Species richness and abundance of epiphytic Araceae on adjacent floodplain and upland forest in Amazonian Ecuador

Terrestrial plant communities of adjacent upland and floodplain forest of the Amazonian lowland differ from each other in species richness and composition. Epiphytes are generally not considered as being affected by flooding, but we found considerable variation in the communities of epiphytic Araceae of flooded and unflooded forest. Contrary to findings from tree or ground herb communities, no depletion in overall species richness was observed among epiphytic aroids of the floodplains. Abundance and number of epiphytic aroid species per phorophyte were significantly higher than in upland forest, and the species composition varied conspicuously between the two forest types. We suggest that these differences are due to elevated humidity and better soil quality on the floodplains and reject the assumption that flooding has no effect on the epiphytic community.     

Lentic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure along gradients in spatial heterogeneity, habitat size and water chemistry

Littoral zones of small water bodies are spatially heterogeneous habitats, harbouring diverse biotic communities. Despite this apparent heterogeneity, many studies have stressed the importance of water chemistry in determining the structure of littoral macroinvertebrate assemblages. The purpose of this study was to consider the relative importance of several spatial and water chemistry variables in explaining the patterns in the structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in 21 lentic water bodies in northeastern Finland. Water bodies were selected to represent various habitat conditions ranging from small permanent bog ponds to small forest lakes. According to canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the most important environmental factors related to assemblage composition were water body area, moss cover, total nitrogen and water hardness. In general, species composition in small bog ponds tended to differ from that in larger lakes with forested shoreline. Total species richness was best explained by a composite variable (PCA) describing physical habitat heterogeneity, species richness being lowest in small bog lakes with simple bottom structure and low amount of aquatic plants. Species numbers in dominant functional feeding groups were related to different environmental factors. Shredder species richness was best explained by a regression model incorporating total nitrogen and the amount of organic matter, both of which were negatively related to the number of shredder species. The number of gatherer species increased with mean substratum particle size. Scraper species richness was negatively affected by the abundance of detritus and positively affected by depth, and a model including both variables explained most of the variation. Variation in the number of predatory species was best explained by a regression model including moss cover and lake area.     

Measuring biological heterogeneity of forest vegetation types: avalanche index as an estimate of biological diversity

Ideally, the estimates of biological diversity of a community of species in a habitat should refer to the biological variation among the species and not merely to their numbers and frequencies. However, the current estimates of biodiversity incorporate only the latter two components but not the biological differences among the species. Ganeshaiah et al. [(1997) Current Science 73: 128–133] have proposed an estimate called the Avalanche Index (AI) that can incorporate the biological heterogeneity among the species in a habitat. This estimate, besides being methodologically simple, can incorporate any quantifiable differences among the species, information on species richness and their frequencies in the habitat. In this paper we have estimated AI for tree vegetation in 14 forest types across different ecosystems of the world and have compared these estimates with other indices being currently used. Through this we have attempted to analyse the relative utility of AI in discriminating the habitats based on their biological heterogeneity by capturing their intra-community biological variation. We discuss the merits and demerits of the AI as a comprehensive estimate of biological diversity.     

广州城市绿地系统景观异质性分析

选用景观多样性等7个指数对广州城市绿地景观异性质进行了分析.结果表明,广州绿地斑块密度和绿廓道密度分别为118和187km·km-2,在老城区绿地具有斑块小,破碎度大,多样性高,以随机分布为主的高异质性空间结构;在新城区,绿地斑块大,以均匀分布为主,因此,在同等大小的区域内,这类绿地空间结构更能提高景观的异质性,更有效地发挥绿地的生态功能     

Spatial variation and biogeography of sand forest avian assemblages in South Africa

Aim To examine biogeographical affiliations, habitat‐associated heterogeneity and endemism of avian assemblages in sand forest patches and the savanna‐like mixed woodland matrix. Location Two reserves in the Maputaland Centre of Endemism (MC) on the southern Mozambique Coastal Plain of northern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. Methods Replicated surveys were undertaken in each of the two habitat types in each reserve, providing species abundance data over a full year. Vegetation structure at each of the survey sites was also quantified. Differences between the bird assemblages and the extent to which vegetation structure explained these differences were assessed using multi‐variate techniques. Biogeographical comparisons were based on species presence/absence data and clustering techniques. Results Bird assemblages differed significantly between habitats both within a given reserve and between reserves, and also between reserves for a given habitat. Differences in vegetation structure contributed substantially to differences between the avian assemblages. Of the four species endemic to the MC, three (Neergaard’s sunbird, Rudd’s apalis, and Woodward’s batis) were consistently present in sand forest. The fourth (pink‐throated twinspot) preferred mixed woodland. None of these endemic species was classed as rare. In the biogeographical analysis, both the sand forest and the mixed woodland bird assemblages were most similar to bird assemblages found in the forest biome or the Afromontane forest biome, depending on the biome classification used. Main conclusions The close affinities of sand forest and mixed woodland assemblages to those of the forest biome are most likely due to similarities in vegetation structure of these forests. Bird assemblages differ between the sand forest and mixed woodland habitats both within a given reserve and between reserves, and also between reserves for a given habitat. These differences extend to species endemic to the MC. Thus, conservation of sand forest habitat in a variety of areas is necessary to ensure the long‐term persistence of the biota.     

Intralocality Variation in Feeding Biomechanics and Prey Use in Archosargus probatocephalus (Teleostei,Sparidae), with Implications for the Ecomorphology of Fishes

Archosargus probatocephalusin a Florida estuary was investigated to explore intraspecific variation in prey utilization and jaw biomechanics. Volumetric contribution of major prey types and seven biomechanical features of the oral jaws that characterize prey-capture and processing performance were contrasted between two locations within the estuary. At Mosquito Lagoon, where A. probatocephalusinhabited mostly oyster beds, mangroves and salt marshes, fish consumed mostly thick-shelled bivalves, gastropods, crabs, and tubiculous polychaetes and amphipods. In contrast, conspecifics at Indian River Lagoon that inhabited mostly seagrass beds and algal turf consumed predominantly algae, seagrass, epiphytic invertebrates and small bivalves and gastropods. Difference in magnitude of durophagy between locations was associated with differences in oral-jaw biomechanics. Analyses of covariance indicated that A. probatocephalusat Mosquito Lagoon had more massive jaw muscles and bones, than conspecifics at Indian River Lagoon. Variations in lever ratios for jaw-opening and jaw-closing between locations were not significant. It is hypothesized that intralocality differences in food habits have induced the development of feeding morphologies that enhance the ability of A. probatocephalusto successfully exploit locally dominant prey resources within the estuary. Plasticity of the feeding mechanism of A. probatocephalusmay buffer the species from the adverse effects of settling on heterogeneous habitats that contain variable prey resources such as those found within estuaries.     

Distinguishing area and habitat heterogeneity effects: a simulation test of the MacNally and Watson (1997) protocol

Distinguishing the roles that different factors, such as sampling effects and habitat heterogeneity, play in generating species‐area curves continues to be difficult in many communities. A recent response to this challenge is the proposal of a ‘zoom’ protocol in which species richness and habitat heterogeneity are sampled in successively larger units (transects or quadrats). The utility of this approach requires that there be justifiable, predictable and unambiguous relationships between richness and heterogeneity. Results of computer simulations that I have done to test the predicted relationships demonstrate, however, that the predicted patterns were not always observed and, on occasion, more complex relationships were observed in their place. While the development of such protocols may increase our understanding of species‐area curves, they are unlikely ever to pronounce unambiguously on their causes.     

黑河流域荒漠绿洲过渡带两种优势植物种群空间格局特征

应用地统计学的原理和方法,对降水量117．1mm、降水量和潜在蒸发量比值为0．05的荒漠绿洲过渡带斑块状植被优势植物泡泡刺、红砂种群的密度、盖度以及泡泡刺沙堆体积和高度的空间格局进行了研究．结果表明,泡泡剌和红砂种群平均盖度分别为1．56±2．34％和0．23±0．22％;密度分别为1．5±1．8丛·100m^-2和2．3±2．1株·100m^-2．泡泡刺灌丛沙堆是稳定戈壁下垫面受风沙流干扰形成的一种景观,灌丛高度和体积都比较小,平均值分别为0．18±0．15m和0．10±0．18m^3．泡泡刺种群在样地内靠近绿洲和浅山区有几条明显的分布带,而红砂分布相对均匀．用半方差函数分析表明,两种种群密度和盖度的块金值与基台值之比都比较小,介于0．08～0．12之间,说明在总空间异质性中随机因素所起的作用很小。占8％～12％．两种种群盖度和密度的变程相近,基本在34m以内,其中随机因素引起的异质性对应的尺度在10m以下,而结构性因素引起的异质性对应的尺度为10～34m．泡泡刺和红砂种群盖度和密度的空间异质性均具有各向同性和各向异性特征,其中红砂种群的各向同性的范围略大于泡泡刺种群．泡泡刺种群空间格局的塑造主要受降水量及其形成地表径流的控制．     

家族性支气管哮喘的遗传方式分析

为研究家族性支气管哮喘的遗传方式, 进一步确定在群体中的传递规律,用群体研究法调查邯郸地区有家族史的支气管哮喘家系。采用家系分析法和Smith无偏差校正法, 进行理论值与观察值符合程度的卡方检验分析。72个家族性支气管哮喘的家系, 包括109个核心家系, 其亲属的患病率为0.46。分析结果表明, 有单基因遗传的倾向。用家系法分析, 符合常染色体显性遗传。对D-× dd婚配家系用Smith法分析, χ² = 3.181, P > 0.05, 所得结果支持常染色体显性遗传(Autosomal domiant inheritance, AD), 并提示不同的婚 配类型, 遗传方式可能不同, 存在着遗传异质性, 研究结果可为家族性支气管哮喘的预防、诊断和治疗提供参考依据。