Agricultural land use in the coastal area of the Alexander von Humboldt National Park, Cuba and its implication for conservation and sustainability

In the Alexander von Humboldt National Park in eastern Cuba many endemic animals and plants are found in various different natural habitats, which are considered to be the most important ones for in-situ conservation in the entire Insular Caribbean. In some areas of the National Park agriculture is practised. Thus, the objective of this study was to document and analyse the different land use activities and their consequences for local resource management and conservation of biodiversity in two village areas. A particular question was: what has changed since the foundation of the National Park in 1996? As time series data for land use and aerial photographs were not available for this part of Cuba, a qualitative evaluation was carried out. For this, six different land use units were mapped in 2001 and additional information gathered for areas with special interest related to sustainable land use and resource conservation. Although most parts of the study area are influenced to various degrees by human impact, the different types of land use seem presently not to have a crucial or detrimental impact on the land resources of the Alexander von Humboldt National Park. However, exploitation of the natural resources in certain areas could be improved with different management options to reach sustainability as well as to meet the conservation objectives of the National Park. This includes reduced or abandoned agricultural use of steep slopes to reduce erosion risk as well as a facilitated regeneration of natural vegetation in many parts of the study area to be able to conserve the high valuable biodiversity of the Park. Environmental education seems to have played an important and successful role since the foundation of the Park in 1996. Since then, cropping on steep slopes as well as illegal logging and poaching could be reduced.     

Characteristics and conservation of biodiversity in Xinjiang

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region covers nearly 1/6 territory of China, with vari-ous landscape patterns, environmental conditions and three key regions of biodiversity of China.The ecosystem here has a relatively simple structure and fragile ecological stability. The coverageof sparse vegetation here is only 2.1% which is far lower than 14%, the average coverage all overthe country. Although the fragile and unstable ecosystems are improved partly in the past, the totalsituation in Xinjiang has worsened (such as drying up of rivers and lakes, desertification andsalinization of soil, deterioration of meadow, reduction of biodiversity, etc.). Although the speciesnumbers of Xinjiang are few, the diversity of taxa is very high. The types of plant communities areabundant, and the flora abounds in one-species genus, one-genus family and few-species genus.Also, the fauna abounds in endangered species and endemic species, of which 108 species ofvertebrates were listed as nationally protected species. In addition, there are abundantanti-adversity gene pools. The present paper puts forwards several suggestions for biodiversityconservation in Xinjiang.     

Habitat, occurrence and conservation of Saharo-Arabian-Turanian element Forsskaolea tenacissima L. in the Iberian Peninsula

The aim of this study is to assess the Iberian populations of Forsskaolea tenacissima L. according to its biogeographical interest, habitat, geographical range and conservation status. Results point out that they are restricted to gravel wadis of Tabernas Desert (SE Spain), are scarcely included in protected areas and represent historically isolated populations with relict behaviour. We also describe a new association, Senecioni-Forsskaoleetum tenacissimae. Conservation status of species is cause for concern and two conservation actions must be carried out. Firstly, protected areas should house Forsskaolea populations and secondly, phytosociological characterization of a community allows inventorying its habitat and directing conservation efforts to community level.     

A Comparison of Public Lands and Farmlands for Grassland Bird Conservation

Midwestern states have invested extensively in grasslands for wildlife conservation, yet these public lands make up a minority of grassland habitat. How effective are public grasslands, relative to private lands, for conserving native songbird populations? I compare private and public lands in southern Minnesota using bird survey data from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields and public lands and assessing fragmentation in a GIS. Bird abundance and diversity were greater on CRP lands. Vegetation composition, field isolation, and field size appear to explain differences in bird counts. Land cover data show that grassland habitat on public lands is scarce and widely scattered. The CRP provides more, and here better, habitat for grassland birds. Funding partly explains this disparity. Trends in farm set‐aside program rules and distribution, which can be vary greatly over time, will strongly influence the success or failure of biodiversity conservation in this region.     

南海鱼类生物多样性与区系分布

分析了南海鱼类生物多样性与区系分布的生态地理条件,鱼类生物多样性特征。校核整理了南海鱼类2 321种,分属于六鳃鲨等35目,以鲈形目占绝对优势(979种),并以珊瑚礁栖,典型暖水种的隆头鱼科为优势科(占117种),而蝴蝶鱼和石斑鱼分别达到34种、31种,列为优势属,从而构成南海富有潜势的群落结构。文中进一步论述了南海鱼类区系属于以印度-西太平洋为主体的区系特征。     

Landscape ecological construction and biodiversity protection

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天然固定沙地与人工固沙植被区土壤种子库的比较研究

土壤种子库是退化生态系统植被恢复重建的重要基础,研究土壤种子库特征对于阐明退化生态系统受损与恢复机理具有重要的科学意义。通过野外土样采集、野外种子萌发定位跟踪调查和室内周期性种子萌发实验,对腾格里沙漠东南缘人工固沙植被区和天然固定沙地的土壤种子库特征进行了对比研究。结果表明：人工固沙植被区土壤种子库包含21个物种,分属于8科;天然固定沙地土壤种子库有33种植物,属于11科。人工固沙植被区以一年生植物为主,天然固定沙地以多年生植物为主。人工固沙植被区的种子总密度明显低于天然固定沙地,但不同物种种子的密度变化存在显著差异。人工固沙植被区的物种丰富度和多样性指数均较天然固定沙地低。人工固沙植被区和天然固定沙地的土壤种子库与地上植被物种的相似性系数分别为0.73和0.71。尽管人工固沙植被区土壤种子库存在少量多年生植物种子,但仍未发展到以多年生草本植物为主的群落演替阶段,说明人工固沙植被区的植物多样性恢复尚需要漫长的过程。     

新疆焉耆盆地绿洲水盐双梯度下天然植被多样性分异特征

通过对焉耆盆地河畔带、荒漠带、湖畔带土壤水盐及地下水位和天然植被关系的分析,研究了干旱绿洲水盐过程与分异天然植被生长和绿洲生态的影响.结果表明:绿洲天然植被生物多样性取决水盐双梯度影响,盐分不断向湖畔积聚是引起焉耆盆地湖畔生态系统生境恶化的主导因子.绿洲内部河畔带物种多样性与地下水埋深关系表明,在埋深1.5m区域,随着地下水埋深的加大,物种多样性减少;在埋深1.5～3m区域内,随着地下水埋深加大,其物种多样性在增加;而当埋深在3～4m之间时,随着地下水埋深的加大,植物多样性呈明显减少趋势;而在埋深4m区域内,多样性指数波动不大.调查表明,随着埋深的变化,地表的天然植被草本、灌木、乔木也呈现明显的分异,地下水水盐条件制约植被分布、生存和演替,各种植被类型适应不同的地下水位和盐分特征.