The future of tropical species in secondary forests: A quantitative review

Deforestation and degradation of tropical old-growth forests has the potential to cause catastrophic species extinctions. In this review, we assess whether regenerating secondary forests (SF) can support species typically found in old-growth forest (OG) and so prevent extinctions. We review 65 studies that compare faunal diversity in SF and corresponding OG, and compare the similarity of species composition both within and between these two forest types using the Sorensen, Morisita-Horn and Sorensen-Chao indices. Comparisons between traditional similarity indices and Sorensen-Chao, which minimizes sampling biases, indicated that limited sampling effort consistently reduced apparent similarity between SF and OG and that similarity between SF and OG is actually higher than previously appreciated. Similarity, which ranges from 0 to 1, varied from 0.49 to 0.92 between replicate OG sites and was correlated with similarity between SF and OG. This correlation might be an artefact of variation among studies in sampling effort, especially for vertebrates where small samples reduce apparent similarity across all comparisons, as well as a real effect of variation among studies in landscape heterogeneity and the presence of species with patchy distributions. Therefore, similarity between SF and OG cannot be interpreted without an understanding of background variation in OG. Similarity between different SF sites provided no evidence that disturbance specialists dominate SF. Similarity to OG increased rapidly with SF age; when SF was contiguous with OG; when SF was growing in small clearings; and after low intensity land uses including clearing only, shifting agriculture and tree plantations. This describes the most frequently observed tropical SF; isolated from roads and on hilly terrain unsuitable for mechanized agriculture. Thus, our analyses indicate that tropical SF can play an important role in biodiversity conservation particularly when OG forests are nearby. An important caveat remains, however. Abundance, geographic range and levels of habitat specialization are often related. Widespread, abundant, habitat generalists might dominate similarity analyses even when relatively rare OG specialists are present. Additional species-level analyses of habitat specialization will be needed before the conservation value of tropical SF is fully understood.     

土壤供氮能力测试方法与指标

研究了土壤供氮能力的主要测试方法和指标,包括培养矿化法、化学提取法、起始矿质氮指标和电超滤法测定指标等。对各种方法和指标的发展应用作了叙述,并对有关方法和指标的效果进行了比较。     

Glomalin in aggregate size classes from three different farming systems

Glomalin was measured in soil from farming systems managed for 8 years by chisel tillage (CT), more intensive tillage for organic (ORG) production, and no tillage (NT) on Acrisols (FAO Soil Units) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Whole soil and aggregate size classes of >2.00, 0.50–2.00 and 0.21–0.50 mm (macroaggregates), 0.05–0.21 mm (microaggregates), and <0.05 mm (fine material) were examined. Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) was extracted from 1-g samples (four plots per treatment) with 100 mM sodium pyrophosphate, pH 9.0, at 121 °C in three extraction cycles. Extracts were pooled and quantified by using the Bradford protein assay. Concentrations of GRSP and total carbon (C) in aggregates were linearly related across aggregate size classes for all treatments (GRSP = 0.101C + 0.56, r² = 0.95). No tillage had significantly greater whole soil GRSP than did CT or ORG (P = 0.01). Mean values for GRSP in aggregates of NT were higher than for CT or ORG aggregates by 0.53 and 0.66 mg g⁻¹ aggregates, respectively. There were no differences among treatments in GRSP concentrations in fine material. In NT the concentration of GRSP increased as aggregate size increased in contrast to the disturbed treatments, CT or ORG, where there were no differences in GRSP concentration across aggregate size fractions. Larger proportions of GRSP were distributed in macroaggregates of NT compared to CT and ORG in contrast to larger proportions in microaggregates of CT and ORG than in NT. Although soil disturbance in ORG farming is greater than for CT farming, both treatments had similar GRSP concentrations and distributions.     

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Two Euschistus spp. Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Southeastern Farmscapes

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are ubiquitous, cryptic, phytophagous pests that are found in many crops. In agroecosystems, individuals disperse from adjacent noncrop hosts and tend to aggregate or cluster within fields. In this study, we characterized the distribution of Euschistus servus (Say) and Euschistus tristigmus (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) over 2 yr at three southeastern United States farmscapes. Stink bugs were captured in pheromone-baited traps, and Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices (SADIE) used to identify the location of significant aggregations by habitat type and season. Euschistus servus adults were more likely to be captured in pecan orchards, cotton, other crops, or unmanaged habitats than in woodland habitats. Significant aggregations of E. servus were detected in a variety of habitats including pecan, corn, cotton, peanut, and tobacco, as well as fallow and hay fields, pastures, and hedgerows. Fewer adult E. tristigmus were captured than E. servus adults, and E. tristigmus adults were typically trapped and aggregated in woodland habitats. The resulting data provide an important understanding regarding the seasonal movement and relative abundance levels of stink bug populations, which are critical to the development of integrated pest management strategies.     

甘草萤叶甲空间分布型初步研究

对甘草萤叶甲成虫和幼虫的空间分布型进行了测定,结果表明,成虫符合核心分布和负二项分布,幼虫符合负二项分布;聚集度指标检验成虫、幼虫均为聚集分布。并分析拟合了成虫和幼虫在大田中的理论抽样数学模型。     

切花百合杂交亲和性研究

采用常规授粉方法对亚洲百合系,麝香百合系及OT杂种系共15个栽培品种进行自交、系内及系间杂交,共计26个组合780朵花,针对选定组合的蒴果维系时间、结实率、蒴果的长/宽,有胚数和有胚率5个指标对杂交亲和性进行评价。结果表明:所选15个品种自交均不亲和;亚洲百合系内杂交结实率高但有胚率较低;OT杂种系内各杂交组合的结实率均为0;系间杂交的各组合中,麝香百合系品种‘white heaven’更适合作母本。同一品种为母本的杂交组合蒴果的长/宽与种子的有胚率成反比,因此蒴果的长/宽可作为判断杂交亲和性的外观指标。杂交种子的有胚数和有胚率作为亲和性指标更为可靠,证明其已经克服了远缘杂交的不亲和性,能得到有胚的种子。     

中国气候变化温度指数的空间特征

运用气候变化检测、监测和指数专家小组制定的与温度相关的气候变化指数,对1961～2008年我国278个气象站温度指数的空间特征进行了研究。结果表明,冰点日数从西北向东南逐渐较少,全国范围内绝大部分地区冰点日数呈减少趋势;夏季日数普遍在50d以上,整个东部地区,除了东北大部分地区外,夏季日数都在100d以上,全国范围内大部分地区夏季日数呈增多趋势;我国的生长期普遍在150d以上,自北而南随着纬度的降低生长期逐渐增加,研究的278个站点中,有236个站点生长期的趋势系数为正值。     

油松球果小卷蛾化蛹行为

为了有效防治油松球果小卷蛾(Gravitarmata margarotana)对红松(Pinus koraiensis)的危害,在实验室内对其化蛹行为进行了研究。结果表明:油松球果小卷蛾幼虫无自发的聚集化蛹行为;在土壤及松针中幼虫均能结丝茧并在其中化蛹,但在光滑的容器里不能启动结茧行为,从而化蛹失败。光照对幼虫在土中化蛹场所的选择有影响,在暗区化蛹的数量明显高于光照区;土壤结构对幼虫化蛹场所的选择无影响,在壤土和沙土中化蛹的数量无明显差别。     

Saiga antelope calving site selection is increasingly driven by human disturbance

Many terrestrial mammalian species aggregate to give birth. Such aggregations are likely to be a response to changing resource and water availability, for predator swamping and avoidance of disturbance. The critically endangered saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) is one such species. We analysed spatio-temporal locations of saiga calving aggregations in Kazakhstan over the last four decades obtained from aerial and ground surveys, to identify the factors determining the selection of calving sites within the species’ range as well as any changes in these locations over time. Generalized mixed models were employed in a use - availability framework to assess the factors distinguishing calving from random sites and predict suitable areas for calving. Saigas selected sites, with lower than average productivity and low year to year variability in productivity, at an intermediate distance from water sources, and away from human settlements. A significant change in calving locations was observed during the last decade, with calving areas occurring further north and further away from settlements than previously. The results demonstrate that the choice of calving areas is largely driven by environmental factors. However, disturbance also has a significant impact on calving site selection and in recent decades, its influence overrides that of environmental factors. This increase in the influence of disturbance coincides with a precipitous decline in saiga numbers due to poaching, as well as substantial reductions in the intensity of land use for livestock grazing following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Predictive models based on such studies can improve species conservation by guiding the stratification of sampling for effective monitoring and deployment of rangers to protect the females at this critical time.     

Resilience of microorganisms and aggregation of a sandy calcareous soil to amendment with organic and synthetic fertilizer

Marginal coastal soils are dependent on appropriate land management to prevent soil erosion, as a result of low soil stability combined with exposure to strong winds. An example of such an area is the machair, a fixed dune system utilized for agriculture in the northwest of Scotland, UK. The separate and combined effects of synthetic NPK fertilizer and a traditional soil conditioner (kelp, a seaweed) on soil structure formation, stabilization and biological parameters were studied on a cropped field on the machair. Soil physical properties examined included water retention at 10 kPa matric suction, water stable aggregates (WSA) >1 mm, aggregate stability, and biological properties including ester-linked fatty acid (ELFA) analysis and β-glucosidase activity for microbial biomass and activity, respectively. Significant treatment effects were few and inconsistent between sampling times, but included kelp and/or NPK fertilizer reducing aggregation, water retention, microbial biomass and activity relative to the unamended control treatment. Furthermore, seasonal variation, which could be attributed to changes in soil water content, was stronger than variation in response to fertilizer treatments. Principal components analysis of the ELFA data showed that ploughing promoted fungal biomass relative to bacteria, and confirmed both the absence of consistent synthetic and organic fertilizer effects and the sensitivity of microbial biomass to season. Overall, the study demonstrated the resilience of a calcareous sandy soil to amendment with fertilizer.