Human and Environmental Factors Affect Patterns of Crop Diversity in an Ethiopian Highland Agroecosystem

The Ethiopian highlands are a center of diversity for numerous globally important crops. Heterogeneous landscapes, traditional agricultural practices, and inaccessibility have created and maintained diverse subsistence agroecosystems. We surveyed sixty-three farms in twelve communities of the Gamo highlands and found high levels of on-farm diversity of crop species and varieties. The extent and nature of this diversity are related to both ecological factors, namely elevation, and anthropogenic factors such as land-use history, accessibility to markets and extension, and strength and scale of farmer exchange networks. These human landscape features have the potential to both enhance and mediate effects of elevation and other environmental factors on crop diversity. The interaction of environmental and anthropogenic forces on the diversity of crops grown by farmers affects the strategies farmers employ to adapt their farming to changing conditions.     

An exploratory analysis of benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of the ecological status of the Upper Yellow and Yangtze Rivers

This study presents findings of the first systematic analysis of aquatic biotic assemblages in the source region of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. It provides an initial basis with which to select representative organisms as indicators to assess the aquatic ecological status of rivers in this region. Macroinvertebrates are considered to be good indicators of long-term environmental changes due to their restricted range and persistence over time. Field investigations of macroinvertebrates were conducted in August 2009 in the source region of the Yellow River, and in July 2010 in the source region of the Yangtze River. Altogether 68 taxa of macroinvertebrates belonging to 29 families and 59 genera were identified. Among them were 8 annelids, 5 mollusks, 54 arthropods and 1 other animal. In the source region of the Yellow River, taxa number, density and biomass of macroinvertebrates were 50, 329 individuals m2 and 0.3966 g dry weight m2, respectively. Equivalent figures for the source region of the Yangtze River were 29, 59 individuals m2 and 0.0307 g dry weight m-2. The lower benthic animal resources in the source region of the Yangtze River are ascribed to higher altitude, higher sediment concentration and wetland degradation. Preliminary findings of this exploratory study indicate that hydroelectric power stations had a weak impact on benthic dwellers but wetland degradation caused by a series of human activities had a catastrophic impact on survival of macroinvertebrates. Ecological protection measures such as conservative grazing and vegetation management are required to minimize grassland degradation and desertification, and reduce soil erosion rate and river sediment discharge.     

Intermediate disturbance and patterns of species richness

Abstract

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts highest species diversity in environments experiencing intermediate intensity disturbance, after an intermediate timespan. Because many landscapes comprise mosaics with complex disturbance histories, the theory implies that each patch in those mosaics should have a distinct level of diversity reflecting the magnitude of disturbance and the time since it occurred. We model changing patterns of species richness across a landscape experiencing varied scenarios of simulated disturbance in order to predict first the variation of richness through time in individual patches, based on their disturbance histories, and then the changing patterns of richness across the landscape through time, representing the cumulative impact of changing richness within the individual patches. Model outputs show that individual landscape patches have highly variable species richness through time, with the trajectory reflecting the timing, intensity and sequence of disturbances. When the results are mapped across the landscape, the resulting temporal and spatial complexity reveals a distribution of biodiversity that is strikingly contingent on the details of disturbance history. These results illustrate the danger of generalization (in either data interpretation or management decisions), as IDH actually imposes a highly variable pattern of diversity.     

济南市土壤重金属污染现状及其土壤生物学表征

以济南市区及郊区农田土壤为对象,研究土壤中重金属污染的特征,结果表明,土壤重金属污染不仅引起了生态环境的恶化,而且影响土壤生物多样性,降低了土壤活性。济南市土壤动物各类群的数量与土壤重金属元素含量的相关性统计结果显示:土壤原生动物数量与Co、Ni含量呈明显负相关;土壤线虫数量与Cu、Mo含量呈显著负相关;旱生土壤动物数量与Cu含量呈显著负相关;说明重金属元素对土壤动物多样性具有不利影响,土壤线虫是耐污种类,旱生动物多为不耐污种类,土壤线虫与旱生动物密度之比可以作为土壤重金属污染程度的生物学指标。通过对土壤地球化学元素含量与土壤生物学参数的相关性分析,找到了重金属的敏感生物指标:Pb污染的生物学指标为土壤线虫;As污染的生物学指标是真菌PLFA含量等,用土壤生物作为敏感、快速的重金属污染生物毒性的指示物,具有广阔的应用前景。     

黑潮源区沉积物古菌多样性调查及研究

为了研究西太平洋黑潮源区不同深度沉积物中古菌群落结构的多样性,应用16S rDNA文库技术,对IMAGES XIV航次采集的岩芯MD06-3047进行基因文库的构建和分析,得到260个克隆,经分析处理后得到56个OTUs(Operational Taxonomic Units).基于16S rRNA序列的同源性比较,绘制系统进化树,进行统计学分析.研究结果显示,西太平洋黑潮源区的本哈姆高原(Benham Rise)沉积物中有丰富多样的古菌群落,在1m内的沉积物中分布着9种古菌类群.古菌序列归属于泉古菌(Crenarchaeota)和广古菌(Euryarchaeota),并以泉古菌为主(占总序列的91.5％).其中,泉古菌包含MGI、MBG-B、MCG和UCII-b 4个类群,并且主要由MGI构成(占总序列的40.8％),而广古菌包含MBG-D、SAGMEG、DHVEG、MBG-E和VAL Ⅲ 5个类群,各类群所占总序列比例均较低(占总序列的0.4％～5.4％之间).研究结果对于理解西太平洋黑潮源区沉积物中古菌多样性有重要意义,并为今后研究古菌群落与环境之间的关系提供科学依据.     

北京野鸭湖湿地不同植被退化区的土壤种子库特征

2010年5月,在北京野鸭湖湿地自然保护区选择废弃鱼塘、耕作苜蓿(Medicago)地、撂荒苜蓿地、天然退化湿地和天然湿地作为实验地,其中,天然湿地作为对照。通过土壤种子库萌发实验,对实验地土壤种子库的基本特征以及与地上植被的关系进行了对比研究。结果表明,5种实验地的土壤种子库共有60种植物,隶属于23科46属。其中,萌发物种最多的是菊科(Compositae)、禾本科(Poaceae)和莎草科(Cyperaceae),分别为11种、10种和8种。废弃鱼塘、耕作苜蓿地、撂荒苜蓿地和天然退化湿地种子平均密度为6 885粒/m~2,天然湿地种子的平均密度为16 083粒/m~2,5种实验地的种子库密度差异极显著(n=300,F=4.828,p=0.001<0.05);各实验地的种子库垂直分布有一致的规律性,各实验地0～6 cm土层的种子库密度明显高于6～12 cm土层;各实验地的土壤种子库与地上植被的相似性系数都不高,土壤种子库物种组成的稳定性要高于地上植被。通过研究发现,退化湿地的土壤种子库中有大量的植物种子储藏和湿地植物的种子,这为野鸭湖退化湿地恢复提供了重要的保障,这些潜在的植物种子在野鸭湖退化湿地生态输水过程中会起到应有的恢复作用。建议野鸭湖湿地自然保护区管理部门继续加强退化湿地区域的土壤种子库保护工作,必须重视水环境的恢复、各种人为干扰的消除以及系统保护的加强。     

Marine biodiversity in the Caribbean UK overseas territories: Perceived threats and constraints to environmental management

Islands are often considered to be a priority for conservation, because of their relatively high levels of biodiversity and their vulnerability to a range of natural and anthropogenic threats. However, the capacity of islands to conserve and manage biodiversity may depend upon their governance structures. Many island states are affiliated to other countries through an ‘overseas territory’ status, which may provide them with access to resources and support mechanisms, but which may also influence the capacity for local-scale management of environmental issues. The United Kingdom has 12 island Overseas Territories (UKOTs), most of which support biodiversity of high conservation concern. This study investigates perceptions of current and future threats to marine ecosystems and constraints to environmental protection on the six Caribbean UKOTs, through semi-structured interviews with officials from UK and UKOT government departments and non-governmental organisations. Coastal development, pollution and over-fishing were perceived as threats of most concern for the next decade, but climate change was perceived as by far the greatest future threat to the islands' marine ecosystems. However, a series of common institutional limitations that currently constrain mitigation and conservation efforts were also identified, including insufficient personnel and financial support, a lack of long-term, sustainable projects for persistent environmental problems and inadequate environmental legislation. These findings highlight the need for regional cooperation and capacity-building throughout the Caribbean and a more concerted approach to an UKOT environmental management by the UK and UKOTs' governments.     

以海岸带综合管理为工具开展海洋生物多样性保护管理

生物多样性保护是当前全球面临的最重要问题之一,本文分析了我国海洋生物多样性面临的主要威胁,并对生物多样性丧失的原因进行了分析。在以上研究的基础上,基于海岸带综合管理（ICZM）的理念,提出了海洋生物多样性保护管理中急需解决的问题,主要包括海洋生物多样性保护管理的指导思想、管理机构机制、管理边界、海洋生物多样性评价技术、海洋生物多样性保护规划技术和基于GIS的管理决策支持系统等。     

新疆福海第一农场水库浮游植物生态初步研究

于2008年7月(平水期)、10月(枯水期)和次年5月(丰水期)对新疆阿勒泰地区福海县第一农场水库浮游植物进行了生态学调查.共采集到浮游植物8门75种(属),其中绿藻28种、硅藻21种、蓝藻13种、裸藻6种、黄藻2种、甲藻2种、隐藻2种和金藻1种,绿藻和硅藻在种类组成上占明显优势.各期优势种不尽相同:平水期优势种为类颤...     

Selecting the Appropriate Urban Biodiversity Restoration Indices based on the Pressure-State-Response Model and a Multi-scale Management Problem Investigation in Zhuhai City

Urban biodiversity is now recognized as playing a critical role in supporting global biodiversity. However, it is important to note that biodiversity is a systematic and holistic concept and prior studies have not generally focused on cross-border or multi-scale management problems. On one hand, the ecosystems of cities are interconnected with adjacent cities by natural landscapes, so they are like mosaics instead of being isolated. Urban biodiversity research demands the consideration of the continuity within an ecosystem. On the other hand, both active protection and passive restoration strategies for urban biodiversity should not only be developed by researchers or municipal government agencies, but more importantly, they should consider the real ecosystem management problems faced by multi-scale departments in order to build a practicable Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model. The solutions for these issues should be included in the analysis to form a complete and more effective urban biodiversity strategy. The study in this paper offers an answer to whether different scales of cities or districts should adopt the same biodiversity strategy; and therefore, the decision depends on whether the places are of the same importance to the global or regional ecosystem, or whether the ecological elements are connected to the adjacent cities/districts and the problems that multiple stakeholders care about.