Identifying conversion efficiency as a key mechanism underlying food webs adaptive evolution: a step forward,or backward?

Body size or mass is one of the main factors underlying food webs structure. A large number of evolutionary models have shown that indeed, the adaptive evolution of body size (or mass) can give rise to hierarchically organised trophic levels with complex between and within trophic interactions. However, these models generally make strong arbitrary assumptions on how traits evolve, casting doubts on their robustness. In particular, biomass conversion efficiency is always considered independent of the predator and prey size, which contradicts with the literature. In this paper, we propose a general model encompassing most previous models which allows to show that relaxing arbitrary assumptions gives rise to unrealistic food webs. We then show that considering biomass conversion efficiency dependent on species size is certainly key for food webs adaptive evolution because realistic food webs can evolve, making obsolete the need of arbitrary constraints on traits' evolution. We finally conclude that, on the one hand, ecologists should pay attention to how biomass flows into food webs in models. On the other hand, we question more generally the robustness of evolutionary models for the study of food webs.     

Precipitation regime controls bryosphere carbon cycling similarly across contrasting ecosystems

In arctic and boreal ecosystems, ground bryophytes play an important role in regulating carbon (C) exchange between vast belowground C stores and the atmosphere. Climate is changing particularly fast in these high-latitude regions, but it is unclear how altered precipitation regimes will affect C dynamics in the bryosphere (i.e. the ground moss layer including senesced moss, litter and associated biota) and the closely associated upper humus layer, and how these effects will vary across contrasting environmental conditions. Here, we set up a greenhouse experiment in which mesocosms were assembled containing samples of the bryosphere, dominated by the feather moss Hylocomium splendens, and the upper humus layer, that were collected from across a boreal forest chronosequence in northern Sweden which varies strongly in nutrient availability, productivity and soil biota. We tested the effect of variation in precipitation volume and frequency on CO₂ exchange and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export, and on moss growth. As expected, reduced precipitation volume and frequency lowered net CO₂ efflux, DOC export and moss growth. However, by regulating moisture, the lower bryosphere and humus layers often mediated how precipitation volume and frequency interacted to drive C dynamics. For example, less frequent precipitation reduced moss growth only when precipitation volume was low. When volume was high, high moisture content of the humus layer helped avoid moss desiccation. Variation in precipitation regime affected C cycling consistently in samples collected across the chronosequence, despite large environmental variation along the sequence. This suggests that the bryosphere exerts a strong buffering effect on environmental variation at the forest floor, which leads to similar responses of C cycling to external perturbations across highly contrasting ecosystems. As such, our study indicates that projected increases in droughts and ground evapotranspiration in high-latitude regions resulting from climate change will consistently reduce C losses from moss-dominated ecosystems.     

大尺度陆地生态系统动态变化与空间变异的过程模型及模拟系统

当代生态系统科学研究更加关注区域生态环境及生态系统状态变化的监测、评估、预测、预警及生态环境可持续管理。在深入理解陆地生态系统的要素、过程、功能、格局及其相互作用机理基础上,发展生态系统定量化描述方法和数值模拟技术,集成构建大陆尺度的“多过程耦合-多技术集成-多目标应用”的陆地生态系统数值模拟器已成为生态系统与全球变化及其资源、环境和灾害效应科学研究的重要科技任务。本研究围绕宏观生态系统模拟分析方法问题,在回顾陆地生态系统模型研究现状和发展趋势的基础上,深入讨论开发大尺度陆地生态系统动态变化和空间变异及其资源环境效应模拟系统的理念,以及模拟系统的功能定位、结构设计等基本问题,为构造中国陆地生态系统数值模拟器提供参考。     

生态系统服务供给和需求研究评述及框架体系构建

生态系统服务供给和需求联系着自然生态系统与社会经济系统,对生态系统服务供给和需求的研究有助于加强生态系统管理和实现资源优化配置,从而保障区域生态安全与社会经济可持续发展。本文在系统梳理国内外相关研究的基础上,对生态系统服务供给和需求的概念内涵、评估方法和实践应用等方面进行全面综述。从理论发展的角度看,虽然目前已取得较为丰富的研究成果,但是现有研究仍较为分散,缺乏统一的生态系统服务供需研究框架体系。鉴于此,本文在对生态系统服务供给和需求的研究范畴进行拓展的基础上,按照“理论-方法-实践”相统一的研究脉络,构建了“定性-定位-定量-定策”的生态系统服务供给和需求研究框架体系,最后提出未来研究应围绕“重点关注生态系统服务供给和需求的空间转移规律、加强生态系统服务供给和需求的定量方法研究、深化生态系统服务供给和需求应用管理实践和建立生态系统服务供给和需求应用评价机制”等方面展开,以期促进生态系统服务供给和需求的理论与实践研究。     

福州市生态系统生产总值核算

开展生态系统生产总值(GEP)核算是推进生态文明制度建设的必要措施,也是将生态效益纳入经济社会发展评价体系的重要举措。本研究以福州市为研究对象,通过构建具有“山、海、城”特色的生态系统价值核算体系,对2015和2018年福州市GEP进行核算,从时空变化角度对福州市GEP进行对比。结果表明: 2015、2018年福州市GEP分别为9205.92、10472.42亿元,人均GEP分别为13.02、14.39万元,生态产品供给服务价值分别为941.81、1102.61亿元,生态调节服务价值分别为6364.20、5988.51亿元,生态文化服务价值分别为1899.91、3381.3亿元。与2015年相比,2018年福州市GEP增加1266.50亿元,增幅为13.8%,主要得益于生态产品供给服务价值和生态文化服务价值的增加。然而,生态调节服务价值减少375.69亿元,降幅为5.9%,主要源于气候调节、水流动调节和水质净化服务价值的减少。福州率先探索建立一套具有山、海、城特色的核算体系,可以为福建省其他城市及我国其他地区的核算工作提供“福州样板”,同时助推建立生态价值实现的长效机制。     

黄土高原林区生态系统服务价值与景观生态风险时空变化及其关联性——以子午岭区为例

当前,人们对自然景观提供的生态系统服务保护意识正在加强,但将生态系统服务价值纳入生态风险管控的研究和实践相对较少。本研究以子午岭区为例,基于2.5 km×2.5 km的评价小区,开展了1980、1990、2000、2010和2017年黄土高原林区——子午岭区景观格局类型格网化和重采样,定量评价了生态系统服务价值和景观生态风险,揭示了二者时空变化及其关联性。结果表明: 1980—2017年,子午岭区生态系统服务价值从其中心地带向外缘递减,总量由123.45亿元增长为126.33亿元;子午岭区景观生态风险从其中心地带向外缘递增,子午岭区的景观生态风险有所降低,生态状况总体好转。子午岭区生态系统服务价值与景观生态风险之间存在显著的负相关关系及明显的负向空间关联性;高价值-低风险区主要为子午岭林区,未来其生态系统服务价值可能会保持不变。     

Linking Ocean's Benefits to People (OBP) with Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs)

The fundamental challenge of the inclusion of the human dimension of the oceans in the Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs) provides an opportunity for a transdisciplinary approach to create synergies between the current research by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). We have highlighted the importance of ocean inequality as a critical aspect to consider to unlock current barriers to integrate social sciences in marine integrated assessments. To create bridges between them, we develop an Ocean's Benefits to People (OBP) framework that embraces the blue economy, equity, the UN SDGs goals and support an Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) for the oceans.     

Spatial co‐localisation of extreme weather events: a clear and present danger

Extreme weather events have become a dominant feature of the narrative surrounding changes in global climate with large impacts on ecosystem stability, functioning and resilience; however, understanding of their risk of co‐occurrence at the regional scale is lacking. Based on the UK Met Office’s long‐term temperature and rainfall records, we present the first evidence demonstrating significant increases in the magnitude, direction of change and spatial co‐localisation of extreme weather events since 1961. Combining this new understanding with land‐use data sets allowed us to assess the likely consequences on future agricultural production and conservation priority areas. All land‐uses are impacted by the increasing risk of at least one extreme event and conservation areas were identified as the hotspots of risk for the co‐occurrence of multiple event types. Our findings provide a basis to regionally guide land‐use optimisation, land management practices and regulatory actions preserving ecosystem services against multiple climate threats.     

不同放牧强度对赛罕乌拉草原蜘蛛多样性的影响

蜘蛛作为草原生态系统中的主要消费者, 对维系草原生物多样性和生态系统功能具有重大意义。放牧是人类利用草原最普遍的方式, 了解放牧对蜘蛛多样性的影响具有重要生态学意义。本研究调查了内蒙古赛罕乌拉草原上5个不同放牧强度样地中的蜘蛛多样性, 通过单因素方差分析(one-way analysis of variance)比较各样地中的蜘蛛多样性, 非度量多维标度分析(non-metric multidimensional scale, NMDS)和相似性分析(analysis of similarities, ANOSIM)比较各样地间的蜘蛛物种组成相似性, 再结合相关性分析探讨了植被高度对蜘蛛多样性的影响。结果表明: 重度放牧强度样地的蜘蛛多样性显著低于其他未放牧及轻度放牧样地; 具体到常见科上, 放牧强度对织网型的园蛛物种数和个体数影响显著, 而对游猎型的狼蛛、跳蛛却不明显; 织网型蜘蛛主要受植被结构影响, 而游猎型蜘蛛更可能受潜在猎物可得性的影响。NMDS分析表明不同放牧强度下, 蜘蛛类群的物种组成呈现明显的梯度变化, 放牧强度越低, 物种组成和未放牧样地越相近。相关性分析表明草原植被高度与蜘蛛多样性总体上呈正相关关系, 即植被高度越高, 蜘蛛多样性越高。其中依靠植物构建蛛网的园蛛科和在植物上层伏击猎物的蟹蛛科、逍遥蛛科等与植被高度显著相关。这说明植物资源及其空间异质性可能对草原蜘蛛多样性起着主导作用。因此, 降低放牧强度有助于保护草原蜘蛛群落的多样性, 特别有利于织网型蜘蛛。     

生态系统多功能性的指标选择与驱动因子: 研究现状与展望

全球变化和人类活动正以空前的速度在世界范围内改变着生物多样性, 这导致了全球生物多样性的锐减以及生产力的下降、病虫害的增加和抗入侵能力的减弱等生态问题。近30年来, 生态学家开始对于生物多样性的持续丧失是否以及如何影响生态系统功能的问题越来越感兴趣, 生物多样性与生态系统功能(biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, BEF)关系的研究应运而生, 并成为生态学研究的热点之一。但长期以来, 研究者更多地关注单一生态系统功能, 而忽略了生态系统能够同时提供多种生态系统功能的能力, 即生态系统多功能性(ecosystem multifunctionality, EMF)。本文综述了EMF研究中功能指标的选择、生物多样性的不同维度、微生物多样性对EMF的影响以及其他非生物因子对EMF的驱动等进展。因只考虑单一功能可能会低估生物多样性对整体生态系统功能的影响, 故生物多样性与生态系统多功能性(BEMF)关系的研究成为BEF关系研究的重点。近年来, BEMF关系的研究发展较快, 在不同生态系统(包括水生、草地、森林、旱地、农业等)、不同研究尺度(从区域到全球尺度)、BEMF关系的驱动机制(从单一驱动机制到多种驱动机制共同作用)、研究方法(包括新概念以及新的量化方法的提出和应用)等方面均取得了新的进展。但仍有不足之处, 如对于EMF研究中功能指标的选取没有统一的标准、对地下微生物多样性的关注度不够、涉及多营养级水平下的BEMF关系研究较少、驱动EMF的机制仍存在争论等。未来应加强对于功能指标选取的标准研究, 综合分析地上、地下生物多样性以及非生物因子对EMF的整体影响, 加强生态系统多服务性(ecosystem multiserviceability, EMS)方法的研究和应用。