红外相机技术在河北雾灵山国家级自然保护区中的应用

为了充实河北雾灵山自然保护区的野生动物资源本底资料,提高监测能力和监测水平,雾灵山保护区自2015年开始将红外相机技术应用到野生动植物的资源调查和管护中。目前应用红外相机技术发现兽类5目10科14种,鸟类4目6科10种,掌握了区内主要物种猪獾(Arctonyx collaris)、狍(Capreolus)和勺鸡(Pucrasia macrolopha)的日活动节律,补充了保护区的本底调查资料,为保护区进一步开展金钱豹(Panthera pardus)、斑羚(Naemorhedus goral)和鸟类多样性等科学研究奠定了基础,为保护区制定关于野生动物资源的相关管护政策提供了科学依据。     

祁连山国家公园生态保护意识调查——以祁连县县城为例

旨在调查当地人对祁连山国家公园生态保护意识的强弱,以地处祁连山国家公园腹地的祁连县县城为例,随机选取祁连县县城流动人口及固定商户,使用问卷调查法进行研究。结果表明：18岁以下调查对象生态保护意识较低,其再受教育水平空间较大,生态保护意识提升空间较大;46~60岁年龄阶段学历层次及政策性知识了解程度较高,对生态保护意识较强;60岁以上调查对象生态保护意识较差,其对生态保护知识及相关政策性知识了解较旧。生态保护意识的强弱伴随年龄及受教育程度的提高而变强,受教育程度是影响生态保护意识最显著的因素,可针对性提出政策以提高生态文明水平及保护意识,积极推动国家公园生态发展。     

浙江仙居括苍山省级自然保护区天蛾科昆虫资源调查

于2014-2019年每年的4-10月、2020年4-8月,对浙江仙居括苍山省级自然保护区的天蛾科Sphingidae昆虫进行了调查,共采集标本128号,经鉴定分别隶属于3亚科、20属、32种(含亚种)。依据我国动物地理区系,浙江仙居括苍山省级自然保护区的天蛾科昆虫与华中区、华南区、西南区、青藏区、华北区共有种较多,属于东洋界华中区。     

香格里拉普达措国家公园扩建研究

为提升香格里拉普达措国家公园的整体性和有效保护,对迪庆州范围内具有重要生态价值的区域,从国家代表性、生态系统重要性和管理可行性3个方面进行系统评估。适宜性分析结果认为,拟扩建区域山地植被垂直带谱典型完整,足以支撑地带性生物区系,区内多样的地貌构造以及珍贵、罕见的地质地貌景观和遗迹,具有十分重要的世界意义和保护价值,动植物区系较完整,能维持种群生存繁衍、生态功能稳定和生态系统健康,生态原真性十分突出。扩建后国家公园面积1030919.93 hm²,涉及香格里拉市的11个乡镇。综合评价认为,拟扩建区域资源具有国家代表性,生态系统突出,并具备管理可行性,全面符合建设国家公园的条件。提出将白马雪山、哈巴雪山、千湖山、红山、梅里雪山和碧罗雪山等6片区纳入普拉措国家公园扩建范围,并对扩建后国家公园更名、建立管理体制、运行机制等方面提出建议。     

基于SRP模型的南雄丹霞梧桐自然保护区生态脆弱性评价

通过建立生态敏感性-生态恢复力-生态压力度（SRP）模型，利用主成分分析法确定指标权重，对南雄丹霞梧桐自然保护区进行生态脆弱性评价。结果表明:1）从生态敏感性角度，研究区高度脆弱和极度脆弱面积分别为756.50 hm²和773.58 hm²，占比之和>50%，主要集中分布于北部和中部，而主要影响要素为土壤侵蚀强度，其次为距水源距离；2）从生态恢复力角度，研究区不脆弱和轻度脆弱面积分别为777.71 hm²和676.73 hm²，占比之和>50%，主要集中分布于西部和西南部，主要影响要素为生物多样性，其次为植被覆盖度；3）从生态压力度角度，研究区不脆弱和轻度脆弱面积分别为551.33 hm²和1 205.12 hm²，占比之和>60%，主要集中分布于西部及东部，而主要影响要素为GDP密度和人口密度；4）研究区整体生态脆弱性较高，中度及以上脆弱性面积之和达到67.72%，主要集中于研究区的中部和北部，其中生态敏感性对生态脆弱性的影响最大，说明研究区整体生态脆弱性较强，应做好生态保护工作。     

Investigation of environmental and land use impacts in forested permafrost headwaters of the Selenga-Baikal river system,Mongolia - Effects on discharge,water quality and macroinvertebrate diversity

Headwater streams play a major role for provision of ecosystem services, e.g. drinking water. We investigated a high-altitude headwater catchment of the Kharaa River (including 41 1st-order rivers) to understand the impact of land cover (especially forest cover), environment and human usage on runoff, chemical water quality and macroinvertebrate fauna in a river basin under discontinuous permafrost conditions in an arid, sparsely populated region of Mongolia. To verify our hypotheses that different landuses and environmental impacts in permafrost headwaters influence water quality, we investigated 105 sampling sites, 37 of them at intermittent stream sections without water flow. Discharge was positively impacted by land cover types steppe, grassland and forest and negatively by shrubland, forest burnt by wild fires (indicating a reduction of permafrost) and slope. Water quality was affected by altitude, longitude and latitude, shrub growth and water temperature. Shannon diversity of macroinvertebrates was driven by water temperature, iron content of the water, flow velocity, and subbasin size (adjusted R² = 0.54). Sample plots clustered in three groups that differed in water chemistry, macroinvertebrate diversity, species composition and bio-indicators. Our study confirms that steppes and grasslands have a higher contribution to runoff than forests, forest cover has a positive impact on water quality, and diversity of macroinvertebrates is higher in sites with less nutrients and pollutants. The excellent ecological status of the upper reaches of the Kharaa is severely threatened by forest fires and human-induced climate change and urgently needs to be conserved.     

Effects of natural pyrethrum and synthetic pyrethroids on the tiger mosquito,Aedes albopictus (skuse) and non-target flower-visiting insects in urban green areas of Padua,Italy

Abstract

The tiger mosquito is a key vector of several human diseases and is considered a public health concern worldwide. The implementation of strategies aimed at maximizing mosquito control without affecting non-target insect groups is of major importance. In a field trial, we tested the efficiency of a natural pyrethrum-based vs. a synthetic pyrethroid-based insecticide in reducing tiger mosquito population and how they affect the diversity of non-target flower-visiting insects in green urban areas. Only the pyrethroid insecticide was effective in reducing mosquito abundance, although its effects disappeared nine days after application. The two adulticides did not significantly affect the diversity of flower-visiting insects, probably because of their large body size and the difference in flying and foraging activity. To effectively control mosquito populations while preventing intoxication of non-target flower-visiting insects, adulticide applications should be applied early in the morning and only on bushes and trees. Results from our small-scale applications cannot be extrapolate when larger areas are treated.     

Cutting the lawn − Natural burial and its contribution to the delivery of ecosystem services in urban cemeteries

This article investigates the impact of natural burial on the delivery of ecosystem services (ESs) in urban cemeteries in England that are owned and managed by local authorities. Local authority natural burial sites have received far less attention from researchers than independent sites developed by farmers, charitable trusts, funeral directors and land owners. Here we argue that the local authority hybrid cemeteries that combine natural burial with traditional graves may have a far greater impact in delivering regulatory and cultural ecosystem services than the much larger and frequently more environmentally ambitious natural burial grounds developed by the independent sector. The article presents three case studies of cemeteries, each of which represents a different interpretation of natural burial. Two have retrofitted natural burial into an existing cemetery landscape. The third is a new cemetery where natural burial was included with traditional burial in the original design brief and planning application. The research reveals how natural burial is transforming the traditional cemetery, with its focus on an intensively managed lawn aesthetic, towards a more habitat rich and spatially complex landscape with its own distinctive identity. The research also reveals how natural burial (within the unique constraints of UK burial culture that does not permit the recycling of burial space) is increasing the burial capacity of urban cemeteries by accessing land and grave space that might not be suitable or appropriate for more traditional forms of burial.     

Tree vibrations: Determining oscillatory properties by using infra-red marker-tracking system

A state-of-the-art infrared marker-tracking system that consists of eight cameras outfitted with infra-red optical filters and an array of infra-red light-emitting diodes as well as a set of reflective markers, is used to record the motion of a set of markers arranged along a trunk-dominated potted tree, which was pulled and released to perform free vibrations. The time-history diagrams of these markers are numerically fitted to the corresponding analytical mathematical model for each marker, in which the markers are treated as particles performing in-plane oscillations. This combination of experimental, analytical and numerical results yields the main vibration properties of the markers, i.e. the points on the tree: natural frequencies, damping ratios and the position of principal axes in two cases: for the in-leaf and out-of-leaf tree under consideration. The shape of the time history diagrams for the motion along one direction indicates the initial increase of the amplitude, and this property is found to be associated with two closed-valued natural frequencies. These two natural frequencies decreased after the removal of leaves, but stayed closed-valued. Two natural frequencies correspond to two principal axes, whose change along the height of the tree is also determined in both cases. The change of the damping ratios associated with two principal axes is also obtained: only one of them changed after the removal of leaves. Besides providing a proof of concept for the use of the high-tech marker-tracking system for obtaining certain oscillatory characteristics, this study also points out the possibilities for future work in which this system can be beneficial for investigating tree vibrations and deflections under different loads.