Environment versus dispersal in the assembly of western Amazonian palm communities

Aim It is a central issue in ecology and biogeography to understand what governs community assembly and the maintenance of biodiversity in tropical rain forest ecosystems. A key question is the relative importance of environmental species sorting (niche assembly) and dispersal limitation (dispersal assembly), which we investigate using a large dataset from diverse palm communities. Location Lowland rain forest, western Amazon River Basin, Peru. Methods We inventoried palm communities, registering all palm individuals and recording environmental conditions in 149 transects of 5 m × 500 m. We used ordination, Mantel tests and indicator species analysis (ISA) to assess compositional patterns, species responses to geographical location and environmental factors. Mantel tests were used to assess the relative importance of geographical distance (as a proxy for dispersal limitation) and environmental differences as possible drivers of dissimilarity in palm species composition. We repeated the Mantel tests for subsets of species that differ in traits of likely importance for habitat specialization and dispersal (height and range size). Results We found a strong relationship between compositional dissimilarity and environmental distance and a weaker but also significant relationship between compositional dissimilarity and geographical distance. Consistent with expectations, relationships with environmental and geographical distance were stronger for understorey species than for canopy species. Geographical distance had a higher correlation with compositional dissimilarity for small‐ranged species compared with large‐ranged species, whereas the opposite was true for environmental distance. The main environmental correlates were inundation and soil nutrient levels. Main conclusions The assembly of palm communities in the western Amazon appears to be driven primarily by species sorting according to hydrology and soil, but with dispersal limitation also playing an important role. The importance of environmental characteristics and geographical distance varies depending on plant height and geographical range size in agreement with functional predictions, increasing our confidence in the inferred assembly mechanisms.     

Marine incursions,cryptic species and ecological diversification in Amazonia: the biogeographic history of the croaker genus Plagioscion (Sciaenidae)

Aim We propose a phylogenetic hypothesis for the marine‐derived sciaenid genus Plagioscion in the context of geomorphology and adaptation to freshwaters of South America, and assess the extent to which contemporary freshwater hydrochemical gradients influence diversification within a widely distributed Plagioscion species, Plagioscion squamosissimus. Location Amazon Basin and South America. Methods Using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data, phylogenetic analyses were conducted on the five nominal Plagioscion species, together with representatives from Pachyurus and Pachypops, using character and model‐based methods. Genealogical relationships and population genetic structure of 152 P. squamosissimus specimens sampled from the five major rivers and three hydrochemical settings/‘colours’ (i.e. white, black and clear water) of the Amazon Basin were assessed. Results Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Plagioscion in South America and identify two putative cryptic species of Plagioscion. Divergence estimates suggest that the Plagioscion ancestor invaded South America via a northern route during the late Oligocene to early Miocene. Within P. squamosissimus a strong association of haplotype and water colour was observed, together with significant population structure detected between water colours. Main conclusions Our analyses of Plagioscion are consistent with a biogeographic scenario of early Miocene marine incursions into South America. Based on our phylogenetic results, the fossil record, geomorphological history and distributional data of extant Plagioscion species, we propose that marine incursions into western Venezuela between the late Oligocene and early Miocene were responsible for the adaptation to freshwaters in Plagioscion species. Following the termination of the marine incursions during the late Miocene and the establishment of the modern Amazon River, Plagioscion experienced a rapid diversification. Plagioscion squamosissimus arose during that time. The formation of the Amazon River probably facilitated population and range expansions for this species. Further, the large‐scale hydrochemical gradients within the Amazon Basin appear to be acting as ecological barriers maintaining population discontinuities in P. squamosissimus even in the face of gene flow. Our results highlight the importance of divergent natural selection through time in the generation and maintenance of sciaenid diversity in Amazonia.     

Deforestation and land use in the Brazilian Amazon

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon was less than 1% before 1975. Between 1975 and 1987 the rate increased exponentially. By 1985, world opinion and attention to the destruction of the richest biome on earth led to elimination of some of the major incentives that had fueled deforestation. Favorable credit policies for cattle ranchers, rather than population growth, explains the process of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The paper suggests other actions that may be taken to reduce deforestation, and examines the rapid growth rates of secondary successional species in a colonization area.     

Responses of radial growth and stable carbon isotopes to climate in the northern Tianshan Mountains

Climate change has profound effects on forest ecosystems. Schrenk spruce (P. schrenkiana) is a natural conifer species endemic to the arid inland areas of Asia. In this study, the relationship between tree-ring parameters of P. schrenkiana and major meteorological factors were analyzed, and the main limiting factors for tree radial growth and stable carbon isotope fractionation were explored. Our results indicate that moisture stress before and during the growing season have an important influence on radial growth of P. schrenkiana, especially, the correlation coefficient between tree-ring width and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) from previous August to current July is as high as −0.622 (n = 51, p < 0.01). Collinearity analysis further supports the conclusion that the limiting factor for the radial growth of P. schrenkiana is moisture. Although the correlation analysis results show that the tree-ring δ¹³C_corr is significantly positively correlated with sunshine duration (SD), additional analysis based on first order difference variables suggests that the climate factor may not be the only limiting factor for the stable carbon isotope fractionation of tree rings in the Sayram Lake Basin. This lays the foundation for the assessment of forest management practices and carbon sink capacity in light of future climate change.     

黑龙江宁安盆地穆棱组及其孢粉型组合新发现

黑龙江宁安盆地是一个具有油气勘探远景的中小型盆地,主要目的层为下白垩统。新发现了一套相当于邻区穆棱组的地层,孢粉化石十分丰富,建立了５个孢粉组合带,通过对两口石油探井生物地层的研究,建立了该舅地新的地层层序,并对穆棱组的时代和沉积环境进行了讨论。     

准噶尔盆地荒漠生物类群与环境的关系

对荒漠生态系统的研究,近期在我国乃至全球均极为活跃。由于开发的需要和全球沙漠化威胁日趋严重,引起有关人士的关注。就新疆而言,解放前虽有一些学者进行过研究,但仅限于某些方面,直到50年代后期展开大规模综合考察以来,对新疆的荒漠自然条件才有较全面认识。作者近年的研究过程,注意到此区生物类群与环境存在较特殊关系,     

Sphagna of the 1979 Projeto Flora Amazônica expedition

Within the great expanse of the Brazilian Amazon Basin,Sphagnum has been greatly overlooked, in part because of its scarcity and in part because of the paucity of trained bryological collectors in the area. During a Projeto Flora Amazônica expedition in 1979, seven specimens ofSphagnum were collected, representing six species, five of which are newly described:S. amazonicum, S. dimorphophyllum, andS. subsecundoides in sectionSphagnum;S. curicuriariense andS. ripense in sect.Subsecunda. Also discussed areS. negrense Mitt. andS. sanguinale Warnst.     

Réflexions critiques sur l'écologieet la systématique des Lingules actuelles et fossiles

New topics on ecology and systematics of recent and fossil Lingulids lead to an obvious revision of our knowledges on this zoological group. At first, the recent species need systematics and taxonomy on the bases of new described specific criteria (as, morphology of deltidial areas, muscle disposition); the results are briefly indicated. But, in fossil species, disorder and disparity of used characteristics are emphasized.The general conceiving on ecology of Lingulids are reviewed and discussed, especially on bathymetry and salinity; sediment and oxygenation conditions; taphocoenosis and lingulid «communities. On recent species, all these points are also studied, especially some ecological requirements (salinity, bathymetry, grain size), and mechanism of burrowing ability, burrow living positions in the sediments, as shell preservations after death and fossilization, to facilitate the paleobiotope interpretations. Recent animals are euryhalin, surviving at salinities from about 13 to 42‰; they could be considered as well adapted to waters with strong salinity fluctuations. They show preference to fine sand bottoms (lowest particle size about 40–60 μm). Their bathymetric distribution occurs between 0 and about 500 m (Lingula especially between 5–50 m; Glottidia 15–70 m). The isotherms 8–10°C seem to restrict their geographical and bathymetric distribution.Therefore, some post-palaeozoic lingulid bedsare studied or redescribed on the bases of the above discussed characteristics, and new interpretations on the environmental situation are given (Trias of Vosges Mountains; Oligocene from Japan; Eocene of London Basin). More caution must be used in study of fossil Lingulids that are not especially animals living in infralittoral bottoms with low salinity and deficient oxygenation, as generally accepted.     

淮河流域蒸散发时空变化与归因分析

蒸散发（Evapotranspiration,ET）是联结土壤-植被-大气过程的纽带,对理解地表水热平衡至关重要。因此,量化分析ET时空变化特征、揭示其主要控制因子对区域用水管理和农业生产十分重要。利用遥感数据和气象数据,基于BEPS模型估算了1981-2019年的淮河流域ET,分析了该区域ET时空分布特征,并通过敏感度系数和贡献率方法对该区域的ET多年变化特征进行了归因分析,最后借助数值实验方法深入探究影响特湿润年（2003年）ET较低的主要原因。结果表明：（1）1981-2019年淮河流域多年平均ET为549.83 mm,其中夏季ET占全年ET的比值达到47.63%;1981年以来区域ET整体呈极显著上升趋势（4.41 mm/a,P<0.01）;季节上,除冬季外,其他三个季节的ET增幅均呈显著性增加（P<0.05）,四季增幅速率大小依次为：夏季>春季>秋季>冬季;空间上,中东部和南部ET较高,重心模型显示ET高值区域呈显著的由北向南的移动趋势;（2）归因分析结果表明,淮河流域ET对气温变化最敏感,其次为相对湿度、太阳总辐射、叶面积指数（LAI）和降水,但ET对LAI的正敏感性逐渐增强导致LAI的显著升高对流域ET年际变化贡献最大（44.5%）,其次是气温的升高（25.93%）;同时,LAI是春、夏、秋三季ET变化的主导因素,气温是冬季ET变化的主导因素;（3）数值实验显示高相对湿度是引起特湿润年（2003年）ET明显偏低的最主要因素,这与导致长时间序列ET变化的原因不同。因此,建议今后加强极端气候条件下ET变化的归因分析,为更有效地应对全球气候变化提供决策服务。研究结果能够为认识淮河流域环境变化对水循环影响及合理分配区域水资源提供科学参考。