Effects of land ownership and landscape-level factors on rare-species richness in natural areas of southern Ontario,Canada

Surprisingly few studies have considered the extent to which the nature of the ownership of land is associated with differences in biodiversity. We analysed ownership and other landscape-level effects on rare-species richness for both globally- and regionally-rare biota (including birds, herpetofauna, butterflies, mammals, and plants) in 289 designated natural areas (NAs) in southern Ontario, Canada. Information about each NA −including area, number of plant communities, ownership status and details of species diversity were collected from published sources. Length of perimeter of NA, relative isolation, and an estimate of fragmentation were measured using image analysis and GIS techniques. NAs were in general relatively small, with mean area of 158 ha (median 85 ha, range from 0.9 to 1278 ha) for private NAs; public NAs had mean area of 132 ha (median 16 ha, range from 0.1 to 1481 ha). Mean number of plant communities was 4.6 (median 4, range 1- 13) at private NAs and 3.8 (median 3, range 1-16) at public NAs. Our results show that, of several landscape-level factors, area had the greatest effects on rare-species richness and other biotic indices. Effects of area were followed by effects of plant community diversity, however this was itself significantly affected by area and the extent of perimeter of the NA. Both these factors were followed by effects of ownership of the NA and by effects of isolation of the NA (represented by minimum distance to nearest NA and by number of NAs in 10 km radius). Other landscape- level factors did not appear to have overall significant effects. Variation in area accounted for 0.1% to 29% of variation in number of rare species, with lower values for globally-rare, than for regionally-rare taxa. For all biotic groups, public ownership of NAs was associated with significantly greater rare-species richness compared to private ownership, even after other factors such as area were controlled. For all globally-rare biota except butterflies, area of NA had greater effects on rare-species richness than did ownership. Richness of regionally- rare birds was more affected by plant community diversity than by area of NA. Number of recorded plant communities accounted from 2.1% of variation in number of globally-rare plant species to as high as 31% of variation in regionally-rare butterflies. The diversity of plant communities was itself influenced by total site area (accounting for 45% of variation), extent of elongation of the NA, and both external- and interior- edge perimeters. Public NAs had greatest numbers of rare biota and so should be a significant focus for conservation programs. Smaller, privately-owned patches of natural area dominate (by number and area) in this densely populated region and their significance should not be overlooked. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

江河源区草地资源现状及其可持续发展

在分析青海省江河源区草地资源现状的基础上，进一步剖析了造成该区域草地生态环境恶化的综合因素，提出了合理利用和保护天然草地，优化草地生产结构，加强基础设施建设，建立饲草料生产基地，遏制草地退化，使草地生态进入良性演替，实现江河源区草地资源可持续利用和草地畜牧业可持续发展的对策。     

The re-emergence of indigenous forest in an urban environment, Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch, the second largest city in New Zealand is a planned city on a coastal plain on the east coast of the South Island. The birth of the city and the subsequent century of development was characterised by colonial values and tree and garden planting with familiar European species along with those from Australia, North America, and eventually all other continents. The image of an “English garden city” with classical parks of oaks and willow-lined rivers became the accepted norm and the way in which the city has been promoted to potential tourists. Gardening is one of the top two recreational activities and exotic species greatly outnumber native species in the flora and in gardens. This has had serious consequences for the highly fragmented and degraded indigenous vegetation and its co-adapted wildlife. A few hardy indigenous species continued to regenerate through this period, but since the 1970s, there has been a progressive change of attitude and interest in reclaiming the natural heritage of the city, manifest in widespread private and public planting of indigenous species and active habitat restoration. In this article we examine the indigenous and exotic shrub and tree components of the Christchurch flora as planted street trees, in domestic gardens, and in parks. We also present data on shrub and tree regeneration in parks and domestic gardens in the city. Indications are that the more sensitive, less intrusive management of urban environments, combined with the greater density of indigenous seed sources, has allowed regeneration of a wide range of indigenous species across a broad spectrum of habitats – from neglected gardens to pavement cracks to exotic plantations. This is despite the competition from the prodigious seed banks and density of exotic trees, shrubs, and ground covers and albeit minimal impacts of introduced browsing and seed eating mammals. If the present trends continue through appropriate management and facilitation, these tentative signs of native forest regeneration should eventually proliferate into a sustainable mixed origin urban forest that resurrects and preserves the natural character of the region.     

三江源区土壤侵蚀变化及驱动因素分析

采用修正通用土壤流失方程(revised universal soil loss equation, RUSLE)对三江源区1997-2012年的土壤侵蚀模数和土壤侵蚀量进行定量模拟,并对其生态工程实施前、后时空变化特征进行对比分析,采用空间叠加法分析降雨侵蚀力及植被覆盖度对土壤侵蚀状况的影响,利用模型参数控制法对气候变化和生态工程对土壤侵蚀变化的贡献率进行分析。结果表明:1)生态工程实施后,三江源区土壤侵蚀增加的趋势尚未得到遏制,多年平均年土壤侵蚀模数和侵蚀量较工程实施前增加6.5%,但局部地区土壤侵蚀状况有所好转,约占总面积的45%;2)长江流域在工程实施后的土壤侵蚀量与工程实施前基本持衡;黄河流域土壤侵蚀量增加明显,增幅超过45%;澜沧江流域土壤侵蚀量有所下降,降幅为9.8%;3)降水增强导致土壤侵蚀加剧的贡献率达到180%,植被恢复对土壤侵蚀变化的贡献率为-80%。全面遏制三江源区土壤侵蚀增加趋势,仍需持续努力。     

河南长江流域防护林工程水土保持效益评价

涵养水源和保育土壤是森林的主要生态功能。通过采用森林生态系统服务功能实物量、价值量评估方法对长防林工程实施区域森林的水土保持效益进行的评价,结果表明,长防林工程实施后林地可调节水量12.936亿m3,固土0.135亿t,林地的水土保持效益价值达126.247亿元。经过20年的长防林工程建设,项目区内森林资源快速增长,水土流失面积大幅度减少,工程建设对生态环境的改善起到了明显的作用。     

美国农业保护性耕作技术的启示

为了学习与引进先进的保护性耕作技术,阐述了美国保护性耕作的起源,说明了传统耕作给农业生产带来的毁灭性的打击,并通过以免耕为主的保护性耕作的论述,进一步说明了黑龙江省耕作制度改革的必要性。同时通过美国先进耕作制度的论述,提出了黑龙江省发展保护性耕作制度的必要性和具体措施。     

林地水土保持功能持续提高的机制及对策

通过对不同林地水土保持功能分析得出,其发展过程可分为成长期、成熟期和减退期,并定义成熟期为可持续发展期。分析了影响水土保持功能持续提高的环境分配系数r和环境利用系数k,认为r是林地中光、水、肥分配的参数,k为光、水、肥利用的参数。林地水土保持功能的持续提高,应通过调整r和k,即调控林地的树种组成、林分层次和林分密度,形成合理的林分结构,保持成熟期的持续发展。并在此基础上提出了林地水土保持功能持续提高的相应对策。     

内蒙古乌拉盖草原湿地中下游植被退化演替趋势分析

针对内蒙古锡林郭勒盟东乌旗乌拉盖草原湿地植被退化问题,采用植被生态调查方法进行生态损伤评估和植被演替趋势分析.调查结果表明:在乌拉盖河截流5年内,乌拉盖湿地中下游植被退化迅速,原生植被的建群种和优势种基本消失,群落高度和盖度迅速降低,原生植被群落重要值显著降低,次生植被群落重要值增加;植物种的数量大量减少,植物多样性严重降低;一年生草本植物数量和比例明显高于多年生草本植物,部分荒漠化严重地区还出现超旱生植物小果白刺(Nitraria sibirica Pall.);乌拉盖草原湿地已经从草原湿地植被演替为碱蓬盐化草甸植被和盐漠化裸地.     

Shifts in microbial diversity through land use intensity as drivers of carbon mineralization in soil

Land use practices alter the biomass and structure of soil microbial communities. However, the impact of land management intensity on soil microbial diversity (i.e. richness and evenness) and consequences for functioning is still poorly understood. Here, we addressed this question by coupling molecular characterization of microbial diversity with measurements of carbon (C) mineralization in soils obtained from three locations across Europe, each representing a gradient of land management intensity under different soil and environmental conditions. Bacterial and fungal diversity were characterized by high throughput sequencing of ribosomal genes. Carbon cycling activities (i.e., mineralization of autochthonous soil organic matter, mineralization of allochthonous plant residues) were measured by quantifying ¹²C- and ¹³C-CO₂ release after soils had been amended, or not, with ¹³C-labelled wheat residues. Variation partitioning analysis was used to rank biological and physicochemical soil parameters according to their relative contribution to these activities. Across all three locations, microbial diversity was greatest at intermediate levels of land use intensity, indicating that optimal management of soil microbial diversity might not be achieved under the least intensive agriculture. Microbial richness was the best predictor of the C-cycling activities, with bacterial and fungal richness explaining 32.2 and 17% of the intensity of autochthonous soil organic matter mineralization; and fungal richness explaining 77% of the intensity of wheat residues mineralization. Altogether, our results provide evidence that there is scope for improvement in soil management to enhance microbial biodiversity and optimize C transformations mediated by microbial communities in soil.     

探讨园林绿化的市场运作

将园林绿化的工作通过市场的运作,逐步实现市场管理,从无形到有形,从无序到有序的转变。