Ants in Labyrinths: Lessons for Critical Landscapes

Percolation theory provides a starting point for models for the movement of organisms in fragmented landscapes. We simulated six general rules for movement on three general landscape patterns with different degrees of habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation pattern affects migration success. Organisms moving within habitat patches are restricted by fragmentation, but the response is less abrupt as one moves from random to hierarchical to fractal landscapes, respectively. Success for organisms moving along edges is more strongly differentiated by landscape pattern. Success and speed are usually directly related, but indirect relations may indicate rare but efficient pathways or cul-de-sacs. We propose that general rules can be applied to the identification of landscapes near critical levels of fragmentation that will respond sensitively to increases in fragmentation or efforts at restoration.     

Towards a process-based biogeography of reindeer—scaling space,time, and organizational levels of space use

Due to increasing anthropogenic habitat alteration, fragmentation, and loss, the analysis of how, when, and why animals select particular habitats has become a central issue in ecology and biogeography. Animals adapt to spatiotemporal variability in resources either by tracking these resources or by plasticity in behavior to cover their needs, leading to three important implications: movement, temporal variation, and individual trade-offs leading to intra-species variability, all of which are directly linked to the use of space by animals. Based on GPS-tracking of domesticated reindeer in southern Norway, the authors addressed these issues by analyzing movement patterns and space use simultaneously across different temporal and organizational scales. Emerging information about the space use by reindeer was found explicitly linked to scaling relations, reflecting the matter of scale as having important functional implications rather than solely being a technical question of extent and resolution. Adding movement into the analysis of space use further advances the necessary functional perspective on space use. The authors conclude that scaling not only space but also time and the organizational level, in combination with accounting for different behavioral states, brings biogeography closer to a process-based view, rather than solely pattern-based view.     

Precipitation impacts on mule deer habitat use in the chihuahuan desert of Mexico

In arid lands, food resources and predation risk become major decision factors in mule deer habitat use. We examined variables related to these two factors that might determine mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) habitat use in a warm desert at two spatial scales: the macro-habitat scale, which relates to home range decisions, and the micro-habitat scale, which relates to decisions made during foraging. Our prediction was that habitat use should primarily be explained by food variables and, to a lesser degree, by variables related to predation risk by pumas (Puma concolor). We mapped all deer pellet groups in 72, 1 ha quadrats in the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve and measured food and habitat variables over two years with different precipitation amounts. The area was used more intensively during the dry year. Under drier conditions, deer habitat use was explained primarily by food resource variables and secondarily by variables related with predation risk. During the wetter year, food resources became unimportant while cover and visibility explained deer habitat use. The data suggest that the tradeoffs deer are willing to make between food resources and predation risk in an arid environment are strongly affected by food resource levels, as influenced by precipitation.     

Ants in Labyrinths: Lessons for Critical Landscapes

Percolation theory provides a starting point for models for the movement of organisms in fragmented landscapes. We simulated six general rules for movement on three general landscape patterns with different degrees of habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation pattern affects migration success. Organisms moving within habitat patches are restricted by fragmentation, but the response is less abrupt as one moves from random to hierarchical to fractal landscapes, respectively. Success for organisms moving along edges is more strongly differentiated by landscape pattern. Success and speed are usually directly related, but indirect relations may indicate rare but efficient pathways or cul-de-sacs. We propose that general rules can be applied to the identification of landscapes near critical levels of fragmentation that will respond sensitively to increases in fragmentation or efforts at restoration.     

湿地景观变化对水禽生境影响研究进展

湿地是自然界重要的生态系统和景观类型,具有巨大的资源潜力和环境功能,是水禽赖以生存的重要繁殖地和越冬地。几十年来,由于人类活动影响造成的湿地景观巨大变化,不仅改变了湿地景观原有的功能,而且在景观或区域水平对水禽的生存环境产生重要影响。湿地景观变化主要在湿地大面积丧失、湿地景观异质性变化和湿地景观破碎化等方面对水禽需求的生境类型和生境要素产生重要影响。我们从湿地景观变化的特征出发,概述了国内外湿地景观变化对水禽生境的影响。发现该方面的研究在研究思路方面发生了方向性的变化。随着对水禽保护的重视,研究和保护战略从过去的研究和保护物种途径转到保护物种所生存的生态系统和景观——即水禽生境的研究和保护受到高度重视;另一方面的变化是研究方法的进步。主要表现为结合野外调查,利用遥感和GIS技术研究水禽生境时空变化及其对水禽种类和种群数量的影响。最后应用累积效应的原理和方法,对深入研究的科学问题进行了展望,提出一些需要深入探讨的问题。     

Changes and continuity of wood-pastures in the lowland landscape in Czechia

The term wood-pastures is usually applied to areas with trees or other woody vegetation, scattered through a mainly grazed grassland area, and reflects one of the oldest land use types in Europe, which plays important ecological, agricultural and socio-cultural roles. However, a rapid decline in their area due to changes in land use and a lack of tree regeneration has recently been observed all over Europe, which has led to the necessity of a deeper understanding of their behaviour in relation to different factors via a detailed analysis of the history of the changes in their distribution over space and time. Despite the recent increase in the number of related studies, information on historic patterns of wood-pastures in many European locations, such as Czechia, remains incomplete. The goal of this study is to assess the habitat continuity of current wood-pastures and to analyse the land-use/land-cover changes of historical and current wood-pastures in lowlands and warm landscapes of hills and basins of Czechia. To achieve this, nine sites covering a total area of 98.6 km² were studied in Czechia. The situation on three time horizons (1820–1840s, the early 1950s and today) was analysed. The results have shown that almost all wood-pastures from the 1st half of the 19th century have now been lost and most of the currently existing ones were formed from the 1950s till today. Most wood-pastures, which were lost by the 1950s, were turned into open habitats, such as arable lands, and the ones lost from 1950 were turned into forest. New wood-pastures are mostly formed from open habitats, often in former military areas.     

Effect of cattle breeding on habitat use of Pampas deer Ozotoceros bezoarticus celer in semiarid grasslands of San Luis, Argentina

The largest population of the Argentinean Pampas deer Ozotoceros bezoarticus celer is found in the semiarid grasslands of the San Luis province. Despite relatively high deer numbers in the region, there has been concern that expansion of farming practices could displace the species. Since the 1990’s, cattle breeding has intensified especially as a result of the replacement of natural grassland with South African digit grass (Digitaria eriantha) and African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula). In this study, we studied how deer in “El Centenario” ranch used available habitat types, especially to assess whether it preferentially used natural over exotic pastures. We employed 8 fixed line transects to record deer numbers and habitat use during the dry season, early rainy and late rainy seasons. We estimated a mean population size of 731 ± 121 individuals, a density of 1.95 ± 0.25 deer/km². Our results also showed that deer did not appear to select natural pastures over exotic ones, though D. eriantha grasslands with cattle were used less during the late rainy season. Grazed pastures with D. eriantha without cattle were used significantly more during all time periods. Our results therefore suggest that Pampas deer are not shifted by exotic pastures but we caution that it is important to manage these habitats sustainably (e.g. cattle load adjusted to grassland nutritional supply, rotational crops with parcel rest period), to ensure the conservation of the species within agricultural areas.     

黄河下游沿岸农业景观中蜘蛛对非农生境的响应（英文）

Non-crop habitats have been suggested to impact local biodiversity significantly in agricultural landscapes. However, there have been few studies of the effects of less-focused non-crop habitats(orchard, wetland, pit and ditch) on variation of spider abundance. In this study, spiders in 30 woodlands were captured using pitfall traps in Fengqiu County, China, and the effects of local and landscape variations at different scales(50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 350 m and 500 m) on spider abundance were analysed. The most important variation that influenced spider abundance at the 500 m scale was the less-focused non-crop habitat(LNH) cover, and 10% was an appropriate proportion of LNH cover to sustain high level of spider diversity in the investigated landscape. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses revealed that there were significant differences in the spider composition among the high, medium and low LNH coverage. Based on indicator species analysis, different spider species were associated with landscapes with different levels of LNH cover. Lycosidae, which accounted for 48% of the total specimens, preferred woodland habitats neighbouring areas with high LNH cover. Compared with woodland habitats, LNH provided more diverse food sources and habitat to sustain more spider species in the study area. Furthermore, linear elements composed of vegetation, such as pits and ditches, may prevent agricultural intensification by enhancing landscape connectivity and providing habitats for different spiders. Our findings may provide a theoretical basis for biodiversity conservation in agro-ecosystems and top-down control of pests.     

基于InVEST模型的兰州地区生境质量评价

分析不同时期城市的生境质量变化,研究城市土地利用方式对生境质量的影响,对于区域可持续发展具有重要作用。以兰州地区为例,采用InVEST模型测评其生境质量和生境稀缺性。结果表明：2000—2015年,研究区域边界生境存在退化迹象,生境质量分布呈现与土地利用类型格局相似的集聚特征,区域总体生境质量稳定,变化频繁且生境类型稀缺的区块主要表现在草地。     

Comparison of input data with different spatial resolution in landscape pattern analysis – A case study from northern Latvia

A suitable spatial scale needs to be selected in geographical and landscape ecological research, and this requires great consideration as different scales have profound effect on derived landscape spatial patterns. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of different scales on landscape metrics using simulated patterns, but few have been conducted to compare different data sources with variable scale for regional- and landscape-scale assessments. Possibly this has occurred because researchers have been prone to use the best available source, a well-known standard, and easiest to use. This study was conducted to assess the impact of input data resolution on values of landscape pattern metrics in four landscapes at scales 1:10 000, 1:50 000 and 1:100 000. The aim was to determine the applicability of three data sources for thematic models in landscape pattern analyses in the Eastern Baltic region. We found that the utility of CORINE Land Cover data for comprehensive structural assessment in mosaic-type landscapes was very limited, as the level of cartographic generalization excluded many small and linear landscape structure elements with potentially high importance for landscape functioning, such as habitat continuity. We also found that actual area harvested using clearcuts was considerably higher than shown in CORINE data, due to clearcuts size being much smaller than the minimum mapping unit. In the light of this, we suggest using data with spatial resolution corresponding to a cartographic scale of at least 1:50 000, in cases when spatial patches have size up to 25 ha.     

Modeling habitat use of the threatened and endemic mara (Dolichotis patagonum,Rodentia, Caviidae) in agricultural landscapes of Monte Desert

Effective management of natural populations depends heavily on the capacity for understanding and predicting their habitat requirements. For endemic and threatened species like the mara (Dolichotis patagonum), this information is extremely necessary for populations survival. I investigated and constructed a mathematical habitat model for the mara, with the capacity to predict the probability of finding animals in a particular environment. In the Monte Desert, maras prefer habitats with low shrub density and high percentage of bare soil. The area used by each couple of maras was 7.73 ha and shows an aggregation pattern. Contrary to expectation, about 94% of these areas were in habitats created by human activities. Grazed, burned and crop areas seem to be prefered by maras when natural open habitat disappear. This information and the results of habitat requirements can be used to monitor the status of mara populations and predict potential population extinctions according to habitat variables.     

鄱阳湖水利枢纽工程水位调控方案的探讨

利用历史水文资料、越冬候鸟分布调查资料及基础地理数据等, 从鄱阳湖形态的历史演变和鄱阳湖越冬候鸟生境保护的角度, 探讨鄱阳湖水利枢纽工程的水位调控方案。研究得到以下结论和建议:(1) 在维持鄱阳湖形态不变的情况下, 为有效保护越冬候鸟生境不受水利枢纽工程水位调控的影响, 工程调控水位不宜超过12 m, 但由于低水位运行不利于水利枢纽工程工程效益的发挥, 而高水位运行不利于越冬候鸟栖息地的保护, 为调和工程效益和候鸟保护之间的矛盾, 建议实施适当退田还湖, 以促进鄱阳湖水利枢纽工程的规划实施;(2) 根据地形、越冬候鸟分布范围、圩堤内居民点分布以及圩堤内土地利用现状, 提出了约640 km²实施退田还湖范围;(3) 以退田还湖为前提, 按照“调枯不调洪”原则, 提出鄱阳湖水利枢纽工程的水位调控方案, 为工程的推进和实施提供参考。     

Scale dependence in habitat selection: the case of the endangered brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the Cantabrian Range (NW Spain)

Animals select habitat resources at multiple spatial scales. Thus, explicit attention to scale dependency in species–habitat relationships is critical to understand the habitat suitability patterns as perceived by organisms in complex landscapes. Identification of the scales at which particular environmental variables influence habitat selection may be as important as the selection of variables themselves. In this study, we combined bivariate scaling and Maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling to investigate multiscale habitat selection of endangered brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations in northwest Spain. Bivariate scaling showed that the strength of apparent habitat relationships was highly sensitive to the scale at which predictor variables are evaluated. Maxent models on the optimal scale for each variable suggested that landscape composition together with human disturbances was dominant drivers of bear habitat selection, while habitat configuration and edge effects were substantially less influential. We found that explicitly optimizing the scale of habitat suitability models considerably improved single-scale modeling in terms of model performance and spatial prediction. We found that patterns of brown bear habitat suitability represent the cumulative influence of habitat selection across a broad range of scales, from local resources within habitat patches to the landscape composition at broader spatial scales.     

小兴安岭森林土壤动物群落多样性的研究

对小兴安岭阔叶红松林、次生白桦林、云冷杉红松林、兴安落叶松林、云冷杉林和赤杨林6种生境中的土壤动物群落多样性进行了研究。结果表明,在阔叶红松林生境中,无论大型土壤动物还是中小型土壤动物,多样性都较高,表明其生境条件比其它5种生境优越。土壤动物的多样性与丰富度、均匀度呈正相关,与优势度呈负相关,与个体数没有直接相关关系。土壤动物的垂直多样性分布,随土层深度增加而减少,但递减速率不同,中小型土壤动物表聚性要比大型土壤动物明显。     

基于栅格数据和图论算法的生态廊道识别

利用图论中最短路算法思想和ArcGIS的空间分析功能,对生境中动物迁徙廊道的识别与构建进行研究。通过对具有不同空间自相关特征的模拟景观进行分析,发现该方法具有较好的适应性,能识别出不同类型模拟景观的廊道。在模拟景观分析的基础上,将该算法应用于长沙市大河西先导区,计算了先导区重要栖息地之间的廊道。研究表明该计算方法提取的生态廊道具有明显的冗余性,充分反映了物种在不同栖息地之间迁徙的需求,具有一定的生态学意义。同时廊道提取结果在一定程度上反映了城市发展对生态系统尤其是生态廊道的胁迫与挤占。通过对廊道空间结构的分析还发现生态廊道存在一定的瓶颈区域,对该区域的生态恢复与重建将对物种多样性的保持起到关键作用。该方法为区域土地管理以及生态环境保护规划提供一定的科学依据。     

Comments on “Automated Geography”

Mapping patterns of species richness is a longstanding tradition in biogeography and more recently in conservation planning. This paper describes the effects of sampling unit size on patterns of vertebrate richness across landscapes in the Intermountain Sagebrush and Rocky Mountain Forest ecoregions in Idaho. Variability of richness decreased with increasing size of the spatial sampling units at both sites, with greater overall variability in the forested site. Richness in the sagebrush region was best explained by alpha diversity, whereas beta diversity accounted for more of the variability in richness in the forested site.     

Mapping eastern equine encephalitis virus risk for white-tailed deer in Michigan

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is often fatal to humans and horses. Some species including white-tailed deer and passerine birds can survive infection with the EEE virus (EEEV) and develop antibodies that can be detected using laboratory techniques. In this way, collected serum samples from free ranging white-tailed deer can be used to monitor the presence of the virus in ecosystems. This study developed and tested a risk index model designed to predict EEEV activity in white-tailed deer in a three-county area of Michigan. The model evaluates EEEV risk on a continuous scale from 0.0 (no measurable risk) to 1.0 (highest possible risk). High risk habitats are identified as those preferred by white-tailed deer that are also located in close proximity to an abundance of wetlands and lowland forests, which support disease vectors and hosts. The model was developed based on relevant literature and was tested with known locations of infected deer that showed neurological symptoms. The risk index model accurately predicted the known locations, with the mean value for those sites equal to the 94th percentile of values in the study area. The risk map produced by the model could be used refine future EEEV monitoring efforts that use serum samples from free-ranging white-tailed deer to monitor viral activity. Alternatively, it could be used focus educational efforts targeted toward deer hunters that may have elevated risks of infection.     

美国“孤立湿地”保护中的“候鸟规则”及对我国湿地保护的启示

在美国,孤立湿地与可通航水域没有水文联系,被认为不属于《清洁水法》中的“水域”,联邦无权管辖。为此,陆军工程兵团制定“候鸟规则”,作为对孤立湿地行使管辖权的依据。美国“孤立湿地”保护中的“候鸟规则”对我国的启示在于:(1)应从水文学角度界定孤立湿地,孤立湿地是指与其它水体缺乏联系、相对孤立的湿地,这更符合我国湿地政策的现状;(2)人工“孤立湿地”受保护,除了需满足一定的水文条件,还须是野生动物事实上的栖息地,不应限于建立“栖息地档案”意义下的野生动物栖息地或纳入野生动物重要栖息地名录的栖息地;(3)孤立的人工湿地如果是国家重点保护野生动物栖息地,其管辖权应由中央行使;(4)国家重点保护野生动物栖息地外的其他孤立湿地,面积达到35 hm2以上,也应由中央管辖。     

Analysing telemetry data with a GIS-based vector structure

Abstract

This paper proposes a unique method for plotting field bearing locations, of the kind typically taken by wildlife biologists on free ranging species, directly on a computer-compatible habitat map. We show how to use a GIS data base to identify differential habitat use directly from the polygon formed by each set of bearings. A geometric algorithm is developed to interpret the bearings accurately. The technique avoids the most difficult errors associated with using point locations, namely those due to animal movement, and distance from receiver to transmitter, and is especially useful for habitat preference studies.     

Do free-ranging domestic goats show ‘landscapes of fear’? Patch use in response to habitat features and predator cues

One factor that influences foraging is predation risk. As a result, herbivores may not use landscapes uniformly due to spatial differences in perceived predation risk. Wild herbivores forage across these ‘landscapes of fear’; however, the extent to which domestic herbivores consider them is generally unknown. Using a grid of artificial food patches and measuring giving up densities (GUDs), we mapped landscapes of fear of free-ranging domestic goats on three substrates. In the first experiment, we related GUDs to landscape variables. Goats preferred feeding in open ground with firm substrate compared to a sandy riverbed or a rocky hillside. We suggest that differences relate to escape potential and the occurrence of ambush sites. Landscape variables that influenced feeding effort were patch visibility and plants next to a patch. In a second experiment, we increased predation risk by adding predator dung and urine into the habitats. In response, feeding effort declined across all three habitats. Furthermore, goats only responded to patch visibility and not plants next to the patches. Better sightlines increase predator detection and allow individuals to see group members. Our results indicate that predation risk influences the extent to which free-ranging domestic herbivores utilise landscapes.