NDVI is not reliable as a surrogate of forage abundance for a large herbivore in tropical forest habitat

Remotely sensed vegetation indices are increasingly being used in wildlife studies but field‐based support for their utility as a measure of forage availability comes largely from open‐canopy habitats. We assessed whether normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) represents forage availability for Asian elephants in a southern Indian tropical forest. We found that the number of food species was a small percentage of all plant species. NDVI was not a good measure of food abundance in any vegetation category partly because of (a) small to moderate proportional abundances of food species relative to the total abundance of all species in that category (herbs and shrubs), (b) abundant overstory vegetation resulting in low correlations between NDVI and food abundance, despite a high proportional abundance of food species and a concordance between total abundance and food species abundance (graminoids), and (c) the relevant variables measured and important as food at the ground level (count and GBH) not being related to primary productivity (trees and recruits). NDVI had a negative relationship with the total abundance of graminoids, which represent a bulk of elephant and other herbivore diet, because of negative interaction with other vegetation and canopy cover that positively explained NDVI. Spatially interpolated total graminoid abundance modeled from field data outperformed NDVI in predicting total graminoid abundance, although interpolation models of food graminoid abundance were not satisfactory. Our results reject the utility of NDVI in mapping elephant forage abundance in tropical forests, a finding that has implications for studies of other herbivores also. Abstract in Kannada is available with online material.     

Influence of learning on range expansion and adaptation to novel habitats

Learning has been postulated to ‘drive’ evolution, but its influence on adaptive evolution in heterogeneous environments has not been formally examined. We used a spatially explicit individual‐based model to study the effect of learning on the expansion and adaptation of a species to a novel habitat. Fitness was mediated by a behavioural trait (resource preference), which in turn was determined by both the genotype and learning. Our findings indicate that learning substantially increases the range of parameters under which the species expands and adapts to the novel habitat, particularly if the two habitats are separated by a sharp ecotone (rather than a gradient). However, for a broad range of parameters, learning reduces the degree of genetically‐based local adaptation following the expansion and facilitates maintenance of genetic variation within local populations. Thus, in heterogeneous environments learning may facilitate evolutionary range expansions and maintenance of the potential of local populations to respond to subsequent environmental changes.     

五种红树植物通气组织对人工非潮汐生境的响应

红树植物自然条件下生长于河口、海岸潮间带。受潮汐作用影响,红树植物在生理、形态、结构上对渍水环境产生了相应的适应机制。其中红树植物通气组织的发达程度与其耐淹水的能力具有很高的相关性,是衡量红树植物耐淹浸能力的重要依据。利用测定孔隙率和石蜡切片面积比两种方法揭示了华南地区5种红树植物优势种：白骨壤 (Avicennia marina)、红海榄 (Rhizophora stylosa)、木榄 (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza)、秋茄 (Kandelia candel)和桐花树 (Aegiceras corniculatum)在自然条件和人工生境下根通气组织的发育规律,并用石蜡切片研究了茎和叶的通气组织发育状况。结果表明：两种方法测得根的通气组织发育程度的结果相关性显著（P<0.05）。5种红树植物通气组织主要产生于根部,茎和叶发育较少,除了潮汐生境中白骨壤根的通气组织为根、茎、叶总和的48.16%、非潮汐生境中桐花树根为43.81%,其余树种根部通气组织占总体的50%以上。自然潮间带生境中,桐花树、木榄、白骨壤、秋茄、红海榄,通气组织分别为(14.98±3.34)%、(27.83±2.3)%、(29.64±3.17)%、(3009±4.12)%、(42.12±3.14)%,通气组织比例与其在潮间带上的分带性和演替序列较为吻合。非潮汐人工生境下,红海榄、木榄、秋茄、桐花树和白骨壤根部通气组织较自然生境下均有所增加,说明各树种对非潮汐淹浸条件具备一定的适应力。根据非潮汐生境下通气组织的比例可判定它们对恒定水位的适应能力依次为：桐花树>白骨壤>秋茄>木榄>红海榄。红树植物对非潮汐淹浸条件的适应有利于在沿海地区开展人工生境下红树林的栽培与推广应用,研究结果对提高栽培成活率,更大限度地发挥红树林的生态服务价值,具有重大的实践意义。     

周边区域湿地景观变化对洪河保护区涉禽栖息地的影响

以三江平原洪河国家级保护区及其周边3个农场为研究区域,利用GIS技术和栖息地评价模型方法,探讨了周边区域湿地景观变化对保护区内景观结构以及丹顶鹤、东方白鹳栖息地的影响。结果显示：（1）自1983年区域土地开发以来,周边区域湿地景观面积减少了63％,景观类型多样性趋于单一化;（2）保护区内湿地景观结构改变明显,类型多样性呈降低趋势,丹顶鹤和东方白鹳栖息地面积和空间分布均发生变化;（3）保护区与周边区域湿地景观连通度降低了70％,其结果严重改变了保护区与周边区域的景观生态联系,削弱了保护区原有湿地景观多样性和涉禽栖息地功能;（4）必须从景观尺度,恢复保护区周边一定面积的湿地景观结构,维持保护区与周边区域适当的景观生态联系,是有效管理和维护保护区可持续发展的最佳手段之一。     

基于MaxEnt模型的甘肃安西极旱荒漠国家级自然保护区北山羊生境评估

明晰甘肃安西极旱荒漠国家级自然保护区珍稀濒危物种北山羊的分布格局,并阐释气候变化和人类活动对北山羊的影响,对今后北山羊生境管理和物种保护具有重要意义。基于北山羊实测分布点记录和环境变量数据,结合MaxEnt模型和ArcGIS空间分析功能,利用CMIP6的8个气候模式均值预测中度发展路径（SSP2-4.5）下,基准期（1970-2000年）和未来气候（2041-2060年、2081-2100年）变化情景下,甘肃安西极旱荒漠国家级自然保护区北山羊的潜在适生区分布范围及变化,并综合贡献率和置换重要性值对北山羊生境选择关键环境因子进行了分析。研究结果表明：（1） MaxEnt模型的预测精度较高,三种气候条件下ROC曲线下面积（AUC,Area Under Curve）>0.97,且真实技巧统计（TSS,True Skill Statistic）>0.90,模拟结果可靠。（2）影响北山羊生境选择的主要环境因子为气候条件（降水量季节性变异系数和等温性）、海拔和人为干扰（距泉和居名点距离）。水是保护区北山羊生存的最基本要素,气候条件共同控制北山羊生境条件。此外,北山羊习性决定其生境宜选择高海拔和远离人类活动影响地区。（3）基准期保护区北山羊主要分布在北片和南片高海拔山区,面积365.77 km²（占整个保护区的4.31%）,北山羊适生区面积北片>南片、中高等适生区主要位于保护区北片。（4） CMIP6未来气候变化情景下,随着保护区生态环境改善和濒危物种保护措施的实施,北山羊潜在适生区面积呈增加趋势,但是受北山羊近亲繁殖的影响,整体上北山羊数量和适生区面积增加并不显著且有向南部及高海拔地区转移趋势。     

浙江宁波镇海工业园区昆虫多样性研究

于2008年7-11月,对宁波镇海工业园区的昆虫群落多样性进行调查,选取林地、农田、人工苗圃、生态园和工厂区5种具有代表性的生境类型,每月对该地区的昆虫种类及数量进行抽样统计和数据分析.结果表明:该地共有昆虫284种,分属13目108科,其中优势类群为同翅目、直翅目、半翅目、鞘翅目和鳞翅目.在不同功能类群中,从个体数看...     

蝗虫生境监测方法研究进展

蝗虫是一种能对农业生产带来毁灭性打击的害虫。预测、监测蝗虫的发生、发展对于防治蝗虫、减轻蝗灾具有重要意义。在分析蝗虫的发生和消长与其生存环境的关系基础上,概述了以往蝗虫发生、发展预测、监测的主要方法。然后,从监测蝗虫生境采用的指标、卫星数据、算法等方面进一步阐述了运用现代遥感、地理信息系统技术监测蝗虫生境、预测蝗虫发生、发展的理论基础和最新进展;最后,结合现代对地观测技术、网络、快速计算和模拟等技术的发展探讨了蝗虫生境监测的发展方向。     

There's no place like home: seedling mortality contributes to the habitat specialisation of tree species across Amazonia

Understanding the mechanisms generating species distributions remains a challenge, especially in hyperdiverse tropical forests. We evaluated the role of rainfall variation, soil gradients and herbivory on seedling mortality, and how variation in seedling performance along these gradients contributes to habitat specialisation. In a 4‐year experiment, replicated at the two extremes of the Amazon basin, we reciprocally transplanted 4638 tree seedlings of 41 habitat‐specialist species from seven phylogenetic lineages among the three most important forest habitats of lowland Amazonia. Rainfall variation, flooding and soil gradients strongly influenced seedling mortality, whereas herbivory had negligible impact. Seedling mortality varied strongly among habitats, consistent with predictions for habitat specialists in most lineages. This suggests that seedling performance is a primary determinant of the habitat associations of adult trees across Amazonia. It further suggests that tree diversity, currently mostly harboured in terra firme forests, may be strongly impacted by the predicted climate changes in Amazonia.     

Site prioritisation for the protection of rare subterranean species – the cases of two ostracods from south-western France

1. Delineation of protected areas for rare subterranean species is a key problem for groundwater biodiversity conservation, because of practical difficulties in implementation. Criteria for site selection are presented that are derived from studies on two remarkable Ostracoda, Dolekiella europaea Gidó, Artheau, Colin, Danielopol & Marmonier (Limnocytheridae) and Vestalenula carveli Artheau (Darwinulidae) discovered in south-western France.
2. Arguments for natural heritage value and protection of subterranean species are proposed and illustrated by using information on these two ostracod species. The proposed criteria are: (i) local and/or regional endemism; (ii) known occurrence of the species at a few localities only; (iii) representativeness for ancient phylogenetic lineages with wider geographical distributions in the past; and (iv) suitability for scientific study because of unique morphological or biological traits.
3. It is also proposed to prioritise the protection of subsurface sites using the following criteria: (i) type locality for newly described species; (ii) presence of other rare stygobiotic taxa; and (iii) high population densities of the primary target species.
4. Development and implementation of protection strategies at local scale are likely to benefit from collaboration between scientists, policy makers and stakeholders. The measures taken should complement existing national and/or international attempts at large-scale protection of groundwater biodiversity.     

浙江东部牛蛙的自然种群及潜在危害

牛蛙(Rana catesbeiana)的入侵已成为一些本地两栖类种群数量下降或灭绝的主要因素之一。1959年牛蛙被引入中国大陆,但直到1990年才开始在国内大范围饲养。牛蛙的自然种群在国内一直未见报道。我们于2003年9—11月调查了浙江省东部5区3县的牛蛙种群,发现在岱山、秀山、六横及佛渡岛上有牛蛙分布,共捕获23只牛蛙,包括4只成年个体,18个亚成体和1只蝌蚪。于2004年1月和2月在岱山捕获28只蝌蚪。结果显示：(1)牛蛙的蝌蚪能在当地越冬成活,说明牛蛙在上述4岛成功地建立了自然种群;(2)牛蛙主要分布于水库、池塘和溪流,牛蛙的生境与6种当地蛙有部分重叠;(3)养殖时管理不善造成的牛蛙逃逸,以及牛蛙价格过低而导致养殖户将牛蛙弃置野外可能是牛蛙入侵的主要原因。牛蛙对当地蛙的潜在威胁很大,开展牛蛙的分布、食性和种群动态研究是当务之急。