A riverscape perspective on habitat associations among riverine bird assemblages in the Lake Champlain Basin,USA

The riverscape perspective recognizes the heterogeneous habitat types within the stream corridor as a single, integrated ecological unit operating across spatial scales. Although there is ample evidence that the riverscape notion is appropriate in understanding the physical phenomena of stream corridors, significantly less attention has focused on its ecological ramifications. To this end, we surveyed riverscape habitat variables and bird community characteristics in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, USA. From the data collected, we used information theoretic methodology (AIC_c) to model relationships between bird community attributes and key habitat variables across the riverscape. Our models with the greatest support suggest that riverine bird communities respond to a suite of characteristics; representing a variety of riverscape habitats at the in-stream, floodplain, and riparian levels. Channel slope, drainage area, percent conifers, and in-stream habitat condition were among the most influential variables. We found that piscivores are potentially important indicators of riverscape condition, responding to a host of variables across the riverscape. Our results endorse a holistic approach to assessing and managing the mosaic of patches in the riverscape and suggest that a riverscape approach has significant conservation potential.     

Plants,small mammals,and the hierarchical landscape classifications of Patagonia

Assemblages of plants were studied at 14 sites in northern Patagonia corresponding to localities at which we (Monjeau et al. 1997) earlier studied the relationship between small mammal assemblages and landscape classifications. This allowed us to test predictions that both plants and small mammals correspond to the more inclusive hierarchical landscape divisions but that plants track better than small mammals the less inclusive divisions. Species presence or absence of plants at each locality was used in a series of multivariate analyses and compared by correlation analysis with those generated from small mammal species data. Assemblages of both plants and small mammals corresponded to the upper divisions, which are based on climatic and geomorphological features, but small mammal assemblages did not correspond to the lower divisions of the landscape classifications. Three factors are considered as explanations for the observed differences between plants and small mammals: a) small mammal habitat is determined more by plant growth form than by plant species; b) trophic level differences between the two groups; and c) species pool size affects the resolution of microhabitat correspondence. Our data indicate that both plant assemblages and small mammal assemblages respond to climatic and geomorphological features, which is in contrast to the paradigm that mammal assemblages simply follow plant assemblages. We also attempted to reconcile classification systems in Patagonia by proposing a nomenclatural system based on a hierarchical classification. In the system proposed, ecoregion is the lowest division small mammal assemblages can recognize in Patagonia. Finally, we conclude that the hierarchical nature of landscapes based on a holistic view of environments reflects real entities that are not just the perceptions of landscape ecologists.     

Effects of marine fish farming on nutrient composition and plankton communities in the Eastern Aegean Sea (Turkey)

The hypothesis that the presence of fish farming zones affects the water quality and plankton communities was investigated in an Aegean Sea fish farm during February, June, September and January 2000–2001. In the spatial coverage, a total of 12 stations were sampled; three of them were reference stations. A variance analysis was applied to the measurements made at the stations near the fish farms and at the control stations. While no significant differences in concentrations of nutrients, chlorophyll a, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen were detected between the stations and the control sites within one season, significant differences were detected between the parameter values measured except for total dissolved phosphorus and dissolved organic phosphorus at different seasons. The seasonal differences were also significant with regard to the biodiversity. Together with these temporal differences in general, there was a higher diversity of species at the control site as compared with the other stations in September, which was the key season to detection of significant changes. The most important consideration is that it is not sufficient to take the instantaneous values for the physico‐chemical variables; rather, it is necessary to monitor the biological parameters in order to define the differences in the ecosystem.     

Processes of collating a European fisheries database to meet the objectives of the European Union Water Framework Directive

Abstract  FIsh Database of European Streams, a common database for the FAME project, was merged using existing data on electric fishing and environmental data. FIsh Database of European Stream is a relational database with eight tables. Metrics based on classification of fish species into guilds were calculated, and provided in separate tables. FIsh Database of European Stream contained information about 150 freshwater fish species, from 12 countries, 17 ecoregions, 40 main river regions, 2651 rivers and 8228 sites. Examples of data coverage and use are given. Relationships between environmental variables were illustrated using principal component analysis, which resulted in three environmental components – latitude, size and altitude. Environmental component scores were correlated with fish metrics used in the European Fish Index. Results exemplify how fish guilds reflect gradients in environmental variation. Benefits and problems concerning standardisation and data availability at the global level are discussed.     

当前城市湿地公园存在的问题与对策

近10余年来,全国各地新建、改建的城市湿地公园如雨后春笋,虽都属于自我探索的结晶,均对保护城市生态系统、美化环境、净化水质、提供休闲游览场地,发挥了积级作用。本文仅就当前城市湿地公园的生态环境保护、水生植物利用、建筑物设置、服务项目、科普教育及人文景观等方面,举出不足之处,并提出相应对策,或有助其总结经验,完臻功能。     

城市社区消防安全宣传的作用与要点

消防工作的方针是＂预防为主、防消结合＂。消防宣传教育,直接关系到民生及社会和谐与安定,是消防工作的重要组织部分和重要内容。随着城市化发展,社区消防安全宣传教育的重要性凸显。做好社区消防安全宣传教育工作,须抓住三要点：一是对消防法规要多形式宣传普及、多措施贯彻实施;二是提高社区物业管理水平,使物业公司认真履行消防安全职责;三是提高社区居民消防安全意识与防火消灾自救技能。     

黄河源区季节性湖泊湿地退化对土壤微生物碳源利用的影响

为了探讨黄河源区季节性湖泊湿地退化对土壤微生物碳源利用的影响以及土壤微生物碳源利用能力与不同环境因子的关系,本试验在黄河源区退化季节性湖泊湿地研究不同退化阶段植被特征、土壤养分变化和土壤微生物碳源利用状况。结果表明：在季节性湖泊湿地退化过程中,土壤微生物对碳源的利用存在明显的空间分异,其对酯类碳源的相对利用率最高,对单糖/糖苷/聚合物类碳源的相对利用率随退化加重呈现先升高后下降趋势;土壤微生物对单糖/糖苷/聚合物类碳源和醇类碳源的相对利用率改变是土壤微生物功能多样随季节性湖泊湿地退化而变化的主要原因;土壤全氮含量和植被盖度对微生物单糖/糖苷/聚合物类碳源的相对利用率和土壤微生物活性均有影响。该结果为黄河源区的季节性湖泊湿地退化监测和近自然修复提供科学理论依据。     

湘中丘陵区石栎混交林群落物种多样性研究

通过对湘中丘陵区石栎（Ｌｉｔｈｏｃａｒｐｕｓｇｌａｂｅｒ（Ｔｈｕｎｂ．）Ｎａｋａｉ）混交林群落调查．利用Ｓｈａｎｎｏｎ和Ｓｉｍｐｓｏｎ多样性指数及相应的均匀度和种间相遇机率．对其群落物种的多样性进行了初步研究．结果表明：湘中丘陵区石栎混交林群落乔木层与下木层的Ｓｈａｎｎｏｎ多样性指数分别为１．１８４和３．１９７；Ｓｉｍｐｓｏｎ多样性指数分别为０．６２４和０．８１４；种间相遇机率分别为０．６２５和０．８１４；均匀度分别为４５．８０％和６３．９４％．乔木层第Ⅰ亚层多样性指数低于第Ⅱ亚层；群落的物种多样性是时间和空间的函数．     

不同植被恢复模式土壤结构特征与健康评价

对湘西女儿寨流域不同植被恢复类型的土壤结构特征研究和健康评价的结果表明:荒草灌丛容重最高,人工林土壤容重高于天然林及混交林;对土壤孔隙状况的改善作用表现为林分类型优于荒草灌丛类型,天然林优于人工林,0~20 cm土层优于20~40 cm土层;土壤团聚体平均重量直径以油桐人工林、杜仲人工林最高,马尾松天然林、毛竹杉木混交林其次,而润楠次生林、荒草灌丛、杉木人工林较低;各层土壤团聚体分形维数值大小排序为:毛竹杉木混交林>马尾松天然林>荒草灌丛、润楠次生林>杜仲人工林>油桐人工林>杉木人工林;土壤结构健康综合评价的灰色关联分析结果表明,土壤结构以荒草灌丛最差,油桐人工林最好,其余类型介于两者之间.研究结果可为女儿寨流域及我国类似生态脆弱区的植被恢复与重建提供一定依据和参考.     

甜槠群落主要种群空间分布格局对人为干扰的响应

研究了不同人为干扰强度对甜槠天然群落中主要种群甜槠和赤楠的分布格局的变化动态.结果表明,人为干扰会使甜槠种群的聚集性加强,而赤楠种群的聚集性降低.干扰强度对甜槠聚集性的影响随树龄的增大而逐渐减小,而对赤楠聚集性的影响则是随林龄增大呈现由小→大→小的规律.