Conservation strategies in response to rapid climate change: Australia as a case study

As in all parts of the globe, rapid climate change in Australia will have significant negative impacts on biodiversity. It also will interact with pre-existing stressors such as native vegetation clearing, altered natural disturbance regimes and invasive species - all of which already have major negative effects on biota in Australia. Strategies to reduce climate change impacts on Australian biodiversity include a mixture of mitigation and adaptation actions (sensuMillar et al., 2007) such as: (1) significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, (2) ensuring bio-diverse carbon capture, (3) better tackling pre-existing stressors on biodiversity, (4) better preparing for the effects of major natural disturbances, (5) significantly improving off-reserve conservation efforts including fostering appropriate connectivity, and (6) enhancing the existing reserve system by making it more comprehensive, adequate and representative. The first strategy above demands a global response otherwise major mitigation attempts in Australia that are not paralleled elsewhere around the world will have little effect on climate change and, in turn, contribute little to enhanced biodiversity conservation. Strategies 2-6 demand multi-scaled responses, particularly at a regional level, given the major regional differences in direct climate change impacts and their interactions with pre-existing regional stressors. Well developed multi-scaled conservation plans to implement these strategies currently do not exist, nor do appropriate institutional arrangements and capacities. Institutional reforms are urgently needed in Australia to develop the land management, monitoring and regional response capabilities required to conserve biodiversity on a continent already significantly modified.     

Assisted colonization: Integrating conservation strategies in the face of climate change

Global climate change poses an immense challenge for conservation biologists seeking to mitigate impacts to species and ecosystems. Species persistence will depend on geographic range shifts or adaptation in response to warming patterns as novel climates and community assemblages arise. Assisted colonization has been proposed as a method for addressing these challenges. This technique, which consists of transporting species to a new range that is predicted to be favorable for persistence under future climate scenarios, has become the subject of controversy and discussion in the conservation community due to its highly manipulative nature, questions about widespread feasibility, and uncertainty associated with the likelihood of translocated species becoming invasive. We reviewed the discussion and criticism associated with assisted colonization and sought to identify other conservation techniques that also display potential to promote the colonization and adaptation of species in response to climate change. We propose an integrated conservation strategy that includes management for habitat connectivity, conservation genetics, and when necessary, assisted colonization of species that are still unable to shift their ranges even given implementation of the above standard conservation approaches. We argue that this integrated approach will facilitate persistence for a larger proportion of species than is possible by solely using assisted colonization. Furthermore, a multi-faceted approach will likely reduce the uncertainty of conservation outcomes and will become increasingly necessary for conservation of biodiversity in a changing climate.     

东北地区农业及环境对气候变化的响应与应对措施

气候变化在东北地区对农业生产和生态环境产生了重要影响。本文总结了东北地区农业生产和生态环境对气候变化的响应, 并从调整农业种植结构、采用农业节水技术措施、实施保护性耕作、采取水土保持措施、加强生态?经济型防护林体系建设等方面分析东北地区对气候变化所采取的应对措施及应对效果。在此基础上, 分析了未来气候变化可能对东北地区农业生产和生态环境造成的影响, 并针对这两个重点领域从调整农业结构和种植制度、选育抗逆性强的品种、调整农业生产管理措施、加强水资源管理、加强生态建设、发展生态经济、综合调控水源和完善监测机制等方面提出了未来应对气候变化的建议。     

Trend and uncertainty analysis of simulated climate change impacts with multiple GCMs and emission scenarios

Trends and uncertainty of the climate change impacts on hydrology, soil erosion, and wheat production during 2010-2039 at El Reno in central Oklahoma, USA, were evaluated for 12 climate change scenarios projected by four GCMs (CCSR/NIES, CGCM2, CSIRO-Mk2, and HadCM3) under three emissions scenarios (A2, B2, and GGa). Compared with the present climate, overall t-tests (n = 12) show that it is almost certain that mean precipitation will decline by some 6% (>98.5% probability), daily precipitation variance increase by 12% (>99%), and maximum and minimum temperature increase by 1.46 and 1.26 °C (>99%), respectively. Compared with the present climate under the same tillage systems, it is very likely (>90%) that evapotranpiration and long-term soil water storage will decease, but runoff and soil loss will increase despite the projected declines in precipitation. There will be no significant changes in wheat grain yield.Paired t-tests show that daily precipitation variance projected under GGa is greater than those under A2 and B2 (P = 0.1), resulting in greater runoff and soil loss under GGa (P = 0.1). HadCM3 projected greater mean annual precipitation than CGCM2 and CSIRO (P = 0.1). Consequently, greater runoff, grain yield, transpiration, soil evaporation, and soil water storage were simulated for HadCM3 (P = 0.1). The inconsistency among GCMs and differential impact responses between emission scenarios underscore the necessity of using multi-GCMs and multi-emission scenarios for impact assessments. Overall results show that no-till and conservation tillage systems will need to be adopted for better soil and water conservation and environmental protection in the region during the next several decades.     

河北平原气候变化对冬小麦产量的影响

根据河北平原多年降水、气温及冬小麦产量资料,利用回归分析、M-K突变检验、T检验、线性调和滑动平均等统计分析方法,分析了1951～2006年河北省气候变化特征及其对冬小麦气候产量的影响。结果表明:河北省春季气温近56年来线性升高倾向显著,平均每10年升高0.38℃,春季降水近56年无明显线性增减倾向。冬小麦气候产量与气温、降水显著相关,当气温距平在-1.2～1.2℃之间时,小麦气候产量为正值,温度过低或过高都会使小麦减产,高温使小麦减产更严重,降水量和小麦气候产量呈正相关。     

Impact of climate change on soil erosion, runoff, and wheat productivity in central Oklahoma

The potential for global climate changes to increase the risk of soil erosion is clear, but the actual damage is not. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on soil erosion, surface runoff, and wheat productivity in central Oklahoma. Monthly projections were used from the Hadley Centre's general circulation model, HadCM3, using scenarios A2a, B2a, and GGa1 for the periods of 1950–1999 and 2070–2099. Projected changes in monthly precipitation and temperature distributions between the two periods were incorporated into daily weather series by means of a stochastic weather generator (CLIGEN) with its input parameters adjusted to each scenario. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model was run for four climate scenarios including a recent historical climate and three tillage systems (conventional tillage, conservation tillage, and no-till). HadCM3-projected mean annual precipitation during 2070–2099 at El Reno, Oklahoma decreased by 13.6%, 7.2%, and 6.2% for A2a, B2a, and GGa1, respectively; and mean annual temperature increased by 5.7, 4.0, and 4.7 °C, respectively. Predicted average annual soil loss in the tillage systems other than no-till, compared with historical climate (1950–1999), increased by 18–30% for A2a, remained similar for B2a, and increased by 67–82% for GGa1. Predicted soil loss in no-till did not increase in the three scenarios. Predicted mean annual runoff in all three tillage systems increased by 16–25% for A2a, remained similar for B2a, and increased by 6–19% for GGa1. The greater increases in soil loss and runoff in GGa1 were attributed to greater variability in monthly precipitation as projected by HadCM3. The increased variability led to increased frequency of large storms. Small changes in wheat yield, which ranged from a 5% decrease in B2a to a 5% increase in GGa1, were because the adverse effects of the temperature increase on winter wheat growth were largely offset by CO₂ rise as well as the bulky decrease in precipitation occurred outside the growing season. The overall results indicate that no-till and conservation tillage systems will be effective in combating soil erosion under projected climates in central Oklahoma.     

气候变化对华北粮食主产区水资源的影响及适应对策

气候变化已成为目前全球最为重要的环境问题之一,气候变化将通过加速水文循环进而对区域水资源产生重要影响。采用统计分析和数学模拟方法,分析了气候变化对中国华北粮食主产区水资源的可能影响。结果表明:过去50年黄河中下游地区和海河流域河川径流呈现显著性减少趋势,淮河流域及黄河上游河川径流为非显著性变化;其中,1980年以来海河流域实测径流量较前期减少超过50%。未来30~50年华北粮食主产区气温将持续上升,降水的不确定性更大,总体呈现弱增加趋势。受气温升高和降水变化影响,未来几十年水资源总体以略微偏少为主,但存在区域性增多的可能;在RCPP2.6、RCP4.5和RCP8.5排放情景下,区域水资源较基准期(1961—1990)分别变化-1.3%、1.0%和-2.3%。在空间分布上,黄河中游水资源可能略有增多,但淮河和海河流域水资源很可能进一步减少,华北粮食主产区水资源供需矛盾可能会因气候变化而更为突出。加强节水型社会建设、水利工程建设以及充分利用非传统水源是该地区未来适应气候变化的核心工作。     

焉耆盆地气候变化和人类活动对生态系统服务 价值的影响研究

环境变化下的生态服务功能研究,对生态环境与社会经济持续发展具有重要的科学意义和应用价值。本文以新疆焉耆盆地作为研究对象,基于Landsat遥感影像数据、DEM数据和气象要素数据,运用非参数气候变化突变点检验(MK,Mann-Kendall-Sneyers test)、趋势分析方法(Mann-Kendall,MK),通过计算生态服务价值(ESV)和土地利用/覆盖变化(LUCC)动态度,对新疆焉耆盆地近40 a(1973—2014年)生态服务功能的变化及其驱动因素进行了分析。结果显示:1)生态系统服务价值和功能的变化是气候变化和人类活动共同作用的结果;2)山区冰川面积的缩小是山区生态服务价值减少的主要原因;3)平原区的生态系统服务价值以2004年为转折点呈现先减少后增加的趋势,整个研究区的生态服务价值分别为1973年85.86×108元、1977年94.46×108元、1994年84.15×108元、2004年89.40×108元和2014年96.47×108元,这与降水量和蒸发量变化趋势吻合。人类活动如长期开垦、扩大绿洲面积和有益的气候变化支撑(降水量增加、蒸发量减少)是平原区生态服务价值增加的主要原因。在山区,生态服务价值随着降水量、蒸发量的变化而变化,在绿洲区生态服务价值的变化是人类开荒耕地、还林、还耕,以及人工栽培芦苇等活动和气候变暖共同作用的结果。     

The potential effects of climate change on autumn soil tillage opportunities in England and Wales

A model was used to estimate the number of autumn machinery work-days in England and Wales for a range of potential climate change sensitivity tests. The sensitivity tests were based on current best estimates of climate change and were referenced to a 30-year baseline climate. The analysis showed that decreases in precipitation have a much greater effect on the average number of work-days than increases in precipitation of a similar magnitude or increases in temperature of between 1 and 2°C. A 2°C increase in temperature was found to be off-set by a 10% increase in precipitation resulting in little change to the number of work-days compared with the baseline. The results suggested that autumn soil tillage opportunities will be improved by global warming unless precipitation increases substantially (by 15% or more). However, there are likely to be strong regional differences in the magnitude of this improvement.     

新疆喀什气候变化对棉花发育期及产量的影响分析

利用喀什国家基准气候站1961—2013年53 a的平均气温、平均最高气温、平均最低气温、降水量以及日照时数资料,结合1990—2013年的棉花发育期、单位面积产量、"三桃"数等资料,采用线性倾向估计计算、检验方法、气候趋势系数和气候倾向率方法,对1961年以来喀什气候变化特征、1990年以来棉花发育期和产量进行分析,探讨了喀什近期气候变化对棉花生产的影响。结果表明:近53 a来,喀什年和各季平均气温、平均最高气温、平均最低气温总体呈线性上升趋势,其年气候倾向率为0.25~0.47℃-10a-1(P-0.01),春、夏、秋3个季节的倾向率分别为0.24~0.47℃-10a-1(P-0.05)、0.09~0.37℃-10a-1、0.32~0.46℃-10a-1(P-0.01),其中春、秋季平均最低气温的升温率最大。年降水量呈明显增多趋势,其增幅为6.16 mm-10a-1,对各季节降水而言,春季降水量呈减少趋势,其气候倾向率为-0.44 mm-10a-1,夏、秋季降水量呈明显的增多趋势,其增幅分别为2.10 mm-10a-1、2.23 mm-10a-1(P-0.05)。日照时数呈增多趋势,其气候倾向率分别为31.3 h-10a-1(P-0.05)(年)、16.16 h-10a-1(P-0.01)(春)、9.84 h-10a-1(P-0.05)(夏)、4.27 h-10a-1(P-0.01)(秋),其中春季日照时数的增幅最大。近53 a来,喀什初霜日呈推后趋势(1.4 d-10a-1)、终霜日呈提前趋势(-1.3 d-10a-1),无霜期延长明显(1.0 d-10a-1)。近23 a来喀什棉花生长发育期资料统计指出,棉花播种期、出苗期、三真叶期、五真叶期、现蕾期、开花期、裂铃期、吐絮期等各发育期均表现出不同程度的提前趋势,其中现蕾期的提前趋势最明显,为6.6 d-10a-1(P-0.01);棉花停止生长期呈延迟趋势,即延迟幅度为4.2 d-10a-1(P-0.01),发育期的延长对棉花产量和品质的提高都十分有利。棉花"三桃"数中,伏前桃数、伏桃数和秋桃数呈增多趋势,其增幅分别为0.58个-10a-1、0.92个-10a-1和0.49个-10a-1。近23 a棉花生产中,平均产量呈增多趋势,其增幅为373.5kg-hm-2-10a-1(P-0.01)。影响棉花发育期和产量的主要气候因子有气温、日照时数、降水、初终霜日、无霜期。总之,喀什气候的变化对棉花生产的影响以积极影响为主,气候变暖有利于提高棉花的产量和品质。本文中,初、终霜冻日及无霜期与棉花产量总体呈正相关,初霜日推后、终霜日提前、无霜期延长,棉花产量增多。     

CO2浓度升高与气候变化对农业的影响研究进展

全球气候变化过程加剧。阐述了CO_2浓度升高及气候变化对农业的影响,包括CO_2浓度升高对作物生产力的影响,CO_2浓度与温度升高相互影响以及CO_2浓度与水分利用之间相互影响。研究表明随CO_2浓度的升高,作物生产力如生物量、经济产量以及水分利用效率均将有所提高,但高温对作物生产力可能产生不利影响,并指出今后研究重点。     

The role of ants in conservation monitoring: If, when, and how

Ants are increasingly being recognized as useful tools for land managers to monitor ecosystem conditions. However, despite an abundance of studies on ant responses to both environmental disturbance and land management techniques, an analysis of the practice and value of including ants in monitoring is lacking. Consequently, conservation managers are left with little guidance as to if, when, and how ants can be used to assess conservation activities. Based on our review of approximately 60 published studies, we outline five areas where ants provide valuable information for management-based monitoring: (1) to detect the presence of invasive species, (2) to detect trends among threatened or endangered species, (3) to detect trends among keystone species, (4) to evaluate land management actions, and (5) to assess long-term ecosystem changes. We also discuss practical considerations when designing a monitoring framework for ants, including appropriate methods, taxonomic resolution for sampling, and spatial and temporal scale. We find that when integrated with management goals, monitoring ants can provide information over the short-term on topics such as the status of invasive or keystone species, as well as over longer time frames, for instance the impact of climate change. Overall, we conclude that ants merit monitoring based on their inherent ecological qualities, independent of any “indicator” attributes they might have.     

气候变化对新疆红枣种植气候区划的影响

研究气候变化背景下新疆红枣气候区划的变化,对适应气候变化,充分合理地利用农业气候资源,科学制定新疆红枣种植和发展规划,促进新疆红枣产业的持续稳定发展具有重要意义。利用新疆101个气象站1961—2012年的历史气候资料,使用线性趋势分析、累积距平和t-检验以及基于ArcGIS的混合插值法,在对近52年新疆≥10℃积温、冬季极端最低气温和6—7月平均气温时空变化进行分析的基础上,结合红枣气候区划指标,对气候变化背景下新疆红枣种植气候区划的变化进行了分析。研究结果表明:1)新疆≥10℃积温、冬季极端最低气温和6—7月平均气温的空间分布总体呈现"南疆高、北疆低,平原和盆地高、山区低"的格局。2)近52年新疆≥10℃积温、冬季极端最低气温和6—7月平均气温分别以62.22℃·d·10a-1、0.551℃·10a-1和0.221℃·10a-1的倾向率呈显著上升趋势,并分别于1997年、1982年和1994年发生了突变。受其影响,1997年后新疆红枣适宜种植区面积增至5.05×105 km2,较之前增加1.20×105 km2,占新疆总面积比例增大7.3个百分点;而次适宜种植区面积缩小4.0×104 km2,占新疆总面积比例缩小2.4个百分点;不适宜种植区面积缩小8.01×104 km2,占新疆总面积比例缩小4.9个百分点。气候变化使新疆红枣适宜种植区面积明显扩大,次适宜和不适宜种植区面积有所减小,这种变化对促进新疆红枣产业的发展具有重要意义。     

Advance of apple and pear tree full bloom dates in response to climate change in the southwestern Cape, South Africa: 1973-2009

Studies from throughout the world have demonstrated that tree phenophases are becoming earlier in spring and are closely associated with rising temperatures. Despite many such studies from the Northern Hemisphere, similar comparative work has not been forthcoming from the Southern Hemisphere or from Africa. In addition, few studies have demonstrated the possible role of changes in precipitation and associated soil moisture to driving fruit tree phenophases. Here we provide changes of mean full bloom dates for three apple Malus domestica (Golden Delicious, Sayaka, Granny Smith) and one pear Pyrus communis (Bon Chrétien) cultivars in the southwestern Cape of South Africa. These phenological changes are correlated with temperature and precipitation changes in the same region between 1973 and 2009. Significant early spring (August/September) temperature increases of +0.45 °C/decade are associated with a mean full bloom advance of 1.6 d/decade over the last 37 years. Golden Delicious apple trees have the strongest sensitivity (+4.2 d/°C) to climate change in the region, whilst Granny Smith apple trees have the lowest (+2.4 d/°C). Although winter and early spring rainfall has also decreased over this time, such decreases are not significant. However, significant correlations are found for both temperature and rainfall when comparing with the mean full bloom dates, and it is proposed that both variables operate synergistically to influence mean full bloom dates in the southwestern Cape.     

气候变化背景下安徽省冬小麦气候生产潜力和胁迫风险研究

从气候的资源和灾害双重属性出发,构建了冬小麦气候生产潜力和胁迫风险评价指标,以安徽省为例分析了二者对气候变化的响应特征,综合气候对高产和稳产的影响进行研究区冬小麦种植气候适宜性区划。结果表明:采用逐级订正法结合作物生长动态参数估算安徽省冬小麦气候生产潜力多年平均为12 391kg?hm-2,以沿淮和江淮之间最高;1961—2015年淮北和沿淮东部地区为显著上升趋势,而淮河以南地区则以下降为主。通过考虑在冬小麦生长发育过程中气候条件偏离最适区间而导致的胁迫影响,建立了高温、低温、雨涝、干旱4种气候胁迫的评估指标,并基于气候胁迫的超越概率形成了冬小麦气候风险评价方法。气候变暖使研究区冬小麦高温胁迫显著上升,低温胁迫显著下降,水分胁迫无显著的变化趋势。安徽省冬小麦的气候风险呈现中间低,两头高的分布特征,以沿淮和江淮之间风险最低,淮北北部和江南南部风险较高;淮北地区主要以干旱和低温贡献为主,而淮河以南地区则以雨涝风险为主。融合气候生产潜力和气候胁迫风险形成冬小麦的气候适宜性区划,其空间格局呈南北低、中间高的特征,种植分布格局与气候适宜性的空间匹配程度较高,但有一定的优化调整空间。     

Terrestrial microarthropods of Victoria Land and Queen Maud Mountains, Antarctica: Implications of climate change

We review aspects of climate change likely to impact upon the Collembola and mites (microarthropods) of Victoria Land and the Queen Maud Mountains (VLQMM) in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica. Five important aspects of biological and biological-environmental interactions are identified as key for understanding the impact of climate change on VLQMM microarthropods: (1) Water availability and utilization; (2) mean temperature (which will affect development and population processes) and extreme temperatures (which affect persistence); (3) ultraviolet radiation, although we note that the periods of peak UV irradiance and microarthropod activity do not coincide; (4) dispersal within and between habitats; and (5) potential establishment of invasive species from within and without Antarctica. The current evidence for effects of climate change on VLQMM microarthropods is equivocal, and we advocate targeted experimental and monitoring studies. Finally, we highlight several areas of high priority for future research, particularly on the mite fauna for which detailed information is currently lacking. These are: (1) functional ecology (including thermal biology, feeding and nutrition and water relations); (2) distribution, dispersal and colonization processes and (3) population and community ecology.     

The effects of climate change on the geographic distribution of Mexican wild relatives of domesticated Cucurbitaceae

Using bioclimatic modeling, two possible scenarios of climatic change in Mexico were used to analyze the distribution patterns of eight wild Cucurbitaceae closely related to cultivated plants [Cucurbita argyrosperma Huber ssp. sororia (L. H. Bailey) Merrick et Bates, C. lundelliana L. H. Bailey, C. pepo L. ssp. fraterna (L. H. Bailey) Andres, C. okeechobeensis (J. K. Small) L. H. Bailey ssp. martinezii (L. H. Bailey) Walters et Decker-Walters, Sechium chinantlense Lira and Chiang, S. compositum (J. D. Smith) C. Jeffrey, S. edule (Jacq.) Sw. ssp. sylvestre Lira et Castrejón, and S. hintonii (P. G. Wilson) C. Jeffrey]. Most of these taxa have restricted distributions. Many of them also show proven resistance to various diseases, which could be crucial for the improvement of their related cultivars. The possible role that the Mexican system of protected areas might have in the conservation of these taxa was also assessed. The results showed a marked contraction of the distributions of all eight taxa under both scenarios. We also found that, under a drastic climatic change scenario, the eight taxa will be maintained in just 29 out of the 69 natural protected areas where they currently occur. Accordingly, it seems that most of the eight wild taxa will not have many opportunities to survive under climate change. However, the ability of these plants to maintain low-density isolated populations for long periods, as well as the low resolution of the bioclimatic models, are discussed as possible mitigators of these rather grim predictions.     

Adapting global conservation strategies to climate change at the European scale: The otter as a flagship species

Climate change has created the need for new strategies in conservation planning that account for the dynamics of factors threatening endangered species.Here we assessed climate change threat to the European otter, a flagship species for freshwater ecosystems, considering how current conservation areas will perform in preserving the species in a climatically changed future. We used an ensemble forecasting approach considering six modelling techniques applied to eleven subsets of otter occurrences across Europe. We performed a pseudo-independent and an internal evaluation of predictions. Future projections of species distribution were made considering the A2 and B2 scenarios for 2080 across three climate models: CCCMA-CGCM2, CSIRO-MK2 and HCCPR HADCM3. The current and the predicted otter distributions were used to identify priority areas for the conservation of the species, and overlapped to existing network of protected areas.Our projections show that climate change may profoundly reshuffle the otter’s potential distribution in Europe, with important differences between the two scenarios we considered. Overall, the priority areas for conservation of the otter in Europe appear to be unevenly covered by the existing network of protected areas, with the current conservation efforts being insufficient in most cases. For a better conservation, the existing protected areas should be integrated within a more general conservation and management strategy incorporating climate change projections. Due to the important role that the otter plays for freshwater habitats, our study further highlights the potential sensitivity of freshwater habitats in Europe to climate change.     

气候变化对四川盆地主要粮食作物生产潜力的影响

基于四川盆地1961—2018年63个气象台站的逐日气象资料和1981—2018年46个农业气象观测站的主要粮食作物(水稻、玉米和冬小麦)生育期资料,利用逐级订正的方法计算作物气候生产潜力,分析太阳辐射、气温、降水及气候变化对四川盆地主要粮食作物气候生产潜力的影响,研究旨在为提高区域农业生产力并保障农业可持续发展提供科学依据。结果显示:1961—2018年四川盆地作物多年平均气候生产潜力的分布为水稻由西向东递增,玉米在盆地北部和西南偏高、其他地区偏低,冬小麦南北高、中部低。辐射量减小对3种作物气候生产潜力的影响为负效应;平均气温升高对作物气候生产潜力的影响为正效应;降水量变化是作物气候生产潜力变化出现空间差异的主要原因,降水量增加对作物气候生产潜力的影响为正效应,而降水量减少为负效应。气候变化对水稻气候生产潜力的影响在盆地西南部和北部的部分地区为正效应,其余地区为负效应;气候变化对玉米气候生产潜力的影响在盆地南部和东部的部分地区为正效应,其余地区为负效应;气候变化对冬小麦气候生产潜力的影响在盆地东北部的部分地区为负效应,其余大部地区为正效应。总体来看,气候变化对四川盆地冬小麦气候生产潜力的影响最大,为9.9kg·hm~(-2)·a~(-1),而对玉米和水稻的影响分别为-1.4 kg·hm~(-2)·a~(-1)和0.5 kg·hm~(-2)·a~(-1)。为了适应气候变化,四川盆地应选育光合效率高和抗旱性强的作物品种,并加强农田管理,以提高农业生产水平并保障粮食安全。     

Dynamics of a declining amphibian metapopulation: Survival, dispersal and the impact of climate

Climate can interact with population dynamics in complex ways. In this study we describe how climatic factors influenced the dynamics of an amphibian metapopulation over 12 years through interactions with survival, recruitment and dispersal. Low annual survival of great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) was related to mild winters and heavy rainfall, which impacted the metapopulation at the regional level. Consequently, survival varied between years but not between subpopulations. Despite this regional effect, the four subpopulations were largely asynchronous in their dynamics. Three out of the four subpopulations suffered reproductive failure in most years, and recruitment to the metapopulation relied on one source. Variation in recruitment and juvenile dispersal was therefore probably driving asynchrony in population dynamics. At least one subpopulation went extinct over the 12 year period. These trends are consistent with simulations of the system, which predicted that two subpopulations had an extinction risk of >50% if adult survival fell below 30% in combination with low juvenile survival. Intermittent recruitment may therefore only result in population persistence if compensated for by relatively high adult survival. Mild winters may consequently reduce the viability of amphibian metapopulations. In the face of climate change, conservation actions may be needed at the local scale to compensate for reduced adult survival. These would need to include management to enhance recruitment, connectivity and dispersal.