Species-specific patterns of aggregation of wild fish around fish farms

Fish-farming structures are widespread in coastal waters and are highly attractive to wild fish. Several studies have estimated that tons to tens of tons of wild fish aggregate around fish farms. These estimates assumed that the majority of wild fish are concentrated immediately beneath farms, although this assumption has never been explicitly tested. We tested the hypothesis that abundances of wild fish would be greatest immediately beneath farms and progressively diminish with distance at 4 full-scale coastal salmon (Salmo salar) farms in Norway. At each farm, fish were counted with a video-camera system at 5 different distances from the cages (farm = 0 m, 25, 50, 100 and 200 m) throughout the water column on three separate days. Combined across all locations and times, the total abundance of wild fish was 20 times greater at the farm than at the 200 m sampling distance. Saithe (Pollachius virens) dominated assemblages at all 4 farms and were consistently significantly more abundant at the farm than at the 25–200 m distances. This ‘tight aggregation’ around farms corresponds to the reliance of saithe on waste feed when they school near farms. In contrast, patterns of distribution of both cod (Gadus morhua) and poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) varied among farms, with either highest abundances at the farm or a more even distribution of abundance across all 5 distances sampled. No specific pattern of aggregation was evident for the bottom-dwelling haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). Our results suggest that the present 100 m no-fishing zone around salmon farms protects the greatest proportion of farm-aggregated saithe and cod from fishing during the daytime. However, whether this reduces their overall susceptibility to fishing requires further research regarding nighttime distribution and movements.     

Optimizing Remote Sensing and GIS Tools for Mapping and Managing the Distribution of an Invasive Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) on South Molokai,Hawaii

In 1902, the Florida red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle L., was introduced to the island of Molokai, Hawaii, and has since colonized nearly 25% of the south coast shoreline. By classifying three kinds of remote sensing imagery, we compared abilities to detect invasive mangrove distributions and to discriminate mangroves from surrounding terrestrial vegetation. Using three analytical techniques, we compared mangrove mapping accuracy for various sensor-technique combinations. ANOVA of accuracy assessments demonstrated significant differences among techniques, but no significant differences among the three sensors. We summarize advantages and disadvantages of each sensor and technique for mapping mangrove distributions in tropical coastal environments.     

A TAXONOMICAL AND ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ROTIFER COMMUNITIES IU KROTTENSEE (AUSTRIA)

The composition and distribution of benthic, periphytic and planktonic rotifers in different habitatsin Krottensee were investigated. Sixty-five rotifer taxa were identified, their relative abundance estimated. Classification of the data set by cluster analysis allowed the recognition of distinct habitat groupe con-fined to acid bog ponds, macrophytes, sediments, and open water. Five groups of rotifer taxa were identifiedon the basis of their habitat preferences and the occurrence of the taxa. Highest diversities were found onmacrophytes and in acid bog ponds.     

Object-based class modelling for multi-scale riparian forest habitat mapping

Object-based class modelling allows for mapping complex, hierarchical habitat systems. The riparian zone, including forests, represents such a complex ecosystem. Forests within riparian zones are biologically high productive and characterized by a rich biodiversity; thus considered of high community interest with an imperative to be protected and regularly monitored. Satellite earth observation (EO) provides tools for capturing the current state of forest habitats such as forest composition including intermixture of non-native tree species. Here we present a semi-automated object based image analysis (OBIA) approach for the mapping of riparian forests by applying class modelling of habitats based on the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) habitat classifications and the European Habitats Directive (HabDir) Annex 1. A very high resolution (VHR) WorldView-2 satellite image provided the required spatial and spectral details for a multi-scale image segmentation and rule-base composition to generate a six-level hierarchical representation of riparian forest habitats. Thereby habitats were hierarchically represented within an image object hierarchy as forest stands, stands of homogenous tree species and single trees represented by sunlit tree crowns. 522 EUNIS level 3 (EUNIS-3) habitat patches with a mean patch size (MPS) of 12,349.64 m² were modelled from 938 forest stand patches (MPS = 6868.20 m²) and 43,742 tree stand patches (MPS = 140.79 m²). The delineation quality of the modelled EUNIS-3 habitats (focal level) was quantitatively assessed to an expert-based visual interpretation showing a mean deviation of 11.71%.     

基于遥感和InVEST模型的白龙江流域景观生物多样性时空格局研究

以甘肃白龙江流域为例,结合遥感、GIS技术和InVEST模型,从景观地理学角度选取区域生境质量、植物净初级生产力和景观状态指数为评价指标,构建区域景观尺度上生物多样性空间格局综合评估方法,并在栅格像元尺度上开展白龙江流域景观生物多样性时空变化特征分析。结果表明：白龙江流域景观生物多样性空间格局差异显著,其生物多样性高值区主要集中在自然保护区和林业管护区,低值区主要分布在舟曲-武都-文县的白龙江两岸及其以北区域、宕昌县岷江沿岸、高寒稀疏植被区和高山积雪-裸岩区。1990~2010年,流域景观生物多样性较为丰富,整体呈现不断增长的趋势,个别局部区域减弱,其增长区主要体现在生态工程实施区和林业管护区,减少区多分布在人类活动频繁的城乡农耕区和灾害多发区。     

Dynamic changes of habitats in China’s typical national nature reserves on spatial and temporal scales

Until 2015, China had established 2740 nature reserves with a total area of 1.47 million km², covering 14.8% of China’s terrestrial land surface. Based on remote sensing inversion, ecological model simulation and spatial analysis methods, we analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of fractional vegetation coverage (FVC), net primary production (NPP), and human disturbance (HD) in habitats of typical national nature reserves (NNRs) during the first 15 years of the 21st century from 2000 to 2015. And then the three indicators were compared between different NNR types and varied climate zones. The results showed that (1) the average 5-year FVC of NNRs increased from 36.3% to 37.1%, and it improved in all types of NNRs to some extent. The annual average FVC increased by 0.11%, 0.84%, 0.21%, 0.09%, 0.11% and 0.08% in NNRs of forest ecosystem, plain meadow, inland wetland, desert ecosystem, wild animal and wild plant, respectively. (2) The NPP annually increased by 2.06 g·m^-2, 1.23 g·m^-2, 0.28 g·m^-2 and 0.4 g·m^-2 in NNRs of plain meadow, inland wetland, desert ecosystem and wild animal, respectively. However, it decreased by 3.45 g·m^-2 and 2.35 g·m^-2 in NNRs of forest ecosystem and wild plant respectively. (3) In the past 15 years, besides the slight decreases in the NNRs located at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the south subtropical zone, HD enhanced in most of NNRs, especially HD in the warm temperate humid zone increased from 4.7% to 5.35%.     

晋陕蒙煤炭开发战略研究——中国区域煤炭开发战略之新探索

区域煤炭开发战略是国家总体开发战略的基础和核心。我国煤炭资源依据开发制约的主要因素可划分为三种类型,即资源约束型、环境约束型、区位约束型。晋陕蒙（西）地区的煤炭资源具有三大特征和两大瓶颈,即煤炭资源优势、生态环境劣势、区位中势之特征。以及生态环境、运输能力之瓶颈。研究并总结了该区域煤炭资源开发所特有的规律,即：资源禀赋对开发规模的约束规律;矿井在开采过程中对岩层体、水体的影响,以及对生态环境和生存环境的影响规律;不同地质条件、不同自然地理环境下,开发对环境的影响规律;煤炭开发的资源、环境、经济、社会成本和收益规律。提出了坚持资源开发与环境保护双赢。近期与长期兼顾的总方针。充分利用本地区的丰富资源,提高资源的有效供给能力,保障国民经济对能源的需求。实现煤炭资源开发的经济效益、社会效益、生态效益、人的生存与发展效益相统一的总体战略目标：以及产能东稳西增、开发布局时空有序、生态缀块差异管理、生产规模化现代化、稀缺煤类保护等五项具体战略。     

基于生境质量的城市增长边界研究——以长三角地区为例

基于“生态优先”理念,提出一种利用生境质量评估策略的城市增长边界划定方法。结合ArcGIS和InVEST模型,通过综合评估生境自身及其在威胁情境下的质量,模拟各市独立规划、建设用地指标再分配及区域一体化发展的三类建设用地扩张情景,分别划定2024和2034年的长三角地区城市增长边界。结果表明：研究区生境质量总体呈南高北低格局,平均生态系统服务价值密度为10 770.604元/（hm²·a）,高质生境位于西南地区;根据指标再分配及一体化发展情景模拟的2024年研究区建设用地总量分别为10 583.273 km2和10 489.090 km2,2034年达到13 603.535 km2和13 252.370 km2;模拟的建设用地集中在东部沿海地区,并向北部及环杭州湾区域拓展;建设用地指标再分配能从整体上减少建设用地对优质生境的占用,区域一体化发展则能进一步降低城市发展造成的生态压力。     

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。