陕西黄龙山林区褐马鸡春季夜栖地选择

2006年4～6月,在陕西黄龙山林区,对褐马鸡(Crossoptilon mantchuricum)春季夜栖地的选择进行了研究.共记录到22个夜栖地,以夜栖树为中心做一个10 m×10 m样方,测定夜栖地海拔、坡向、坡度、坡位、地貌特征、夜栖树高度和胸径、乔木层盖度、乔木的数量、灌木层盖度、草本盖度、水源距离、人为干扰距离、林缘距离、栖枝高度和栖位上盖度等参数;通过9条样带测定54个随机样方,除栖枝高度和栖位上盖度外,指标相同.结果表明,褐马鸡春季夜栖地多偏向以坡度较大、山坡和山脊、接近水源、远离林边、人为干扰距离较远、乔木盖度和密度较大、栖树胸径较大、灌木层盖度和草本层盖度较小为主要特征的地方.主成分分析表明,前5个特征值的累积贡献率达到72.746%,可以较好地反映褐马鸡春季夜栖地生境特征.根据载荷系数绝对值大小,将褐马鸡春季夜栖地生境选择影响因子分别命名为地形和林下植被因子、气象因子、稳定性因子和水因子.影响褐马鸡夜栖地选择的关键因素是安全、舒适和栖息地转换的方便程度.     

甘肃小陇山麻沿林区土壤纤毛虫群落特征

2006年7月和2007年11月,用活体观察和固定染色方法对小陇山麻沿林区土壤纤毛虫群落特征进行了研究.研究中共鉴定到土壤纤毛虫91种,其中包括8个未定名种.林区土壤纤毛虫群落结构复杂,计有3纲11目28科42属91种,下毛目为优势类群,肾形目和前口目为次优势类群,侧口目、缘毛目和寡毛目为偶见类群,膨胀肾形虫(Colpoda inflata)、长篮环虫(Cyrtolophosis elongata)、大口薄咽虫(Leptopharynx eurystoma)和长圆膜袋虫(Cyclidium oblongum)为优势种.林区各样点之间的土壤纤毛虫群落相似性为极不相似到中等不相似.结果表明,小陇山麻沿林区土壤纤毛虫群落物种丰富,特有和稀有物种繁多;林区各样点之间的小生境不同,土壤纤毛虫群落结构出现较大的差异.从林区生态环境的复杂性和独特性方面讨论了保护区土壤纤毛虫群落的特点.     

Multiple spatial-scale resource selection function models in relation to human disturbance for moose in northeastern China

The moose (Alces alces cameloides) population in northeastern China is on the southernmost edge of its distribution in Asia. A survey was conducted to determine moose resource selection and the effects of human disturbance on moose in a study area of 20,661 ha located on the northwestern slope of the Lesser Khingan Mountains, located in northeastern China. Predictive models of resource selection were developed using logistic and autologistic regression. All models considered resource variable selection at two spatial scales, patch and landscape. At the patch scale, moose preferred larger birch (Betula platyphylla) patches, but avoided larger tamarack (Larix gmelinii) patches. At the landscape scale, moose preferred higher densities of tamarack patches, i.e., heterogeneity of tamarack stands, selected areas with more abundant annual shoots, terrain conducive to better concealment, higher altitudes and areas saturated with soil moisture. Roads and forest harvest intervals were identified as important human disturbance factors. This is the first time that moose have been reported to avoid roads, and the avoidance distance was nearly 3 km. We believe that in this region moose under the influence of roads are behaviorally plastic, compared with the indifference of moose to the presence of roads in other regions. Moose avoided forest areas logged more than 3 years previously and preferred areas logged 1–2 years previously. In addition, it may be necessary to monitor the effect of the dynamic of density of roe deer on the spatial distribution of the moose population.     

Comparative dendroclimatic study of Scots pine, Norway spruce, and silver fir in the Vrancea Range, Eastern Carpathian Mountains

Using dendroclimatical methods, we compared the growth response to climate fluctuations of three of the main Romanian Carpathian Mountains coniferous species, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), growing intermixed in a unique stand. Climate and soil conditions were therefore the same for all the trees studied. The experimental site was chosen to be representative of the south-exposed sites in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains, where pine occurs naturally. In order to investigate the consequences of fluctuations in climate at different temporal scales, we examined both inter-annual and decadal time-steps. An index of soil water deficit was computed to investigate the consequences of drought. Our study reveals that species exhibited different responses to precipitation, temperature or drought. Overall, pine was the most sensitive to precipitation, while spruce showed a higher response to temperature at high frequency for both the current and the previous growing seasons, and to soil water deficit. Fir was the least sensitive species of the comparison. However, for all species, decadal modulations of growth show precipitation as a common and strong driver on the dry south-facing slopes. The results show that Scots pine would be affected more than fir by increased drought frequency and could in the future be replaced on the xeric sites.     

Do rivers function as genetic barriers for the plateau wood frog at high elevations?

Using the plateau wood frog Rana kukunoris from the Hengduan Mountains as a model system, we tested whether rivers form significant genetic barriers (the riverine barrier hypothesis) to high elevation amphibians. Samples were collected from eight sites across three major river drainages, the Min, the Dadu and the Yalong Rivers, and the population genetic structure of these frogs was evaluated with data from eight microsatellite DNA loci. A large amount of genetic structure was found, and the pairwise F _ST ranged from 0.022 to 0.508 and a global F _ST was 0.215. Both analysis of molecular variance and isolation by distance analysis suggested that rivers, mountain ridges and geographic distances all contributed significantly to the population structure. However, no single landscape has prominent barrier effect to the plateau wood frog populations. An assignment analysis using the computer program Structure grouped the eight populations into four population clusters, and no single type of landscape can sufficiently explain the clustering. In conclusion, rivers do not appear to be the leading genetic barriers for the plateau wood frog. The strong population genetic structure is likely the consequence of attributes of the species, as opposed to environmental fragmentation, and the barrier effect of the landscapes is largely swamped by the large amount of intrinsic population structure.     

中国云南高黎贡山园蛛属4新种记述(蜘蛛目:园蛛科)

本文记述了采自中国云南高黎贡山的园蛛属Amneus 4新种:春林园蛛,新种Amneus chunlin sp.nov.,李氏园蛛,新种Araneusliae sp.nov.,丰盛园蛛,新种Amneua plenus sp.nov.和亚坪园蛛,新种Araneus yapingensis sp.nov..模式标本正模及部分副模保存于湖南师范大学(HNU),部分副模将保存于美国加州科学学院(CaAS).文中量度单位为mm.     

Winter foraging habitat selection of brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) and the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in Huanglong Mountains, Shaanxi Province

The foraging habitat selections of brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) and the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) were studied in Huanglongshan Nature Reserve Shaanxi, China. Foraging habitat characteristics were measured on the basis of expected differences between species at 183 sites from November to December 2006 and January 2007. The results showed that both species selected foraging habitats with altitude (<1200 m), conifer forest, half sunny and half shady slope, sunny slope, density of trees (<5 individuals/100 m²), cover of shrub (>50%), visibility class (<10%) and distance to water source (<300 m). However, the brown-eared pheasant selected habitats with cover of trees (30–50%), middle or lower slope location, distance to edge of woods (<300 m) and human disturbance (<500 m), and the selection on density of shrub was not observed, compared to the selections on cover of trees (<30%), lower slope location, distance to edge of woods (<500 m) and human disturbance (<300 m), and density of shrub (>500 individuals/100 m²) for common pheasant. We also found that the common pheasant avoid predators by concealment whereas brown-eared pheasant evade predations by running away strategy.     

Alkali and alkaline earth metals in decomposing macrophytes in a wetland system

The foraging habitat selections of brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) and the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) were studied in Huanglongshan Nature Reserve Shaanxi, China. Foraging habitat characteristics were measured on the basis of expected differences between species at 183 sites from November to December 2006 and January 2007. The results showed that both species selected foraging habitats with altitude (<1200 m), conifer forest, half sunny and half shady slope, sunny slope, density of trees (<5 individuals/100 m²), cover of shrub (>50%), visibility class (<10%) and distance to water source (<300 m). However, the brown-eared pheasant selected habitats with cover of trees (30–50%), middle or lower slope location, distance to edge of woods (<300 m) and human disturbance (<500 m), and the selection on density of shrub was not observed, compared to the selections on cover of trees (<30%), lower slope location, distance to edge of woods (<500 m) and human disturbance (<300 m), and density of shrub (>500 individuals/100 m²) for common pheasant. We also found that the common pheasant avoid predators by concealment whereas brown-eared pheasant evade predations by running away strategy.     

A new cost‐distance model for human accessibility and an evaluation of accessibility bias in permanent vegetation plots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,USA

Question: Can a new cost‐distance model help us to evaluate the potential for accessibility bias in ecological observations? How much accessibility bias is present in the vegetation monitoring plots accumulated over the last three decades in Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee, USA. Methods: Distance, slope, stream crossings, and vegetation density were incorporated into a least‐cost model of energetic expenditure for human access to locations. Results: Estimated round‐trip energy costs for the park ranged from 0 to 1.62 × 10⁵ J kg^?1. The estimated round‐trip energetic expenditure for the surveys ranged from 53 to 1.51 × 10⁵ J kg^?1. Their distribution was more accessible than the random expectation. Ten (17%) of the vegetation types in the park are significantly under‐sampled relative to their area, and 16 (29%) are over‐sampled. Plots in 18 of the 40 vegetation types exhibited a significant positive correlation with accessibility. Conclusions: The least‐cost model is an improvement over previous attempts to quantify accessibility. The bias in plot locations suggests using a least‐cost model to test for bias in cases in which human accessibility is confounded with other sources of ecosystem variation.