Adaptive range selection by golden eagles in a changing landscape: A multiple modelling approach

Land abandonment is causing considerable woodland expansion in many mountainous areas of Europe, with potential repercussions on conservation-sensitive species typical of open habitats. We examined the potential impact of such changes on an alpine golden eagle population, by estimating the ranges potentially used by the eagles for foraging through different techniques (concentric circles of different radii and a tessellation-method based on telemetry data). Compared to randomly located territories, eagles selected ranges farther away from conspecifics, characterised by a rugged topography and rich in main prey species and in open habitats favoured by their main prey species, such as grassland, shrubs, xerophytic vegetation and rocky outcrops. Similarly, nest spacing and breeding success were related to the availability of optimal foraging habitats, also favoured by the main prey species of the eagles. Even though woodland-variables did not enter any of the stepwise models, eagles were dependent on grassland habitats, currently lost to woodland at a rate of about 0.5-1% per year, and on shrub vegetation rapidly evolving into woodland, which accounted on average for almost 10% of the eagle ranges. Long-term loss of such habitat may imply up to a 66% woodland increase for some eagle ranges. Given the complexity of the uncovered relationships and difficulty to make firm predictions, subsidies to halt the abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral practices seem urgently needed.     

清理利用风倒风折木 恢复灾毁林地森林资源

论述了风灾损毁林地森林资源恢复的重要意义和措施,其中包括风倒风折木清理利用规划、更新造林设计、清理生产作业、林地恢复效果及保障措施等。     

Does closure of traditionally managed open woodlands threaten epigeic invertebrates? Effects of coppicing and high deer densities

The demise of traditional woodland management techniques, such as coppicing or woodland pasture, is causing a gradual closure of formerly sparse lowland woods across Central Europe. It is established that these processes threaten such organisms as butterflies and higher plants. Effects on other groups, such as epigeic invertebrates, are little known, hindering rational conservation decisions. We investigated the effects of stand openness on three epigeic groups, carabids (Carabidae), arachnids (Araneae + Opiliones) and myriapods-isopods (Chilopoda + Diplopoda + Oniscidea), in a lowland deciduous wood in the Czech Republic. Situating some of the traps in an intensive deer park allowed a simultaneous assessment of effects of high vs. low ungulate densities. Carabids reached the highest species richness in either sparse stands with low game or dense stands, high game. More arachnids occurred under low game and in sparse stands than under high game density and in dense stands. The highest richness of myriapods-isopods was in sparse stands with low game. Ordinations revealed that species of conservation concern (‘relic species’ according to C. European authors) tended to be associated with sparse stands and low game. A considerable proportion of epigeic woodland invertebrates, including many species of conservation concern, depends on preserving highly heterogeneous sparse canopy conditions. Restoring such conditions in selected areas will benefit these sensitive open woodland specialists while causing minimum harm to specialists of dense stands, that likely prosper in commercially managed high forests.     

Restricted gene flow in the clonal hepatic Trichocolea tomentella in fragmented landscapes

We studied the genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure among 18 populations of the clonal bryophyte Trichocolea tomentella located in Finland, Lithuania, the UK and Canada using DNA fingerprinting methods. T. tomentella is a habitat-limited, unisexual hepatic, which occupies spring and mesic habitats in woodland. The relatively small populations are increasingly fragmented with a high risk for extinction for extrinsic reasons. The presence of relatively high levels of genetic diversity regardless of population size highlights the role of even small remnant populations as important sources of genetic diversity in T. tomentella. The long-term accumulation of genotypes and somatic mutations may explain the observed levels of diversity. Gene flow among populations seems to be infrequent indicating dispersal limitation also on the relatively small spatial scale. Colonization within populations is not affected by isolation by distance suggesting the occurrence of random short-range dispersal of detached vegetative fragments. The population structure study confirmed the low mortality rates of shoots indicating a long life span of the clones in favourable conditions. Efficient ramet production by branching is likely to operate against interspecific competition. To conclude, T. tomentella appears to persist well in undisturbed habitats due to clonal regeneration, although restricted dispersal capacity is likely to prevent successful (re-)colonization in the potential habitat patches of recovering forest landscapes. The implications of the results for conservation are introduced.     

Species-specific allometric equations for improving aboveground biomass estimates of dry deciduous woodland ecosystems

Allometric equations are important for quantifying biomass and carbon storage in terrestrial forest ecosystems.However,equations for dry deciduous woodland ecosystems,an important carbon sink in the lowland areas of Ethiopia have not as yet been developed.This study attempts to develop and evaluate species-specific allometric equations for predicting aboveground biomass(AGB)of dominant woody species based on data from destructive sampling for Combretum collinum,Combretum molle,Combretum harotomannianum,Terminalia laxiflora and mixed-species.Diameter at breast height ranged from 5 to 30 cm.Two empirical equations were developed using DBH(Eq.1)and height(Eq.2).Equation 2 gave better AGB estimations than Eq.1.The inclusion of both DBH and H were the best estimate biometric variables for AGB.Further,the equations were evaluated and compared with common generic allometric equations.The result showed that our allometric equations are appropriate for estimating AGB.The development and application of empirical species-specific allometric equations is crucial to improve biomass and carbon stock estimation for dry woodland ecosystems.     

林地集约利用评价研究——以牙克石市温河经营开发区为例

在理清林地集约利用概念的基础上,从经济、社会、生态等方面选择了12个指标,构建了1套科学的林地集约利用评价指标体系。为了消除不同指标间的差异,采用极差标准化法对原始数据进行处理;采用客观的变异系数赋值法确定各指标的权重。介绍了样本区域牙克石市温河经营开发区的概况。运用2004-2008年相关统计数据,对样区林地的集约利用水平进行了评价,结果表明,该区林地集约利用水平总体呈上升趋势,个别年份上升速度较快,林地投入每年都有小幅增加。基于此,提出了集约利用该区林地的相关对策建议：加强林业生产要素投入;对林业3级区的利用实施科学规划;加强经济林木后备资源储备。     

铁还原和硫酸盐还原对红壤中二苯砷酸释放与硫化的影响

二苯砷酸（diphenylarsinic acid,DPAA）是含砷化学武器在环境中的主要降解产物之一,研究铁还原和硫酸盐还原对土壤中DPAA释放与硫化的影响对于深入认识DPAA的环境地球化学行为至关重要。考察了在淹水和添加不同浓度乳酸钠（C）和硫酸钠（S）培养时花生地和林地红壤中DPAA的释放与硫化情况,并分析铁还原和硫酸盐还原的影响。结果显示：（1）对花生地而言,与不添加硫酸钠和乳酸钠（S-C-）以及仅添加硫酸钠（426 μg?g-1,以S计,S+C-）的处理相比,同时添加硫酸钠和乳酸钠（1 300 μg?g-1（以C计,下同）,S+C+;2 170 μg?g-1,S+C++）的处理中DPAA释放明显增强,这与乳酸钠促进了铁还原（>45%）从而有利于DPAA的释放有关;（2）在花生地的S+C+处理中硫酸盐还原最为显著（13周时溶解态硫化物浓度为11.28 mg?L-1）,DPAA的去除率（59.6%）最高且主要发生硫化,而在S+C++处理中铁还原程度的增加和硫酸盐还原程度的降低不利于DPAA的硫化;（3）与花生地不同,无论是否添加乳酸钠和硫酸盐,林地中未见DPAA的释放与硫化现象,这与其铁还原程度较低（<25%）和硫酸盐未发生还原（未检测到溶解态硫化物）有关;（4）与林地相比,花生地中梭菌属、芽孢杆菌属和脱硫芽孢杆菌属的丰度明显增加,这很可能分别促进了铁还原和硫酸盐还原,最终对DPAA释放和硫化产生了更显著的影响。总体而言,与铁还原促进DPAA的释放和进一步的硫化相比,硫酸盐的还原程度以及溶液相中硫化物的浓度很可能是控制淹水红壤中DPAA硫化的一个更重要的因素。研究结果将为深入认识DPAA的环境行为和发展DPAA污染红壤的生物刺激修复技术提供理论基础。     

Ecological thresholds in herb communities for the management of suburban fragmented forests

Fragmentation is a major cause of biodiversity loss. The relationship between fragmentation and biodiversity might be non-linear, due to the presence of ecological thresholds; however, the application of the threshold concept on the conservation of herb biodiversity has received limited attention. We assessed the relationship between a pool of woodland indicators and features of forest fragments (area, isolation, shape), and we evaluated whether ecological thresholds might provide guidelines for conservation. We performed our study in a human dominated area of northern Italy. In order to obtain a group of floristic indicators, we chose perennial herbs characteristic of the phytosociological syntaxa Fagetalia sylvaticae, Carpinion betuli and Erythronio-Carpinion, with suitable Landolt L and H index, obtained from previous relevés in reference and high-quality forests. Subsequently, we analyzed the relationship between richness of indicators and patch features recorded in a highly fragmented landscape. Generalized linear models showed that the number of forest indicators was positively related to fragment size and connectivity. Generalized Additive Models showed that the relationship between indicator richness and fragment size was non-linear, with the presence of two thresholds. The number of forest indicators increased until 35–40 ha; above this size the richness remained constant. Fragments above this threshold should be the target of conservation. Furthermore, the relationship between area and number of indicators was less steep in patches smaller than 1–1.5 ha. Patches between these two thresholds can be optimal targets of management actions, as small size increases can greatly improve their value for biodiversity. The identification of two thresholds in the relationship between patch area and indicators suggests an abrupt response to changing landscape features and provide quantitative targets for conservation.     

Woodland salamander response to two prescribed fires in the central Appalachians

Using coverboard arrays, we monitored woodland salamanders on the Fernow Experimental Forest in the central Appalachian Mountains, West Virginia, USA prior to and following two prescribed fires in mixed oak (Quercus spp.) forest stands. Treatments were burn plots on upper slopes or lower slopes fenced to prevent white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory or control plots that were unfenced and unburned. Most of the 7 species we observed were the mountain dusky salamander (Desmognathus ocropheaus), red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and slimy salamander (Plethodon glutinosis). Significant population responses were difficult to interpret with numerous treatment and year interactions. Results largely were equivocal. We found no change in woodland salamander assemblage prior to burning or afterwards. There were few differences in adult to juvenile ratios of salamanders among treatments. Still, a priori contrasts of mountain dusky salamanders and red-backed salamander counts corrected for detection probability were greater under coverboards in the 2 years monitored after both prescribed fires had occurred than before burning or in unburned controls. This suggests that these species responded to the reduced leaf litter on the forest floor by utilizing coverboards more. Similarly, the three predominate species of salamanders also were more numerous under coverboards in plots subjected to deer herbivory with less subsequent forest floor vegetation as compared to those burned plots that were fenced. Our observations would suggest that woodland salamanders somewhat are tolerant of two prescribed fires within close temporal proximity. However, because woodland salamanders can be significantly reduced following timber harvest, continued research is needed to fully understand impacts of fire as a pre-harvest management tool in central Appalachian forests.