江南油杉种质资源与苗木繁殖研究动态与展望

通过相关资料的查阅与收集,对江南油杉在我国天然种群资源的分布进行分析研究,揭示了江南油杉自然繁衍对生境的需求、过度砍伐利用是导致其濒危的原因,分析自然种群生境、染色体核型研究、育苗技术和引种驯化等方面的研究现状,以实现江南油杉资源保护与合理利用,并进一步研究江南油杉的人工林栽培技术和高效繁殖技术。     

秋茄胚轴育苗生境适应性试验

为研究秋茄胚轴育苗的适生生境,选用当年采摘的优良秋茄胚轴在土壤质地(泥质、泥沙质、沙质)和水分盐度(5、15、25、35)组合的生境下进行培育试验,测定幼苗生长指标和生物量等.结果表明:在不同的生境下,秋茄幼苗的生长表现不同,除总根数、叶和茎含水量外,苗高、基径、叶片数、根长、大根数、根含水量、生物量等均差异显著(P＜0.05);在水分盐度≥25的泥质土、沙质土和泥沙质土的生境下,秋茄幼苗生长受阻甚至死亡;而在水分盐度为5的泥沙质土、沙质土(NS5、S5)和水分盐度为15的沙质土(S15)的生境中,秋茄幼苗生长良好,保存率100％,苗高等生长指标高,含水量和生物量多.因此,秋茄胚轴适合在低盐(水分盐度＜25)的泥沙土和沙质土的生境中进行育苗.     

长岭草原不同盐碱地大型土壤动物的多样性

为丰富温带草地生态系统土壤动物多样性的基础资料,为草地生态系统的保护和恢复提供科学依据,对吉林省长岭草原羊草草甸盐碱化草地的光碱斑、碱蓬群落、碱蒿群落、虎尾草群落和碱茅群落5种生境的大型土壤动物进行了调查。结果表明：在5种生境中共捕获大型土壤动物1210只,隶属于2门5纲14目。碱茅、虎尾草和碱蒿生境共有的优势类群是象甲科幼虫,碱蓬和光碱斑生境中以步甲科为优势类群。蝼蛄科动物为5个生境共有的常见类群。从地表至地下20 cm 深度,大型土壤动物类群数随深度增加而递减。碱茅、虎尾草、碱蒿和碱蓬生境大型土壤动物个体数在垂直分布上具有明显的表聚性。光碱斑生境中大型土壤动物个体数表现为10～20 cm 层＞0～10 cm 层＞20～30 cm 层。大型土壤动物群落多样性指数和均匀性指数均为碱茅＞虎尾草＞碱蓬＞碱蒿＞光碱斑,而优势度指数则相反。土壤动物多样性指数、个体数和类群数均与土壤有机质含量呈显著正相关（P ＜0．01）,与土壤 pH 值呈显著负相关（P ＜0．05）,与土壤含水率相关性不显著。综合来看,随着盐碱地的恢复演替,盐碱化程度逐渐减弱,生境条件逐渐好转,土壤动物也越丰富,极度盐碱化的光碱斑生境最不适宜大型土壤动物生存。     

川三蕊柳扦插繁殖试验

以川三蕊柳1年生嫩枝、1年生粗壮枝和2年生粗壮枝为试材,选取水塘、水田和旱地3种不同生境,采用直插法和斜插法进行扦插育苗试验。结果表明:川三蕊柳扦插育苗对生境要求较高,以1年生粗壮枝在水田中用直插法进行扦插育苗,其苗木的成活率最高,生长最好。     

滇中地区何首乌野生生境调查初报

对滇中地区9县(市)16个点野生何首乌的生境进行了调查。结果表明:何首乌广泛分布于滇中地区海拔1400~2100 m及光照强度5000~10000 lx的疏林、灌木丛或路边、田边、土坎上;适于生长在光照充足、空气湿度较大、土壤有机质含量高、质地疏松、保水和排水性良好、土层深厚、微酸到中性的壤土或砂壤土上;稀疏灌木林伴生能保障何首乌正常生长对光照的需求。     

Coexistence of anadromous and lacustrine life histories of the shirauo, Salangichthys microdon

The environmental history of the shirauo, Salangichthys microdon, was examined in terms of strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) uptake in the otolith, by means of wavelength dispersive X‐ray spectrometry on an electron microprobe. Anadromous and lacustrine type of the shirauo were found to occur sympatric. Otolith Sr concentration or Sr : Ca ratios of anadromous shirauo fluctuated strongly along the life‐history transect in accordance with the migration (habitat) pattern from sea to freshwater. In contrast, the Sr concentration or the Sr : Ca ratios of lacustrine shirauo remained at consistently low levels throughout the otolith. The higher ratios in anadromous shirauo, in the otolith region from the core to 90–230 μm, corresponded to the initial sea‐going period, probably reflecting the ambient salinity or the seawater–freshwater gradient in Sr concentration. The findings clearly indicated that otolith Sr : Ca ratios reflected individual life histories, enabling these anadromous shirauo to be distinguished from lacustrine shirauo.     

Use of GIS to predict effects of water level on the spawning area for smelt, Retropinna retropinna, in Lake Taupo, New Zealand

A GIS model of the littoral bathymetry and substrate composition of Lake Taupo was created using ArcInfo. Littoral substrates were mapped by aerial photography and confirmed by ground-truthing. Water depths were determined by echosounding linked to a differential GPS. These data were imported into ArcInfo where a 3D GIS model was used to calculate the total area of smelt, Retropinna retropinna Richardson, spawning habitat (i.e. clean sand between depths of 0.5–2.5 m) at each of five lake levels. There was little change in area over the first 50 cm below the natural maximum lake level, but spawning habitat decreased rapidly over the next 1.4 m such that a 30% reduction occurred at the natural minimum level. Anecdotal information on inter-annual variations in lake level and smelt abundance supported the notion that high lake levels in spring result in high recruitment of smelt. The GIS model also predicted effects of lake level change on areas of macrophyte cover and on other littoral substrates, and could be used to assess effects of lake level changes on the habitats of other biota.     

Monitoring Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin occurrences in a highly urbanized estuary for informing conservation and management

1. The estuaries within the Pearl River Delta are sites for large-scale urban development and offshore construction. These projects have conservation stakeholders calling for more protection for the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins whose habitat overlaps with current and proposed construction sites.
2. Efforts to improve impact assessments are hindered by the lack of baseline data and comprehensive understanding of how often the dolphins are present in areas near or within locations targeted for further development. The Modaomen Estuary within the Pearl River Delta is a good example of this, with little consideration for the dolphins as no data on their diurnal and seasonal occurrences within the estuary exist.
3. A passive acoustic monitoring system was deployed over a calendar year from October 2016 to September 2017 to monitor the presence of humpback dolphins in the Modaomen Estuary.
4. Results indicated that the estuary is an important area for humpback dolphins, with regular diel rhythms and seasonality in detection rates. For example, higher detections were seen during the wet season than during the dry season. However, there was no significant difference in detection rates between the flood and ebb tides, or between high and low tidal phases.
5. Since the Modaomen Estuary is targeted for further development in the near future, these data provide the rationale for resource management and consent processes to consider potential impacts on the dolphins, as well as to aid marine spatial planning and conservation measures.

     

Historical and contemporary habitat use of sperm whales around the Galápagos Archipelago: Implications for conservation

1. Sperm whales have occupied the waters off the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, for at least the past 200 years. During the 19^th century, they were the target of intensive whaling that severely depleted the population. In recent times, after commercial whaling ended, sperm whales in the region remain vulnerable to multiple threats, especially potential entanglement in fishing gear, which may hinder their ability to recover from the whaling era.
2. As a highly mobile, long-lived species, long-term analysis of the habitat use of sperm whales is necessary to establish effective conservation and management strategies. Here, contemporary (1985–2014) and historical (1830–1850) sperm whale habitat use off the Galápagos Islands was analysed and contrasted to the extent of the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR). Contemporary habitat use and its variability over time were modelled as a function of geographic, oceanographic, and topographic variables using generalized additive models.
3. The fine-scale habitat (<50 km) used by sperm whales was associated with topographic (i.e. depth and slope) and oceanographic characteristics (i.e. relative sea surface temperature and standard deviation of sea surface temperature), but these preferences varied over time.
4. While historical and contemporary data indicate that sperm whale habitat primarily occurred within the boundaries of the GMR, in recent years, whales were found up to 30.1% of the time outside the GMR, potentially overlapping with commercial fisheries operating in the area.
5. The dynamic nature of the relationship of this nomadic species with its habitat highlights the need of large-scale conservation efforts across the Eastern Tropical Pacific region, including the wide-scale enforcement of regulations requiring the use of Automatic Identification System in fishing vessels, the promotion of on-board fisheries observer programmes, the development of adaptive management strategies, and international collaboration to identify and mitigate threats.

     

Promoting connectivity between priority freshwater sites for conservation in intermittent hydrological systems

1. Systematic conservation planning in freshwater ecosystems faces multiple challenges because of the dynamic nature of rivers and their multiple dimensions of connectivity. In intermittent hydrological systems connectivity is functional when water is available, allowing the exchange of aquatic individuals between isolated freshwater ecosystems. Integrating these isolated systems in their hydrological context is essential when identifying priority areas for conservation, in order to try to minimize the propagation of threats into target water bodies (management units) from the surrounding landscape.
2. Here, the use of a systematic planning approach is demonstrated to identify a set of priority management units to preserve freshwater biodiversity in an arid system of fragmented water bodies immersed in a landscape subject to a range of impacts.
3. Twenty-six water-dependent taxa from 59 mountain rock pools (gueltas) of three southern Mauritanian mountains were used as a case study. A conservation planning tool (marxan ) was used to find priority conservation areas to integrate intermittent hydrological systems in their hydrological context, promote connectivity, and minimize the downstream propagation of threats. Three types of connectivity were analysed: (i) no connectivity, (ii) connectivity between gueltas, and (iii) connectivity between gueltas and sub-catchments.
4. Considering different types of longitudinal connectivity affects the number and spatial allocation of the priority gueltas selected, and the conservation status of the gueltas and their upstream areas. Incorporating connections between gueltas and upstream locations in the modelling resulted in the selection of gueltas in areas with a low human footprint and in the increased connectivity of the solutions.
5. The results obtained revealed important locations for local biodiversity conservation, and the method presented can be used when assessing the propagation of potential waterborne threats into isolated management units. The framework developed allows connectivity to be addressed in conservation planning. It can be replicated in regions with similar isolated habitats that connect through intermittent hydrological systems and can also be applied to lateral and vertical hydrological connectivity.