Rural depopulation and recent landscape changes in a Mediterranean region: Consequences to the breeding avifauna

We studied the vegetational and avifaunistic changes following rural depopulation in an area covering 2,600 ha north of Montpellier (Southern France). The study area is covered by a mosaic of Mediterranean habitats that includes cultivation, grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands and is representative of the natural features present and of the human usage practiced so far in this part of the Mediterranean. We sampled the vegetation and the bird fauna in the same 193 census plots in 1978 and in 1992. At both the habitat and landscape scales the cover of woody plants increased significantly. Open habitats tend to disappear. As a consequence the abundance of open-habitat bird species decreased significantly whereas the abundance of forest birds increased significantly. These changes favor a pool of forest species widespread in western Europe and reduce habitat availability for open habitat and shrubland species. Many of the latter are Mediterranean species whose distribution in Western Europe could become reduced under current landscape dynamics. Our observation of more woodlands and their typical birds and of less open habitats and their associated avifauna is not consistent with the traditional worry shown by the public and the managers about the regression of forests and woodlands in the Northern Mediterranean as a consequence of fire.     

天津地区鸡大肠杆菌病病原分离及病原特性

从天津地区１０个区县、２３个养鸡场的２４１只疑似大肠杆菌病病例中,分离出病原菌９２株,所得菌株符合大肠杆菌的微生物学特性。致病性在各菌株间略有差异。分离菌对氟哌酸、庆大霉毒、氯霉素最为敏感。抗“Ｏ”血清型鉴定,结果表明,分离菌株分属２５个血清型,并以Ｏ１１１、Ｏ８９、Ｏ８６、Ｏ３０、Ｏ７８为主。从优势血清型中选取的菌株,均具有良好的抗原性。     

An investigation of uncertainty in field habitat mapping and the implications for detecting land cover change

Land cover data for landscape ecological studies are frequently obtained by field survey. In the United Kingdom, temporally separated field surveys have been used to identify the locations and magnitudes of recent changes in land cover. However, such map data contain errors which may seriously hinder the identification of land cover change and the extent and locations of rare landscape features. This paper investigates the extent of the differences between two sets of maps derived from field surveys within the Northumberland National Park in 1991 and 1992. The method used in each survey was the Phase 1 approach of the Nature Conservancy Council of Great Britain. Differences between maps were greatest for the land cover types with the smallest areas. Overall spatial correspondence between maps was found to be only 44.4%. A maximum of 14.4% of the total area surveyed was found to have undergone genuine land cover change. The remaining discrepancies, equivalent to 41.2% of the total survey area, were attributed primarily to differences of land cover interpretation between surveyors (classification error). Differences in boundary locations (positional error) were also noted, but were found to be a relatively minor source of error. The implications for the detection of land cover change and habitat mapping are discussed.     

论西部大开发中张掖市生态环境建设问题

张掖市长期受干旱、大风及沙尘暴影响,生态环境极为恶劣,制约着西部大开发建设进程。其存在的重要问题是:水资源匮乏,植被破坏严重,覆盖率低等;针对具体情况提出:改善水资源条件和恢复植被是张掖地区生态环境建设的重点。     

菌根与植被恢复

菌根不仅可促进植物的营养吸收、生长发育、抗病、抗逆,而且在保持良好的土壤结构、控制水土流失方面具有直接的作用。在我国西北许多地区,菌根菌与植物间的共生关系已被中断,要恢复该地区的植被,治本的方法应是重建植物与菌根菌的共生关系,形成健康的生态系统。文中还提出了菌根技术在植被恢复中的应用策略。     

Predicting the spatial distribution of ground flora on large domains using a hierarchical Bayesian model

Accomodation of important sources of uncertainty in ecological models is essential to realistically predicting ecological processes. The purpose of this project is to develop a robust methodology for modeling natural processes on a landscape while accounting for the variability in a process by utilizing environmental and spatial random effects. A hierarchical Bayesian framework has allowed the simultaneous integration of these effects. This framework naturally assumes variables to be random and the posterior distribution of the model provides probabilistic information about the process. Two species in the genus Desmodium were used as examples to illustrate the utility of the model in Southeast Missouri, USA. In addition, two validation techniques were applied to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the predictions.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Potential of sexual reproduction among host-adapted populations of Phytophthora infestans sensu lato in Ecuador

To determine the potential of sexual reproduction among host-adapted populations of Phytophthora infestans sensu lato in Ecuador, 13 A1 isolates belonging to clonal lineages US-1, EC-1 and EC-3, and 11 A2 isolates belonging to the clonal lineage EC-2, were paired on agar plates to induce crossing. In the first experiment, six A1 isolates (three US-1, two EC-1 and one EC-3) were each crossed with three A2 isolates (total = 18 crosses). Matings involving isolates of the EC-1 lineage produced more oospores of healthy appearance than did matings with isolates of US-1 or EC-3. In the second experiment, the oospores of 35 crosses (21 EC-1 × EC-2; 10 US-1 × EC-2; four EC-3 × EC-2) were dispersed on water agar to assess oospore germination. Overall, germination percentages were low. Only one cross produced enough progeny for evaluation. Twenty-three single-oospore offspring were isolated and evaluated for mating type; electrophoretic patterns of glucose-6-phosphate isomerase ( Gpi ) and peptidase ( Pep ) alloenzyme loci; mitochondrial DNA haplotype; and genomic DNA fingerprint. Multilocus genotype data indicated that all 23 isolates resulted from meiotic recombination. Four progeny with homothallic phenotype appeared to be unstable heterokaryons. Markers at several loci segregated according to simple Mendelian expectations for a diploid organism, but the ratios of three RFLP loci and the Pep locus were not consistent with Mendelian expectations. All progeny were nonpathogenic on hosts of the parental genotypes. Reduced mating success and reduced pathogenic fitness of progeny appear to be postmating mechanisms of reproductive isolation in populations of P. infestans sensu lato in Ecuador.     

塔里木河干流中游灌区退耕封育效益分析

塔里木河干流中游灌区退耕封育的规模为 9× 10 3 hm2 ,其中 ,库灌区退耕 1.4 2× 10 3 hm2 ,河灌区退耕 3.5 7× 10 3 hm2 ,泵灌区退耕 4 .0 1× 10 3 hm2 。退耕封育后 ,农田灌溉用水改为生态灌溉用水 ,用水量减少。人工种植的农作物被天然野生植被所替代 ,同时可提高对保留耕地的利用率 ,扩大耕地的播种面积 ,增加地表植被的覆盖度。退耕封育后 ,可节约水量 0 .97× 10 8m3 ,除满足封育生态用水外 ,还可增加塔里木河下泄水量 0 .31× 10 8m3 。     

近15年新疆伊犁河谷草地退化时空变化特征

以伊犁河谷为研究区,利用MODIS NDVI数据及像元二分模型,反演草地植被覆盖度,以草地植被覆盖度为评价标准,结合数字高程模型(digital elevation model,DEM)数据及Getis-Ord Gi*冷/热点分析方法,对伊犁河谷2001-2015年草地退化的时空特征进行了分析。结果表明,1)受持续过度放牧及气候条件影响,2001-2015年伊犁河谷草地整体持续退化,15年内退化草地比例达46.18%,但退化以轻度为主;2)空间上退化草地的分布范围逐步向高海拔区域扩展,海拔1 500-3 000 m的中山和中高山区退化草地扩张最明显;3)草地生态保护政策的实施减缓了草地退化速度,草地退化与改善的空间差异逐渐明显,以退化为主的单一变化趋势有所改变;4)利用NDVI反演植被覆盖度对草地退化进行评价的方法存在对高植被覆盖区域草地退化敏感性相对较弱的缺陷。     

芦苇和白刺空间格局对青土湖生态输水的响应

石羊河尾闾湖——青土湖位于腾格里沙漠和巴丹吉林沙漠边缘,是阻隔两大沙漠合围的生态屏障。自2010年开始连续5年向青土湖进行生态输水并形成一定规模的水面,对促进区域植被恢复和保护民勤湖区绿洲具有重要的生态意义。本研究选用2008年、2010年、2011年、2012年、2013年、2014年的高分辨率遥感影像资料同时结合研究区的实地调查资料,对形成人工水面的面积和输水前后的芦苇(Phragmites australis)、白刺(Nitraria tangutorum)群落面积进行了统计分析和对比。结果表明,5年连续输水形成叠加效应,水面面积成倍增加,芦苇相对频度逐年增加和白刺相对频度逐年减少,芦苇群落(Form.P.australis)面积增加了8.43倍,临接水域和水域中的白刺群落(Form.N.tangutorum)消失,白刺面积减少了68.00%。人工输水促进了芦苇群落依水蔓延,镶嵌于水域成片分布;距水面50 m范围的白刺群落由连续成片成点状。输水促进了湿生植物生长,导致荒漠植物种退化。