an environmental parameter integrating temperature and precipitation) was previously documented in annual Brachypodium spp. (Poaceae) in the Western Mediterranean. Here, we examined whether polyploidy or phenology are associated with aridity in annual Brachypodium spp. along the aridity gradient in the Eastern Mediterranean. Using flow cytometry, we determined ploidy levels of plants from natural populations along the Israeli gradient, spanning ∼424 km from mesic Mediterranean to extreme desert climates. In a common garden we recorded time of seedling emergence, flowering and senescence. We tested whether the proportion of allotetraploids in the populations and phenological traits were associated with aridity. Contrary to a previous study in the Western Mediterranean, we found no effect of aridity on the proportion of allotetraploids and diploids within populations. Interestingly, phenology was associated with aridity: time of emergence was later, while flowering and senescence were earlier in desert plants. Our results indicate that in the Eastern Mediterranean, adaptation of Brachypodium to aridity is mediated mainly by phenology, rather than ploidy level. Therefore, we suggest that genome duplication is not the main driver of adaptation to environmental stress; rather, phenological change as a drought escape mechanism may be the major adaptation.     

Leaf morphology shift linked to climate change

Climate change is driving adaptive shifts within species, but research on plants has been focused on phenology. Leaf morphology has demonstrated links with climate and varies within species along climate gradients. We predicted that, given within-species variation along a climate gradient, a morphological shift should have occurred over time due to climate change. We tested this prediction, taking advantage of latitudinal and altitudinal variations within the Adelaide Geosyncline region, South Australia, historical herbarium specimens (n = 255) and field sampling (n = 274). Leaf width in the study taxon, Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustissima, was negatively correlated with latitude regionally, and leaf area was negatively correlated with altitude locally. Analysis of herbarium specimens revealed a 2 mm decrease in leaf width (total range 1-9 mm) over 127 years across the region. The results are consistent with a morphological response to contemporary climate change. We conclude that leaf width is linked to maximum temperature regionally (latitude gradient) and leaf area to minimum temperature locally (altitude gradient). These data indicate a morphological shift consistent with a direct response to climate change and could inform provenance selection for restoration with further investigation of the genetic basis and adaptive significance of observed variation.