猫头刺群落对土壤养分空间异质性的响应

选择腾格里沙漠边缘内蒙古阿拉善左旗境内的猫头刺群落为研究对象,探讨了猫头刺群落植物属性和土壤属性随尺度变化\,空间异质性的变化以及植物属性对土壤属性空间异质性的响应。结果表明,尺度从800 m2增加到1 600 m2,土壤有机质和土壤全氮的空间异质性减小,全磷和有效磷的空间异质性增加,有效氮空间异质性不变,而群落内3种植物密度和叶量的空间异质性基本都趋于增加,说明全磷和有效磷是目前猫头刺群落存在的主要限制因素,尤其是多年生草本植物骆驼蓬。进一步分析表明,这种现象是由于荒漠地区的灌丛“沃岛效应”和植物耗用有效磷以增大吸水力的补偿机制所致。     

凡纳滨对虾咸淡水养殖系统内细菌群落组成的PCR-DGGE分析

采用PCR(polym erase chain reaction)-DGGE(denaturing grad ient gel electrophoresis)及传统的微生物培养方法对凡纳滨对虾Litopenaeus vannam ei咸淡水养殖系统内各种环境的细菌群落组成进行了比较研究。传统的微生物培养计数表明,从海湾水、养殖池水到对虾粪样,细菌和弧菌的数量表现出依次增加的趋势,粪样及肠壁中弧菌的数量高出外界水环境1—4个数量级。相对于外界水环境,粪样中有很高的芽孢杆菌孢子含量,但是肠壁定植细菌中不存在芽孢杆菌(孢子)。PCR-DGGE及聚类分析结果表明,从海湾沿岸、养殖池、对虾粪便到对虾肠壁,细菌群落的多样性由高到低,无论是在哪种环境,群落的优势种都十分明显,且只有2—4种。来自同一环境各样品间的细菌群落组成非常相似,来自不同环境的样品,其细菌群落组成差别较大。聚类图上各簇的排列顺序反映了样品在取样空间分布上的毗邻次序和它们的相似程度。     

2018?2019年舟山近海浮游动物群落结构春季年际变化及其与水团的关系

根据2018?2019年春季两个航次在舟山近海进行的浮游生物调查结果,对舟山近海的浮游动物群落结构(类群组成、优势种数量)年际变化进行了研究,利用典范对应分析(Canonical Correspondence Analysis, CCA)研究了两年春季浮游动物类群组成差异、优势种变化的原因,初步探讨了春季浮游动物群落结构动态变化的机制。结果表明:根据表层温度(Sea Surface Temperature,SST)、表层盐度(Sea Surface Salinity,SSS)的聚类分析,将该区域分为3个水团:杭州湾内水团(I区)、舟山本岛上升流水团II区)、舟山近海水团(III区)。不同水团对浮游动物类群组成影响显著,引起2018年和2019年春季3个水团区差异的主要贡献种(贡献率>10%)均为中华哲水蚤,同一水团两年间年际差异的贡献种如下:I区为捷氏歪水蚤(56.91%)和真刺唇角水蚤(12.34%);II区为中华哲水蚤(72.64%)、五角水母(13.35%);III区为中华哲水蚤(41.93%)、夜光虫(22.94%)。CCA分析表明,第1 CCA轴(CCA1)和第2 CCA轴(CCA2)共解释了两年春季浮游动物优势种累计方差的46.14%和物种?环境累计方差的97.82%。CCA1主要反映了空间(近海水团和湾内水团)的差异。CCA2主要反映了2018年和2019年站位的年际差异。盐度是影响春季浮游动物群落结构空间差异的主要因素,而温度、叶绿素a浓度是春季浮游动物群落结构年际差异的主要因素。     

Effects of Enclosure on Plant and Soil Restoration in the Junggar Desert

Enclosure is commonly used in the restoration of degraded grasslands. However, the effects of enclosure on grassland plant and soil restoration remain controversial, particularly in deserts. To assess the effects of enclosure on desert plants and soil properties, using high throughput sequencing, the differences between plants and soil were systematically analyzed before and after enclosure construction. The soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents of the three desert flora increased and decreased, but the difference was not significant; enclosure increased plant height, coverage, aboveground biomass, and species richness by 58.99%, 59.35%, 33.29%, and 51.21%, respectively, in a Seriphidium transiliense formation; by 15.49%, 33.52%, 20.85%, and 5.13%, respectively, in a Haloxylon persicum formation; and by 83.80%, 31.51%, 76.66% and 33.33%, respectively, in an Anabasis salsa formation. For soil bacteria, enclosure significantly increased the average number of operational taxonomic units and Shannon-Wiener index by 12.74% and 2.92%, respectively, under S. transiliense formation and by 17.08% and 3.17%, respectively, under H. persicum formation. However, enclosure had no significant effect on the average number of operational taxonomic units or Shannon-Wiener index under A. salsa formation. Enclosure significantly increased desert plants, soil bacterial diversity, and desert plant community productivity; however, the increase in soil nutrient content was not significant. These results demonstrate that enclosure is effective for restoring desert ecosystems but may have little effect on the soil nutrient content.     

Thinking outside the framework: equitable research partnerships for environmental research in Australia

Many environmental science research programmes now adopt community-based philosophies and designs, although there are few applications in Australian Indigenous communities. This research describes the development and testing of a framework of engagement to guide collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians during an environmental sciences research project. That project aimed to assess trepang (sea cucumber) stocks in Aboriginal waters, and determine the commercial harvest potential of the resource to local people. Its objectives were to undertake trepang survey and mapping, integrate Indigenous knowledge about the resource, and model the existing catch data of commercial fishers operating in the region. The framework of engagement developed to guide the research process comprised a goal, research stages, and a number of guiding principles for collaboration, which were constructed from content analysis of available guidelines and literature and from data gathered during expert interviews. Further data were gathered using participant observation, while implementing the trepang research in accordance with this framework of engagement, and these data were analysed to test and evaluate the framework. Findings indicate discursive and reflective approaches such as action research or adaptive management may better facilitate equitable research partnerships for sustainable development.     

Ecological indicators showing the succession of macrofauna communities in Sonneratia apetala artificial mangrove wetlands on Qi’ao Island at Zhuhai, South China

The Sonneratia apetala artificial mangroves in the intertidal zone of Da Wei Bay at Qi’ao Island of Zhu-hai, South China were chosen as the macrofauna succession plots while bare tidal flats of the same size were established as control plots in surrounding interference-free areas. Conventional change indicators of community structure, such as biomass and biodiversity, and indicators, such as exergy and specific exergy, which reflect the information change of overall communities, were used to analyze the succession of macro-fauna communities inS. apetala artificial mangroves. The similarities and differences in variation tendency of the different ecological indicators and their reflected ecological principles were compared. The results showed that from D-1 to D-1275 after plantingS. apetala, the biomass of the macrofauna communities first increased, which was then followed by an increase in the network relationship between the macrofauna communities （analysis of the Pielou evenness index and Shannon-Wiener diversity index）. The system in-formation （specific exergy） increased the slowest. Between D-1460 and D-2370 after plantingS. apetala, there was a decrease in biomass, network structure, and system information in the succession plots. After the decrease in the system information （the specific exergy）, there was a decline in the network relationships （Pielou evenness index and Shannon-Wiener diversity index）. Biomass was the last indicator to decrease. The similarities and differences among the different ecological indicators varied during the succession pro-cess, which reflected the relativity and differences among the indicators. This study suggested that, although the species diversity index can be an effective indicator of two types of changes （network structure and system information）, it was quite clear that species diversity measurement was not suitable for expressing the changes in biomass during the succession process. While exergy and specific exergy can provide useful information     

River rafting in mountainous regions of Uttarakhand: Impacts, suggested mitigation measures and sustainability

Uttarakhand state in India is well known for its mountainous ecosystems,traditional communities and a variety of ecotourism destinations.Among various tourism activities,River Rafting along the banks of the Ganges River has increased tremendously for two decades,and has had unprecedented impacts on the traditional communities and the bio-diversity.Therefore,it is meaningful to do a comprehensive study on the various impacts associated with river rafting so as to suggest the pathways to achieve the environmental sustainability in this region.In this study,we collected primary data from randomly selected population units across all stake holders such as local people(n = 100),and camp personnel(n = 22),through a pre-tested questionnaire survey between August 2009 and May 2010.The questionnaire contains issues on culture,social,economic,institutional and associated perceived impacts on pollution and biodiversity including views for sustainability.Secondary information was also collected from various sources and government records to supplement and strengthen the analysis.The impacts were analyzed qualitatively through a ranking mechanism to facilitate the decision making process.The perception of the interviewee about the various possible impacts of rafting was discussed with mitigating mechanism.The ranking analysis as percollected data reveals that economy and education of local community was improved significantly;however aquatic and terrestrial fauna,social cohesion and pollution(water,air,land) were significantly deteriorated.The results show that the existing practices are not sufficient to address the adverse impacts.Improvement in practices is necessary,mainly in the policy regime.Based on the analysis,some measures are recommended on how to protect community interest and environment with the development of river rafting as an ecotourism opportunity.     

Response of a Resilient Community to Natural Disasters: The Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal, 2015

The ability of a community to withstand and recover from adversities including natural and man-made disasters has emerged as a major policy issue in recent years. This research aims to assess the role of institutional initiatives in building resilient communities and their response to natural disasters like the Gorkha earthquake in Nepal in 2015. The work is based on data collected from primary and secondary sources along with field observations. It is evident that resilient communities are equipped with greater coping capacities in the face of natural disasters and have reduced vulnerability to future hazards. Institutional capacity building and resilient construction including the School Earthquake Safety Program ensured better disaster preparedness. The traditional open spaces and building designs added to the structural resilience. There is, however, a need to build back better and to communicate earthquake-resistant designs to the affected communities.     

Mollusca from a recent coral community in Palliser bay,cook strait

From a trawling at 448–512 m in Palliser Bay, Cook Strait, New Zealand, molluscs associated with. Tertiary siltstone concretions and with a large colony of Goniocorella dumosa (Alcock) are listed. A juvenile Acesta, extremely tall and extremely broad forms of Emarginula striatula Quoy & Gaimard, and the animals of Stilifer neozelanica Dell and of Waipaoa marwicki Dell are described. Sculptifer, a new genus provisionally included in the Fossaridae, is proposed for Stilifer neozelanica. New species of Danilia and Pholadidea are described and their relationships discussed. Emarginula lophelia Beu, 1967 is synonymized with E. striatula Quoy & Gaimard, 1834, and the recent New Zealand forms of Emarginula are reviewed.