Consumption of Bark and Seeds by Voles in Relation to Habitat and Landscape Structure

Voles cause damage in forestry by eating the bark of seedlings and the seeds of conifers. Folivorous field voles ( Microtus agrestis ), restricted to various types of grassland, are mainly responsible for damage to bark, and granivorous bank voles ( Clethrionomys glareolus ), supported by most forest environments, for the consumption of seeds. Densities of bank and field voles, consumption of bark on indigenous and experimental woody plants, and consumption of experimentally supplied seeds were measured during the vole cycle 1997-2000 in relation to three habitat and three landscape variables. Landscape variables explained field vole densities and consumption of bark to a considerable extent, while habitat variables were more adequate for densities of bank vole and consumption of seeds. Field vole populations may demonstrate a ''mass effect'', where the success of early development and dispersal from subpopulations will decide peak numbers over entire landscapes. Numbers of field voles may affect numbers of the inferior bank vole. Thus, predicting the exact location of vole damage is principally difficult.     

不同山系大熊猫栖息地植物区系特征的定量分析

本文通过对不同山系大熊猫栖息地(自然保护区)植物区系的定量分析发现,野生大熊猫栖息地的植物区系主要以温带分布类型为主,占总区系的31.10%;区系多样性指数中Shannon-Wiener指数为2.10~2.21,Simpson指数是0.14~0.17;经相关性分析,不同山系大熊猫栖息地之间相似程度极为显著,相关系数达到0.905~0.998。     

Distribution and nest site selection of red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) in forests of northeastern Wisconsin (USA)

Red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) are threatened in Wisconsin and when nest sites are found during the cruising or marking stage of timber harvesting, the harvest is altered to accommodate the hawks. If nest site locations are known before initiation of timber harvest, foresters can employ a proactive approach to manage red-shouldered hawks while maintaining timber production. We searched for red-shouldered hawks nest sites on Marinette County Forest (MCF) which encompasses 94,000 ha in northeastern Wisconsin and is the second largest county forest in the state. We used a comparative modeling approach to evaluate distribution and habitat relationships of red-shouldered hawk nest sites in relation to a suite of environmental variables in MCF. Models were used to develop forest management recommendations for red-shouldered hawks in Wisconsin. During the spring of 2006 and 2007, we broadcasted conspecific calls to survey 1121 calling stations along forest roads and trails. We located 20 and 25 active nesting territories in 2006 and 2007, respectively (11 of which were active in both years). To understand nest site selection, we measured 22 habitat variables within 0.04-ha plots at active nest sites (n = 34) and at stratified random sites (n = 61). Logistic regression with information-theoretic model selection identified a model including greater tree species richness and closeness to forested wetland as the best-approximating model. Variable selection with Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) indicated that nest selection was best explained by greater number of tree species, closer distance to forested wetlands, greater volume of downed woody debris, fewer small sawlogs, and increased proximity to streams. Univariate comparisons identified four of the five aforementioned variables in the DFA model as significant. Red-shouldered hawks are likely more common in Wisconsin than their state status suggests. Forest management for red-shouldered hawk nest sites should focus on increasing tree species richness, increasing down woody debris volume, and protecting forested wetlands. These recommendations may assist property managers to locate and plan for continued persistence of this species on MCF.     

大熊猫生态旅游对大熊猫及其栖息地的影响及对策分析

大熊猫生态旅游是一种独特的生态旅游方式,近年来发展迅速。本文结合生态旅游的知识阐述了大熊猫生态旅游的定义、特点以及开发现状,分析了大熊猫生态旅游对大熊猫及其栖息地产生的不良影响,并提出了科学开发大熊猫生态旅游的相关对策和建议。     

Canopy vs. understory: Does tree diversity affect bee and wasp communities and their natural enemies across forest strata?

Bees and wasps provide important ecosystem services such as pollination and biocontrol in crop-dominated landscapes, but surprisingly little information is available on hymenopteran communities in temperate forest ecosystems. Species richness and abundance of bees and wasps can be hypothesised to increase with plant diversity, structural complexity, and availability of food and nesting resources. By experimentally exposing standardised nesting sites, we examined abundance and species richness of cavity-nesting bees (pollinators), wasps (predators) and their associated parasitoids across a tree diversity gradient in a temperate deciduous forest habitat. In addition, spatial distribution of individuals and species across forest strata (canopy vs. understory) was tested. Abundance and species richness was high for predatory wasps, but generally low for pollinators. Species-rich forest stands supported increased abundance, but not species richness, of pollinators and predatory wasps, and also increased abundance and species richness of natural enemies. In addition, the forests showed a distinct spatial stratification in that abundance of bees, wasps and parasitoids as well as parasitism rates were higher in the canopy than understory. We conclude that particularly the canopy in temperate forest stands can serve as an important habitat for predatory wasp species and natural enemies, but not bee pollinators. Enhanced tree diversity was related to increased hymenopteran abundance, which is likely to be linked to an increase in nesting and food resources in mixed forest stands.     

Does afforestation increase bird nest predation risk in surrounding farmland?

Afforestation of agricultural land is increasingly used to deliver environmental benefits, but their effects on biodiversity remain poorly understood. This paper tests the hypothesis that afforestation changes predation processes in surrounding farmland, examining how the characteristics and landscape context of forest plantations affect predator (birds and mammalian carnivores) and key prey (rabbits and hares) abundances, and bird nest predation rates in Iberian cereal-steppes. Lagomorphs and predators were surveyed in fallow fields around 50 forest plantations, where predation rates were estimated using artificial nests set at 0, 100, 200 and 300 m from the forest edge. Recent plantations structurally similar to sparse (oak) or dense (pine) shrublands were associated with the highest hare and rabbit abundances, respectively, whereas both species avoided landscapes with high eucalyptus cover. In contrast, mature eucalyptus plantations showed strong positive effects on typical nest predators such as corvids and carnivores. Open farmland fragmentation favoured the abundance of lagomorphs and carnivores. Despite these effects and the high predation rate on artificial nests (49%), there was neither evidence for increased predation near plantation edges nor higher predation in fields with more lagomorphs and predators. However, predation tended to increase with cover by young oak plantations and overall forest plantation cover, to decrease with eucalyptus cover at both the local and landscape scales, and to peak in landscapes with intermediate edge densities. These results suggest that afforestation may have strong effects on bird nest predation rates by changing landscape composition and configuration, rather than by inducing local increases in predator and prey populations. Nevertheless, increased abundances of generalist predators associated with forest plantations may still be considered of conservation concern, thus supporting the recommendation for strongly restricting afforestation in areas important for open grassland birds. Where this is unavoidable, monitoring should be undertaken to provide early signals for bird population declines associated with predator increases, eventually triggering conservation action such as predator exclusion or removal.     

野生滇牡丹资源调查与分析

2008-2009年对野生滇牡丹种质资源集中分布中心云南中部至西北部进行了比较全面的调查与分析,内容包括了滇牡丹生境和群体生长、单株开花状况等。分析了滇牡丹开花物候期及其影响因子、群落结构、种群数量动态变化等。最后总结了野生滇牡丹种质资源现状,以及适于滇牡丹生长和繁殖的立地条件及其保护措施。       

苏北农林生境蚂蚁多样性及群落结构研究

通过诱捕法和样方调查法获得苏北地区农林生境蚂蚁4亚科11属14种。优势种为铺道蚁（Tetramorium cae-spitum）、针毛收获蚁（Messor aciculatus）、中华小家蚁（Monomorium chinense）和日本弓背蚁（Camponotus japonicus）。从生境分布来看,前2种亦是研究区域的广布种。根据调查数据分析了该地区7种农林生境中蚂蚁群落的结构及多样性特征,以及人为干扰和生境异质性对蚂蚁群落的影响。结果表明：7种生境中蚂蚁群落种类组成和多样性等指标均不相同。山地针叶阔叶林中蚂蚁群落种类数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H′）最高;蔬菜果园农田蚂蚁群落Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H′）最低。人类干扰越强的生境,蚂蚁群落多样性指数越低;生境质量和异质性越高的生境,蚂蚁群落多样性指数越高。PCA分析可将这7种生境蚂蚁群落分为3大类型。相关分析与群落结构PCA分析结果基本一致。     

如何在超大城市的中心绿地营造特色生态微栖息地景观?——以深圳中心公园为例

为探索如何在现有公园基础上构建特色生态微栖息地,以深圳中心公园特色动植物调查为基础,明确中心公园趣味生态资源,进一步梳理周边生态系统和整体植被基底、筛选特色动物服务对象、融合公园整体规划与景观,力求构建12个具有本地特色的,超大城市中心绿地的动植物生态微栖息地,形成更多动物的觅食地、夜栖地乃至繁殖地,力求整体提升该区域的生物多样性,也利于形成城区内的生态“跳岛”和自然教育“网红”节点。     

Post-fire habitat restoration of sables during winter season in northern slope of the Great Xing＇an Mountains

Habitat loss and fragmentation have been associated with the decline of endangered species. In 1987, a catastrophic fire in the northern Great Hing＇an Mountains of China, where the main habitat of sables （Martes zibellina） is located, aggravated the loss and fragmentation of the forest landscape. Due to restricted distribution and low population density, sables were listed in the national first-grade protected species in China. The objective of this paper was to identify to what extent the habitat of sables had been restored 13 years after the fire. Based on the behavioral data, which came from field survey information by radio-tracking, GPS （Global Positioning System） and forest inventory data, suitability habitat maps were derived using the Ecological Niche Suitability Model （ENSM）. In addition, the habitat structure was analyzed with selected landscape indices. Although forest cover mostly had been restored by 2000, the results indicated that, compared to the pre-fire situation, the areas of suitable habitat had been reduced significantly, especially those of less suitable, marginally suitable and moderately suitable designation. Fragmentation was aggravated, and suitable patches were found to be further isolated with the exception of those in most suitable areas. The ratio of the patch perimeter to area in unsuitable, moderately suitable and suitable areas decreased, while the ratios within other suitability types increased. Moreover, the percentage of soft boundaries decreased slightly, which can influence the redistribution of sables. The results above indicated that the suitable habitat had deteriorated, and the restoration of the sables＇ habitat remained to be done.