The role of flow dependency and water availability in fish assemblage homogenization in tributaries of the Chattahoochee River,Alabama, USA

The availability of water is becoming more variable as flow regime alterations intensify both locally and on a global scale. This pattern has been observed in the tributaries of the central Chattahoochee River System as water withdrawal and natural drought have caused flows to diminish. Stream discharge has steadily decreased in the study area by 31% over the last 50 years, and during this time, fish assemblage homogenization has occurred throughout the system. Our primary objective was to assess whether spawning mode and water availability are catalysts for fish assemblage change in tributaries of the Chattahoochee River System. We found that species which prefer or have adapted to low flow conditions (e.g. blacktail shiner Cyprinella venusta, redbreast sunfish Lepomis auritus and blackbanded darter Percina nigrofasciata) are becoming dominant and replacing historically dominant fluvial specialists. When examining short‐term changes between a dry year (2009) and a wet year (2010), some species preferring higher flows such as the highscale shiner Notropis hypsilepis were detected during the wet year, suggesting that the amount of water is important for the presence of these species in upstream reaches where they were historically abundant. Species that can reproduce successfully in low flow conditions are thriving and expanding their native ranges as more habitat becomes suitable. Species that require higher flows for part of their life cycle, however, appear to be declining from upstream areas as water availability continues to decrease, despite temporary recovery from downstream refugia during wet years.     

Can incidental sighting data be used to elucidate habitat preferences and areas of suitable habitat for a cryptic species?

The involvement of communities in ecological studies has been shown to augment conservation efforts, especially for cryptic species. However, there is a lack of studies addressing the utility of incidental sighting records from community members in gaining knowledge on habitat preferences and distribution of suitable habitat for these organisms. This study compares preferences of the Lumholtz's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi ; LTK), a cryptic rainforest folivore in northeastern Australia, for various habitat and climatic variables derived from data collected during scientific projects to those derived from incidental sighting records using ArcGIS and Maxent. Incidental sighting records suggest that the species uses a wider range of altitudes, annual rainfalls, annual mean temperatures and vegetation types than predicted by scientific studies. Incidental records also show that the species can persist in areas of lower rainfall during the wettest month and lower minimum temperature during the coldest month. Both data place the species within a comparable range of rainfalls during the driest month, maximum temperatures of the warmest month and soil types. When using identified preferences to assess the extent and distribution of suitable habitat, incidental records predicted more areas of suitable habitat than scientific records with an overlap of up to 91% between them. The present study proves that incidental sighting records can be a valuable part of the study of cryptic species and should be considered complementarily alongside scientific studies to obtain comprehensive ecological information of a species that can assist in its conservation.     

Soil nitrogen and denitrification potential as affected by land use and stand age following agricultural abandonment in a headwater catchment

Changes in vegetation and soil properties because of agricultural abandonment may affect soil nitrogen (N) and associated processes. We investigated soil N (total N: TN, inorganic N: NH₄–N and NO₃–N) and denitrification potential in cropland, pine plantations and abandoned agricultural land along a secondary succession sequence (grassland→shrubland→secondary forest) in a headwater catchment in the Qinling Mountains, northwest China. The results show that the soil denitrification potential differed significantly among the five land‐use types with the highest potential in the secondary forest, followed by grassland, shrubland, cropland and plantations. The denitrification potential of the 20‐ to 40‐cm layer was significantly lower compared with the topsoil (0–20 cm) across all land‐use types. TN, soil organic matter (SOM) and NH₄–N increased significantly with stand age, whereas there was an opposite trend in soil pH. However, the denitrification potential did not relate to stand age in a linear manner. We conclude that changes in soil TN, SOM and pH during vegetation succession following agricultural abandonment are critical controls on the denitrification potential.     

Assemblage patterns of fish functional groups relative to habitat connectivity and conditions in floodplain lakes

Miyazono S, Aycock JN, Miranda LE, Tietjen TE. Assemblage patterns of fish functional groups relative to habitat connectivity and conditions in floodplain lakes.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 578–585. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – We evaluated the influences of habitat connectivity and local environmental factors on the distribution and abundance patterns of fish functional groups in 17 floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin, USA. The results of univariate and multivariate analyses showed that species–environmental relationships varied with the functional groups. Species richness and assemblage structure of periodic strategists showed strong and positive correlations with habitat connectivity. Densities of most equilibrium and opportunistic strategists decreased with habitat connectivity. Densities of certain equilibrium and opportunistic strategists increased with turbidity. Forested wetlands around the lakes were positively related to the densities of periodic and equilibrium strategists. These results suggest that decreases in habitat connectivity, forested wetland buffers and water quality resulting from environmental manipulations may cause local extinction of certain fish taxa and accelerate the dominance of tolerant fishes in floodplain lakes.     

From shallow to deep waters: habitats used by larval lampreys (genus Petromyzon and Lampetra) over a western European basin

Abstract –  Habitat requirements of lamprey ammocoetes (Petromyzon marinus and Lampetra genus) were investigated, for the first time, from shallow to deep waters, at different spatial scales across the Gironde‐Dordogne continuum, thanks to a water suction dredge. Fish‐habitat relationships were assessed through two complementary statistical analyses: habitat‐use curves and habitat suitability models using the Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) technique. Analyses were performed on a small‐size data set that was characterised by the low prevalence of lamprey. The sea lamprey larvae occurred in deeper areas than their Lampetra genus counterparts. ‘Pools’ of 2 m’ depth and more were optimal habitats for the former species. Among the environmental variables retained to model lamprey occurrences, the mesohabitat (a categorical variable) was demonstrated to be highly influential, in terms of fine grain‐size substratum and vegetation cover. These preliminary results suggest that monitoring using the water suction dredge method may contribute to sea lamprey conservation.     

Detection efficiency and habitat use to inform inventory and monitoring efforts: juvenile coho salmon in the Knik River basin,Alaska

Imperfect detection associated with sampling gear presents challenges for wildlife inventory and monitoring efforts. We examined occupancy dynamics and habitat use of juvenile coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, in shallow lake environments over a summer and early fall season in the Knik River area of south central Alaska using models which control for and estimate sampling gear detection efficiency. In addition, we present statements for the probability that observed absences at a survey site or from a survey area (a collection of sites) are true absences given some amount of sampling effort and analysts' beliefs about site occupancy and sampling gear detection efficiency which can be used to guide inventory and monitoring efforts for juvenile salmon or other wildlife and plant species. Occupancy modelling results demonstrate that minnow traps were effective at sampling juvenile coho in shallow lake environments, with a mean probability of detection across the study period of 0.68 (i.e., probability of detecting the presence of juvenile coho given that they are present at a trap site; SE = 0.03). Juvenile coho salmon migrated into shallow water lakes in late summer and early fall, presumably to seek out overwinter habitat. N‐mixture modelling examination of habitat use demonstrated that once in shallow lake environments, juvenile coho were widely distributed across a range of microhabitats, with some evidence for preference for shallower depths and warmer water temperatures.     

半荒漠地区灌木饲料林营造技术研究

本文对半荒漠地区灌木饲料林的树种选择、经营管理等问题进行了初步探讨，给出了花棒、杨柴、柠条、沙柳、毛条、毛柳、白沙蒿、油蒿８个半荒漠地区灌木饲料林树种的造林适宜立地类型、最适造林季节、最佳造林密度、最适收获期以及最佳平茬年龄。     

试论灌木是干旱、半干旱区草地恢复中重要的生物资源

西北干旱、半干旱荒漠区是我国典型的荒漠生态系统.灌木是荒漠植被的主要组分,它在维持荒漠生态系统生物多样性、生态服务功能及其稳定性方面具有重要作用.20世纪下半叶,人口和经济快速增长导致的高强度人类活动,深刻地改变了荒漠生态系统的结构及水分和能量循环过程,致使灌木植物严重退化.为了保育灌木资源,提高人们对灌木在草地恢复中重要作用的认识,从改良土壤、物种多样性、防风固沙等方面论述了灌木在草地恢复过程中的特殊作用.建议在草业方面开展深入研究,以便使灌木在草地恢复中发挥更大的效能.     

黄土坡面土壤性质随退耕时间的动态变化研究

退耕还林还草是控制水土流失和防治土壤退化的关键措施,黄土高原退耕还林还草从试验到推广已有几十年历史。该文通过对黄土高原地区退耕区的实地调查,测定不同地区不同退耕年限植被恢复区表层土壤的理化性质,分析黄土坡面土壤理化性质随退耕时间的动态变化规律。结果表明:随着退耕植被恢复时间的增长,土壤物理结构将日趋改善,土壤养分含量水平将逐渐的提高,并主要集中在植被恢复10~20年期间,20年后,尤其是30年后,土壤理化性质较为稳定,而且,植被维护的好坏往往影响其稳定性。同时,水热条件较好的安塞地区土壤理化性质随退耕时间的改善程度更明显,而水热条件较差的皇甫川流域土壤理化性质随植被类型和植被恢复程度的影响更为显著。结果可为退耕的环境影响评价预测以及土地利用的调控提供科学依据。