Mapping the Spatial Variability of Plant Diversity in a Tropical Forest: Comparison of Spatial Interpolation Methods

Knowledge of the spatial distribution of plant species is essential to conservation and forest managers in order to identify high priority areas such as vulnerable species and habitats, and designate areas for reserves, refuges and other protected areas. A reliable map of the diversity of plant species over the landscape is an invaluable tool for such purposes. In this study, the number of species, the exponent Shannon and the reciprocal Simpson indices, calculated from 141 quadrat sites sampled in a tropical forest were used to compare the performance of several spatial interpolation techniques used to prepare a map of plant diversity, starting from sample (point) data over the landscape. Means of mapped classes, inverse distance functions, kriging and co-kriging, both, applied over the entire studied landscape and also applied within vegetation classes, were the procedures compared. Significant differences in plant diversity indices between classes demonstrated the usefulness of boundaries between vegetation types, mapped through satellite image classification, in stratifying the variability of plant diversity over the landscape. These mapped classes, improved the accuracy of the interpolation methods when they were used as prior information for stratification of the area. Spatial interpolation by co-kriging performed among the poorest interpolators due to the poor correlation between the plant diversity variables and vegetation indices computed by remote sensing and used as covariables. This indicated that the latter are not suitable covariates of plant diversity indices. Finally, a within-class kriging interpolator yielded the most accurate estimates of plant diversity values. This interpolator not only provided the most accurate estimates by accounting for the indices' intra-class variability, but also provided additional useful interpretations of the structure of spatial variability of diversity values through the interpretation of their semi-variograms. This additional role was found very useful in aiding decisions in conservation planning.     

Changes Of Hydrological Environment And Their Influences On Coastal Wetlands InThe Southern Laizhou Bay, China

The structure and function of the coastal wetland ecosystem in the southern Laizhou Bay have been changed greatly and influenced by regional hydrological changes. The coastal wetlands have degraded significantly during the latest 30 years due to successive drought, decreasing of runoff, pollution, underground saline water intrusion, and aggravating marine disasters such as storm tides and sea level rising. Most archaic lakes have vanished, while artificial wetlands have been extending since natural coastal wetlands replaced by salt areas and ponds of shrimps and crabs. The pollution of sediments in inter-tidal wetlands and the pollution of water quality in sub-tidal wetlands are getting worse and therefore “red tides” happen more often than before. The biodiversity in the study area has been decreased. Further studies are still needed to protect the degraded coastal wetlands in the area.     

A Survey of Trace Metals in Vegetation, Soil and Lower Animal Along Some Selected Major Roads in Metropolitan City of Lagos

The concentration of trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in a total of 144 samples of grass, soil and lower animal (earthworm, Lybrodrilus violaceous) were collected and analysed for their metallic content. Levels of cadmium ranged from 0.01–0.07 g g^–1; 0.01–0.12 g g^–1 and from trace–0.05 g g^–1 dry weight for plant, soil and animal samples respectively. Mean concentration of copper ranged 0.10–1.48 g g^–1; 0.10–2.90 g g^–1 and 0.01–0.08 g g^–1 for samples in similar order as above. The levels of Pb varied from 0.01–0.14 g g^–1; 0.02–0.23 g g^–1 and from trace–0.07 g g^–1 while that of Zn ranged from 0.19–1.80 g g^–1; 0.51–3.35 g g^–1and 0.01–0.08 g g^–1 also in the same order of samples as mentioned above. Levels of metals in soil samples were higher than the background levels with the exception of Zn but lower than European Union (EU) limits. The results generally revealed the presence of metals in plant and animal samples and metal dynamics up the food chain is highly possible. Acceptable recoveries of the spiking experiment validate the experimental protocol.     

Montane Meadows as Indicators of Environmental Change

We used a time series of satellite multispectral imagery for mapping and monitoring six classes of montane meadows arrayed along a moisture gradient (from hydric to mesic to xeric). We hypothesized that mesic meadows would support the highest species diversity of plants, birds, and butterflies because they are more moderate environments. We also hypothesized that mesic meadows would exhibit the greatest seasonal and interannual variability in spectral response across years. Field sampling in each of the meadow types was conducted for plants, birds, and butterflies in 1997 and 1998. Mesic meadows supported the highest plant species diversity, but there was no significant difference in bird or butterfly species diversity among meadow types. These data show that it may be easier to detect significant differences in more species rich taxa (e.g., plants) than taxa that are represented by fewer species (e.g., butterflies and birds). Mesic meadows also showed the greatest seasonal and interannual variability in spectral response. Given the rich biodiversity of mesic montane meadows and their sensitivity to variations in temperature and moisture, they may be important to monitor in the context of environmental change     

稀土矿开采对土地资源的影响及植被恢复

对广东省平远县稀土矿开采对土地资源的影响进行了初步的调查和分析。同时在已进行的植被恢复措施的基础上,对其效应作了初步的分析,评价了恢复措施对水土流失和土壤理化性质的影响,并据此提出了比较适合的植被恢复措施。     

岷江上游大沟流域驱动植被退化的人为干扰体研究

研究了岷江上游大沟流域内的人为干扰体,分析了干扰的类型、强度、频率及其时空变化特征,揭示了不同干扰类型及其特性对植被退化的作用、干扰体与人口增长、植被退化等的关系．结果表明：大沟流域人为干扰类型多达８种,但优势的干扰类型是砍伐薪材和牲畜放牧．从近３０ａ的干扰强度变化看,以８０年代初的干扰强度最大,并在近２０ａ内保持很高的干扰强度水平;干扰强度的年内变化表现为春末、夏、秋大而冬、早春小．近４０ａ来的干扰频率愈趋增高,年内表现为春秋季干扰频率最高,夏季中等,而冬季最小．人为干扰的空间差异十分明显,反映出人为干扰的现状及其对植被的破坏强度差异,即由村寨向沟尾和高海拔区、由近及远、由低到高,形成“钟形”干扰格局．认为大沟流域植被的严重退化是所有人为干扰长期共同驱动的结果,与该区人口及其需求迅速增长密切相关．结果还表明,不同性质的干扰对植被的影响作用具协同性,同一干扰体长期连续对植被的影响具累加和放大的作用     

Defining Historical Baselines for Conservation: Ecological Changes Since European Settlement on Vancouver Island,Canada

Abstract: Conservation and restoration goals are often defined by historical baseline conditions that occurred prior to a particular period of human disturbance, such as European settlement in North America. Nevertheless, if ecosystems were heavily influenced by native peoples prior to European settlement, conservation efforts may require active management rather than simple removal of or reductions in recent forms of disturbance. We used pre‐European settlement land survey records (1859–1874) and contemporary vegetation surveys to assess changes over the past 150 years in tree species and habitat composition, forest density, and tree size structure on southern Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that frequent historical burning by native peoples, and subsequent fire suppression, have played dominant roles in shaping this landscape. First, the relative frequency of fire‐sensitive species (e.g., cedar [Thuja plicata]) has increased, whereas fire‐tolerant species (e.g., Douglas‐fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii]) have decreased. Tree density has increased 2‐fold, and the proportion of the landscape in forest has greatly increased at the expense of open habitats (plains, savannas), which today contain most of the region's threatened species. Finally, the frequency distribution of tree size has shifted from unimodal to monotonically decreasing, which suggests removal of an important barrier to tree recruitment. In addition, although most of the open habitats are associated with Garry oak (Quercus garryana) at present, most of the open habitats prior to European settlement were associated with Douglas‐fir, which suggests that the current focus on Garry oak as a flagship for the many rare species in savannas may be misguided. Overall, our results indicate that the maintenance and restoration of open habitats will require active management and that historical records can provide critical guidance to such efforts.     

Spatial cost–benefit analysis of blue restoration and factors driving net benefits globally

Marine coastal ecosystems, commonly referred to as blue ecosystems, provide valuable services to society but are under increasing threat worldwide due to a variety of drivers, including eutrophication, development, land-use change, land reclamation, and climate change. Ecological restoration is sometimes necessary to facilitate recovery in coastal ecosystems. Blue restoration (i.e., in marine coastal systems) is a developing field, and projects to date have been small scale and expensive, leading to the perception that restoration may not be economically viable. We conducted a global cost–benefit analysis to determine the net benefits of restoring coral reef, mangrove, saltmarsh, and seagrass ecosystems, where the benefit is defined as the monetary value of ecosystem services. We estimated costs from published restoration case studies and used an adjusted-value-transfer method to assign benefit values to these case studies. Benefit values were estimated as the monetary value provided by ecosystem services of the restored habitats. Benefits outweighed costs (i.e., there were positive net benefits) for restoration of all blue ecosystems. Mean benefit:cost ratios for ecosystem restoration were eight to 10 times higher than prior studies of coral reef and seagrass restoration, most likely due to the more recent lower cost estimates we used. Among ecosystems, saltmarsh had the greatest net benefits followed by mangrove; coral reef and seagrass ecosystems had lower net benefits. In general, restoration in nations with middle incomes had higher (eight times higher in coral reefs and 40 times higher in mangroves) net benefits than those with high incomes. Within an ecosystem type, net benefit varied with restoration technique (coral reef and saltmarsh), ecosystem service produced (mangrove and saltmarsh), and project duration (seagrass). These results challenge the perceptions of the low economic viability of blue restoration and should encourage further targeted investment in this field.     

重庆长江广阳岛生态修复设计与实践探索

广阳岛的生态修复设计以"长江风景眼,重庆生态岛"为价值追求,聚焦"生态"和"风景".生态修复设计围绕"摸清本底、自然恢复、生态修复、增加生物多样性"四个核心方面展开,通过运用土壤改良技术、海绵理水技术和生态疏田技术等生态修复技术提升生态修复科技内涵,使生态修复后的广阳岛以生态为魂、以风景为象.一期按照四种模式完成生态修...     

榆林地区植被时空分异特征及其影响因素研究

植被作为反映陆地生态系统和气候的重要指标,对研究全球或区域生态环境变化具有重要作用。以地处黄土高原生态脆弱区的榆林市为研究区,基于地理探测器模型,选取坡向、坡度、气温、降水和土壤类型5类自然因子,土地利用类型、人口密度和GDP 3类人文因子,分析榆林地区植被空间分异特征及其驱动力,并揭示了促进植被生长影响因子的最适宜特征。结果表明,（1）研究区2000—2018年植被覆盖趋向改善,NDVI呈现增加趋势,增速为0.11/10a,2008年以后植被增长较为明显;NDVI在2018年中高等级（0.6—0.8）面积比2000年中高等级面积明显增加;中高等级集中于榆林市东部黄土丘陵区,中低等级（0.2—0.4）集中于榆林市西北部的风沙区,植被覆盖呈现东部高西北低的空间分布特征。（2）人口密度和气温因子较好地解释植被NDVI空间分异性,是影响NDVI空间分异性的主要因子,GDP、土地利用类型和坡度是次级影响因子,其他因子对NDVI空间分异存在间接影响;坡向、降水和土壤类型因子与其他自然、人文因素对植被空间分布影响存在显著性差异。（3）自然、人文因子对榆林市NDVI的影响存在交互作用,因子之间的交互...