The MaB Reserve of Ñacuñán,Argentina: its role in understanding the Monte Desert biome

Temperate and semi-arid regions of Argentina are undergoing rapid habitat conversion as a result of several human activities (i.e. grazing, logging, agriculture, etc.). These arid ecosystems contain many endemic species and have played an important role in the evolution of South American biota. The Man and Biosphere Reserve of Ñacuñán (12,800 ha) is located in the central region of the lowland Monte Desert. The reserve is a stand within a highly disturbed matrix characterized by deforestation (i.e. mesquite,Prosopis)and overgrazing. Major vegetational and animal communities recovered after the reserve was fenced in 1972, and Ñacuñán thus provides critical data describing the recovery of biotic and abiotic components of the Monte Desert when anthropogenic assaults are minimized. Indeed, the Reserve of Ñacuñán protects many distinctive habitats of the Monte Desert, including mesquite forest, or algarrobal, and several representative animals of the South American biota (i.e. tinamous, rhea, marsupials, edentates and caviomorph rodents). Several research projects on community ecology, herbivory, disturbances, ecology and ecophysiology have been or are being developed in the reserve. Although the town of Ñacuñán lies within the reserve, the link between the research community and the local people has not been strong, persistent or effective. The reserve is the most important site in Argentina for monitoring the ecological health of the Monte Desert and for developing indicators of desertification. Its potential is great for long-term ecological research and for strengthening the infrastructure of science. Sustainable development in the next millennium requires integrating the activities of the research, local people, ranch landowners and governmental sectors so as to infuse science-based proposals into management and conservation initiatives.     

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of soil fertility in the Central Monte desert (Argentina)

In arid environments, soil fertility exhibits a high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which results from high climatic variability seasonally and heterogeneous plant distribution. However, because most desert areas have been altered by human activities, heterogeneous fertility would originate from grazing or logging activities. We evaluated spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil fertility in cattle-excluded sites under and outside woody plant cover (Prosopis flexuosa and Larrea divaricata), and in sites disturbed by tree removal during wet and dry season in Ñacuñán Biosphere Reserve (Central Monte desert of Argentina). Soil organic matter, fulvic acids, bioavailable organic matter, and nitrate were lower outside plant canopy (8.9 mg g^?1, 0.03 mg g^?1, 8.2 mg g^?1, and 4.17 mg kg^?1, respectively). Total N, humic acids, and abundance of microbial functional groups did not show differences among sites. Most parameters differed between seasons, tending to be higher in the wet season. Overall soils of Ñacuñán Reserve are characterized by: a) more homogenous spatial pattern than expected from woody plant presence; b) very heterogeneous temporal pattern; and c) after two years, tree removal does not seem to induce infertile soil formation.     

Ant composition and activity patterns as determined by pitfall trapping and other methods in three habitats in the semi-arid Karoo

The diversity and abundance of epigaeic ant species were determined across three habitats (riverine areas, gently sloping grassland areas and steep slope areas) in summer (November–December) and winter (May–June) of 1998 at Tussen die Riviere Nature Reserve in the Karoo, to determine temporal and spatial variations in the availability of potential prey species of the aardvark (Orycteropus afer). Pitfall trapping, dig sampling and quadrat sampling were used to ensure as complete a sampling effort as possible. Forty-five ant species of five sub-families and 17 genera were recorded. The grassland habitat yielded the highest abundance and diversity, followed by the steep slope and riverine areas. Ant abundance and diversity were higher during summer than winter in all three habitats. Anoplolepis custodiens was the most abundant species in summer, whilst Monomorium albopilosum was the most abundant species in winter. Pitfall trapping was responsible for recording more species than dig sampling or quadrat sampling. No method recorded all of the species present.     

Can severely fragmented patches of riparian vegetation still be important for arid-land bird diversity?

The vegetation of riparian habitats is often distinct from that of the surrounding landscape, thus representing unique habitat for a variety of biota. Although highly mobile, birds often exhibit distinct species assemblages associated with habitat. Therefore, degradation or removal of riparian habitat, particularly in arid environments, may threaten bird diversity. Along the Vaal River, South Africa, mining and agriculture have reduced natural riparian habitat to ca. 9% of its former extent in the Northern Cape Province. We surveyed bird assemblages within intact riparian, savanna and bush-thickened habitats along the Vaal River to ascertain their importance to bird diversity. Avian abundance and species richness did not differ between the three habitats. Species composition of riparian bird assemblages was significantly different to that of savanna and bush-thickened habitats, however, which were not significantly different from each other, and more species were characteristic of riparian habitat (17 species) than bush-thickened (seven species) or savanna (one species) habitats. Of three species reaching the south-western limit of their African distribution, all occurred in riparian habitat. Thus, despite its fragmented nature, the riparian vegetation on the Vaal still supports an important component of avian diversity, and a landscape-level approach is required to manage this relatively rich, arid-land, river.     

The effect of rainfall and habitat on abundance and diversity of birds in a fenced protected area in the central Saudi Arabian desert

Factors influencing avian abundance and diversity in central Saudi Arabia were investigated over a 28-month period using walked belt transects in five local habitat types in a 2200 km²fenced desert protected area established in 1989. Enclosure of the protected area has resulted in the development of a mosaic of densely vegetated grassland and savanna areas amongst the sand and gravel plains which dominate the surrounding landscape. Overall bird diversity showed biannual peaks corresponding to spring and autumn passage migration, when 30–40 species were recorded; troughs occurred in summer or winter (9–12 species) following poor spring or autumn rains. Bird numbers responded dramatically to heavy rainfall (> 20 mm in a month) occurring two months earlier, with major peaks recorded in autumn 1992 and May–June 1994. Numbers of granivorous species, principally larks, fluctuated mostly in relation to rainfall, whereas largely insectivorous species tended to remain more stable. A desert locust plague in spring/summer 1993, combined with poor spring rains, resulted in the lowest numbers and species diversity recorded during the study.     

Effects of climate change and urban development on the distribution and conservation of vegetation in a Mediterranean type ecosystem

Climate and land-use changes are projected to threaten biodiversity over this century. However, few studies have considered the spatial and temporal overlap of these threats to evaluate how ongoing land-use change could affect species ranges projected to shift outside conservation areas. We evaluated climate change and urban development effects on vegetation distribution in the Southwest ecoregion, California Floristic Province, USA. We also evaluated how well a conservation network protects suitable habitat for rare plant species under these change projections and identified primary sources of uncertainty. We used consensus-based maps from three species distribution models (SDMs) to project current and future suitable habitat for 19 species representing different functional types (defined by fire-response – obligate seeders, resprouting shrubs – and life forms – herbs, subshrubs), and range sizes (large/common, small/rare). We used one spatially explicit urban growth projection; two climate models, emission scenarios, and probability thresholds applied to SDMs; and high-resolution (90 m) environmental data. We projected that suitable habitat could disappear for 4 species and decrease for 15 by 2080. Averaged centroids of suitable habitat (all species) were projected to shift tens (up to hundreds) of kilometers. Herbs showed a small-projected response to climate change, while obligate seeders could suffer the greatest losses. Several rare species could lose suitable habitat inside conservation areas while increasing area outside. We concluded that (i) climate change is more important than urban development for vegetation habitat loss in this ecoregion through 2080 due to diminishing amounts of undeveloped private land in this region; (ii) the existing conservation plan, while extensive, may be inadequate to protect plant diversity under projected patterns of climate change and urban development, (iii) regional assessments of the dynamics of the drivers of biodiversity change based on high-resolution environmental data and consensus predictive mapping, such as this study, are necessary to identify the species expected to be the most vulnerable and to meaningfully inform regional-scale conservation.     

盐城滩涂野生动物保护与自然保护区建设

建立自然保护区足生物多样性保护最有效的措施之一。盐城滩涂动物种类繁多、遗传多样性丰富,这里建有盐城国家级珍禽自然保护区、大丰麇鹿Elaphurus davidianus国家级自然保护区和东台中华鲟Acipenser sinensis自然保护区。本文介绍了盐城滩涂野生动物、保护动物及经济动物的种类,论述了盐城滩涂白然保护区建设的基本情况、取得的成绩及存在的问题,并提出了自然保护区建设及野生动物保护的对策。     

Diatom species variation between lake habitats: implications for interpretation of paleolimnological records

A sample of a sediment record contains diatom species that have grown in disparate habitats and eventually accumulated in a deep part of the lake. The original habitats may differ in substrate, depth location, and availability of resources. Identifying the species characteristic of each habitat should improve our ecological and environmental interpretation of the sediment record by distinguishing habitat specific responses. With this aim, we studied the benthic diatom communities of a deep oligotrophic lake across several habitats. The main source of variation in the diatom composition was the substrate type; particularly, sediment biofilms. Depth was the second factor. The thermocline defined a shift in diatom communities that also included changes in the dominant lifeforms. A third factor was the mesoscale heterogeneity (i.e., rock sides). Although most species were present in many habitats, characteristic species were identified for all the main habitats and used for an improved interpretation of the deep sediment record. Appropriate standardization showed increasing species richness and diversity from epilimnetic epilithic samples to hypolimnetic sediment samples. We estimate that more than 5000 valve counts are required for appropriate comparisons. Consequently, in sediment records with lower counts per sample, one has to amalgamate samples—losing temporal resolution—to achieve reliable analyses of diversity changes over time. Deep sediment samples are representative of the gamma-diversity of the lake diatom metacommunity, which result from the local alpha diversity of the habitats and the beta-diversity of the variability in composition among them. This double source of diversity has to be taken into account when using the sediment record for estimating lake biodiversity changes. On the other hand, we show that an estimation of the spatial (habitat) heterogeneity of a reconstructed environmental variable can be achieved using subsets of species characteristic of each habitat. We demonstrate the procedure by reconstructing the pH fluctuations during the last 200 years in several habitats from a single sediment record. The results are coherent with the expected differences between predominantly trophogenic or tropholithic habitats.     

Relationship between landscape heterogeneity and plant species richness on the Mexican Pacific coast

The present study aims to use landscape heterogeneity as a predictor of plant species richness in a tropical dry landscape area in the coast of Michoacán, Mexico. To understand the relationship between species richness and landscape, a three-step approach was followed: first, landscape spatial heterogeneity was measured by classifying landscape types according to their attributes (i.e., environmental, soil and topographic variables). Second, several diversity standard indices were used to explore biological diversity and to select the best one explaining the relationship between landscape heterogeneity and plant species richness, for this study area. Third, from the obtained results it was possible to calculate biodiversity values on the basis of landscape heterogeneity. The results indicate that it is possible to predict more than 61% of species richness through an indicator of landscape heterogeneity (H′; Shannon–Weaver diversity index). This procedure may be useful in terms of land use, conservation, and management of protected areas, mainly in areas with high biodiversity but with limited biological data, since it allows to obtain an approximation of the spatial distribution of species richness, even with scarce biological information.     

喜马拉雅中部甘达基河流域尼泊尔国鸟(棕尾虹雉)生境分布变化

甘达基河流域(Gandaki River Basin,GRB)是喜马拉雅中部地区的一部分,该地区栖息着许多珍稀的野生动物。由于气候和人类活动的影响,许多珍稀保护物种的生境处于危险之中。本研究基于最大熵(MaxEnt)模型,运用生物气候、土地覆被和DEM数据,分析各环境要素对棕尾虹雉(Lophophorusimpejanus)的生境适宜性的影响,评估棕尾虹雉现在状况和未来栖息地分布的变化。研究表明,目前棕尾虹雉的高度适宜栖息地面积约为749 km^2,主要分布在流域北部、东部和西部,尤其是郎塘国家公园、马纳斯卢峰自然保护区和安纳布尔纳峰自然保护区等保护区内。到2050年,棕尾虹雉的高度适宜栖息地面积将减少至561 km^2,主要在流域北部和西北部(即Chhyo,Tatopani,Humde和Chame地区)。未来环境变化的模拟表明,由于适宜栖息地面积的减少,棕尾虹雉面临的生存风险将增加。     

Abundance and diversity of small mammals in response to various linear habitats in semi-arid agricultural landscapes

We investigated the influence of linear habitats, three types of hedgerows and two types of field margins, on the small mammal community within a semi-arid agricultural landscape in south-central British Columbia, Canada. We examined whether abundance, species richness, and species diversity of small mammals in tree fruit orchards differed from linear, edge habitats along orchard margins. Our five edges spanned grassy to wooded habitats. Linear habitats were intensively sampled for vascular plants in 2003 and small mammal communities from 2003 to 2007. Vegetation and total abundance of small mammal species among three types of hedgerows were similar and population changes followed those within nearby apple orchards. Species richness and diversity of small mammals, however, were significantly higher in hedgerows than orchards. Fewer mammals occupied hedgerows with high volumes of herb and shrub biomass, but richness and diversity of mammals did increase with shrub volume. All seven species of small mammals were represented in the hedgerow communities, including two species at risk: the Great Basin pocket mouse Perognathus parvus and the western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis). Two types of field margins (orchard-sagebrush and orchard-old field) along fencerows provided habitat for P. parvus. Field margins managed for herbaceous plant species along fencerows and other such linear configurations provided habitat for R. megalotis. Linear non-crop habitats should maintain the overall small mammal community, as well as the two species at risk, within this semi-arid agricultural landscape.     

洪河国家级自然保护区湿地功能区保育与湿地补偿研究

黑龙江洪河国家级自然保护区位于三江平原腹地,保护区内有众多国家重点保护的野生动植物物种。由于保护区的功能区划和周边地区农田用地的开发,保护区已经面临着水资源匮乏、湿地退化等问题。本文从保护区的湿地功能区保育现状和保护区各功能区生态补偿等方面研究了洪河自然保护区湿地生态补偿问题,确保洪河湿地生物多样性的完整性,达到湿地生物多样性保护与可持续利用的目的。     

Microfungal community associated with rhizosphere soil of Zygophyllum qatarense in arid habitats of Bahrain

Population density and species diversity of microfungal communities were investigated in the rhizosphere soil of the halophytic plant Zygophyllum qatarense inhabiting saline and nonsaline habitats of the arid desert environment of Bahrain. Unlike the nonsaline habitat which is situated in the physiographic zone of multiple escarpment and backslopes, the saline site is located in the coastal lowlands and is featured by high chloride content, electrical conductivity, total soluble salts and low organic matter. Soils of both habitats are sandy, slightly alkaline, poor in nutrient sources, low in water-holding capacity and mainly dominated by a salt-tolerant flora. Quantification of data for the recovery of fungi were based on colony identification and counts by a series of ten-fold dilutions plate method, using various natural, synthetic and selective media. A total of 2780 isolates, fluctuating between 25 and 1109 per sample, were recovered during the present study among all habitats, seasons and plant sizes. Grouping of these isolates has resulted in a maximum of 28 fungal taxa varied between 5 and 15 species, of which 24 were hyphomycetes, 3 ascomycetes and one was an unknown species. All the recorded species in this study, excluding the genus Fusarium, are newly reported from the arid terrestrial habitats of Bahrain. Of the encountered fungi,Cladosporium sphaerospermum was the most dominant and frequent genus, among all plant sizes, followed by Penicillium citrinam and Aspergillus fumigatus, a finding with consistent documented data from similar arid Sahara ecosystems. Examination of data, supported by analysis of relative density values, percentage recovery rates, polar ordination and diversity indices revealed that the nonsaline habitat during the dry period yielded the highest isolate frequency, species abundance, and diversity when compared with the saline habitat. Moreover, a progressive increase in colony occurrence and species diversity was equivalently associated with increment in plant size in the nonsaline habitat. Apparently, the vast majority (moderate to low occurrence class) of the reported species are rhizosphere indigenous saprophytic cellulose-decomposers, whilst the sparse taxa (high occurrence class), e.g. C. sphaerospermum, are regarded as thermo-osmotolerant. Comparison of species richness among samples suggests that small plants inhabiting nonsaline habitats during the wet and dry season were richest in species composition. It is proposed that inter- and intra-specific variation in fungal community between the above habitats reflect not only the influence of plant age and season but also extends to critical multi-soil edaphic and biotic factors involving essentially soil moisture, salinity and root growth dynamic and exudates.     

Patterns of Changes to Woody Vegetation near Resettlement Sites in Semi-arid Northwestern Ethiopia

Communal rangelands provide diverse ecosystem services to millions of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. Resettling destitute communities into hitherto uninhabited communal rangelands and forests, a common practice throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, is a threat to the sustainable use of range and forest land resources. In order to understand the effect of resettlement on a semi-arid woodland in northwestern Ethiopia, satellite imagery of 23 resettlement villages taken over a period of fourteen years, and woody vegetation floristic data for three old resettlements, three new resettlements, two refugee camps and one protected area were analyzed using ANOVA and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) and canopy cover around all village types decreased with disturbance gradients, while the magnitude of change varied according to the type of settlement. Limited canopy cover was observed in refugee camps and new resettlements, compared to old resettlements and protected areas. Woody vegetation height class showed a J shaped distribution in all sites except refugee camps (RC), indicating a decline in vegetation. CCA showed that variables like site type, altitude and disturbance gradient significantly affected the diversity of woody species at the different sites. Comparison of individual species responses to disturbances indicated that low fodder value invaders like Dichrostachys cinerea, and many Acacia species were increasing in proportion and coverage at the expense of some multipurpose species including Tamarindus indica, Diospyros mespiliformis, and Pterocarpus lucens. In the absence of regulated vegetation use, resettlements result in a decline in overall vegetation cover and a shift in floristic diversity in favor of invasive species.     

Rainfall variability may modify the effects of long-term exclosure on vegetation in Mandalgobi,Mongolia

Starting in 2005, we examined differences in vegetation for three consecutive years across an airport fence that separated heavily grazed areas from areas in which grazing had been excluded for 24 years in Mandalgobi, Mongolia. We performed repeated-measures analysis separately on two community types (dominated by Allium polyrrhizum and Achnatherum splendens, respectively) to compare the effects of fencing and year on the cover of different plant functional types. There was a significant fence × year interaction for grass cover in the Allium type (but not the Achnatherum type), due to greater cover of grasses inside the fence only when rainfall was sufficient during the growing season. The effect of grazing exclusion on perennial forb cover was confounded by a significant fence × year interaction in both types. In 2007, perennial forbs were found outside the fence, but had almost disappeared inside the fence, resulting in this interaction. Annual forbs only had much greater cover values inside the fence than outside in 2006, also resulting in a significant fence × year interaction in both community types. This study thus suggests that the high rainfall variability in arid and semi-arid rangelands may modify the effects of long-term exclosure on vegetation.     

塞罕坝国家级自然保护区野生鱼类资源与保护对策

2014年7—9月对塞罕坝自然保护区进行野生鱼类调查,结果发现塞罕坝有鱼类13种,隶属4目5科13属,鲤鱼目鲤科鱼类是最大的类群,优势种为拉氏鱥Phoxinus lagowskii Dybowski和北方须鳅Barbatula barbatula nuda(Bleeker)。在保护区各水系中,吐力根河是鱼类主要分布地,其次是泰丰湖。在鱼类生境分布中,仅分布在一种生境的鱼类有4种,占鱼类总种数的30.77%;分布在2种或3种生境的鱼类分别有3种,占鱼类总种数的38.46%;分布在4种生境的鱼类有1种,占鱼类总种数的7.69%,广布种2种,占鱼类总种数的15.38%。生境丧失和过度捕捞是造成鱼类下降的主要原因,针对鱼类资源保护中存在的问题,提出了相应的保护对策。     

Elevation and local refuges ensure persistence of mountain specific vegetation in the Nigerien Sahara

The inselberg structure and the local habitats of the Aïr mountains (Niger) are hypothesized to generate the coexistence of geographically isolated plant species with high conservation values. By studying the diversity and the distribution of plants on the highest peak of these mountains, we aimed to identify the respective effects of local and regional abiotic factors on isolated species. We estimated the regional effects of elevation by comparing 103 floristic quadrats with existing data in the adjacent lowlands, and we tested the effects of local abiotic variables on species distribution with ordination methods. Among the 151 species identified, 12 were recorded for the first time in Niger and 53 were not found in the adjacent lowlands, thus evidencing true mountain specificity. A five-class habitat variable separated a relatively high portion of Saharan-Mediterranean species (8%) located in volcanic gullies, and Guinean-Sudanian-Zambezian species (13%) located in granite boulders. These two habitats provided local abiotic refuges (boulders, gullies), which protected a pool of relictual species from aridity, and probably from grazers. Species persistence may thus be dependent both on regional and local abiotic variables. With probable high genetic divergence because of the surrounding desert matrix, their conservation value may be particularly high.     

Patterns of diversity of the Monte Desert small mammals across multiple spatial scales

The relationship between spatial scale and biodiversity patterns is a highly debated topic in ecology. We evaluated the partition of small mammal diversity at multiple spatial scales and analyzed protected areas in order to evaluate their role of protecting biodiversity at the regional scale. Diversity of small mammals in the Monte Desert was quantified at the regional biome scale (96,000 km²) (γ) and partitioned at three spatial scales: aridity range (α₃,n = 6,16 000 km²), locality level (α₂,n = 18,2-3 ha), and habitat patch (α₁,n = 51,0.6 ha). We estimated their diversity using an additive approach with three indices (richness, Shannon-Weiner, Simpson). Diversity was higher than expected at the “between aridity range (β₃)” scale, but lower at the “within-habitat scale (α₁)”. Alpha was higher than beta diversity for most spatial scales; and at the regional scale protected areas preserved a higher biodiversity than unprotected ones. Our results are the first to partition the diversity of desert small mammals at multiple spatial scales and to support the hypotheses of an irregular scale dependence of alpha and beta diversity when increasing the spatial scales. They also highlight that a better understanding of biodiversity patterns is gained when several tools are integrated and combined at different spatial scales.     

江西铜钹山自然保护区贝类物种多样性

基于2012年7月至2013年8月调查的江西铜钹山自然保护区贝类资源,研究保护区内贝类的物种多样性,以及在不同生境类型下的分布规律和区系与动物地理组成,探索该地区内贝类物种组成和栖息环境之间的关系。通过定性与定量的方法共采得贝类42种及亚种,分别隶属于2纲4目16科28属。其中,淡水贝类15种,分别隶属于2纲3目7科10属;陆生贝类27种,分别隶属于1纲3目9科18属,其中有3种为江西的新记录：小柱倍唇螺（Diplommatina paxillus）、三重真卷螺（Euplecta trifilaris）和小石环肋螺（Plectotropis calculus）。淡水贝类优势种为放逸短沟蜷（Semisulcospira libertine）和小土蜗（Galba pervia）,陆生贝类优势种为扁恰里螺（Kaliella depressa）、弗氏巴蜗牛（Bradybaena fortunei）和灰尖巴蜗牛（Bradybaena ravida ravida）。贝类动物地理区系组成以东洋界为主,共22种,占总种数的52.38%。采用Margalef丰富度指数d_MA、Shannon-Wiener（1949）多样性指数H'、Pielou均匀度指数J_SW对在不同生境类型下的贝类多样性进行分析,结果表明：灌丛生境陆生贝类的丰富度指数和多样性指数均最高,针阔混交林生境的均匀度指数最高。根据Jaccard公式计算并比较铜钹山与邻近自然保护区陆生贝类物种相似性系数发现：铜钹山自然保护区陆生贝类物种较丰富;与阳际峰自然保护区陆生贝类物种相似系数较高,为23.33%,与湖南莽山自然保护区物种相似性系数较低,为6.45%,并对其相似性差异进行了原因分析。