A National Key R&D Program: Technologies and Guidelines for Monitoring Ecological Quality of Terrestrial Ecosystems in China

Ecological quality is defined as the stability, adaptability and resilience of an ecosystem. Monitoring and assessing ecological quality are important bases for China's ecological civilization construction. The national key research and development program “Technologies and guidelines for monitoring ecological quality of terrestrial ecosystems in China”, launched in July 2017, includes plans to study the observation technologies and provide guidelines on the ecological in-situ observation, the regional biodiversity and ecosystem function monitoring and its applications, all of which contribute to national ecological quality assessment. A year after its implementation, some important progress has been achieved, such as building the indicator system for comprehensive monitoring of ecological quality and improvement of the methods, mass data transmission, infrared camera-based monitoring of biodiversity, multi-angle automatic spectral observation systems, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based desert monitoring. We have organized this special issue and attempted to introduce the monitoring techniques and assessment methods on ecological quality from different perspectives in order to further promote the development of ecology and its observation methods.     

Anthropogenic impacts on hyperbenthos in the coastal waters of Sishili Bay, Yellow Sea

A survey on the hyperbenthic communities was carried out in the coastal waters of Sishili Bay in the Yellow Sea in July 2009, to investigate the impact of putative anthropogenic activities related to the presence of a sewage outfall, a harbor and an aquaculture site on the benthic ecosystem. An Agassiz net trawl was used to collect hyperbenthos at 10 sampling stations. Species, diversity, abundance, and biomass were analyzed against water sample data and historical data obtained from records from nearby Yantai City. Fifty-two species were identified in the region, of which Crustacea were the most abundant taxon, followed by Echinodermata. Dominant species included five crustaceans, two echinoderms, one mollusk and one fish species. The results of a BIOENV analysis show that the concentrations of NO3-N and Chl-a were slightly positively correlated with hyperbenthic community structure, while other factors were negatively correlated, including sediment grain size and the percentage of TN and TOC in sediment. Abundance- Biomass Comparison （ABC method） curves indicate that the hyperbenthos in Sishili Bay had been disturbed by putative sources of human activities. Eight out of 10 stations were classified as ＂moderately perturbed＂ to ＂perturbed＂.     

Spatiotemporal dynamics of ecological variation of waterbird habitats in Dongtan area of Chongming Island

Based on Landsat TM images, we explored the pattern of variation of suitable waterbird habitats from 1990 to 2008 in the Dongtan area of Chongming Island at the Changjiang (Yangtze) River mouth. By applying our highly accurate indicator model (R=0.999, P<0.01), we quantified the variations of fluctuation intensity for local waterbird habitats during 1990-2008, and for the main waterbird groups (Anatidae, Charadriidae, Ardeidae and Laridae) from 2006 to 2008, to evaluate the impact of habitat quantity change on the waterbird habitat status and the population dynamics of the different waterbird groups. The results show that the aquaculture ponds (AP) and the Scirpus mariqueter zone (SMZ) underwent drastic habitat changes during certain periods (AP: 1997-2000, 2000-2003, 2005-2008; SMZ: 1997-2000), and the fluctuation intensity differed among habitat types in the order AP>SMZ>TSH (total suitable habitat)>BSA (bare mud flat and shallow water area). The abandonment of tracts of aquaculture ponds in Dongtan in mid-2006 brought about an intensive population fluctuation, caused by rapidly changing habitat with the population expanding to adjacent areas. At present, Anatidae and Ardeidae are threatened in the Dongtan area with declining populations because of their very "picky" habitat requirements (i.e., high reliance on AP). The Charadriidae experienced enormous population declines in the late 1990s, however, they have since recovered to normal levels as habitat change has stabilized. Our findings suggest that the current challenges for habitat management are the protection and stabilization of AP and SMZ habitats.     

ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS,USA AND CANADA

The Rocky Mountains in the USA and Canada encompass the interior cordillera of western North America, from the southern Yukon to northern New Mexico. Annual weather patterns are cold in winter and mild in summer. Precipitation has high seasonal and interannual variation and may differ by an order of magnitude between geographically close locales, depending on slope, aspect and local climatic and orographic conditions. The region's hydrology is characterized by the accumulation of winter snow, spring snowmelt and autumnal baseflows. During the 2–3-month ‘spring runoff’ period, rivers frequently discharge > 70% of their annual water budget and have instantaneous discharges 10–100 times mean low flow. Complex weather patterns characterized by high spatial and temporal variability make predictions of future conditions tenuous. However, general patterns are identifiable; northern and western portions of the region are dominated by maritime weather patterns from the North Pacific, central areas and eastern slopes are dominated by continental air masses and southern portions receive seasonally variable atmospheric circulation from the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. Significant interannual variations occur in these general patterns, possibly related to ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation) forcing. Changes in precipitation and temperature regimes or patterns have significant potential effects on the distribution and abundance of plants and animals. For example, elevation of the timber-line is principally a function of temperature. Palaeolimnological investigations have shown significant shifts in phyto- and zoo-plankton populations as alpine lakes shift between being above or below the timber-line. Likewise, streamside vegetation has a significant effect on stream ecosystem structure and function. Changes in stream temperature regimes result in significant changes in community composition as a consequence of bioenergetic factors. Stenothermic species could be extirpated as appropriate thermal criteria disappear. Warming temperatures may geographically isolate cold water stream fishes in increasingly confined headwaters. The heat budgets of large lakes may be affected resulting in a change of state between dimictic and warm monomictic character. Uncertainties associated with prediction are increased by the planting of fish in historically fishless, high mountain lakes and the introduction of non-native species of fishes and invertebrates into often previously simple food-webs of large valley bottom lakes and streams. Many of the streams and rivers suffer from the anthropogenic effects of abstraction and regulation. Likewise, many of the large lakes receive nutrient loads from a growing human population. We concluded that: (1) regional climate models are required to resolve adequately the complexities of the high gradient landscapes; (2) extensive wilderness preserves and national park lands, so prevalent in the Rocky Mountain Region, provide sensitive areas for differentiation of anthropogenic effects from climate effects; and (3) future research should encompass both short-term intensive studies and long-term monitoring studies developed within comprehensive experimental arrays of streams and lakes specifically designed to address the issue of anthropogenic versus climatic effects. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GAP分析：保护生物多样性的地理学方法

GAP分析1988年由Burley首次提出并被Scott在夏威夷项目中首次应用。GAP分析（保护生物多样性的地理学方法）是快速概观生物多样性几种要素的分布和保护状态的一种方法,它集中在生物有机体更高层,基于生境保护和多物种保护的双重目的,已被证明是保护大尺度生物多样性行之有效的方法之一。目前GAP分析主要集中于陆地脊索动物门的研究,而对水生生境和其它动物门研究较少,同时对生物多样性的过程研究不足。本文在对GAP分析的内涵、产生、研究现状综述的基础上,分析GAP分析的优缺点和发展趋势,并对我国GAP分析进行研究。由于中国的GAP计划尚未进行,现阶段中国的GAP分析应首先集中在一些生物多样性典型地区或针对一些濒危和稀有物种进行研究,然后推广到其它地区或普通物种。     

Boulder shores in South Africa – a distinct but poorly documented coastal habitat type

This study compares the composition, species richness and biomass of macrofaunal and algal assemblages on intertidal boulder shores as compared with those on adjacent rock-platforms, at six sites along the southwest coast of South Africa. Of 214 species identified, 175 were recorded on boulder shores and 124 on rock-platform shores; of these, 99 species were common to both habitat types, 92 were exclusive to boulders, and 23 were exclusive to rock-platforms. Significant differences in community structure (F_(1,95) = 13.02, p < 0.01) (PERMANOVA test), species richness (F_(1,95) = 14.28, p < 0.01), biomass (F_(1,95) = 9.45, p < 0.01) and diversity (F_(1,95) = 578.83, p < 0.01) (two-way ANOVA) were detected between the two habitat types. Average dissimilarity of community structure between rock-platform and boulder shores was 87.96% (SIMPER analysis). The increased species richness and biomass on boulder shores extended across all tidal levels, but was most marked in the highshore. These results confirm that boulder shores along the southwestern Cape support a distinct biota, richer and very different from that on adjacent rock-platforms, and rich in boulder-dependent species. We propose that boulder shores merit separate management and conservation targets as compared to rock-platforms, though the ecology of boulder shores in the region remains very poorly known and requires further study.     

WISE EXPLOITATION OF NEWLY GROWING LAND RESOURCES——An Assessment on Land-use Change of Chongming Island Using GIS

1INTRODUCTIONThreewell-documentedmajorglobalchangesaffectinghumanbeingsareincreasingconcentrationofcarbondioxideintheatmosphere,alterationinthebiochemistryoftheglobalnitrogencycle,andon-goinglanduse/coverchange(LUCC)(VITOUSEK,1994).Forcen-turies,humanbeingshavebeenalteringtheearth'ssurfacetoproducetheirfoodandsheltersthroughagri-culturalactivities(REIDetal.,2000).Likeothercountries,Chinaisalsosubjecttolandtransformation,forinstance,abouthalfamillionhectaresofwetlandshavebeenreclaime…     

Mapping of forest tree distribution and estimation of forest biodiversity using Sentinel-2 imagery in the University Research Forest Taxiarchis in Chalkidiki,Greece

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of Sentinel-2 imagery for the identification and determination of forest patches of particular interest, with respect to ecosystem integrity and biodiversity and to produce a relevant biodiversity map, based on Simpson’s diversity index in Taxiarchis university research forest, Chalkidiki, North Greece. The research is based on OBIA being developed on to bi-temporal summer and winter Sentinel-2 imagery. Fuzzy rules, which are based on topographic factors, such as terrain elevation and slope for the distribution of each tree species, derived from expert knowledge and field observations, were used to improve the accuracy of tree species classification. Finally, Simpson’s diversity index for forest tree species, was calculated and mapped, constituting a relative indicator for biodiversity for forest ecosystem organisms (fungi, insects, birds, reptiles, mammals) and carrying implications for the identification of patches prone to disturbance or that should be prioritized for conservation.     

草型湖泊和藻型湖泊中大型底栖动物群落结构的比较

系统地比较了草型湖泊扁担塘与藻型湖泊后湖大型底栖动物的群落结构.结果表明,草型湖泊扁担塘的物种种类、物种多样性、密度和生物量均较藻型湖泊后湖的为高.两湖在物种组成和功能摄食群上存在极大差异,相似性系数为0.3左右,草型湖泊的大型底栖动物主要以刮食者数量为多,而藻型湖泊主要以收集者的为多.这说明水生高等植物对于维持湖泊生态系统中大型底栖动物多样性方面起着非常重要的作用,也是维持湖泊生态系统结构复杂性、空间异质性和功能稳定性的重要因素.     

湖北道观河水库大型底栖动物的群落结构及物种多样性

1999年对湖北道观河水库大型底栖动物进行6次采样,共检出大型底栖动物17种,隶属4门16属.其中软体动物3种,环节动物5种,节肢动物8种,线形动物1种.密度和生物量分别为142ind/m2和0.99g/m2.优势种类为大红德永摇蚊和霍甫水丝蚓.密度季节变化顺序为春季>冬季>秋季>夏季;生物量季节变化为春季>冬季>夏季>秋季.密度和生物量的水平分布为上游>库湾>中游>下游.生物量与水深呈负相关关系;与水温、底泥TN、TP无显著相关关系.应用Goodnight-Whitley生物指数等对水质进行评价,结果显示该水库受到中等污染.提出在深水水库中不宜用Shannon-Wiener指数和Margalef指数等多样性指数评价水质.