High sensitivity of montane bird communities to habitat disturbance in Peninsular Malaysia

Over the past few decades, the montane forests of Peninsula Malaysia have been severely impacted by the cultivation of exotic crops and urban sprawl. To guide conservation initiatives, montane bird communities were studied to determine their response along a disturbance gradient with the aim of identifying key factors influencing their distribution. Habitat types surveyed included primary and secondary montane forests, a tea plantation, rural, and urban areas in Cameron Highlands and Fraser’s Hill. Response variables included species richness and density quantified via point counts and mistnet surveys. Explanatory variables measured were related to vegetation structure, food abundance and land-use cover. Estimated ‘true’ species richness was higher for pristine and minimally disturbed sites, lower in tea plantation and lowest in heavily developed town centres. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling revealed that both vegetation structure (e.g. canopy density) and land-use cover (e.g. proportion of forest cover) influence species distribution; certain invasive lowland birds were tolerant of extreme development and native montane birds, in general, endured only slight habitat disturbances. A simulation indicated that montane forest dependant species richness started to decline when more than 20% of the canopy cover was lost. Less than a third of the species richness remained when more than 40% of the canopy cover was cleared. The logistic regression model suggested that sensitive species nested lower, were restricted to montane habitats and foraged in mid or high canopy. The dominance of lowland invasives in highly developed urban sites reveals that homogenisation of bird communities can occur even at higher altitudes (>1400 m a.s.l.). The results indicated that native montane birds communities are sensitive to habitat loss and degradation. Thus, any development in the highlands must proceed with minimal disturbance to montane forests, of which, keeping the canopy cover intact should be a crucial consideration.     

Dispersal of the endangered flightless beetle Dorcadion fuliginator (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in spatially realistic landscapes

Habitat destruction and degradation are the major causes for the decline of the endangered grass-feeding beetle Dorcadion fuliginator in Central Europe. In the southern part of the Upper Rhine valley (border region of Switzerland, Germany and France) the habitat suitable for this flightless beetle has been reduced to small remnants of extensively managed dry grassland, usually surrounded by intensively cultivated agricultural fields or settlements. Using a mark-release-resight technique we examined movement patterns in three D. fuliginator populations to obtain basic information on the dispersal ability and longevity of this beetle. Estimated daily survival rates ranged from 88.8% to 90.8% in the populations examined. This corresponds to a mean life span of 10.5 days. Distances moved by D. fuliginator differed among populations. The beetles walked the largest distances in the verges of a field track. Several beetles moved distances of 20-100 m along the track, with a maximum distance of 218 m (a male in 12 days). The shortest displacements were recorded in the bank of the river Rhine, a narrow habitat surrounded by tarmac roads. We also assessed the spatial arrangement of 12 patches with D. fuliginator populations in two regions and estimated the size of each population over 4 years. Data on dispersal, daily survival, population size and spatial arrangement of patches were used to simulate patch-specific migration rates. The simulations suggested that in both areas the beetles regularly moved between neighbouring patches separated by distances shorter than 100 m, whereas patches separated by distances exceeding 500 m are isolated.     

丛枝菌根真菌的生物多样性研究进展

由于进化历程和生存条件的差异,丛枝菌根(AM)真菌的发生、分布和功能都具有多样性特点。本文简述了近年来AM真菌在系统分类,种的多样性和功能多样性方面的研究成果,分析了当前研究中所存在的问题和动向。     

Research needs in relation to the conservation of biodiversity in the UK

A number of key agreements and pieces of legislation within the UK have provided an important ‘framework' for the conservation of our national biological diversity. In this paper an overview of the framework is provided and the associated research requirements classified into three broad themes: autecology and synecology, populations and environment. Evidence, for a deficiency between research need and the provision of this information from dedicated research programmes is discussed in relation to four key factors: (1) inadequate public sector funding, (2) gaps in knowledge within the research community of the existence of a statutory conservation framework and associated research needs, (3) a poor perception of conservation-oriented research and internal organisational pressures, and (4) a lack of an integrated government approach resulting in conflicts between national biodiversity obligations and support for conservation-oriented research. The paper also suggests that the required research provides a wealth of new strategic opportunities for the research community, and discusses the need to embrace new research processes as part of this work.     

Research into the Site Plan of Baiyun Tourist Development Area, Chongqing

By introducing and analyzing the overall plan of Chongqing Baiyun Lake tourist development area and several main highlight landscapes, this paper points out that the creation of architectural environment should reflect the traditional culture. It is the basis for creation with architectural characters. It also coincides with the building philosophy-"tian ren he yi"(integration of nature with human beings), proposed by Chinese traditional architecture.     

台湾地区的农地重划及其社会经济效益

介绍了台湾地区为摆脱耕地零散、灌排水和机械作业不便，以及农场经营规模太小，导致农业生产停滞不前的困境，进行农地利用制度的改革——农地重划。台湾地区制订了农地重划的法律、法规，细化工作程序，并承担2/3的农地重划经费，使重划得以实现。从而，奠定了台湾地区农业实现机械化和现代化的基础，满足了粮食的需求，促进了经济增长，值得借鉴。     

蜜蜂(Apis mellifera)毒的柱层析分离及其主要组份Melittin的抗凝作用

 蜜蜂(Apis mellifera)毒通过葡聚糖凝胶G50分离为七个组份,并进行了酶活力测定和毒性测定,酶测定作了磷酯酶A₂,水解蛋白酶,三磷酸腺甙酶,一磷酸腺甙酶等。对直接溶血组份在血液凝固系统上的作用进行了体内外实验,实验表明:抗血凝固作用是由于抑制了凝血活酶的生成和凝血酶原激活物的生成。     

生物多样性对生态系统功能及其稳定性的影响

生物多样性导致生态系统功能优化学说、组分有机体功能特点决定生态系统功能观点及一些中间观点的提出使生态学界对生物多样性与生态系统功能之间关系的研究结果各异,但关键种的丧失会严重损害生态系统功能是肯定的。对结构多样性的生态系统来说,关键种能稳定生态系统功能,并在一定程度上缓冲波动带来的压力。生物多样性与生态系统稳定性间关系的研究亦未形成共识,一般看法是生物多样性降低会导致生态系统稳定性下降。但也有与之不同的看法,认为多样性与稳定性间无任何关系。对局部多样性、区域多样性及全球范围内生物多样性改变及其相应保护措施的研究比较后认为,应为不同物种提供适合其繁殖条件的局部试验地块,用个体小的物种来控制区域生物多样性及通过各种自然试验方法增加不同范围内的生物多样性。     

Reed cutting affects arthropod communities, potentially reducing food for passerine birds

Winter cutting of Common Reed Phragmites australis (Poaceae) is increasing in Camargue, southern France, potentially affecting wetlands of high conservation value. We studied its impact on arthropods by comparing four cut and uncut sites with special respect to avian prey availability in the breeding season. The two most important prey groups for breeding passerines, spiders (Araneida) and beetles (Coleoptera), were identified to species in trap catches and diet samples. The arthropod assemblages differed significantly between cut and uncut sites. Phytophagous and saprophagous species showed contrasting responses. Numbers of homopterans increased in cut reed beds, where green Phragmites stem density was higher. Saprophagous woodlice decreased, presumably due to the reduced amount of litter. Densities of some vegetation-dwelling spider and beetle species were lower at cut sites, including two of the most preferred prey species for passerine birds. Consequently, large-scale mechanically harvested reed beds host altered arthropod communities, missing major food components used by vulnerable passerines. However, reed cutting on a small scale may increase habitat heterogeneity and species richness on a landscape level. To contribute to reed bed conservation, EU schemes should reward management that leaves uncut reed patches in the proximity of cut areas to permit their recolonization by arthropods.     

Kinetics of bacterial death by heated dolomite powder slurry

The kinetics of the bactericidal action of dolomite powders heated at 600-1000 °C against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were investigated. Dolomite powder heated to at least 700 °C exhibited bactericidal action, and the process of bacterial death in the heated dolomite powder slurries followed first-order reaction kinetics. The value of the death rate constant (k) increased with dolomite powder concentration, and the dilution coefficient (n), which indicates the dependence of k on the reagent concentration, was measured. The n values of the powder heated at 700 °C and at temperatures >900 °C were almost identical to those of MgO and CaO, respectively. This suggests that the first emergence of bactericidal action at 700 °C corresponds to generation of MgO while that at temperatures >900 °C is due to generation of CaO. The slurry temperature significantly affects the bactericidal action. The slope of the Arrhenius plot of k for E. coli and S. aureus grown at 37 °C exhibited a discontinuous point at approximately 22 °C, where a change in the value of activation energy for bacterial death occurred. This temperature corresponds to that of the phase transition of cell membrane lipids.