Grazing response in the vegetation communities of the Kamiesberg, South Africa: Adopting a plant functional type approach

Potential grazing impacts associated with the sustained heavy grazing of a communal rangeland are explored through a plant functional type approach. An informative typology is derived that shows grazing responses. An examination of plant functional types within growth forms does not provide any additional insights, whereas looking at traits alone does demonstrate a grazing response with increases in the traits of large basal and erect leafy growth forms and losses in the traits of medium height, simple leaves and few flowers. There is also evidence of a biogeographic shift, with an increase in a succulent-dominated plant functional type at higher altitudes on the heavily grazed communal rangeland. This is attributed to the fact that in adopting the proposed universal language advocated by plant functional type practitioners some of the subtleties of this particular vegetation type are lost. For example growth form height classes are too coarse for the shorter vegetation of the Succulent Karoo. In the resultant ‘fuzzy’ groups, responses are lost. While the method adopted is informative a stronger case is made for a more simple growth form analysis traditionally adopted in rangeland analysis.     

Three California annual forbs show little response to neighbor removal

In semi-arid systems, competition among plants has limited effects on performance compared to facilitative interactions and abiotic factors. However, the balance between competition and facilitation can change over the course of plant development. Determining when each interaction is important for plant productivity allows us to identify factors limiting plant growth. In this field study, neighbor removal mid-way through the growing season did not result in a size change for any species (Clarkia purpurea, Plantago erecta, and Micropus californicus) in the first year. In the second year, two species had greater biomass when neighbors were removed very early in the growing season, indicating a competitive effect. The third species neither benefited nor suffered from neighbor removal. In some years, P. erecta and M. californicus may be negatively affected by competition at early growth stages and are later unable to capitalize on newly-available resources after removals of competitors. This study shows that early-stage competition can drive biomass production in some annual plants, even in semi-arid systems.     

Demographic variation in a desert shrub, Larrea tridentate, in response to a thinning treatment

We performed a perturbation experiment to determine the relative importance of intra-specific competition on the demographic performance of a population of creosotebush, Larrea tridentata. From 1992 to 1995, we followed 1000 individuals, half of which were in plots subjected to a thinning treatment, and the other half were in unmanipulated plots. We found no significant response to the thinning treatment for any of the traits studied. The strict interpretation of these results is that intra-specific competition is not important in this Larrea population.     

Patterns of alien plant invasions in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

Invasive plant species are a growing concern in many regions of the world, yet little information is available on the effects of habitat type and distance to urban settlements on the ability of alien plants to become established. We studied plant communities from the arid steppes to the Andean forest within two national parks and surroundings, in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Alien and native vascular plant species were sampled using 90 × 100 m² plots and analyzed in relation to both climatic and environmental variables and distance to urban centres. We also compared life-forms of alien and native species. Precipitation and distance to an urban centre were important determinants of alien species community richness and composition, and shrubland sites had significantly more alien species than forest or steppe sites. Alien flora (15% of the species) was composed of a higher proportion of annuals and biennials than native flora. Our results suggest that precipitation, distance to source population, and anthropogenic disturbance influence the invasion process in this region, together with the availability of open niches. This work stresses the importance of monitoring invasive species in natural reserves, and of considering habitat types as well as idiosyncratic characteristics of the non-natives for developing management strategies.     

网络社区交流中距离的作用——以新浪微博为例

信息通信技术的快速发展丰富了人们的交流方式,也逐步影响人们的社交网络。本文通过分析新浪微博用户在网络社区中与本地人/外地人、熟人/陌生人的交流差异,探讨空间距离与社会距离在网络社会空间中的作用。在问卷调研中,结合新浪微博用户的网络“痕迹”,较为可靠的获取南京成年人微博用户与本地人/外地人、熟人/陌生人在网络社区中的交流差异。研究表明：①在网络社区中,相较于外地人与陌生人,受访者更倾向与本地人以及熟人交流,网络社区中空间距离与关系距离的作用仍然存在;②受访者在网络社区中与本地人/外地人、熟人/陌生人的交流差异受社会经济属性、居住环境、微博使用频繁程度影响;③虽然理论上网络社区使得用户能够克服距离阻力,延伸其关系网络,但空间距离与关系距离的存在使得实际生活中的社会关系网络仍然扎根于用户在网络社区中的交流。     

Neighbor competition modifies demographic responses of desert dune annuals to gradients in sand stability

A field experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that competitive interactions affect demographic responses of desert dune annuals to gradients in sand stability. The experiment was based on a three-way factorial design with two types of neighbor treatments (complete neighbor removalvs. control), two types of habitats (stablevs. unstable sands) and two species which characterize sandy areas of the western Negev Desert (Neurada procumbensandBromus fasciculatus). Each of the eight treatment/habitat/species combinations was characterized by three demographic variables: seedling survival to reproduction, fruit number per reproductive plant and fruit number per seedling. All of these variables exhibited significant interactions between the effects of neighbor removal and habitat type, indicating that neighbor conditions were important in determining the observed patterns of demographic variation. Moreover, while plants ofNeurada procumbensgrowing without neighbors suffered more mortality on unstable sands, conspecific plants growing at natural density conditions suffered more mortality on stable sands. In the case ofBromus fasciculatus, individuals growing in the absence of competitive effects produced more fruits on stable sands, but conspecific plants growing at natural density conditions exhibited higher fruit production on unstable sands. These findings indicate that competitive effects not only modify, but may even reverse demographic responses of desert dune annuals to gradients in sand stability. Based on these results and evidence from two other studies it is suggested that seed dispersal from abiotically favorable into less favorable habitats may increase fitness of desert annuals by reducing the average effect of competition.     

中国城市群城市生产性服务功能与地理距离：网络外部性的视角

以往研究对于距离在网络外部性影响城市功能过程中的作用所知甚少,而且多关注城市网络外部性的正面效应,对城市间竞争以及由此所带来的网络外部性的负效应缺少分析。为了弥补已有研究的不足,本文采用空间的视角,以城市群内的城市生产性服务功能为例,建立一个核心-外围的空间结构来揭示城市生产性服务功能、网络外部性与地理距离之间的关系。研究发现：① 城市生产性服务功能强度随着远离城市群核心城市而上升,互联网渗透率和列车网络中心度会显著地强化这一效应;② 城市生产性服务功能随距离变化的机制在于竞争效应比协同效应对地理距离更加敏感,从而衰减更快,因而靠近核心城市的城市在生产性服务功能上遭受了“集聚阴影”,而远离核心城市的城市在功能上更多的受到了协同作用的支撑。本文结论为推进城市群内的分工协作与一体化发展提供了重要启示。     

城市居民距离认知研究——以校园大学生群体为对象的调查分析

以广州市大学生的行为活动和距离认知调查为基础,应用行为地理学理论和统计方法,总结了校园大学生群体距离认知的一般特征以及影响距离认知的因素,分析提出了校园大学生群体认知的3圈层空间结构模式,并进一步分析了大学生个人属性及其日常活动空间与距离认知的相互关系.     

城市居民认知距离透视认知变形 ——-以北京市为例

对距离的认知是人类建立认知空间框架的重要基础。本文在相关研究的基础上, 对认知距离的特点进行了分析, 提出从数量认知距离与实际认知距离两种分析角度来分析这一概念。通过分别利用定义一元线性回归, 与 采用多维标度法(MDS)及二维回归(BR), 对认知距离的标量变形和向量变形进行定量分析。在此基础上, 以北京市 为例, 对北京市居民进行抽样调查。通过认知心理学实验的方式, 令被试估计城市主要地标两两之间的距离。对实 验结果分别将上述方法应用于计算北京市居民在标量变形和向量变形的定量化表示, 并进一步通过方差分析 (ANOVA)讨论了影响北京市居民对城市距离认知变形的因素, 包括年龄、居住地区等。     

4种典型荒漠植物相互关系

我们调查了安西荒漠保护区内相邻的4种典型植物珍珠猪毛菜（Salsola passerina ）、合头草（Sympegma regelii ）、红砂（Reaumuria soongorica ）、泡泡刺（Nitraria sphaerocarpa ）个体大小与相对距离,通过对10种组合的个体大小与距离的回归分析,研究其彼此间的相互关系。结果显示：4种植物大小与距离之间是正相互关系,即竞争关系;种内竞争的重要性高于种间竞争的重要性,且竞争物种之间存在不对称性。此结果表明,物种间的这种竞争关系在一定程度上影响了荒漠地区植物群落的构建。     

等高植物篱在南方湿润山区坡地的应用--以三峡库区紫色土坡地为例

针对南方湿润山区易受侵蚀的特点,以三峡库区紫色土为例,从防止细沟的侵蚀、树篱与带间作物的竞争、坡地的土地利用率等基本方面探讨了等高植物篱的适合带间距,并推导了可实际应用的估算公式。     

A NON-PARAMETRIC CLASS MODELLING TECHNIQUE

A non-parametric method for supervised pattern recognition is presented. The method is of the classmodelling type, meaning that a classification rule is developed for each class, using the dissimilaritiesbetween the objects of the class. The dissimilarities between the objects within a class are related to thedistances between all pairs of training objects. As distance metric, a measure is proposed that takes thecorrelation between the interval-scale variables into account, and that moreover can be used for mixedtypes of variables. The classification rule is based on the construction of a boundary in the measurementspace. For the determination of the class boundary, several strategies are proposed and compared. The performance of the technique is evaluated on the basis of several data sets. Comparison with theclass modelling technique UNEQ shows its usefulness for practical applications.     

植物属性地理的研究进展与展望

植物属性地理学是植物地理学的一个新兴研究方向,研究植物属性的地理分布规律。目前与植物属性地理相关的研究热点主要集中在植物属性的多尺度表达、植物属性的权衡关系和属性多样性与生态系统功能三个方面。比叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶氮含量、种子质量、植物高度、茎密度是最受关注的植物属性。植物属性需要在植物个体水平上进行测量,然后基于群落内物种相对优势度的加权平均上推到群落水平。植物属性权衡关系主要包括叶片经济型谱及属性与环境因子之间的权衡关系研究。全球植物属性数据库的丰富与共享,推动着植物属性地理学的蓬勃发展。当前的植物属性空间连续分布主要利用全球属性数据库和空间统计建模方法实现,但借助激光扫描和成像光谱技术直接对区域植物功能属性进行空间制图正成为植物属性地理学空间计算的新方法。植物属性的空间格局分析是植物属性地理学的重要内容之一,不仅有助于解释植物物种的适应性与分布、群落构建等问题,而且为预测全球气候变化对植物的影响提供了依据。用植物属性代替物种可以更好地解释植物分布和植物对环境适应的生理机制,所以在全球植被模型研究中开始尝试将基于物种的植被动态模型发展为基于属性的植被动态模型,这将会给全球变化下碳循环过程的模拟和陆面模式带来新的机遇和挑战。展望未来,植物属性地理学仍然需要发展新的研究手段,深化全球植物属性的空间分异规律及其与环境因子之间的关系研究,以及完善全球和区域植物属性数据库建设。     

Plant phenology as affected by land degradation in the arid Patagonian Monte,Argentina: A multivariate approach

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the study of climate change effects on plant phenology. However, the effects of other more localized components of global change such as land degradation have been almost completely ignored. In this paper we evaluate the phenological patterns of 10 plant species at three sites with contrasting levels of land degradation due to overgrazing in the Patagonian Monte, Argentina, and their relationship with plant morphology, browsing intensity, and plant competition.Plant phenology differed among sites in eight species, but plant responses were species-specific. In six species the dormancy and senescence periods were shorter indicating longer growing cycles at high degradation than at low degradation site. Generally, plants growing at high degradation site present longer and frequently incomplete vegetative periods and shorter and less dominant reproductive periods than those at low degradation site. However, in some species the duration of reproductive periods was greater in the high degradation site. Plant size (i.e. height, area, and/or internal cover) affected plant phenology in seven species. In contrast, browsing and neighbor's cover were rarely related to plant phenology. Our results suggest that other global change components such as land degradation may affect plant phenology.     

科尔沁沙地沙质草地与固定沙丘植物群落结构对极端干旱的响应

为了探究沙地植物群落结构特征对极端干旱的响应,通过野外模拟试验开展了极端干旱（生长季减雨60%与干旱60 d）对沙质草地和固定沙丘植物群落丰富度、地上生物量和叶性状等群落结构特征影响的研究。结果表明：（1）生境变化对植物群落地上生物量和叶干物质含量（LDMC）具有显著影响（P<0.05）,草地地上生物量和LDMC显著高于固定沙丘,而物种数、植被盖度、高度和比叶面积（SLA）在两种生境间无显著差异（P>0.05）;（2）极端干旱处理显著影响沙地植物群落盖度、地上生物量和LDMC（P<0.05）,减雨60%显著降低了植物群落盖度和地上生物量,而干旱60 d显著降低了植物群落盖度、地上生物量、高度和LDMC;植被特征和叶性状在减雨60%和干旱60 d处理间无显著差异（P>0.05）;（3）减雨60%和干旱60 d显著降低了草地和固定沙丘的植被盖度和地上生物量,而干旱60 d也降低了固定沙丘的植物高度和LDMC（P<0.05）;（4）相关分析表明,沙地植物群落地上生物量与盖度、高度和LDMC显著正相关（P<0.05）。极端干旱事件的发生会极大地改变沙地一年生为主的植物群落组成和功能,而沙地不同生境植被则通过改变植物群落组成、优势种及其关键性状的变化来适应极端干旱。     

基于矢量网格的城市土地利用邻里模式研究

城市土地利用的空间分布特征一直是城市地理和城市规划领域关注的重点问题,对城市土地利用空间模式的研究有助于理解城市系统的运行状态。在分析现有城市空间结构和城市土地利用模式的基础上,从两个方面对现有基于富集因子的分析方法提出改进,一是采用矢量网格以减少分析的误差,二是采用斜网格和曼哈顿距离来对空间临近关系进行界定。采用这一方法对深圳市2015年6类城市土地利用数据进行分析,得到邻里尺度上各类用地之间富集度随距离变化的3种模式。模式I中,同类用地间的富集度在短距离内较大,且其值随着距离的增加而减小并趋于0,表明同类用地间在较短距离内相互吸引,而吸引力随着距离增加而减弱。在不同类型用地间的模式II和模式III中,富集度在较短距离内为负值,但是在模式II中,富集度随着距离的增加而逐渐增加并趋于0,表明不同用地间短距离内相互排斥,且排斥作用随着距离增加而减弱;而在模式III中,富集度则随着距离增加而快速上升到正值,然后逐渐下降并趋于0,表明不同类型用地在较短距离内相互排斥,但随着距离增加很快变为相互吸引,最后吸引力随着距离增加慢慢减弱。结果表明,相对于基于栅格网的分析方法,基于矢量斜网格的分析方法能够显著降低分析误差。     

云南喀斯特退化天坑木本植物功能性状变异特征及适应策略

以云南省沾益自然保护区内典型而宏大的喀斯特中度退化天坑——深陷塘为例,分析了该天坑地下森林的34种木本植物的8个功能性状的变异程度,并从种内和种间水平进一步探究功能性状变异与科类群、生活型、生长型和生态因子的关系及土壤因子对植物性状变异的解释效应。结果表明：天坑地下森林内分布的木本植物具有叶厚度大、比叶面积较小、叶干物质含量较高的特点;灌木植物性状种间变异普遍小于乔木,植物性状变异程度在常绿和落叶间相差不大,大部分叶性状的种内种间变异大于小枝性状;天坑内植物性状的平均种内变异系数达23.45%,相较于其他非喀斯特区域的植被类型,其性状种内变异幅度较低,表明喀斯特天坑区域的植物具有较小的形态可塑性;土壤养分是决定样地尺度上群落性状变异的主导环境因素,但物种系统发育历史及其生活史特性也是该地带性植被功能性状变异的内生动力。综上,表明天坑地下森林的木本植物物种在长期演化过程中,其功能性状及其变异程度受非生物环境因素、系统发育过程、生活史策略等的综合影响。研究结果可为负地形的喀斯特天坑的物种避难所价值提供材料和证据,为提升云南高原喀斯特生态脆弱区和自然保护区生态系统服务功能、科学开展天坑外部区域和地带性植被的生态恢复工作提供科学支撑。     

Predictability of Functional Diversity Depends on the Number of Traits

Analysis of functional diversity, based on plant traits and community structure, provides a promising approach for exploration of the adaptive strategies of plants and the relationship between plant traits and ecosystem functioning. However, it is unclear how the number of plant traits included influences functional diversity, and whether or not there are quantitatively dependent traits. This information is fundamental to the correct use of functional diversity metrics. Here, we measured 34 traits of 366 plant species in nine forests from the tropical to boreal zones in China. These traits were used to calculate seven functional diversity metrics: functional richness (functional attribute diversity (FAD), modified FAD (MFAD), convex hull hypervolume (FRic)), functional evenness (FEve), and functional divergence (functional divergence (FDiv), functional dispersion (FDis), quadratic entropy (RaoQ)). Functional richness metrics increased with an increase in trait number, whereas the relationships between the trait divergence indexes (FDiv and FDis) and trait number were inconsistent. Four of the seven functional diversity indexes (FAD, MFAD, FRic, and RaoQ) were comparable with those in previous studies, showing predictable trends with a change in trait number. We verified our hypothesis that the number of traits strongly influences functional diversity. The relationships between these predictable functional diversity metrics and the number of traits facilitated the development of a standard protocol to enhance comparability across different studies. These findings can support integration of functional diversity index data from different studies at the site to the regional scale, and they focus attention on the influence of quantitative selection of traits on functional diversity analysis.     

Long-distance transport of terrestrial plant material by convection resulting from forest fires

Paleoecologists widely accept macroscopic plant remains preserved in lake sediment as good indicators of the vegetation communities growing within and adjacent to the margin of a lake or mire. However, the study of ash fallout from a small to moderate size forest fire in a low elevation Pseudotsuga menziesii/Pinus contorta/Abies lasiocarpa stand near Bozeman, Montana suggests that certain macroscopic plant remains can be transported long distances through the atmosphere. Conifer needles, pollen cones, cone scales, bracts and wood fragments were transported via the atmosphere and subsequently deposited at least 20 km from the forest fire. The majority of the plant remains that were identified were A. lasiocarpa needles. Pseudotsuga menziesii and P. contorta needles were also identified, but both were less abundant than A. lasiocarpa. The plant material that was recovered exhibited varying degrees of charring suggesting that it may be difficult to distinguish plant material that has been transported long-distances by forest fires from that which has been derived locally. Severe convection and vortices associated with intense forest fires are believed to be the primary mechanisms responsible for transporting plant material via the atmosphere.     

阿拉善荒漠植物叶片矿质元素含量的季节变化

为了研究不同生活型植物营养元素含量随季节变化的响应机制,在生长季内,对阿拉善地区荒漠植物霸王(Zygophyllum xanthoxylon)、猫头刺(Oxytropis aciphylla)、沙冬青(Ammopipta nthus mongolicus)、红砂 (Reaumuria soongorica)、驼绒藜(Ceratoides latens)、白刺(Nitraria tangutorum)6种灌木及多裂骆驼蓬(Peganum multisectum)、葡根骆驼蓬(Pegamum nigrllastrum)、无芒隐子草(Cleistogenes songorica)3种草本植物连续观察,采集叶片,分析矿质养分含量和比叶面积(SLA)的季节变化特征,并对牧草的营养均衡价进行了评价,同时探讨了其叶片发育特征与矿质元素含量的关系。结果显示:(1)不同生活型植物在生长季内的SLA变化规律不同,9种植物叶片SLA均在中等偏下的水平。(2)4种常量元素(K、Ca、Na、Mg)含量在生长季内的波动较大,4种微量元素(Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu)含量在生长季内的随月份变化不大,且大部分植物叶片Zn和Cu含量在生长季内维持在"低"水平。(3)9种牧草SLA与矿质元素Cu之间表现出较强的负相关,而与其他元素无显著的相关性。(4)植物种类与采样月份对植物叶片元素的交叉分析显示,植物叶片K、Na、Ca、Mg、Mn、Cu、Zn含量的变异主要受植物种类影响,植物叶片Fe含量的变异主要受植物种类和采样时间的交互作用影响。