干旱砾漠区露天采煤对草地植物群落特征及其稳定性影响

露天煤炭开采对区域地形地貌、水文循环和土壤植被等生态环境因子产生了较大干扰,但干旱砾漠区露天开采对周边植物群落及其稳定性的影响范围和程度仍有待深入研究,这个问题的探明才能为矿区植被恢复的精准施策提供科学依据。该文通过定量比较距露天开采区不同距离植物群落组成、多样性、生产力和稳定性变化特征,分析干旱砾漠区露天采煤对植物群落的影响范围和程度,并结合土壤性状和微气象因子的测量,探究影响干旱矿区植物群落特征的主导因子。结果表明:(1)干旱砾漠区露天开采排土场原始植被消失殆尽,开采区外围0~500 m范围内原优势物种重要值降低,伴生物种重要值增加,500 m后随着距开采区距离的增加优势植物重要值逐渐增加,至开采区800 m外植物群落组成趋于稳定;(2)开采区外围0~500 m范围内植物群落地上生物量、多样性和群落稳定性较5000 m处分别平均下降了53%、70%和37%,开采区500 m以外上述群落指标整体上变化不明显,而植被覆盖度在开采区外围不同距离并未表现出显著变化趋势;(3)土壤水分、有机质、有效氮磷钾、可溶性盐与植物群落地上生物量、多样性和稳定性呈正相关关系,而土壤pH、光照强度和地表温度与上述植物群落指标呈负相关关系。因此干旱砾漠区露天开采排土场及开采区外围0~500 m范围是矿区生态修复过程中重点考虑区域,同时研究表明干旱砾漠区植被主要分布在砾漠戈壁浅沟和季节性河道等生境相对良好的凹陷微地形条件下,综合可得出干旱砾漠区植被修复过程中可通过微地形塑造、土壤改良和乡土物种繁殖促进,以实现干旱矿区生态系统的稳定和可持续发展。     

Vegetation restoration patterns and their relationships with disturbance on the Giant Panda Corridor of Tudiling, Southwest China

Human activities such as deforestation, cultivation, and overgrazing have contributed to the destruction of forest ecosystems in the upper Minjiang River basin for a long time, which has led to the reduction in forest coverage and biodiversity. On the Giant Panda Corridor of Tudiling in this basin, the effects of the existing disturbance regimes on plant communities after the vegetation restoration in the 1980s were assessed, and the community composition, the species diversity and their relationships with environmental factors significantly associated with the disturbance were analyzed using the transect sampling method, the two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and the detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA). The results were as follows: communities could be classified into six types, and species were clustered into four functional groups (responsive to disturbance, retarded disturbance, resistant to intermediate disturbance, and resistant to heavy disturbance) based on both TWINSPAN and DCCA. DCCA with species composition of plots is similar to that with species diversity of plots. The communities were separated into distinct groups along the DCCA axis, and this pattern was significantly correlated with environmental factors. Elevation differences, shape, slope, distance to roads, and the number of paths in the plots had an evident influence on the distribution of the species and communities. Environmental factors including slope, distance to roads, and the number of paths revealed the gradient of disturbance among the communities along the DCCA axis. High disturbance intensity caused significantly lower species diversity and inhibited the regeneration of vegetation compared with the more diverse undisturbed communities. Artificial restoration was more effective than natural restoration in maintaining high species diversity. The process of succession was inhibited in natural restoration because of the failure of tree establishment, growth, and survival during regeneration.     

科尔沁西部地区荒漠化土地植被恢复技术研究

在科尔沁沙地西部对植物抗旱性、抗旱造林技术、沙丘植被恢复技术、退化草地改良技术进行了研究试验。抗旱生理的研究结果表明,差巴嘎蒿、小叶锦鸡儿比紫穗槐、胡枝子更适应干旱。对于杨树、山杏和樟子松,施用保水剂、固体水和在根际地表覆膜可分别提高造林成活率10%~30%。1.0 m×1.0 m的草方格在当地较适宜。如果综合利用生物措施和工程措施,固沙植物选择适当,在二、三年内就可将流沙固定。通过围栏封育、翻耙、补播、施肥、施用土壤改良剂等技术改良退化、碱化草场,平均产量提高2~4倍。施加氮肥明显提高了牧草蛋白质含量。改良后的草场土壤中蛋白酶、磷酸酶、脲酶、转化酶等总体上向良性发展。     

黄土丘陵区恢复草地土壤团聚体组成及全氮分布特征

团聚体作为土壤基本结构单元,其各粒级全氮（TN）含量对土壤TN储量的贡献各不相同,而草地恢复过程中地上植被会影响土壤团聚体组成与各粒级TN的分布,这必然会对团聚体稳定性和土壤氮素累积产生影响。因此,以恢复10a、20a、30a、40a和50a草地和对照农田（CK）为研究对象,探究草地恢复过程中土壤团聚体氮素累积规律。结果表明：1）50年恢复过程中草地群落经历了茵陈蒿（Artemisia capillaries）→茵陈蒿+铁杆蒿（Artemisia stechmanniana）→铁杆蒿+兴安胡枝子（Lespedeza davurica）→铁杆蒿+本氏针茅（Stipa bungeanaTrin）→铁杆蒿+白羊草（Bothriochloa ischaemum）的演替过程,且草地群落物种多样性指数随恢复年限的增加呈先升后降的趋势,地上植物、细根和凋落物的碳和氮含量呈先上升后下降趋势。2）草地恢复过程中土壤pH和容重呈下降趋势,而土壤含水量呈先降后增趋势,土壤有机碳含量在恢复过程中显著增加（P<0.05）,土壤TN含量随恢复年限呈先增后降的趋势,而TN储量呈逐年增加趋势,恢复10-50a草地与CK相比增加了8.10%-118.92%。3）不同恢复年限草地群落土壤微团聚体（0.053-0.25 mm）占比最大,但随恢复年限增加呈下降趋势,而大团聚体（>2 mm）和中团聚体（0.25-2 mm）占比以及平均重量直径（MWD）和几何平均直径（GMD）呈上升趋势。4）不同恢复年限草地群落中团聚体TN含量最高,且各粒级团聚体TN含量随恢复年限呈先下降后上升趋势;草地群落微团聚体TN储量最高,大、中团聚体TN储量随恢复年限增加呈上升趋势,微、粘粉粒团聚体（<0.053 mm） TN储量随恢复年限增加出现波动;各粒级团聚体TN储量与地上植物、细根和凋落物生物量以及碳氮含量显著相关（P<0.05）。5）草地恢复过程中大团聚体对土壤TN储量的贡献率达70%,且大团聚体占比增加是大团聚体贡献率高的主要原因。总之,草地恢复有利于土壤稳定以及氮素累积。     

Densities of Ecological Replacement Herbivores Required to Restore Plant Communities: A Case Study of Giant Tortoises on Pinta Island,Galápagos

Loss of native herbivores and introduction of livestock in many arid and semi‐arid ecosystems around the world has shifted the competitive balance from herbaceous to woody plants, leading to biodiversity loss, reduced plant productivity, and soil erosion. To restore functions of these ecosystems, ecological replacements have been proposed as substitutes for extinct native herbivores. Here we predict how an ecological replacement giant tortoise population (Chelonoidis spp.) would interact with woody plants on Pinta Island in the Galápagos Archipelago, where a small group of replacement tortoises was introduced in 2010 to initiate restoration of the island's plant community. We developed an individual‐based, spatially explicit simulation model that incorporated field‐derived tortoise behavior and tortoise–plant interaction data to test whether tortoise introductions could lead to broad‐scale changes in the plant community and, if so, at what tortoise densities. Tortoises reduced vegetation density in most (81%) 50‐year‐long simulations if the tortoise density was at least 0.7 per hectare, a value well below typical densities. In a smaller proportion of simulations (30%), tortoises increased local vegetation patchiness. Our results suggest that even moderate‐density tortoise populations can reverse woody plant encroachment. Deployment of ecological replacement giant tortoises may therefore be a viable approach for restoring other arid and semi‐arid ecosystems where a native herbivore that previously had strong interactions with the plant community has gone extinct .     

Seed Banks in Savanna,Forest Fragments,and Continuous Forest Edges Differ in a Tropical Dry Forest in Madagascar

Rapid deforestation has fragmented habitat across the landscape of Madagascar. To determine the effect of fragmentation on seed banks and the potential for forest regeneration, we sampled seed viability, density and diversity in 40 plots of 1 m² in three habitat types: forest fragments, the near edge of continuous forest, and deforested savanna in a highly fragmented dry deciduous forest landscape in northwestern Madagascar. While seed species diversity was not different between forest fragments and continuous forest edge, the number of animal‐dispersed seeds was significantly higher in forest fragments than in continuous forest edge, and this pattern was driven by a single, small‐seeded species. In the savanna, seeds were absent from all but three of the 40 plots, indicating that regeneration potential is low in these areas. Several pre‐ and post‐dispersal biotic and abiotic factors, including variation in the seed predator communities and edge effects could explain these findings. Understanding the extent to which seed dispersal and seed banks influence the regeneration potential of fragmented landscapes is critical as these fragments are the potential sources of forest expansion and re‐connectivity.     

Eradication of the House Mouse (Mus musculus) from Montague Island,New South Wales,Australia

Summary Of all the introduced mammalian pests, rodents are the most common invaders of islands and have triggered numerous extinctions around the globe. They have a short gestation period and large litter size, giving them the ability to colonise new areas rapidly. The same biological traits make them difficult to eradicate. Although the biodiversity benefits of removing exotic rodents from islands are increasingly being recognised, there are few published analyses of eradication attempts that critically evaluate eradication tools. This study examined the response of House Mouse (Mus musculus) populations to an eradication operation on Montague Island, Australia. While the specific impacts of mice have not been studied on this particular island, elsewhere they have been shown to have negative impacts on a range of species including plants, invertebrates, lizards and seabirds. On Montague Island, mouse abundance across different habitats was examined using mark–recapture data collected before and after the deployment of brodifacoum baits. Data obtained before baiting showed significantly lower numbers of mice in sites dominated by exotic grass compared with those dominated by native vegetation. Mouse numbers overall were declining during winter and the population was not breeding, making this an optimal time to undertake the eradication. Trapping immediately after the initial bait drop failed to capture any survivors, and no individuals have been detected during the 3 years since the deployment of baits. This study demonstrated that both small and large baits (0.6 and 2 g pellets) were effective in eradicating the House Mouse from Montague Island. While present, mice were probably slowing the re‐establishment of native vegetation by grazing seedlings and consuming seeds. With this pest now gone, the process of natural regeneration is expected to accelerate. The eradication of the House Mouse from Montague is likely to have other positive effects on the island’s biodiversity. The operation itself contributed to enhancing local capacity to eradicate exotic rodents from larger or more complex islands.     

Between‐Patch Bird Movements within a High‐Andean Polylepis Woodland/Matrix Landscape: Implications for Habitat Restoration

The movement ability of species in fragmented landscapes must be considered if habitat restoration strategies are to allow maximum benefit in terms of increased or healthier wildlife populations. We studied movements of a range of bird species between woodland patches within a high‐altitude Polylepis/matrix landscape in the Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru. Movement rates between Polylepis patches differed across guilds, with arboreal omnivores, arboreal sally‐strikers and nectarivores displaying the highest movement rates, and understorey guilds and arboreal sally‐gleaners the lowest movement rates. Birds tend to avoid flights to more distant neighboring patches, especially when moving from patches which were themselves isolated. The decline in bird flight frequencies with increasing patch isolation followed broken‐stick models most closely, and while we suggest that there is evidence for a decline in between‐patch movements over distances of 30–210 m, there was great variability in movement rates across individual patches. This variability is presumably a result of complex interactions between patch size, quality and configuration, and flight movement patterns of individual bird species. Our study does, however, highlight the contribution small woodland patches make toward fragmented Polylepis ecosystem functioning, and we suggest that, where financial resources permit, small patch restoration would be an important compliment to the restoration of larger woodland patches. Most important is that replanting takes place within 200 m or so of existing larger patches. This will be especially beneficial in allowing more frequent use of woodland elements within the landscape and in improving the total area of woodland patches that are functionally connected.     

An Assessment of Introductory Restoration Courses in the United States and Canada

A considerable number of institutions offer courses in restoration ecology and its application, ecological restoration. We quantified the scope and structure of introductory restoration courses at 67 post‐secondary institutions by reviewing institutional course catalogs and course syllabi. Most courses were available at Research‐level institutions. More than half of the courses were offered within departments that focused on natural resource management, and were required or optional in a degree program. Most courses were taught in classroom settings during the academic year and were geared toward advanced students. Course titles suggested an emphasis on the science of restoration ecology over the practice of ecological restoration, and learning objectives focused primarily on concepts and less on skills and attitudes. Assessment was largely via conventional methods, notably exams. Many courses assigned readings from the primary literature; there was little consensus in terms of text selection. We conclude that restoration is being presented to students as an advanced undertaking and in largely theoretical terms. Although we were unable to consider other important elements such as thematic content, class size, or pedagogical method, our study provides a baseline assessment of introductory restoration courses that can be used to evaluate changes in restoration education or opportunities for restoration education in other countries. These results can inform the development of new introductory restoration courses, and raise important considerations in light of the development of a Practitioners' Certification Program by the Society for Ecological Restoration.