Lidryopinae,new byrrhid subfamily from the Lower Cretaceous of France (Coleoptera,Byrrhidae)

The byrrhid subfamily Lidryopinae subfam. nov. is proposed for Lidryops occultus gen. et sp. nov. described from Lower Cretaceous “opaque” amber originated from Archingeay-Les Nouillers, Charente-Maritime, southwest France which was studied using propagation phase contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Grenoble). This byrrhid subfamily differs from members of the closely related groups (Chelonariidae, Limnichidae, Dryopidae, Elmidae, Lutrochidae) in the set of characters including the moderately convex dorsum, the subpectinate antennae, the five-segmented tarsi with strongly lobed tarsomeres 1–4, subsecuriform ultimate maxillary and labial palpomeres. An assumption on probable lifestyle of Lidryops occultus gen. et sp. nov. is proposed on the basis of structural peculiarities. A short review of the byrrhid fossil record and its analysis are made.     

New Isophlebioid Dragonflies from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China (Insecta: Odonata: Isophlebioptera:Campterophlebiidae)

Three new species of fossil dragonflies assigned to Sinokaratawia Nel, Huang and Lin in family Campterophlebiidae, i.e. S. daohugouica sp. nov., S. magica sp. nov. and S. gloriosa sp. nov., and new materials of male S. prokopi Nel, Huang and Lin, 2007 are described from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. An emended diagnosis of genus Sinokaratawia was proposed.     

浙东中新世Betula mioluminifera Hu et Chaney的发现及古气候重建

随着古气候和古环境研究的日渐深入,“特有种气候分析法”成为新生代定量重建古气候研究的重要方法之一。使用这一方法分析了浙江东部天台中新统下南山组的古亮叶桦（Betula mioluminifera Hu et Chaney）压型化石,研究了其叶结构特征及表皮微细构造,定量推论浙江天台中新世时年平均温度为12.5～22.1℃,春季平均温度为13.0～23.1℃,较现在温暖。我国内蒙、吉林、山东、云南等地的新近系发现过古亮叶桦,分布的北界为42°N。其现存最近亲缘种亮叶桦（Betula luminifera）生活在101～119°E,23～34°N之间,海拔500～1800 m的山区,是我国特有树种。亮叶桦分布范围的缩小显示中新世一段时期我国气候逐渐变冷的趋势。     

Dimerelloid rhynchonellide brachiopods in the Lower Jurassic of the Engadine (Canton Graubünden, National Park, Switzerland)

New brachiopods (Dimerelloidea, Rhynchonellida) from Lower Jurassic (?lower Hettangian) hemipelagic sediments of the Swiss National Park in south-eastern Engadine are described: Sulcirostra doesseggeri sp. nov. and Carapezzia engadinensis sp. nov. Sulcirostra doesseggeri is externally similar to S. fuggeri (Frauscher 1883), a dubious species, that could not be included in a comparative study, because relevant samples no longer exist. A single specimen was tentatively assigned to Sulcirostra ?zitteli (Böse 1894) by comparison of its external morphology with S. zitteli from the type locality. The partly silicified brachiopods are associated with sponge spicules, radiolarians and crinoid ossicles. Macrofossils are rare: dictyid sponges, gastropods, bivalves, crustaceans, shark teeth and scales of an actinopterygian fish. The Lower Jurassic sediments (Alpisella beds, a basal member of the Allgäu Formation) preserving the brachiopods belong to the Ortler nappe (Upper Austroalpine nappes). The exact age of the Alpisella beds is not known, as index fossils are lacking. Their stratigraphic position above the Rhaetian Kössen Formation and below the ammonite-dated Trupchun beds suggests a very Early Jurassic, probably early Hettangian age for the new brachiopod fauna. The new species of Sulcirostra and Carapezzia are confined to a very small geographic area, a peculiarity also observed in other Early Jurassic dimerelloid brachiopods. These brachiopods presumably adapted to current-dominated submarine highs, where their shells could not accumulate, except when trapped in submarine cavities or re-deposited in submarine fans. Transport by turbidity currents is suggested for the Early Jurassic dimerelloids from the Engadine. Problems with the generic definition of Sulcirostra and the higher rank classification of Carapezzia are discussed.     

干旱荒漠区退耕地植被演替及土壤水分变化

采用时空互代法,以不同退耕年限退耕地为研究对象,对27个样方植被群落特征和土壤含水量变化特征进行描述性统计分析,使用多元线性回归探究植物演替和土壤水分之间的关系。结果表明：（1）退耕18a间,退耕地植被群落自然演替经历了一年生草本为绝对优势种一年生和多年生草本竞争存在灌木开始出现并逐渐成为优势种的演替过程,物种Margalef指数和Shannon-Wiener指数均出现增大的趋势。（2）土壤水分随着退耕年限的增加也有所增加,且同一退耕年限内,随着土壤深度增加,土壤水分亦逐渐增加。（3）土壤水分对物种Margalef指数、Shannon-Wiener指数具有极显著影响,相比于其他土层,深度为40～50cm的土层对植被生长和演替的贡献最为显著。     

Biodiversity,productivity, and temporal stability in a natural grassland ecosystem of China

Understanding the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem function is critical to promoting the sustainability of ecosystems and species conservation in natural ecosystems. We observed species composition, species richness and aboveground biomass,and simulated the competitive assemblages in a natural grassland ecosystem of China, aiming to test some assumptions and predictions about biodiversity–stability relationships. Our results show that aboveground productivity and temporal stability increased significantly with increasing species richness, and via a combination of overyielding, species asynchrony, and portfolio effects. Species interactions resulted in overyielding caused by trait-independent complementarity, and were not offset by a negative dominance effect and trait-dependent complementarity effect. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying the biodiversity effect shifted from the selection effect to the complementarity effect as diversity increased, and both effects were coexisted but the complementarity effect represent a mechanism that facilitates long term species coexistence in a natural grassland ecosystem of China.     

浑善达克沙地飞播区植被动态

采用空间代替时间的方法,连续4年对浑善达克沙地飞播区（1999-2015年）植被进行调查,分析飞播植被演替进程中群落物种组成、多样性以及飞播植物种群盖度的动态变化,以期揭示飞播措施下的植被恢复规律,为飞播区植被稳定性维持提供依据。结果表明：（1）对照与演替初期生活型以一、二年生草本植物为主,随着演替时间的增加,多年生植物种类增加,逐渐取代一、二年生草本植物优势地位;演替9 a时原生植物入侵明显。（2）演替4 a时Pielou均匀度指数最高,演替9 a时Partrick丰富度指数最高,演替10 a时Shannon-Wiener多样性指数最高,在演替进程中,3个指数变化不一致。（3）羊柴种群在演替8 a时达到峰值（68.33%）,种群能维持较长时间;白沙蒿种群在演替3 a时达到峰值（10.17%）,在演替11 a时退出;沙打旺种群在演替4 a时达到峰值（12.67%）,在演替9 a时退出;沙地榆种群盖度呈缓慢增加的线性趋势。飞播措施下浑善达克沙地植被能快速恢复,有利于植被自然演替。在浑善达克沙地生态建设中,应先考虑沙地的恢复力再决定是否飞播。     

Kāhuli: Uncovering Indigenous Ecological Knowledge to Conserve Endangered Hawaiian Land Snails

Indigenous knowledge is a multilayered knowledge system that can inform contemporary management in both natural observations and cultural value. Centuries old observations preserved within song, chant, and story has been globally recognized as a resource to integrate with conservation efforts for endangered species. In the case of the endemic land snails, kāhuli, of the Hawaiian archipelago, there is a prominent cultural presence preserved in oral tradition and written records in 19th and early 20th century’s Hawaiian language newspapers. As we witness the dramatic decimation of one of the greatest models of species radiation, the unveiling of the repositories of indigenous knowledge is crucial for conservation of these endemic land snails. This paper reports on indigenous knowledge that informs about the cultural significance (i.e., poetic device, metaphorical role, importance to hula) and ecology of kāhuli, and how indigenous knowledge can contribute to conservation efforts of rare and endangered species.     

Implications for U.S. Trade and Nonindigenous Species Risk Resulting from Increased Economic Integration of the Asia-Pacific Region

This work investigates how potential changes in trade patterns resulting from increased economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region may affect the risk for nonindigenous species spread to the United States. We construct an invasion risk index utilizing the results from a global economic modeling framework in tandem with data for climate similarities between trade partners. The index is based on risk of introduction, determined by changes in trade, and risk of establishment, given by terrestrial and marine climate similarities between countries. The results indicate that Japan may be the riskiest trade partner for the United States in the Asia-Pacific region from a nonindigenous species perspective. This is driven by large expected changes in trade and high environmental similarity between the two countries. This research provides the basis of a risk assessment prediction system to examine the effects of changes in trade on nonindigenous species risk, an important, novel contribution to the trade policy literature.     

Mapping of riparian invasive species with supervised classification of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) imagery

Riparian zones are key landscape features, representing the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Although they have been influenced by human activities for centuries, their degradation has increased during the 20th century. Concomitant with (or as consequences of) these disturbances, the invasion of exotic species has increased throughout the world’s riparian zones.In our study, we propose a easily reproducible methodological framework to map three riparian invasive taxa using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) imagery: Impatiens glandulifera Royle, Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier and Levier, and Japanese knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis (F. Schmidt Petrop.), Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) and hybrids). Based on visible and near-infrared UAS orthophoto, we derived simple spectral and texture image metrics computed at various scales of image segmentation (10, 30, 45, 60 using eCognition software). Supervised classification based on the random forests algorithm was used to identify the most relevant variable (or combination of variables) derived from UAS imagery for mapping riparian invasive plant species. The models were built using 20% of the dataset, the rest of the dataset being used as a test set (80%).Except for H. mantegazzianum, the best results in terms of global accuracy were achieved with the finest scale of analysis (segmentation scale parameter = 10). The best values of overall accuracies reached 72%, 68%, and 97% for I. glandulifera, Japanese knotweed, and H. mantegazzianum respectively. In terms of selected metrics, simple spectral metrics (layer mean/camera brightness) were the most used. Our results also confirm the added value of texture metrics (GLCM derivatives) for mapping riparian invasive species.The results obtained for I. glandulifera and Japanese knotweed do not reach sufficient accuracies for operational applications. However, the results achieved for H. mantegazzianum are encouraging. The high accuracies values combined to relatively light model-inputs needed (delineation of a few umbels) make our approach a serious contender as a cost-effective tool to improve the field management of H. mantegazzianum.