北京昌平农业景观传粉服务供给和需求评估研究

近年来全球范围内蜜蜂多样性的下降引起了各国科学家与政府对与农业可持续生产密切相关的传粉服务的关注。为了认识和了解区域传粉服务的供给和需求状况,为制定区域传粉管理策略奠定基础,本研究在2016年对北京昌平7种常见生境的野生蜂多样性、植被组成、土壤紧实度、作物种植面积等数据进行了调查,根据野生蜂的物种组成、飞行距离、筑巢偏好和活动季节,生境的植物资源数据和筑巢适宜性数据,结合In VEST模型对研究区传粉服务的供给进行了评估;根据研究区传粉依赖作物种植面积和各种作物对传粉服务的依赖程度,对研究区传粉服务的需求进行了评估;通过叠加传粉服务供给和需求分级图,评估了研究区的传粉服务供需匹配状况。结果显示,自然林是最适宜野生蜂的生境,其次是人工林、荒草地和边界生境;果园既是野生蜂的生境,也对传粉服务有较高的需求;大棚几乎不供给传粉服务,但对传粉服务有较高需求。对传粉供需等级匹配的结果显示,昌平区供给等级高于需求等级的区域占34.2%,大部分分布于山区,有较高的传粉服务供给和较低的传粉服务需求,具有较高保护价值;供给等级低于需求等级的区域占13.9%,多分布于靠近山区的平原地区,虽然具有较高的传粉服务供给,但也具有最高的需求等级;供给等级与需求等级持平的区域占51.9%,远离山区的平原地区由于具有较多半自然生境,传粉服务的供需基本是匹配的。最后,文章对研究区传粉服务提升提出了管理建议:对于高供给-中/低需求的区域(重点保护区),建议发展低管理强度的有机农业,保护区域内的生境;对于中/低供给-高需求的区域(重点提升区、一般提升区),建议使用养殖蜜蜂提升传粉服务,同时在景观尺度上增加自然/半自然生境比例,建立生态廊道以增加生境之间的连通度;对于供需等级较为一致的区域(重点维持区、一般维持区),建议降低农业区域的管理强度,同时增加生境间的连接度,以实现传粉服务的可持续供给。     

福建农业气候资源时空分布特征及其对农业生产的影响

通过对近30~40a来福建省光温水资料的分析,阐述热量、水分、光照资源的时空分布特点及对农业生产的影响。结果表明,20世纪90年代以来福建的热量条件总体趋好,但仍常出现阶段性低温冻害过程;降水资源丰富,但存在降水年际变化大、年内分配不均的特点,常导致暴雨洪涝或干旱发生,使农业生产造成严重损失;日照南多北少,并集中在作物生长季内,能满足作物和果树的光合生长需要。     

Effects of structural and functional connectivity and patch size on the abundance of seven Atlantic Forest bird species

We studied the importance of fragment size and structural and functional connectivity on the occurrence and abundance of seven Atlantic Forest bird species in 13 patches (13-275 ha) and three sites within a continuous forest (10,000 ha). We sampled birds with point counts and evaluated structural connectivity considering the presence of corridors and the degree of isolation. We defined functional connectivity by analyzing species movements using playbacks in forest corridors between fragments and in the surrounding matrix. Species differed in their responses to fragmentation. For the frugivorous species, Trogon surrucura, Carpornis cucullatus and Triclaria malachitacea, patch size was the main factor determining abundance. Two understory insectivorous species, Basileuterus leucoblepharus and Pyriglena leucoptera, were more affected by the degree of patch connectivity, the former by the presence of corridors and the latter by the distance between patches. The capacity of P. leucoptera to use corridors and open areas (i.e. functional connectivity) shaped its abundance pattern. Fragmentation had no effect on the abundance of Chiroxiphia caudata and had a positive effect on Batara cinerea. This study emphasizes the importance of considering species’ perceptions of landscape, especially functional connectivity, in understanding the effects of habitat fragmentation.     

Beyond occurrence: Body condition and stress hormone as integrative indicators of habitat availability and fragmentation in the common toad

Availability and fragmentation of habitat are today identified as key determinants of population maintenance. Disentangling their relative effects is of crucial importance to adequately manage landscapes. However, the classical use of occurrence or abundance data as proxy to assess the responses of populations could be insufficient to detect less drastic impacts than short-term population extinction. We evaluated the effects of both habitat availability and fragmentation at three spatial scales on both the occurrence and two “physiological state” indicators (body condition and level of stress hormone) reflecting the physical state of common toads (Bufo bufo). Our study showed that occurrence was negatively affected only by habitat availability at the largest spatial scale whereas the both physiological state indicators studied at the population scale are significantly altered by both habitat availability and fragmentation at the finest spatial scale. Results obtained with occurrence and physiological state approaches substantially diverge, which highlights the need to also investigate proximal processes to deeply understand how populations are threatened by landscape modifications. The use of physiological state indicators, particularly of body condition, powerful and easy to obtain, could be particularly relevant to detect early warnings of population decline allowing a management before extinction. Only a complete investigation of the potential impacts of landscape on the different population processes could offer a realistic picture of the requirements of populations to avoid drastic alterations.     

Shift in nesting ground of the long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) in Judea, Israel – An effect of habitat change

Until the 1980s, at least 31 pairs of long-legged buzzards (Buteo rufinus) nested along the streams of the Judean Mountains in Israel, mostly on rocky cliffs, which – according to existing literature – is the common nesting style of this bird. During the past 40 years, however, nesting in these areas has substantially decreased, with many pairs of buzzards now nesting on trees in the Judean Foothills.We suggest that the geographical shift in nesting area, and with it the dramatic change from nesting on cliffs to nesting on trees, is probably due to the increase in land cover (as a result of afforestation, expansion of human settlements and recovery of the Mediterranean chaparral) that has taken place in the Judean Mountains during the last four decades. Buzzards forage in open habitats and the change in land cover has hindered their ability to locate prey. Since there are no cliffs appropriate for nesting in the Judean Foothills, the buzzards were thus forced to adapt to a new style of nesting. This hypothesis is further supported by our observations that within their new nesting grounds in the Judean Foothills, breeding success was significantly related to the area of the open habitat within the territory.These findings have important scientific and ecological implications. We recommend that foresters should take into consideration the effect of afforestation on open-landscape raptors, and while planning new forests will consider also their needs, particularly leaving large open swaths of land as foraging grounds for such raptors.