Selection of scale can reverse the importance of stochastic controls on community assembly

Reconciling the long-standing debate on the importance of niche-related and neutral factors on community assembly, recent research suggests that both deterministic and stochastic processes operate simultaneously along a continuum in many biogeographical systems. In particular, stochastic processes seem to lose importance under stressful conditions, which results in the increasing influence of deterministic counterparts. In this paper, I show that, at local scales, this stochasticity–stress relationship can be reversed along the environmental stress gradients within a salt marsh: stochasticity manifested under harshness. Here, low-lying, more stressful sites contained all of the plant species of the local pool (i.e. a greater chance of ecological drift), whereas high-elevation, less stressful sites exhibited reduced species richness due to competitive exclusion (i.e. a lower chance of ecological drift). I conclude that determining whether the importance of stochasticity in shaping community structure is greater under benign or harsh conditions depends on the scale of interest.     

Resource Partitioning Among Planktivorous Fish Larvae and Fry in a Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon

Resource partioning among the planktivorous stages of eight fish species occurring in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon was studied. Five species were migratory mullets that spawned in the sea (Liza ramada, L. aurata, L. saliens, Chelon labrosusandMugil cephalus), while the other three species were resident and spawned in the lagoon (Atherina boyeri, Cyprinus carpioandGambusia holbrooki).Mullet fry exhibited similar diets, based on the consumption of zooplanktonic Crustacea such as copepods and cladocerans, although adult chironomids were also important.Gambusia holbrookiandA. boyerifed on small prey such as copepod nauplii, copepodites and rotifers, whileC. carpioconsumed larger prey preferentially (cladocerans and copepods).According to the trophic overlap and niche width results, seven species pairs could be competing in the estuary, although further experimental evidence is still required.     

Characterization of landscape pattern based on land economic niche change: A case study in Ganzhou,Gansu Province,China

Land use change has a profound impact on biodiversity and ecological processes, and is closely related to changes in landscape patterns. This paper introduces the theory and method of land economic niche into landscape ecology, which provides a new method for spatial characterization of urban and rural spatial landscape patterns. Based on this theory, this paper analyzes the landscape pattern of Ganzhou District by using Landsat images as data source in 1995, 2000, 2005,2010 and 2015. We calculated the land economic niche by applying the niche potential theory. Combined with the theory of landscape ecology, we explored the effects of the land economic niche change on the landscape pattern at a county scale.The results show that economic niche of construction land, watershed and farmland increased during 1995–2015, and grassland declined significantly. The economic niche of farmland, construction land, watershed and grassland show a negative correlation with the number of patches(NP), fragmentation index(FN) and the fractal dimension index(FD), and had a positive correlation with the aggregation index(AI). There was no significant correlation between the forest land economic niche and landscape metrics. The change of land economic niche has a driving effect on the landscape pattern of the county, which can represent the economic development direction of Ganzhou District. The land economic niche is closely related to the landscape type which can directly obtain an economic benefit.     

岷江上游山区聚落生态位空间分布特征研究

基于岷江上游山区藏-羌-回-汉聚落生态位和植被生境适宜性的空间分布,借助分形和贝叶斯模型,定量刻画聚落生态位的民族属性对山区聚落生态位的空间分布特征的影响。结果表明：① 岷江上游藏-羌-回-汉聚落生态位间隙度维数分别为0.949、0.942、0.890、0.960,汉族聚落生态位的高间隙度维数,揭示了山区汉族聚落封闭性特点。同时,流域内1 667个聚落生态位间隙度维数（0.946）与藏族（0.949）相似,表明藏族聚落生态位空间异质性特征能够反映整个流域山区聚落生态位空间分异程度。② 岷江上游藏-羌-汉-回聚落生态位内的植被生境适宜性指数均值分别为：2.816、2.622、2.529、2.644,说明山区聚落生态位的空间分布与植被生境相适宜。同时,流域内1 667个聚落生态位几何特征对植被生境的敏感程度（0.601）与羌族（0.610）相似,表明羌族聚落生态位的几何特征具有典型性。③ 藏-羌-回-汉聚落生态位的空间聚簇性地域分异明显、地理边界清晰,说明聚落生态位的民族属性对聚落区位、规模和形态具有显著影响。     

基于生态位宽度模型的区域多功能评价及演变分析——以北京市为例

基于生态位理论,构建多功能生态位宽度模型和评价指标体系,选择2005年、2009年、2013年三个时间点和对北京市发展中起重要作用的6类功能进行评价,并分析其演变特征。结果表明:(1)2013年,农产品生产和生态服务功能呈现出内城区水平低、远郊区水平高、空间集聚程度高、分布集中的特点;远郊区的旅游休闲、文化教育和产业发展功能水平远低于内城区和近郊区;近郊区和远郊平原区的人居服务功能最强,内城区次之,远郊山区最弱。(2)2005年~2013年间,农产品生产和产业发展功能先增加后减少,总体水平增长;旅游休闲和人居服务功能持续增加;文化教育和生态服务功能水平持续下降。旅游休闲、人居服务、产业发展和生态服务功能的等级变化幅度不大;农产品生产功能等级两极化趋势明显;文化教育功能等级逐渐向中间等级集中。(3)功能的演变通常伴随着政策的实施,具有一定的惰性和滞后性。远郊平原区功能日趋多样,大量的农用地被占用,因此农产品生产受到一定的限制。人口老龄化加速,入学人数减少,教育设施相应整合,导致文化教育功能逐年减弱。核心区房价的提升、住房的饱和,导致远郊平原区成为吸纳人口的新城。工业企业的搬迁调整、工业发展的延后性造成产业发展功能的区域差异巨大,但产业发展外扩依旧是今后发展的趋势。生态服务功能只能在远郊区形成,且需要依靠政府调控。     

Ontogenetic Shifts in Resource Use and Shoaling Tendency Related to Body Size in Red Sea Goatfish (Parupeneus forsskali, Mullidae)

Abstract. Red Sea goatfish show marked behavioral differences related to body size in food searching, substrate use, and shoaling tendency. While smaller fish mainly use their barbels to search for food hidden in the upper sediment layers or in crevices of corals, the largest fish frequently burrow with their mouths in deeper layers of the sediment. The conspecific shoaling tendency decreases with increasing size. Only smaller-sized fish are found in mixed-species shoals. The data are discussed with regard to the relations between ontogenetic changes in body size, resource utilization, and socialization patterns.     

Variations in the abundance of fisheries resources and ecosystem structure in the Japan/East Sea

Evidence supports the hypothesis that two climatic regime shifts in the North Pacific and the Japan/East Sea, have affected the dynamics of the marine ecosystem and fisheries resources from 1960 to 2000. Changes in both mixed layer depth (MLD) and primary production were detected in the Japan/East Sea after 1976. The 1976 regime shift appears to have caused the biomass replacement with changes in catch production of major exploited fisheries resources, including Pacific saury, Pacific sardine and filefish. Both fisheries yield and fish distribution are reflected in these decadal fluctuations. In the 1960s and 1990s, common squid dominated the catches whereas in the 1970s and 1980s, it was replaced by walleye pollock. In the post-1988 regime shift, the distribution of horse mackerel shifted westward and southward and its distributional overlap with common mackerel decreased. The habitat of Pacific sardine also shifted away from mackerel habitats during this period. To evaluate changes in the organization and structure of the ecosystem in the Japan/East Sea, a mass-balanced model, Ecopath, was employed. Based on two mass-balanced models, representing before (1970–75) and after (1978–84) the 1976 regime shift, the weighted mean trophic level of catch increased from 3.09 before to 3.28 after. Total biomass of species groups in the Japan/East Sea ecosystem increased by 15% and total catch production increased by 48% due to the 1976 regime shift. The largest changes occurred at mid-trophic levels, occupied by fishes and cephalopods. The dominant predatory species shifted from cephalopods to walleye pollock due to the 1976 regime shift. It is concluded that the climatic regime shifts caused changes in the structure of the ecosystem and the roles of major species, as well as, large variations in biomass and production of fisheries resources.     

The Diets in Four Pacific Tube Blennies (Acanthemblemaria: Chaenopsidae): Lack of Ecological Divergence in Syntopic Species

Abstract. The diets of three syntopic Gulf of California Acanthemblemaria (A. balanorum, A. crock-eri and A. macrospilus) and A. castroi from the Galapagos Island are nearly uniformly composed of harpacticoid copepods and other small benthic-vagile or planktonic crustaceans. On occasion, large prey items such as crabs or other small fishes are taken. HORN'S index of niche overlap indicates that the three syntopic Acanthemblemaria are not separated along the food resource utilization axis. Slight variations in diets among the syntopic species seem to be related to differences in degree of microhabitat specialization.     

台湾海峡及邻近海域主要无脊椎动物食性特征及其食物关系研究

对台湾海峡及邻近海域14种主要经济无脊椎动物的胃含物进行了鉴定分析。结果表明：这些无脊椎动物对饵料生物无明显的选择性，均为混合食性。其食性类型可分为：游泳生物食性类型、游泳动物和底栖动物混合食性类型、底栖生物和浮游动物食性类型、底栖生物食性类型、浮游动物和游泳动物食性类型。10种甲壳动物和4种头足类的营养级范围分别为1．64～2．60级和2．04～2．88级。除周氏新对虾(Metapenaeus joyneri)、角突仿对虾(Parapenaeopsis cornuta)和鹰爪虾(Trachypenaeus curdrostris)属第二营养层次的杂食性动物外，其它的均属第三营养层次的肉食性动物。拥剑梭子蟹(Portunus haanii)、秀斑好(Caarybdis feriatus )、哈氏仿对虾(Parapenaeopsis harduickii)和杜氏枪乌贼(Loligo duvaucelii)的食物生境宽度较大，它们对各种饵料生物的利用更趋均衡。4种头足类之间、3种蟹类之间食物重叠显著。长尾类、短尾类、鱼类和腹足类是台湾海峡主要无脊椎动物营养层次能量传递中的关键功能类群。     

Limiting similarity, niche filtering and functional diversity in coastal lagoon fish communities

The fundamental idea behind the study of biodiversity patterns is the presumed connection between the shape of species assemblages and the functional ways in which they are organized, this functional organization referring to how species are related to one another, as competitors or members of a web of interactions and to how species are facing similar environmental constraints. Amongst the different facets of biodiversity, functional diversity is certainly a key for ecosystem processes in coastal areas. However, surprisingly, patterns of functional diversity have received little attention until now. After presenting a common framework linking functional diversity patterns to species coexistence theories, the aim of our study was twofold: (1) to seek assembly rules in brackish lagoon fish communities drove by functional traits. To this aim we used null models to examine the influence of two opposing forces acting on community structure: interspecific competition that might prevent the coexistence of the most similar species, and environmental filters that might result in the most similar species to coexist. (2) To seek relationships between fish functional diversity and environmental gradients, if any. Fish sampling was carried out in two coastal lagoons where stations differ considerably in terms of physicochemical parameters. Using morphological functional traits, functional diversity of fish communities was estimated using two recently published indices as well as a new proposed index. Firstly our study was not able to demonstrate a limitation of similarity in coexisting lagoon fishes due to interspecific competition. Conversely our results support the niche filtering hypothesis preventing species too dissimilar from one another to co-occur at the same station. Secondly, salinity was positively related to the functional diversity of fishes in both lagoons suggesting that within species assemblages near the channel species are less redundant than at stations far from the channel where species tend to be functionally similar (benthic and eating zooplankton).