Developing a Benthic Index of Biological Integrity and Some Relationships to Environmental Factors in the Subtropical Xiangxi River,China

The aim of this study is to develop a benthic index of biotic integrity (B‐IBI) to help understand how the increasing anthropogenic pressure may impact the subtropical Xiangxi River in China. Benthic macroinvertebrate and environmental surveys were conducted at 77 sites in early summer 2004. Each collection site was categorized as reference or impaired based on physical, chemical, biological, and land‐use information. Six non‐redundant metrics from 35 metrics were used to differentiate between reference and impaired sites. We selected six metrics for the final IBI. The scoring criteria of each metric were normalized based on the quadrisection and 0–10 scaling systems. Both scaling methods were used to assess the aquatic health of each site in the Xiangxi River watershed. The results showed that most sites were in fairly poor condition. Furthermore, we identified the relationship between B‐IBI metrics, water‐quality, and land‐use variables with a principal component analysis. A composite of nutrients and land‐use intensity explained most variances. These results suggest that the B‐IBI may be a suitable method for assessing river conditions within the subtropical Xiangxi River in central China (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A comprehensive examination of the network position hypothesis across multiple river metacommunities

The hierarchical branching nature of river networks can have a strong influence on the assembly of freshwater communities. This unique structure has spurred the development of the network position hypothesis (NPH), which states that the strength of different assembly processes depends on the community position in the river network. Specifically, it predicts that 1) headwater communities should be exclusively controlled by the local environment given that they are more isolated and environmentally heterogeneous relative to downstream reaches. In contrast, 2) downstream communities should be regulated by both environmental and dispersal processes due to increased connectivity given their central position in the riverscape. Although intuitive, the NPH has only been evaluated on a few catchments and it is not yet clear whether its predictions are generalizable. To fill this gap, we tested the NPH on river dwelling fishes using an extensive dataset from 28 French catchments. Stream and climatic variables were assembled to characterize environmental conditions and graph theory was applied on river networks to create spatial variables. We tested both predictions using variation partitioning analyses separately for headwater and downstream sites in each catchment. Only 10 catchments supported both predictions, 11 failed to support at least one of them, while in 7 the NPH was partially supported given that spatial variables were also significant for headwater communities. We then assembled a dataset at the catchment scale (e.g. topography, environmental heterogeneity, network connectivity) and applied a classification tree analysis (CTA) to determine which regional property could explain these results. The CTA showed that the NPH was not supported in catchments with high heterogeneity in connectivity among sites. In more homogeneously connected catchments, the NPH was only supported when headwaters were more environmentally heterogeneous than downstream sites. We conclude that the NPH is context dependent even for taxa dispersing exclusively within streams.     

黑河中游湿地景观破碎化过程及其驱动力分析

在遥感和GIS技术支持下,基于1975-2010年长时间序列遥感影像,选取斑块密度指数(PD)、景观内部生境面积指数(IA)、斑块平均面积指数(MPS)、斑块形状破碎化指数(FS1、FS2)等具有典型生态意义的景观指数模型,系统分析了黑河中游湿地景观的破碎化过程,并结合灰色关联分析、主成分分析等方法,探讨了影响研究区湿地景观破碎化过程的各驱动因子.结果表明:近35年来,研究区湿地景观破碎化主要表现为斑块平均面积的萎缩,斑块密度的上升以及斑块形状破碎化指数的增大.整个研究时段内,研究区湿地斑块平均面积减少了48.95hm2,斑块密度的上升0.006个/hm2;导致黑河中游湿地景观破碎化发生和发展的驱动力包含自然和人文两个方面.自然因子对湿地景观破碎化进程的影响则主要体现在气温和降水上,而且气温对湿地景观破碎化进程的影响程度明显大于降水.但在1975-2010年间的这一较小时间尺度上,人类活动对湿地景观破碎化的贡献率明显高于自然因子,人类活动能力的增强以及影响范围的不断扩大是引发黑河中游湿地景观破碎化的主因.     

西南山区人口空间重组及其对植被的影响——以河流沿线为例

随着城市化的快速推进,山区人口迁出及空间重组成为影响中国山区人地关系的重要因素,这可能对山区植被恢复和生态改善产生巨大影响。基于人口空间数据、河流分布数据和MODIS数据,本文分析了河流沿线人口空间重组情况,以生长季EVI值为表征植被绿度的指标,采用基于像元的趋势分析方法和基于样本的相关分析模型,对2000—2010年间中国西南山区不同级别河流沿线的人口空间变化和植被变化作了系统性分析,并定量研究了人口空间重组与植被变化之间的关系。结果表明:(1)三级及以上河流出现人口往河流沿线聚集的趋势,人口在河流的影响区聚集程度大于对比区。其中,一级和二级河流沿线影响区人口密度增加量比对比区分别高75.9%和42.1%。(2)三级及以上各河流沿线影响区和对比区EVI均呈现出增加的趋势,且影响区增加趋势低于对比区。(3)植被EVI变化趋势与人口密度变化呈负相关关系,河流沿线人口密度增加不利于植被的恢复;河流级别越高,植被EVI变化趋势与人口密度变化的相关性越强。     

Does stream flow structure woody riparian vegetation in subtropical catchments?

The primary objective of this study was to test the relevance of hydrological classification and class differences to the characteristics of woody riparian vegetation in a subtropical landscape in Queensland, Australia. We followed classification procedures of the environmental flow framework ELOHA – Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration. Riparian surveys at 44 sites distributed across five flow classes recorded 191 woody riparian species and 15, 500 individuals. There were differences among flow classes for riparian species richness, total abundance, and abundance of regenerating native trees and shrubs. There were also significant class differences in the occurrence of three common tree species, and 21 indicator species (mostly native taxa) further distinguished the vegetation characteristics of each flow class. We investigated the influence of key drivers of riparian vegetation structure (climate, depth to water table, stream‐specific power, substrate type, degree of hydrologic alteration, and land use) on riparian vegetation. Patterns were explained largely by climate, particularly annual rainfall and temperature. Strong covarying drivers (hydrology and climate) prevented us from isolating the independent influences of these drivers on riparian assemblage structure. The prevalence of species considered typically rheophytic in some flow classes implies a more substantial role for flow in these classes but needs further testing. No relationships were found between land use and riparian vegetation composition and structure. This study demonstrates the relevance of flow classification to the structure of riparian vegetation in a subtropical landscape, and the influence of covarying drivers on riparian patterns. Management of environmental flows to influence riparian vegetation assemblages would likely have most potential in sites dominated by rheophytic species where hydrological influences override other controls. In contrast, where vegetation assemblages are dominated by a diverse array of typical rainforest species, and other factors including broad‐scale climatic gradients and topographic variables have greater influence than hydrology, riparian vegetation is likely to be less responsive to environmental flow management.     

Identifying climatic niche shifts using coarse‐grained occurrence data: a test with non‐native freshwater fish

Aim We tested whether coarse‐grained occurrence data can be used to detect climatic niche shifts between native and non‐native ranges for a set of widely introduced freshwater fishes. Location World‐wide. Methods We used a global database of freshwater fish occurrences at the river basin scale to identify native and non‐native ranges for 18 of the most widely introduced fish species. We also examined climatic conditions within each river basin using fine‐grained climate data. We combined this information to test whether climatic niche shifts have occurred between native and non‐native ranges. We defined climatic niche shifts as instances where the ranges of a climatic variable within native and non‐native basins exhibit zero overlap. Results We detected at least one climatic niche shift for each of the 18 studied species. However, we did not detect common patterns in the thermal preference or biogeographic origin of the non‐native fish, hence suggesting a species‐specific response. Main conclusions Coarse‐grained occurrence data can be used to detect climatic niche shifts. They also enable the identification of the species experiencing niche shifts, although the mechanisms responsible for these shifts (e.g. local adaptation, dispersal limitation or physiological constraints) have yet to be determined. Furthermore, the coarse‐grained approach, which highlights regions where climatic niche shifts have occurred, can be used to select specific river basins for more detailed, fine‐grained studies.     

三峡工程运行后对洞庭湖湿地的影响

长江三峡工程建成运行后,其下游第一个大型通江湖泊——洞庭湖的水文、水质以及湿地环境等均发生了很大变化。三峡工程已经开始影响到洞庭湖的泥沙淤积、水位波动、水质以及植被演替等。以三峡水库调度运行方案、河湖交互作用和洞庭湖湿地植被分布格局为基础,从长江三峡工程对洞庭湖水文、水质以及湿地植被演替等方面综述了三峡工程对洞庭湖湿地的综合影响。三峡工程减缓了长江输入洞庭湖泥沙的淤积速率,对短期内增加洞庭湖区调蓄空间、延长洞庭湖寿命有利。总体上减少了洞庭湖上游的来水量,改变了洞庭湖原来的水位/量变化规律。给洞庭湖水环境质量造成了直接或间接的影响,对其水质改变尚存一定争议,但至少在局部地区加剧了污染。水位变化和泥沙淤积趋缓协同改变了洞庭湖湿地原有植被演替方式,改以慢速方式演替,即群落演替的主要模式为:水生植物—虉草或苔草—芦苇—木本植物。展望了今后的研究趋势与方向,为三峡工程与洞庭湖关系的进一步研究提供参考。     

Net land gain or loss for two Mississippi River diversions: Caernarvon and Davis Pond

Coastal wetland restoration can be complex and expensive, so knowing long‐term consequences makes it important to inform decisions about if, when, and where to conduct restoration. We determined temporal changes in land gain and loss in receiving basins and adjacent reference areas for two diversions of the Mississippi River in south Louisiana (Davis Pond and Caernarvon initiated in 1991 and 2002, respectively). Water from both diversions went into receiving basins with vegetated areas as did the adjoining reference areas. The results from two different types of satellite imagery analyses demonstrate a net land loss after diversions began. The results were confirmed for the Caernarvon diversion using a before–after/control–impact analysis of independently collected data over a larger area of the estuary. These results are consistent with an analysis of land gain and loss after a natural levee break on the Mississippi River in 1973. The positive influences of adding new sediments were apparently counter‐balanced by other factors, and consistent with the conclusion from other studies indicating that increased nutrient supply and flooding are, by themselves, negative influences on marsh health. Modeling the ecosystem effects of diversions can be calibrated and tested using landscape‐scale analyses like this to understand the chronic and delayed effects, including the unintended consequences. Basing the legitimacy of river diversion on ecosystem modeling will be premature without successfully reproducing empirical results like these in ecosystem models.     

Cofán Indians’ Monitoring of Freshwater Turtles in Zábalo,Ecuador

The Cofán Indians of Aguarico and Zábalo Rivers in Ecuador in 1990 began a turtle recuperation effort by raising turtle hatchlings (Podocnemis expansa and P. unifilis) in small pools. To evaluate the effectiveness of this program, the Cofán developed and tested three methods to document changes in the populations of turtles. The first method consisted of interviews with people from neighbouring communities about their perceptions of changes in turtle abundance. The second method was a direct count of turtles observed along the rivers from canoe. The third method was an indirect count, involving turtle nest censusing along community beaches. Two of the methods yielded numerical, statistically positive turtle population trends. The turtle program has influenced the community's perception of turtle conservation issues so that, instead of hunting the adults and eggs, they now protect them. The training in record-keeping permits them to make a transparent history of the equitability of access to the turtle egg resource. The Cofán monitoring experience strengthened their successful petition to the Ecuadorian government for the rights to manage their territorial lands within the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, and to receive protected area status and management rights to other ancestral lands. The experience gained by the Zábalo monitors is now serving as a model for the design and implementation of the park monitoring system of the newly-established Cofán Park Ranger Corps, which will be patrolling three Ecuadorian Ecological Reserves which overlap Cofán inhabited areas.     

川西亚高山红桦-岷江冷杉林优势种群的空间格局分析

以红桦-岷江冷杉林4 hm²样地调查数据为基础,采用点格局分析法O-ring函数,分析了红桦和岷江冷杉2个优势种群不同龄级的空间分布格局,以及各龄级间的种内和种间关联性.结果表明：红桦种群径级分布呈单峰型,为衰退种群;岷江冷杉种群径级分布呈倒“J”型,为进展种群.岷江冷杉与红桦大树在所有尺度上均为随机分布,其余龄级在小尺度上为聚集分布,随尺度增大趋于随机分布和均匀分布,最大聚集强度随龄级增大而减弱.空间关联主要发生在小尺度上.岷江冷杉种内关联以小尺度正关联为主,红桦种内关联以小尺度负关联为主.对于2个种群的相同龄级,小龄级、中龄级和大龄级间,分别以空间无关联、负关联和无关联为主.2个种群间不同龄级间以负关联为主,龄级相差越大,其负关联越强.