Genetical and ecological differentiation across a hybrid zone

ABSTRACT.

• 1 There is a narrow hybrid zone between two chromosomal races of the grasshopper Podisma pedestris (L.) in the French Alps.
• 2 There are no gross differences in habitat across the zone, and a multivariate analysis of the vegetation composition detected no significant transition either.
• 3 The hatch and development rates of Podisma in hybrid populations were lower than those found in matched habitat types outside the zone.
• 4 The simplest explanation for the persistence of the parapatric distribution of the two races is that hybrid disadvantage is maintaining a tension zone between them.

     

Management of land/inland water ecotones: needs for regional approaches to achieve sustainable ecological systems

Evidence suggests that the boundaries between rivers, floodplain wetlands, and adjacent upland communities are among the most important components of landscapes. In a landscape context, floodplain wetlands and their ecotones are important transition zones between uplands and aquatic ecosystems. Management of wetland patches and ecotones to achieve sustainable ecosystems requires action on a broad scale, giving consideration to all factors affecting wetlands and the drainage basins of which they are a part. In northeastern United States, a struggle to identify new sources of water has focussed attention on the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.     

Interactions Between Nile Perch, Lates niloticus, and Other Fishes in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda

The introduction of the predatory Nile perch, Lates niloticus, into the Lake Victoria basin coincided with a dramatic decline in fish species richness and diversity. This study focused on interactions between Nile perch and indigenous fishes in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda, a small satellite lake of Lake Victoria. We evaluated how the foraging impact of juvenile Nile perch on prey fishes varied with the size of the predator. We also evaluated the role of wetland ecotones in minimizing interaction between Nile perch and indigenous fishes. Wetland ecotones in Lake Nabugabo were characterized by complex structure (e.g., dense vegetation) and lower dissolved oxygen levels than non-wetland (exposed) areas. Nile perch (8.6–42.2cm, TL) were 3.7 times more abundant in offshore exposed areas than in inshore areas near wetland ecotones, and the proportion of Nile perch using wetland and exposed areas was independent of their body size. However, species richness was higher in waters at wetland ecotones than in exposed areas. Nile perch (5–35cm, TL) exhibited a shift in diet at approximately 30cm TL from feeding primarily on invertebrates to piscivory. Although the shift to piscivory occurred at approximately the same body size for Nile perch from both wetland and exposed habitats, the shift to piscivory was less abrupt in Nile perch captured near wetland ecotones. Nile perch from wetland areas consumed a greater diversity and a larger percentage of fish prey than those from exposed sites. However, the low abundance of Nile perch in wetland ecotones suggested that interaction between predator and prey in these areas is much reduced.     

天山北麓绿洲-荒漠过渡带芨芨草地地表能量通量研究

利用天山北麓绿洲-荒漠过渡带芨芨草地的小气候实测资料,分析了该地区不同天气条件下地表能量及其能量分配日变化特征,并进一步探讨了潜热与其它地表能量的关系。结果表明:晴天各地表能量分量曲线呈"单峰型",阴天表现为峰谷频繁交替的"多峰型",雨天则显示为"偏峰型"。由于该区以晴天为主,阴雨天气发生频率少,平均情况下的各能量曲线变化与晴天基本一致。任何天气条件下能量传输均以潜热(LE)为主,其次为感热(H)和土壤热通量(G)。观测期内LE/Rn平均值介于沙漠和绿洲之间,很好地在能量分配上体现出自身的过渡性。各种天气条件下能量分配的日动态变化趋势基本一致,白天均以潜热为主,夜间则有所不同。LE/Rn、H/Rn、G/Rn曲线白天变化平稳,夜间持续波动,日出和日落前后波动最为剧烈。其中,日出时刻以LE/Rn和G/Rn曲线波动最为强烈,且两者峰谷互补。因辐射强度和日照时数的不同,不同天气条件下曲线早、晚剧烈变化开始时间也有所差别。晴天、平均、阴天(8:00—18:00)波文比依次减小,且均小于1,表明它们在白天能量分配均以潜热为主。而雨天波文比则表现出较大的波动性,整体呈上升趋势。LE与Rn、H、G相关性程度均表现为:晴天与平均相当,阴天次之,雨天最小。     

黄土丘陵沟壑区三种豆科人工草地的植被与土壤特征

在黄土高原丘陵沟壑区以 4龄苜蓿 (Medicago sativa)、沙打旺 (Astragalus adsurgens)和甘草 (Giycyrrhiza uralensis)单播人工草地为材料 ,人工牧草、杂草和土壤 3方面研究了其生产性能和生态特性。在相同的管理条件下 ,沙打旺种群高度平均高于苜蓿 33.8% ,是甘草的 6 .2倍 ;苜蓿的密度分别是甘草和沙打旺的 5 .9倍和 2 .6倍 ;沙打旺盖度最大 ,苜蓿次之 ,甘草最小。三种牧草的地上生物量及其占群落生物量的比例依次是苜蓿 >沙打旺 >甘草 ;苜蓿种群生物量占群落的比例接近沙打旺 ,二者远高于甘草。甘草人工草地的杂草种数、杂草生物量及其生物量占群落的比例均最大。0～ 10 0 cm土层内三种人工草地的地下生物量依次为甘草 >苜蓿 >沙打旺。 0～ 10 0 cm土层内营养物质含量 :全 P,苜蓿 >甘草 >沙打旺 ;全 N,苜蓿与甘草接近 ,高于沙打旺 ;速效 P、速效 N都是甘草最高 ;有机质含量 ,苜蓿接近甘草、高于沙打旺。讨论了管理措施与人工草地的关系 ,加大投入是维持人工草地群落稳定的前提之一     

蒙古栎群落交错带(ecotone)的研究

通过群落学的样地法对蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica)群落和核桃楸(Juglans mandshurica)群落、蒙古栎群落和长白落叶松(Larix olgensis)群落、蒙古栎群落和杂灌丛群落及其交错带进行了研究,分析了在三个地点的几种群落结构和物种组成方面的差异,计算了各群落的物种丰富度指数(d_Gl)、Simpson 物种多样性指数(D)、Shannon-Weiner物种多样性指数(H′)及Pielou均匀度指数(J)。研究发现在通化和大青沟两个地区群落交错带的物种丰富度及Shannnon多样性指数最高;而在桦甸群落交错带的物种丰富度和物种多样性指数要比核桃楸群落低,比蒙古栎群落高,没有表现出特别强烈的边缘效应。本文也分析了群落乔木层、灌木层和草本层盖度之间的关系。     

梁子湖水——陆交错区水生植物群落生态学研究

对梁子湖水－陆交错区中植物群落的的组成、结构、生长型和生物量进行了测定,结果表明交错区内共分布有9种植物群落：1）微齿眼子菜（Potamogeton maackianus)群落;2）狐尾藻（Myriophyllum spicatum)＋苦草（Vallis-neria natans)＋金鱼藻（Ceratophyllum denersum）群落;3）微齿眼子菜＋金鱼藻群落;4）金鱼藻＋狐尾藻＋微齿眼子菜群落;5）金鱼藻＋狐尾藻＋荇菜（Nymphyoides pettlatum)群落;6）水蓼（Polygonum hydropiper)＋菱（Trapa bipinosa）＋菰（Zizania latifolia)群落;7）菹草（Potamogeton crispus)群落;8）菰＋荇菜＋蓼群落;9）湿生植物(Helophyte）群落。主要植物群4落生物量：狐尾藻＋苦草＋金鱼藻群落2414g.m^-2。金鱼藻＋狐尾藻＋微齿眼子菜群落4379g.m^-2,微齿眼子菜＋金龟藻群落1486g.m^-2,微齿眼子菜群4落2805g.m^-2。交错区内主要植物群落生量的季节变化与群落内优势种的生长方式、人为活动的干扰以及个体生态特征密切相关。群落内优势物种的水平分布表现为均匀分布和群聚分布两种方式。     

Tree dynamics and co‐existence in the montane–sub‐alpine ecotone: the role of different light‐induced strategies

Questions: Is light availability the main factor driving forest dynamics in Pyrenean sub‐alpine forests? Do pines and firs differ in growth, mortality and morphological response to low light availability? Can differences in shade tolerance affect predictions of future biome changes in Pyrenean sub‐alpine forests in the absence of thermal limitation? Location: Montane–sub‐alpine ecotones of the Eastern Pyrenees (NE Spain). Methods: We evaluated morphological plasticity, survival and growth response of saplings of Scots pine, mountain pine and silver fir to light availability in a mixed forest ecotone. For each species, we selected 100 living and 50 dead saplings and measured size, crown morphology and light availability. A wood disk at root collar was then removed for every sapling, and models relating growth and mortality to light were obtained. Results: Fir had the lowest mortality rate (<0.1) for any given light condition. Pines had comparable responses to light availability, although in deep shade Scots pine risked higher mortality (0.35) than mountain pine (0.19). Pines and fir developed opposing strategies to light deprivation: fir employed a conservative strategy based on sacrificing height growth, whereas pines enhanced height growth to escape from shade, but at the expense of higher mortality risk. Scots pine showed higher plasticity than mountain pine for all architectural and morphological traits analysed, having higher adaptive capacity to a changing environment. Conclusions: Our results support the prediction of future biome changes in Pyrenean sub‐alpine forests as silver fir and Scots pine may find appropriate conditions for colonizing mountain pine‐dominated stands due to land‐use change‐related forest densification and climate warming‐related temperature increases, respectively.     

辽宁黄海海岸交错带的景观变化与设计

辽宁黄海海岸交错带的景观近几十来年变化很快,其中许多景观变化是有意识的人类活动或人工管理形成的景观设计可以看作是已经出现或即将出现的景观变化。由于这一区域海岸交错带有不同的海岸带类型,因而也就有了不同的景观设计方案。     

Effects of grassland conversion to cropland and forest on soil organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon in the farming-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia

Effects of grassland conversion to cropland and forest on soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the farming-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia were investigated by direct field sampling. SOC content and DOC content in soil decreased after grassland were shifted to forest or cropland, in the sequence of grassland soil > forest soil > cropland soil. SOC stock declined by 18% after grassland shifted from to forest. Reclamation of cropland for 10 years, 15 years and 20 years lost SOC in 0–30 cm soil layer, by 34%, 14% and 18%, respectively, compared with that of grassland. DOC in 3 soil layers was within 21.1–26.5 mg/L in grassland, 12.1–14.6 mg/L in forest soil, and 8.0–14.0 mg/L in cropland soil. Correlation analysis indicated that SOC content and DOC content were positively dependent on total nitrogen content (p < 0.05), but negatively on bulk density or land use type (p < 0.05). DOC was positively correlated SOC (p < 0.01). Moreover, SOC content could be quantitatively described by a linear combination of land use types (p = 0.000, r² = 0.712), and DOC content by a linear combination of two soil-related variables, land use types and SOC (p = 0.000, r² = 0.861).