西藏羌塘自然保护区与人类活动有关的藏羚、藏野驴和藏原羚密度

1999年,2000年和2002年,在西藏西北部的西藏羌塘自然保护区分别沿三条横跨该自然保护区的长度为750-860km的东西向样线估计了藏羚(Pantholopshodgsoni)、藏野驴(Equuskiang)和藏原羚(Procaprapicticaudata)密度(每平方公里个体数)和遇见率(每平方公里遇见个体数)。在低海拔(4500-4700m)地区,藏羚、藏野驴和藏原羚数量很少,在那些人类活动强度高或中等的地区,藏羚、藏野驴和藏原羚的数量也极少,以致无法估计密度或遇见率。在高海拔(4700-5200m)地区,藏羚和藏野驴数量在那些人类和家畜活动强度低的地区,数量总比那些中等人类活动强度的地区高,尽管藏羚的数量差别比藏野驴小。藏原羚的情形不一样,在人类活动强度低或中等的地区的遇见率相仿。在某种程度上,这种差别可能与这些动物的生境偏好有关。看起来,藏原羚、其次是藏野驴比藏羚更能耐受人类和家畜的活动。注意到这三种动物在人类和家畜活动低的地区的结果方差都大,表明三种动物在有人类和家畜活动低的地区与在那些中等人类和家畜活动地区的分布相反的成群分布。三年中有蹄类动物遇见率的模式都相似,在调查期间有蹄类动物种群没有波动的趋势     

长白山垂直带森林叶片-凋落物-土壤连续体有机碳动态——基于稳定性碳同位素分析

稳定性碳同位素自然丰度(δ~(13)C)记录着生态系统碳循环过程的关键信息,常被用于评价全球变化情景下陆地生态系统碳的动态。以长白山北坡垂直带4种典型森林生态系统为研究对象,测定乔木建群种叶片、凋落物以及不同深度土壤有机碳(SOC)含量和δ~(13)C值,探讨植物叶片-凋落物-土壤连续体碳含量、δ~(13)C丰度的分布格局及其生态学暗示。研究结果表明:植物叶片碳含量随海拔高度的增加呈现抛物线型变化,且阔叶树叶片碳含量显著低于针叶树,体现气候要素和植被功能型的支配作用,并且暗示针叶树种潜在的碳蓄积能力更强。此外,植物叶片δ~(13)C随海拔高度升高而降低,表明高海拔植物叶片水分利用效率较低,即固碳耗水成本更高。凋落物碳含量随海拔增加逐渐下降,而矿质表层土壤则表现为阔叶红松林、岳桦林显著高于暗针叶林,体现了植被类型和土壤质地的共同支配作用。总体上,岳桦林SOC周转最快,其次是暗针叶林,位于基带的阔叶红松林最慢。可见,小尺度上气候因子并不是温带森林地下碳循环的主导因素,植被功能型和土壤属性对SOC周转与稳定的影响更大。在探讨环境因子对陆地生态系统碳循环和碳平衡的影响时需要考虑研究尺度,不同的研究尺度影响SOC周转的驱动因子并不相同。研究方法方面,基于log SOC和δ~(13)C的SOM周转模型能够很好地概括不同生态系统类型下SOM周转的相对快慢,可用来评价SOC动态对全球变化的响应。     

青藏高原植被样带地上部分生物量的分布格局（英文）

 实测了青藏高原植被样带22个地区不同植被类型的地上部分生物量并进行了格局分析。对于未受人为干扰的以常绿阔叶林为基带的亚高山天然植被,随着海拔升高,地上生物量呈递增趋势,在一定海拔高度达最大,海拔继续升高地上生物量则迅速下降。这一垂直分异规律在一定程度上反映了全球地带性森林植被最大生物量分布的纬向分异性。基于Weber定律的回归分析表明,地上生物量与水热因子的相关关系可用Logistic函数拟合,1月平均气温、7月平均气温、年平均气温、年降水量及其组合因子可解释高原植被样带地上生物量变化的28%～53%,其中年降水量及其同年平均气温的组合与地上生物量的相关性最高（R2为0.46～0.53,p<0.001）。但是,年降水量和平均气温的变化不足以解释西藏色齐拉山暗针叶林具有最高的地上生物量。我们认为,自然植被地上部分生物量的分布格局受到更为复杂的气候因子的制约,例如太阳辐射、湿度、风、水分和能量平衡等。     

秦岭北坡雉类种群密度和群落结构的初步研究

本研究将秦岭北坡周至自然保护区划分为4个生态地理类型带,在以Gates截线法调查雉类种群密度的基础上,对不同生态地理类型雉类群落结构进行了研究。结果表明,秦岭北坡雉类的物种多样性与植被和海拔有一定关系,环境的稳定性对雉类物种多样性有着一定影响。调查中还发现红腹锦鸡已分布到海拔2700 m的山坡上。     

新疆哈密山区天山马鹿种群数量和冬季生境选择

2010年12月至2011年2月,在新疆哈密山区,采用截线抽样法和遥感技术,对野生天山马鹿（Cervus elaphus songaricus）种群现状和冬季生境选择进行了研究。在不同区域和不同类型栖息地共布设了28条样线,样线总长度达60.1 km。其中,16条样线上发现马鹿共233头,调查区域平均种群密度（2.83±1.01）头/km²,种群数量（1 684.56±379.71）头,与1993年的调查结果相比有所上升。雌雄性比为2.24：1,幼体和亚成体总数多于成体和老体总数,种群数量呈增长趋势。根据野外考察GPS数据并解译天山马鹿分布生境2006秋季的LANDSAT TM/ETM+遥感影像,将生境要素分为山地针叶林、草甸、灌木丛、农田和戈壁5种类型,其中,草甸与山地针叶林为天山马鹿冬季适宜生境。     

完达山东部欧亚水獭种群数量及出现频次影响因素

水獭作为淡水生态系统健康的指示种和旗舰物种,在维持水生生态系统平衡与稳定中发挥着重要作用。然而目前对于完达山东部地区水獭种群数量、分布及其生境选择的影响因素的研究较为匮乏,严重影响了对该物种的野外保护与管理工作。于2021年12月至2022年4月冬季河流封冻期,采用沿河随机样线调查和红外相机监测相结合的方法对完达山东部地区8条主河和23条支流内的欧亚水獭(Lutra lutra)种群数量、分布现状进行了调查,并利用广义可加模型探究水獭出现频次与环境因子的关系。研究结果表明:(1)欧亚水獭在完达山东部水獭种群数量为571-661只,水獭种群密度为沿河(0.5559±0.2898)只/km,呈现中间高,四周低的趋势;(2)环境因子对水獭出现频次影响分析表明,河流深度、距农田距离、距居民区距离和距道路距离是影响水獭出现频次的关键因素。水獭出现频次与河流深度(0-40 cm)呈线性正相关,当河流深度达到40-50 cm时,水獭出现频次最高,之后随着河流深度的增加,出现频次降低;水獭出现频次与距农田距离(0-1.5 km)呈非线性正相关,在距农田距离为1.5-2 km范围内,水獭出现频次最高,之后降低;水獭出现频次与距居民区距离呈线性正相关;水獭出现频次与距道路距离呈非线性关系,当距离>7 km时,二者之间呈现为正相关,反之呈现为负相关。因此,水獭选择栖息地偏向于河流深(40-50 cm),远离农田(1.5-2 km)、居民区和道路(>7 km)的水域。研究为完达山东部欧亚水獭物种保护提供了基础数据和理论依据,建议通过河岸土地覆盖类型的管理、在河岸周围建立森林缓冲区及加强水獭保护宣传力度等措施实现对水獭物种及其栖息地的维持和保护。     

基于不同样带的干旱区城市景观格局时空演变特征——以张掖市为例

景观格局的变化影响着区域生态安全及可持续发展,研究干旱区城市景观格局时空变化特征,对干旱区景观格局优化具有一定的指导意义。基于1987、1995、2000、2006、2011和2016年6期土地利用数据,利用景观格局指数计算方法,研究张掖市景观格局的时空演变特征。结果表明：(1)2016年张掖市景观类型主要为未利用地,最大斑块指数和斑块聚集度最高,草地和耕地次之,草地的斑块个数和密度最大。(2)张掖市景观格局呈现明显的地域分异特征,圈层梯度带上揭示了绿洲-荒漠用地变化,研究期内第1梯度带内破碎度先上升后下降,城市在2006—2016年扩张较快,其余梯度带破碎度逐年升高;空间演变上,居住地在圈层上的变化呈“L”型,未利用地呈“N”型,张掖市从中心城区到外围区域依次为绿洲城市区、绿洲农业区和自然景观区。(3)水平样带揭示了山地-绿洲-荒漠的用地变化,将张掖市分为4类区域,分别为绿洲城市区、绿洲农业区、荒漠区、山地区;西北-东南样带上景观破碎度年变化不规律,在空间上经过居民点波动变化;东北-西南样带研究期内景观水平指数经过居民点波动变化,其余范围内年变化较稳定,中心城区景观异质性较强。(4)...     

THE IMPACT OF STORM-FLOW ON RIVER BIOFILM ARCHITECTURE1

The impact of storm-flow on river biofilm architecture was investigated using transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy. TEM resin substrata were colonized under light-grown (LG) or dark-grown (DG) conditions for 33 weeks in the Clywedog River, North Wales, prior to exposure to ambient-flow (approx. 60 cm·s^?1) or storm-flow (approx. 235 cm·s^?1+ river sediment) in a laboratory flume. Line transect methodology was used to quantify information from TEM ultrathin sections of LG material. In the LG ambient-flow biofilm, bacteria were more abundant directly adjacent to the substratum and were noticeably denser directly under the adnate diatom Cocconeis. Higher in the biofilm, the bacteria were loosely dispersed in the matrix between other cells. Cyanobacteria occurred most frequently as single cells but were also found in large “palisade” formations adjacent to the substratum. Significant horizontal and vertical nearest-neighbor associations were noted for both bacteria and cyanobacteria. Cells of Cocconeis were common adjacent to the substratum, providing shelter to, and often elevated upon, an “organic pad” of bacteria, cyanobacteria, and densely staining exopolysaccharide. Cyanobacteria and Cocconeis were resistant to removal by storm-flow, but Cocconeis frustules were sometimes damaged. Bacteria in the LG storm-flow samples were less common adjacent to the substratum and were sometimes more dispersed higher in the biofilm than in ambient-flow samples. We suggest that storm-flow hydrodynamic forces may redistribute bacteria adjacent to the substratum into higher areas of the biofilm. In addition, bacteria and the exopolysaccharide matrix were sometimes removed down to the substratum by storm-flow, unless beneath Cocconeis. The DG biofilm consisted almost entirely of bacteria. Storm-flow only removed surface growth from DG biofilms, and SEM revealed peritrich stalk abrasion and “blow-down.” Pre-disturbance biofilm architecture appears to influence the form of destruction. We suggest that the “microcosms” of Cocconeis and their underlying cells not only serve as an inoculum to recolonize the surface when conditions permit but enhance immigration by interrupting flow patterns across the surface.     

Estimating death rates from transect counts

Abstract.

• 1 The time course of abundance of adult insects emerging in discrete generations is modelled, assuming the absence of net migration and a constant death rate. The time till emergence is assumed to be logistically distributed.
• 2 The qualitative features of the model depend on one dimensionless parameter only, namely the product of the death rate and a dispersion measure for the symmetric emergence distribution.
• 3 The model is fitted to data on the abundance of five butterfly species. The tit is excellent; moreover, the estimated death rates are well within the range given in the literature (mostly 0.1–0.2 day^-1). Death rates are generally obtained by mark-recapture methods. The present model gives the opportunity to evaluate some assumptions of these methods.

     

Feral donkey Equus asinus populations on the Karpaz peninsula, Cyprus

Numerous researchers have documented the adverse effects of feral donkeys Equus asinus introduced to semi-arid ecosystems. With the release of feral donkeys and potential increasing populations in natural habitats in northern Cyprus, there is concern for negative impacts on vegetation and native species. In the north of the island, there has been only one published study of feral donkey populations, and population estimators were relatively subjective. We estimated feral donkey populations on the Karpaz Peninsula using line transect surveys and quantitative distance sampling estimators. We stratified the sampling by using 11 sample units within the study area. We evaluated potential biases associated with habitat, topography, and perpendicular distance from the transect line and found that these variables did not bias donkey detections during our surveys. Using program DISTANCE, we found that a hazard rate cosine model was the best model that described our distance data based on model selection criterion (Akaikes Information Criteria adjusted for small sample bias). Estimated effective strip width was 280.19 m and detection probability was 0.47 with this model. Estimated donkey density was 6.7 donkeys/km², and estimated total abundance was 800 donkeys for the entire 132.5 km² study area. Of 95 donkey groups detected: 16% were detected in agricultural habitats with flat topography, 9% were detected in agricultural habitats with sloped topography, 24% were detected in shrub/forest habitats with flat topography, and 51% were detected in shrub/forest habitats with sloped topography. Of 102 behavioral observations recorded (multiple behaviors were detected in groups), frequencies of behaviors were 1% bedded, 70% standing, 22% grazing, 6% moving, and 2% other. Our estimated donkey population density in the Karpaz Peninsula was >2 times densities reported in arid regions of the United States and Australia, but slightly lower than earlier density estimates reported for the Karpaz region. These estimates of feral donkey populations in the Karpaz Peninsula provide a quantitative baseline from which to make population management decisions.