Parasitological Consequences of Overcrowding in Protected Areas

For the past several years, there has been growing interest in understanding the dynamics of parasites in ecosystems, as well as the diversity of ways in which they interfere with conservation and health preoccupations. Although it is widely recognized that many conservation practices (e.g., wildlife translocations, species removal, food supplementation) may be associated with parasite-related problems, less attention has been devoted to exploring the parasitological consequences of the overcrowding of animals in protected wildlife areas. Here, we discuss this important ecological/epidemiological problem, presenting at the same time an overview of the main questions and challenges in this field. Using empirical and theoretical examples chosen from the literature, we focus particularly on the interactions between the overcrowding of free living species and parasite population dynamics, the evolution of parasite virulence, the indirect effects on the structure of invertebrate communities, as well as the nutritional value of prey species. We argue that conservation policies should be aware more than ever of this problem, especially given the serious health risks currently posed by the spread of virulent viruses (e.g., avian influenza).     

微生物提高原油采出率的室内研究

微生物采油技术是一种提高原油采出率的卓有成效的方法。本文通过在实验室条件下模拟江苏油田韦4区块的储层情况,进行岩芯的驱替实验,对微生物采油技术在韦4区块的运用作了一些研究和评价,并得出应用结论,为该技术在现场的实验奠定了理论基础。     

Plant species richness of nature reserves: the interplay of area, climate and habitat in a central European landscape

Aim To detect regional patterns of plant species richness in temperate nature reserves and determine the unbiased effects of environmental variables by mutual correlation with operating factors. Location The Czech Republic. Methods Plant species richness in 302 nature reserves was studied by using 14 explanatory variables reflecting the reserve area, altitude, climate, habitat diversity and prevailing vegetation type. Backward elimination of explanatory variables was used to analyse the data, taking into account their interactive nature, until the model contained only significant terms. Results A minimal adequate model with reserve area, mean altitude, prevailing vegetation type and habitat diversity (expressed as the number of major habitat types in the reserve) accounted for 53.9% of the variance in species number. After removing the area effect, habitat diversity explained 15.6% of variance, while prevailing vegetation type explained 29.6%. After removing the effect of both area and vegetation type, the resulting model explained 10.3% of the variance, indicating that species richness further increased with habitat diversity, and most obviously towards warm districts. After removing the effects of area, habitat diversity and climatic district, the model still explained 9.4% of the variance, and showed that species richness (i) significantly decreased with increasing mean altitude and annual precipitation, and with decreasing January temperature in the region of the mountain flora, and (ii) increased with altitudinal range in regions of temperate and thermophilous flora. Main conclusions We described, in quantitative terms, the effects of the main factors that might be considered to be determining plant species richness in temperate nature reserves, and evaluated their relative importance. The direct habitat effect on species richness was roughly equal to the direct area effect, but the total direct and indirect effects of area slightly exceeded that of habitat. It was shown that the overall effect of composite variables such as altitude or climatic district can be separated into particular climatic variables, which influence the richness of flora in a context‐specific manner. The statistical explanation of richness variation at the level of families yielded similar results to that for species, indicating that the system of nature conservation provides similar degrees of protection at different taxonomic levels.     

Conservation Concerns for Butterflies in Urban Areas of Australia

The threats of rapid urbanisation to Australian butterflies are discussed, and examples given of the taxa of conservation concern and measures for their management. Compounding threats, such as intensive recreational activity in coastal regions, are also important consequences of urbanisation. Maintenance of threatened specialist species and more generalist widespread species may demand rather different approaches for practical conservation. Most species capable of persisting in urban areas depend on their adults adapting to modified habitats, and their immature stages utilising cultivated exotic or native food plants. Exotic weeds and inappropriate fire regimes are recognised as major threats to the survival of species in remnant bushland.     

Protected areas offer refuge from invasive species spreading under climate change

Protected areas (PAs) are intended to provide native biodiversity and habitats with a refuge against the impacts of global change, particularly acting as natural filters against biological invasions. In practice, however, it is unknown how effective PAs will be in shielding native species from invasions under projected climate change. Here, we investigate the current and future potential distributions of 100 of the most invasive terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species in Europe. We use this information to evaluate the combined threat posed by climate change and invasions to existing PAs and the most susceptible species they shelter. We found that only a quarter of Europe's marine and terrestrial areas protected over the last 100 years have been colonized by any of the invaders investigated, despite offering climatically suitable conditions for invasion. In addition, hotspots of invasive species and the most susceptible native species to their establishment do not match at large continental scales. Furthermore, the predicted richness of invaders is 11%–18% significantly lower inside PAs than outside them. Invasive species are rare in long‐established national parks and nature reserves, which are actively protected and often located in remote and pristine regions with very low human density. In contrast, the richness of invasive species is high in the more recently designated Natura 2000 sites, which are subject to high human accessibility. This situation may change in the future, since our models anticipate important shifts in species ranges toward the north and east of Europe at unprecedented rates of 14–55 km/decade, depending on taxonomic group and scenario. This may seriously compromise the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. This study is the first comprehensive assessment of the resistance that PAs provide against biological invasions and climate change on a continental scale and illustrates their strategic value in safeguarding native biodiversity.     

川滇高山栎灌丛萌生过程中的营养元素供应动态

萌生更新是森林更新的重要方式, 是硬叶栎林受到干扰后植被恢复的主要机制。以位于青藏高原东南缘的川西折多山东坡川滇高山栎(Quercus aquifoliodes)灌丛为研究对象, 调查分析了砍伐后灌丛萌生过程中基株根系和萌株生物量动态、营养元素含量, 以及基株根系和土壤对萌株生长过程中的营养元素供应动态。结果表明, 川滇高山栎灌丛平均地上和地下生物量分别为(11.25 ± 0.92) t·hm^-2和(34.85 ± 2.02) t·hm^-2, 具有较大的根冠比(3.10:1); 萌生过程中, 萌株生物量呈线性增加趋势, 以灌丛活细根生物量变化为最大, 其次是活中根和活粗根, 树桩和根蔸生物量变化最小; 萌生过程中, 灌丛细根和中根N、P含量表现为先增加、后降低的变化趋势, 萌生初期树桩、粗根和根蔸中N和K的含量明显下降, 根蔸中Ca含量略有下降, 而P没有明显下降, 根系Mg含量变化幅度较大, 灌丛地下根系储存了较多的营养元素; 土壤、树桩、粗根和根蔸是川滇高山栎灌丛砍伐后0-120天萌生生长的主要营养来源, 砍伐后60天, 萌株生长所需的营养除K元素主要来源于根系外, 其余营养元素主要来源于土壤; 在砍伐后60-120天, 基株根系对萌株生长所需的N、K和Ca贡献较大, 而对P和Mg的贡献较小; 在砍伐后120-180天, 根系除K元素对萌生生长还保持较大的贡献外, 对其余营养元素的贡献均较小。高山栎林管理要注重加强地下根系的保护。     

自然保护区设计的主要原理和方法

本文回顾了自然保护区设计的主要原理和方法。建立自然保护区的目的是防止物种绝灭和生物多样性消失。岛屿生物地理学的“平衡理论”的设计原则未涉及到物种绝灭的中心问题———种群生存力,所以该理论对保护实践贡献较小。种群生存力分析和最小可存活种群的理论及模型用于物种绝灭问题的研究,同时关键种的生存力用于确定生态系统的生存力,因而该理论和模型成为自然保护区设计的理论基础。保护评估方法已应用于自然保护区的选择和检验中。走廊辩论取代了ＳＬＯＳＳ辩论,成为自然保护区设计争论的热点     

Seasonal changes in the body composition of young riverine Atlantic salmon and brown trout

The body composition of protein and fat in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brown trout Salmo trutta before and after winter was investigated in a temperate, small river, normally ice covered from the middle of November until the end of March. Fat, protein and specific energy declined greatly in winter but were replenished rapidly in spring. Rates of decline were slower for the smallest fish, which also had the lowest specific content of fat, protein, and energy, while the differences in absolute amounts were greatest for the largest fish. The mean specific fat content was reduced by 45–70% during winter, relative to the pre-winter period (September). Mean daily reductions in specific enegy of the larger size groups of brown trout (3·7 × 10⁻³ kJ g⁻¹ day⁻¹) were almost half of the corresponding values for the largest Atlantic salmon (6·3 × 10⁻³ kJ g⁻¹ day⁻¹) during winter. A minor reduction in protein content was found during winter, with mean reductions of 6–10% in comparison to those in September. During spring the fat content was replenished rapidly, particularly for the smallest salmon fry (a threefold increase from April to June). Fat content in the larger salmon and trout increased by about 1·8 times. Based on estimated metabolic rates, digested energy during wintertime may contribute about two-thirds of the brown trout fry's energy demand. For Atlantic salmon, the corresponding value is about 50%. The winter period put considerable stress on the young salmonids living in lotic environments, in particular for the smallest fry with the lowest energy content before winter and the largest losses during winter. This should make the fry more vulnerable to adverse abiotic and biotic factors.     

杭州湾北岸大型围隔海域人工生态系统的能量流动和网络分析

根据2006年在杭州湾北岸大型围隔海域进行的生态调查数据,利用EwE软件构建围隔海域人工生态系统的能量流动模型.模型由13个功能组构成,分别是肉食性鱼类、底栖捕食鱼类、浮游动物性鱼类、草食性鱼类、蟹类、虾类、软体动物、底栖动物、肉食性浮游动物、植食性浮游动物、大型藻类、浮游植物和有机碎屑,每一组都代表在生态系统中具有相似地位的有机体,基本覆盖了该人工生态系统能量流动的主要过程.能量流动分析表明,围隔海域人工生态系统中能量流动主要以碎屑食物链途径为主,其中植食性浮游动物在能量从低级向高层次转换中起关键作用.人工生态系统的营养级范围为1.00～3.90级,系统的能量流动主要有6级,来自初级生产者的能流效率为9.4%,来自碎屑的转换效率为9.8%,平均能量转换效率为9.6%.经生态网络分析,直接来源于碎屑的比例占总流量的57%,而直接来源于初级生产者的比例为43%,生态系统特征参数:总初级生产计算量/总呼吸量(TPP/TR)、系统物质和能量循环率(FCI)和系统聚合度(A)值分别为2.672、0.25、0.315,表明围隔海域人工生态系统目前正处于发育时期.该研究为首次利用Ecopath模型分析大型围隔海域人工生态系统的结构和能量流动,旨在为富营养化近岸海域的生态修复提供理论依据.