Land use reflects human activities on land.Urban land use is the highest level human alteration on Earth,and it is rapidly changing due to population increase and urbanization.Urban areas have widespread effects on lo...Land use reflects human activities on land.Urban land use is the highest level human alteration on Earth,and it is rapidly changing due to population increase and urbanization.Urban areas have widespread effects on local hydrology,climate,biodiversity,and food production[1,2].However,maps,that contain knowledge on the distribution,pattern and composition of various land use types in urban areas,are limited to city level.The mapping standard on data sources,methods,land use classification schemes varies from city to city,due to differences in financial input and skills of mapping personnel.To address various national and global environmental challenges caused by urbanization,it is important to have urban land uses at the national and global scales that are derived from the same or consistent data sources with the same or compatible classification systems and mapping methods.This is because,only with urban land use maps produced with similar criteria,consistent environmental policies can be made,and action efforts can be compared and assessed for large scale environmental administration.However,despite of the fact that a number of urban-extent maps exist at global scales[3,4],more detailed urban land use maps do not exist at the same scale.Even at big country or regional levels such as for the United States,China and European Union,consistent land use mapping efforts are rare[5,6](e.g.,https://sdi4apps.eu/open_land_use/).展开更多
Urbanization processes affect the ecosystem through alterations in ecological functions and landscape patterns. Currently, analysis of the total ecosystem services value （ESV） has targeted the overall benefits which...Urbanization processes affect the ecosystem through alterations in ecological functions and landscape patterns. Currently, analysis of the total ecosystem services value （ESV） has targeted the overall benefits which human beings obtain from the regional ecosystem but does not generally include information regarding ecological struc- tures and patterns. Therefore, the results cannot reflect the comprehensive state of the local ecosystem. We propose a new, integrative ecosystem quality indicator based on the ESV and landscape metrics for evaluating the quality of the regional ecosystem. We adopted the method of a coupled degree of coordination for evaluating the interrelationship between urbanization and ecosystem quality in Lianyun- gang City from 1985 to 2010. The coupling degree of coordination between urbanization and ecosystem quality showed an inverse U-shaped curve. At the primary stage of urbanization （1985-1995）, the degree of coupling of urbanization and the ecosystem was just barely balanced. From 1995 until 2000, the coupling system reached a balanced condition, in which the urbanization level increased. Since 2000, the urbanization process has accelerated. The coordination between urbanization and the ecosystem achieved the optimum condition in 2005. A turning point appeared at the same time, and the degree of coupling coordination began falling from the optimum. Subsequently, the coupled system once more entered a barely balanced state. Overall, the comprehensive level of ecosystem quality decreased since 1985 and degraded sharply after 2005, suggesting an overall degradation of the local ecosystem quality.展开更多
Herbaceous marsh is the most widely distributed type of marsh wetland ecosystem,and has important ecological functions such as water conservation,climate regulation,carbon storage and fixation,and sheltering rare spec...Herbaceous marsh is the most widely distributed type of marsh wetland ecosystem,and has important ecological functions such as water conservation,climate regulation,carbon storage and fixation,and sheltering rare species.The carbon sequestration function of herbaceous marsh plays a key role in slowing climate warming and maintaining regional environmental stability.Vegetation biomass is an important index reflecting the carbon sequestration capacity of wetlands.Investigating the biomass of marsh vegetation can provide a scientific basis for estimating the carbon storage and carbon sequestration capacity of marshes.Based on field survey data of aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh vegetation and the distribution data set of marsh in China,we analyzed the aboveground biomass and its spatial distribution pattern of herbaceous marsh on a national scale for the first time.The results showed that in China the total area of herbaceous marsh was 9.7×10^(4) km^(2),the average density of aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh vegetation was 227.5±23.0 g C m-2(95%confidence interval,the same below),and the total aboveground biomass was 22.2±2.2 Tg C(1 Tg=1012 g).The aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh vegetation is generally low in Northeast China and the Tibetan Plateau,and high in central North China and coastal regions in China.In different marsh distribution regions of China,the average biomass density of herbaceous marsh vegetation from small to large was as follows:temperate humid and semi-humid marsh region(182.3±49.3 g C m^(-2))<Tibetan Plateau marsh region(243.9±26.6 g C m-2)<temperate arid and semi-arid marsh region(300.5±73.2 g C m-2)<subtropical humid marsh region(348.4±59.0 g C m-2)<coastal marsh region(675.4±73.8 g C m-2). Due to the different area of herbaceous marsh, the total aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh vegetation in different marsh distribution regions was the largest in the temperate humid and semi-humid marsh region(9.6±2.6 Tg C), and was the smallest in the coastal m展开更多
Background:Food abundance and availability affect flock patterns of foraging birds.Cost and risk tradeoffs are especially critical for flocks of wintering waterbirds foraging in lake wetlands.Waterbirds losing suitabl...Background:Food abundance and availability affect flock patterns of foraging birds.Cost and risk tradeoffs are especially critical for flocks of wintering waterbirds foraging in lake wetlands.Waterbirds losing suitable habitats face insufficient food supplies and high levels of disturbance,affecting their foraging activities.Our objective was to study the effects of food abundance and disturbances on flock size and the structure of Hooded Crane flocks wintering at Shengjin Lake and,as well,to understand the response of wintering waterbirds to habitat degradation for future management decisions and protection of the population.Methods:We investigated food abundance,disturbances and flock foraging activities of the wintering Hooded Crane in several foraging habitats of Shengjin Lake from November 2013 to April 2014.Flock size and structure were observed by scan sampling.Data on food abundance and disturbances were collected by sampling.Flock size and structure were compared among three wintering stages.The relationship between food resources,disturbances and flock size were illustrated using a generalized linear model.Results:In the early and middle wintering periods,the Hooded Crane used paddy fields as its major foraging habitat,where the number of foraging birds and flocks were the highest.During the late period,the cranes took to meadows as their major foraging habitat.The variation among foraging flock was mainly embodied in the size of the flocks,while the age composition of these flocks did not change perceptibly.Family flocks were notably different from flock groups in size and age composition.The results of a generalized linear model showed that the food abundance had a marked effect on foraging flock size and age composition,while disturbances had a significant effect only on flock size.From our analysis,it appeared that the combined effect of the two variables was significant on the size of the foraging flock,but had less impact on age composition.Conclusions:Food abundance and disturbances affected the 展开更多
Background:The ideal habitat use of waterbirds can be considered to be fixed,but current habitat use depends on environmental conditions,especially those of food characteristics,considered crucial to their use of habi...Background:The ideal habitat use of waterbirds can be considered to be fixed,but current habitat use depends on environmental conditions,especially those of food characteristics,considered crucial to their use of habitats.Understanding how waterbirds respond to variation in food availability at degraded wetland sites and change their habitat use patterns over spatial and temporal scales should direct future conservation planning.The objectives of this study were to identify these spatial-temporal foraging habitat use patterns of Hooded Cranes(Grus monacha)and their relationship with food characteristics in the severely degraded wetlands of the Shengjin and Caizi lakes along with the Yangtze River floodplain.Methods:We investigated the changes in food characteristics,relative abundance and density of Hooded Cranes in various habitat types across three winter periods from November 2012 to April 2013.We examined the effect of these winter periods and habitat types on the pattern of use by the cranes and explored the relationship between these patterns and food characteristics using linear regression.Results:The food characteristics and habitat use clearly changed over spatial-temporal scales.In the early and mid-winter periods,the most abundant,accessible and frequented food resources were found in paddy fields,while in the late period the more abundant food were available in meadows,which then replaced the paddy fields.There were fewer effects of winter periods,habitat types and their interactions on habitat use patterns except for the effect of habitat types on the relative abundance,determined as a function of food abundance,but independent of food depth and sediment permeability.Conclusions:In response to the degradation and loss of lake wetlands,the cranes shifted their habitat use patterns by making tradeoffs between food abundance and accessibility over spatial-temporal scales that facilitated their survival in the mosaic of these lake wetlands.展开更多
Aims Clonal integration,i.e.resource sharing between interconnected ramets,can help clonal plants tolerate abiotic stress.However,few studies have directly examined the ecological significance of clonal integration in...Aims Clonal integration,i.e.resource sharing between interconnected ramets,can help clonal plants tolerate abiotic stress.However,few studies have directly examined the ecological significance of clonal integration in the ability of clonal plants to tolerate biotic stress such as herbivory.Methods We grew clonal fragments of an invasive clonal plant Alternanthera philoxeroides,each consisting of an apical part(relatively young)and a basal part(relatively old),at two levels(low and high)of soil nitrogen(N).For each fragment,the apical part was subjected to either no herbivory or herbivory for 2 weeks by a specialist insect,Agasicles hygrophila,and was either connected with or discon-nected from the basal part not subjected to herbivory.Important Findings Herbivory in the apical part severely reduced leaf growth(leaf mass,leaf number or leaf area)and ramet production of both apical and basal parts,and increased root to shoot ratio of the apical part.Irrespective of herbivory and soil N,stem connection between the apical and the basal part decreased root to shoot ratio of the ap-ical part,but did not change its growth measures.Meanwhile,con-nection increased stem N concentration of the apical part growing under high-N supply and decreased stem carbon(C)concentration of the apical part under low-N supply.By contrast,connection in-creased root to shoot ratio of the basal part,but reduced its leaf and ramet production.Connection also increased leaf and stem C concentrations of the basal part under low-N supply.Thus,clonal integration can be beneficial for the early development of young A.philoxeroides ramets,but not for their local adaptation to herbivory damage by A.hygrophila.展开更多
Aims The plant-herbivore interaction is one of the most fundamental inter-actions in nature.Plants are sessile organisms,and consequently rely on particular strategies to avoid or reduce the negative impact of herbivo...Aims The plant-herbivore interaction is one of the most fundamental inter-actions in nature.Plants are sessile organisms,and consequently rely on particular strategies to avoid or reduce the negative impact of herbivory.Here,we aimed to determine the defense strategies against insect herbivores in the creeping invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides.Methods We tested the defense response of A.philoxeroides to herbivory by a leaf-feeding specialist insect Agasicles hygrophila and a pol-yphagous sap-feeding insect Planococcus minor.We also tested the mechanisms triggering defense responses of A.philoxeroides by including treatments of artificial leaf removal and jasmonic acid application.Furthermore,we examined the effect of physiological integration on these defense strategies.Important Findings The combination of artificial leaf removal and jasmonic acid appli-cation produced a similar effect to that of leaf-feeding by the real herbivore.Physiological integration influenced the defense strat-egies of A.philoxeroides against herbivores,and increased biomass allocation to aboveground parts in its apical ramets damaged by real herbivores.Our study highlights the importance of physio-logical integration and modular plasticity for understanding the consequences of herbivory in clonal plants.展开更多
Background:The Yangtze River floodplain provides important wintering habitats for Hooded Cranes(Grus monacha) in China.Fluctuations in the water level change foraging habitat and food availability,affecting their temp...Background:The Yangtze River floodplain provides important wintering habitats for Hooded Cranes(Grus monacha) in China.Fluctuations in the water level change foraging habitat and food availability,affecting their temporal-spatial patterns of foraging activities.It is of considerable importance to investigate the effect of these fluctuations on food availability for wintering Hooded Cranes and their foraging response to these changes.Understanding their behavior patterns is beneficial in protecting the wintering crane population and restoring their wintering habitats.Methods:A field survey of the winter behavior of cranes was carried out at Shengjin Lake from November in 2013 to April in 2014.Habitat variables,as well as the spatial distribution and behavior patterns of wintering cranes at their foraging sites during five stages of water level fluctuation were collected.Based on this data we analyzed the relationship of foraging behavior relative to water level fluctuations and habitat types.Results:The foraging habitats used by Hooded Cranes varied at the different water level stages.As the water level decreased,the use of meadows and mudflats increased.When the water dropped to its lowest level,the use by the Hooded Crane in the mudflats reached a peak.There were statistically significant differences in time budget in the three types of habitats over the five stages of the water level.In the mudflats,the foraging behavior and maintenance behavior varied significantly with the water level,while the alert behavior showed little variation.Analysis of a generalized linear model showed that the five water level stages and three habitat types had a significant effect on foraging behavior,while the combined effect of these two variables was significant on the foraging time budget and the length of foraging activity of the Hooded Crane.Conclusions:With the decrease in the water level,the use of mudflats by Hooded Cranes increased correspondingly.Food availability in different habitats was affected by changes in the wate展开更多
The seasonal changes in dissolved organic matter(DOM),and its correlation with the release of internal nutrients during the annual cycle of cyanobacteria in the eutrophic Lake Chaohu,China,were investigated from four ...The seasonal changes in dissolved organic matter(DOM),and its correlation with the release of internal nutrients during the annual cycle of cyanobacteria in the eutrophic Lake Chaohu,China,were investigated from four sampling periods between November 2020 and July 2021.The DOM fluorescence components were identified as protein-like C1,microbial humic-like C2,and terrestrial humic-like C3.The highest total fluorescence intensity(FT)of DOM in sediments during the incubation stage is due to the decomposition and degradation of cyanobacteria remains.The lowest humification of DOM and the highest proportion of C1 in waters during the initial cyanobacterial growth indicate that fresh algae are the main source.The highest molecular weight of DOM and FT of the C2 in sediments during cyanobacterial outbreaks indicate the concurrent deposition of undegraded cyanobacterial remains and microbial degradation.The components of DOM are affected mainly by the dissolved total phosphorus in waters,while the temperature drives the annual cycle of cyanobacteria.The decreasing C1 in sediments and increasing nutrients in waters from the cyanobacterial incubation to outbreak indicate that mineralization of algal organic matter contributes importantly to the release of internal nutrients,with the strongest release of phosphorus observed during the early growth of cyanobacteria.The humic-like C2 and C3 components could also affect the dynamics of internal phosphorus through the formation of organic colloids and organic–inorganic ligands.The results show that the degradation of DOM leads to nutrients release and thus supports the continuous growth of cyanobacteria in eutrophic Lake Chaohu.展开更多
Based on the results of the National Survey of Peat Resources(1983-1985) and the investigation results on the peatlands of China,the storage and density of the organic carbon in the peatlands of China were estimated.T...Based on the results of the National Survey of Peat Resources(1983-1985) and the investigation results on the peatlands of China,the storage and density of the organic carbon in the peatlands of China were estimated.The total organic carbon storage(OCS) of the peatlands in China,including bare peatlands and buried peatlands,are 1.503 × 109 t,unevenly distributed over 30 provincial level administrative units and 16 climatic zones.Peatland organic carbon storage(POCS) in Sichuan(6.45 × 108 t) and Yunnan provinces(2.91 × 108 t) is the highest,accounting for 62.29% of the total POCS.Humid zone of plateau has the highest POCS of 7.14 × 108 t,especially in the Zoigê Plateau,where the POCS is 6.30 × 108 t,accounting for 41.92% of the total POCS of China.The organic carbon density(OCD) of the peatlands in China mostly ranges from 80 kg/m3 to 140 kg/m3,and the range of the maximum is 270-360 kg/m3,and the minimum is less than 80 kg/m3.Divided by the Yanshan Mountain,Taihang Mountains and Hengduan Mountains,the peatland oganic carbon density(POCD) is lower on the northwestern side than that on the southeastern side.Jiangxi Province has the highest POCD due to the ancient buried peatlands.The OCD of the bare peatlands is mostly in the range of 60-150 kg/m3,and that of the buried peatlands is more than 100 kg/m3.In the bare peatlands,the OCD generally increases from the surface layer to the below surface layer,and then decreases with the depth.Although the peatlands area in China is small,the OCS per unit area is far higher than the other soil types,so peatlands protection can effectively mitigate climate change.展开更多
Soils constitute one of the most critical natural resources and maintaining their health is vital for agricultural development and ecological sustainability,providing many essential ecosystem services.Driven by climat...Soils constitute one of the most critical natural resources and maintaining their health is vital for agricultural development and ecological sustainability,providing many essential ecosystem services.Driven by climatic variations and anthropogenic activities,soil degradation has become a global issue that seriously threatens the ecological environment and food security.Remote sensing(RS)technologies have been widely used to investigate soil degradation as it is highly efficient,time-saving,and broad-scope.This review encompasses recent advances and the state-of-the-art of ground,proximal,and novel Rs techniques in soil degradation-related studies.We reviewed the RS-related indicators that could be used for monitoring soil degradation-related properties.The direct indicators(mineral composition,organic matter,surface roughness,and moisture content of soil)and indirect proxies(vegetation condition and land use/land cover change)for evaluating soil degradation were comprehensively summarized.The results suggest that these above indicators are effective for monitoring soil degradation,however,no indicators system has been established for soil degradation monitoring to date.We also discussed the RS's mechanisms,data,and methods for identifying specific soil degradation-related phenomena(e.g.,soil erosion,salinization,desertification,and contamination).We investigated the potential relations between soil degradation and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)and also discussed the challenges and prospective use of RS for assessing soil degradation.To further advance and optimize technology,analysis and retrieval methods,we identify critical future research needs and directions:(1)multi-scale analysis of soil degradation;(2)availability of RS data;(3)soil degradation process modelling and prediction;(4)shared soil degradation dataset;(5)decision support systems;and(6)rehabilitation of degraded soil resource and the contribution of RS technology.Because it is difficult to monitor or measure all soil properties in the large 展开更多
Background: The habitat use and foraging behaviors of waterbirds are closely related to the distribution and abundance of their food resources. Reductions in food supply can cause waterbirds to shift their habitats an...Background: The habitat use and foraging behaviors of waterbirds are closely related to the distribution and abundance of their food resources. Reductions in food supply can cause waterbirds to shift their habitats and adjust their foraging behaviors to meet their nutritional requirements and increase fitness. Seasonal withdraw of the water levels in the river-connected lakes in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain provides abundant food resources for the wintering Greater White-fronted Goose(Anser albifrons). Sedge(Carex) meadows are critical foraging habitats for herbivorous waterbirds in the hydro-fluctuation belt, which changes with hydrological conditions and climate. This study aimed to examine the behavioral responses of the Greater White-fronted Goose to temporal-spatial changes of food availability in the Sedge meadows.Methods: Fields surveys were carried out at Shengjin Lake from November 2017 to April 2018. According to the phenology of Shengjin Lake, we divided the wintering season into three periods. The food density, minimum temperature, food items, grass height, and number of foraging geese were surveyed, and samples of the foraging behavior were collected. We analyzed the relationship of the foraging behavior and habitat use relative to the food resources, using correlation and linear regression analyses.Results: Along with the temporal-spatial variation and exploitation of food resources, the food abundance and items varied widely among the foraging sites. Over the whole wintering period, the foraging habitat with the highest utilization rate was the meadows, followed by the paddy fields, and then mudflats. Furthermore, the utilization of the meadows showed a bimodal distribution trend, while the paddy fields showed a unimodal trend, and a decreasing trend was seen in the mudflats over the whole wintering period. The results of the generalized linear model showed that the foraging rate was related to the food density and grass height, with a linearly increasing trend during the winter.Co展开更多
Background:Gut microbiota play crucial roles in host health.Wild birds and domestic poultry often occupy sympatric habitats,which facilitate the mutual transmission of intestinal microbes.However,the distinct intestin...Background:Gut microbiota play crucial roles in host health.Wild birds and domestic poultry often occupy sympatric habitats,which facilitate the mutual transmission of intestinal microbes.However,the distinct intestinal microbial communities between sympatric wild birds and poultry remain unknown.At present,the risk of interspecies transmission of pathogenic bacteria between wild and domestic host birds is also a research hotspot.Methods:This study compared the intestinal bacterial communities of the overwintering Hooded Crane(Grus monacha)and the Domestic Goose(Anser anser domesticus)at Shengjin Lake,China,using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology(Mi-Seq platform).Results:Our results revealed that Firmicutes,Actinobacteria,Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacterial phyla in both hosts.The gut bacterial community composition differed significantly between sympatric Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese.However,the hosts exhibited little variation in gut bacterial alphadiversity.The relative abundance of Firmicutes was significantly higher in the guts of the Hooded Cranes,while the relative abundances of Actinobacteria,Proteobacteria,Bacteroidete and Chloroflexi were significantly higher in guts of Domestic Geese.Moreover,a total of 132 potential pathogenic operational taxonomic units(OTUs)were detected in guts of Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese,and 13 pathogenic OTUs(9.8%)were found in both host guts.Pathogenic bacterial community composition and diversity differed significantly between hosts.Conclusions:The results showed that the gut bacterial community composition differs significantly between sympatric Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese.In addition,potential pathogens were detected in the guts of both Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese,with 13 pathogenic OTUs overlapping between the two hosts,suggesting that more attention should be paid to wild birds and poultry that might increase the risk of disease transmission in conspecifics and other mixed species.展开更多
In general, coastal habitat conditions are extremely harsh, with the ecological equilibrium inextric- ably related to the plant community. Understanding the natural vegetation features of a coastal zone with little hu...In general, coastal habitat conditions are extremely harsh, with the ecological equilibrium inextric- ably related to the plant community. Understanding the natural vegetation features of a coastal zone with little human disturbance could provide a reference for future vegetation restoration and ecosystem maintenance ser- vices. In this study, the vegetation patterns of Wangzi Shell Ridge Island in the Yellow River Delta were investigated. A total of 35 taxa of vascular plants were documented, representing 15 families and 33 genera （of which most were mono-specific）. Surveys identified only one to eight taxa in each plot. From sea to land, the vegetation showed a typical zonal distribution pattern. There was a correlation between the landform and important factors that influenced the plants including soil factors and distance from the sea. Thus, the taxa distribution and vegetation had a significant correlation with landform. The dune crest, backdune and interdune lowlands were areas with weak storm surges and were the important locations for the taxa to be become established. Plants along the high-tide line formed important defenses from large waves and high winds. The significant protection provided a suitable living environment for many organisms with high medicinal value. Special attention and protection could be provided to this area by reducing the use of the beach road and enclosing the complete section from sea to land with a protective fence. In addition, vegetation protection and restoration on Shell Ridge Island would aid in the formulation and implementation of reintroduction strate- gies for similar vegetation in similar habitats.展开更多
Hormones play important roles in vegetative and reproductive processes;however,the regulatory roles of hormones in Nelumbo nucifera(Lotus)growth and development are unclear.In this study,nine types of endogenous hormo...Hormones play important roles in vegetative and reproductive processes;however,the regulatory roles of hormones in Nelumbo nucifera(Lotus)growth and development are unclear.In this study,nine types of endogenous hormones,including gibberellins(GA_1,GA_3,and GA_4),indole-3-acetic acid(IAA),brassinolide(BR),ethylene(ETH),jasmonic acid(JA),abscisic acid(ABA),and zeatin(ZT)were detected in dormant shoot tips,vegetative shoot tips,developing leaf buds,and developing flower buds of lotus.The results indicated that GA,ETH,and BR signaling can promote vegetative and reproductive development of lotus.GA signaling regulates plant height and stimulates flower bud differentiation.GA levels were the highest in the flower buds;exogenous GA3+4 increased plant height by approximately 90%,increased flower quantity by nearly 40%,and advanced flowering by 4 d.Suppressing GA biosynthesis using paclobutrazol decreased plant height and flower quantity by 38%and 87.1%,respectively,and delayed flowering by 15.6 d.ETH signaling has positive regulatory effects on vegetative growth and flower development.The ETH concentration in the developing leaf buds was at least 50%higher than that in other samples.Ethephon spraying led to remarkable increases in plant height and leaf thickness and extended the flowering duration.BR signaling acts as a growth promoter during vegetative and reproductive development in lotus.The highest BR levels were detected in the vegetative shoot tips.External application of28-epihomobrassinolide resulted in growth-promoting phenotypes including longer scapes,thicker leaves,and prolonged flowering.展开更多
Quantifying and mapping the distribution patterns of ecosystem services can help to ascertain which services should be protected and where investments should be directed to improve synergies and reduce trade- offs. Mo...Quantifying and mapping the distribution patterns of ecosystem services can help to ascertain which services should be protected and where investments should be directed to improve synergies and reduce trade- offs. Moreover, the indicators of urbanization that affect the provision of ecosystem services must be identified to determine which approach to adopt in formulating policies related to these services. This paper presents a case study that maps the distribution of mukiple ecosystem services and analyzes the ways in which they interact. The relationship between the supply of ecosystem services and the socio-economic development in the Taihu Lake Basin of eastern China is also revealed. Results show a significant negative relationship between crop production and tourism income （p 〈 0.005） and a positive relationship between crop production, nutrient retention, and carbon sequestration （p 〈 0.005）. The negative effects of the urbanization process on providing and regulating services are also identified through a comparison of the ecosystem services in large and small cities. Regression analysis was used to compare and elucidate the relative significance of the selected urbanization factors to ecosystem services. The results indicate that urbanization level is the most substantial factor inversely correlated with crop production （R2 = 0.414） and nutrient retention services （R2 = 0.572）. Population density is the most important factor that negatively affects carbon sequestration （R2 = 0.447）. The findings of this study suggest the potential relevance of ecosystem service dynamics to urbanization management and decision making.展开更多
This editorial summarizes the contributions to the Special Issue Biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration of vulnerable ecosystems in the Anthropocene',established under the Journal of Plant Ecology.
Nest site selection is a vital component of bird reproduction success,and an adaptive behavior conducted to decrease nest predation risk with avoiding external disturbances.Understanding patterns of nest site selectio...Nest site selection is a vital component of bird reproduction success,and an adaptive behavior conducted to decrease nest predation risk with avoiding external disturbances.Understanding patterns of nest site selection can provide insights into how species adapt to changes in their habitat and has important conservation implications.In this study,we used microhabitat variables and multi-scale data with a field survey of nest occurrence to determine nest site selection patterns and adaptive strategies of the breeding Oriental Storks(Ciconia boyciana)in different nest areas.Results demonstrate that the nest site microhabitat characteristics of the breeding Oriental Storks significantly differed among the three nesting areas,and nest height was higher in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain than in the Northeast China and Bohai Bay nest areas.The food resources and intensity of human disturbance had the greatest effects on the nest site selection of the breeding Oriental Storks.The intensity of human disturbance was positively correlated with the nest height of the breeding Oriental Storks in Bohai Bay and the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain;however,nest height decreased with the abundance of food resources in the Northeast China nest area.Our findings indicate that the nest site selection patterns of Oriental Storks showed flexible adaptive strategies.In safer environments,nests were lower and closer to food resources,which allows parent storks to invest more in the nestlings.However,in areas where human activity was intense,nests were higher to ensure the safety of their offspring.Some measures that could be taken to improve the breeding habitat of Oriental Storks include increasing the percentage of wetland areas in nesting areas to enhance food resources availability and setting artificial nests at suitable heights in potential nesting grounds to encourage nesting.Finally,the establishment of soft barriers around the nesting areas could increase the safety of nests.展开更多
基金partially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFA0600104)supported by donations made by Delos Living LLC,and the Cyrus Tang Foundation+2 种基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41471419)Beijing Institute of Urban Planningsupported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(CCNU19TD002).
文摘Land use reflects human activities on land.Urban land use is the highest level human alteration on Earth,and it is rapidly changing due to population increase and urbanization.Urban areas have widespread effects on local hydrology,climate,biodiversity,and food production[1,2].However,maps,that contain knowledge on the distribution,pattern and composition of various land use types in urban areas,are limited to city level.The mapping standard on data sources,methods,land use classification schemes varies from city to city,due to differences in financial input and skills of mapping personnel.To address various national and global environmental challenges caused by urbanization,it is important to have urban land uses at the national and global scales that are derived from the same or consistent data sources with the same or compatible classification systems and mapping methods.This is because,only with urban land use maps produced with similar criteria,consistent environmental policies can be made,and action efforts can be compared and assessed for large scale environmental administration.However,despite of the fact that a number of urban-extent maps exist at global scales[3,4],more detailed urban land use maps do not exist at the same scale.Even at big country or regional levels such as for the United States,China and European Union,consistent land use mapping efforts are rare[5,6](e.g.,https://sdi4apps.eu/open_land_use/).
基金We appreciate the contributions made by the reviewers to improve the paper＇s quality. This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant No. 41271008）, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China （20720150074）, the Key Laboratory of the Coastal Zone Exploitation and Protection, Ministry of Land and Resource of China （2013CZEPK07）, Innovation Fund for Ph.D Students of Jiangsu Province （Grant No. CXLX12- 0057） and Research Project of the State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse.
文摘Urbanization processes affect the ecosystem through alterations in ecological functions and landscape patterns. Currently, analysis of the total ecosystem services value （ESV） has targeted the overall benefits which human beings obtain from the regional ecosystem but does not generally include information regarding ecological struc- tures and patterns. Therefore, the results cannot reflect the comprehensive state of the local ecosystem. We propose a new, integrative ecosystem quality indicator based on the ESV and landscape metrics for evaluating the quality of the regional ecosystem. We adopted the method of a coupled degree of coordination for evaluating the interrelationship between urbanization and ecosystem quality in Lianyun- gang City from 1985 to 2010. The coupling degree of coordination between urbanization and ecosystem quality showed an inverse U-shaped curve. At the primary stage of urbanization （1985-1995）, the degree of coupling of urbanization and the ecosystem was just barely balanced. From 1995 until 2000, the coupling system reached a balanced condition, in which the urbanization level increased. Since 2000, the urbanization process has accelerated. The coordination between urbanization and the ecosystem achieved the optimum condition in 2005. A turning point appeared at the same time, and the degree of coupling coordination began falling from the optimum. Subsequently, the coupled system once more entered a barely balanced state. Overall, the comprehensive level of ecosystem quality decreased since 1985 and degraded sharply after 2005, suggesting an overall degradation of the local ecosystem quality.
基金supported by the National Science&Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China(Grant No.2013FY111800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41971065 and U19A2042)the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.ZDBS-LY7019),the Youth Innovation Promotion Association,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.2019235)。
文摘Herbaceous marsh is the most widely distributed type of marsh wetland ecosystem,and has important ecological functions such as water conservation,climate regulation,carbon storage and fixation,and sheltering rare species.The carbon sequestration function of herbaceous marsh plays a key role in slowing climate warming and maintaining regional environmental stability.Vegetation biomass is an important index reflecting the carbon sequestration capacity of wetlands.Investigating the biomass of marsh vegetation can provide a scientific basis for estimating the carbon storage and carbon sequestration capacity of marshes.Based on field survey data of aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh vegetation and the distribution data set of marsh in China,we analyzed the aboveground biomass and its spatial distribution pattern of herbaceous marsh on a national scale for the first time.The results showed that in China the total area of herbaceous marsh was 9.7×10^(4) km^(2),the average density of aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh vegetation was 227.5±23.0 g C m-2(95%confidence interval,the same below),and the total aboveground biomass was 22.2±2.2 Tg C(1 Tg=1012 g).The aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh vegetation is generally low in Northeast China and the Tibetan Plateau,and high in central North China and coastal regions in China.In different marsh distribution regions of China,the average biomass density of herbaceous marsh vegetation from small to large was as follows:temperate humid and semi-humid marsh region(182.3±49.3 g C m^(-2))<Tibetan Plateau marsh region(243.9±26.6 g C m-2)<temperate arid and semi-arid marsh region(300.5±73.2 g C m-2)<subtropical humid marsh region(348.4±59.0 g C m-2)<coastal marsh region(675.4±73.8 g C m-2). Due to the different area of herbaceous marsh, the total aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh vegetation in different marsh distribution regions was the largest in the temperate humid and semi-humid marsh region(9.6±2.6 Tg C), and was the smallest in the coastal m
基金supported by the staff of the Shengjin Lake National Nature Reservethe National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant no.31172117,31472020)the Graduate Student Innovation Research Projects of Anhui University(YQH100270)for financial support
文摘Background:Food abundance and availability affect flock patterns of foraging birds.Cost and risk tradeoffs are especially critical for flocks of wintering waterbirds foraging in lake wetlands.Waterbirds losing suitable habitats face insufficient food supplies and high levels of disturbance,affecting their foraging activities.Our objective was to study the effects of food abundance and disturbances on flock size and the structure of Hooded Crane flocks wintering at Shengjin Lake and,as well,to understand the response of wintering waterbirds to habitat degradation for future management decisions and protection of the population.Methods:We investigated food abundance,disturbances and flock foraging activities of the wintering Hooded Crane in several foraging habitats of Shengjin Lake from November 2013 to April 2014.Flock size and structure were observed by scan sampling.Data on food abundance and disturbances were collected by sampling.Flock size and structure were compared among three wintering stages.The relationship between food resources,disturbances and flock size were illustrated using a generalized linear model.Results:In the early and middle wintering periods,the Hooded Crane used paddy fields as its major foraging habitat,where the number of foraging birds and flocks were the highest.During the late period,the cranes took to meadows as their major foraging habitat.The variation among foraging flock was mainly embodied in the size of the flocks,while the age composition of these flocks did not change perceptibly.Family flocks were notably different from flock groups in size and age composition.The results of a generalized linear model showed that the food abundance had a marked effect on foraging flock size and age composition,while disturbances had a significant effect only on flock size.From our analysis,it appeared that the combined effect of the two variables was significant on the size of the foraging flock,but had less impact on age composition.Conclusions:Food abundance and disturbances affected the
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant no.31172117 and 31472020)the Graduate Student Innovation Research Projects of Anhui University(YQ 01001770)
文摘Background:The ideal habitat use of waterbirds can be considered to be fixed,but current habitat use depends on environmental conditions,especially those of food characteristics,considered crucial to their use of habitats.Understanding how waterbirds respond to variation in food availability at degraded wetland sites and change their habitat use patterns over spatial and temporal scales should direct future conservation planning.The objectives of this study were to identify these spatial-temporal foraging habitat use patterns of Hooded Cranes(Grus monacha)and their relationship with food characteristics in the severely degraded wetlands of the Shengjin and Caizi lakes along with the Yangtze River floodplain.Methods:We investigated the changes in food characteristics,relative abundance and density of Hooded Cranes in various habitat types across three winter periods from November 2012 to April 2013.We examined the effect of these winter periods and habitat types on the pattern of use by the cranes and explored the relationship between these patterns and food characteristics using linear regression.Results:The food characteristics and habitat use clearly changed over spatial-temporal scales.In the early and mid-winter periods,the most abundant,accessible and frequented food resources were found in paddy fields,while in the late period the more abundant food were available in meadows,which then replaced the paddy fields.There were fewer effects of winter periods,habitat types and their interactions on habitat use patterns except for the effect of habitat types on the relative abundance,determined as a function of food abundance,but independent of food depth and sediment permeability.Conclusions:In response to the degradation and loss of lake wetlands,the cranes shifted their habitat use patterns by making tradeoffs between food abundance and accessibility over spatial-temporal scales that facilitated their survival in the mosaic of these lake wetlands.
基金This work was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFC1201101,2016YFC1202102)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31500331,31670428)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2015ZCQ-BH-01)Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of Beijing Forestry University(X201710022152).
文摘Aims Clonal integration,i.e.resource sharing between interconnected ramets,can help clonal plants tolerate abiotic stress.However,few studies have directly examined the ecological significance of clonal integration in the ability of clonal plants to tolerate biotic stress such as herbivory.Methods We grew clonal fragments of an invasive clonal plant Alternanthera philoxeroides,each consisting of an apical part(relatively young)and a basal part(relatively old),at two levels(low and high)of soil nitrogen(N).For each fragment,the apical part was subjected to either no herbivory or herbivory for 2 weeks by a specialist insect,Agasicles hygrophila,and was either connected with or discon-nected from the basal part not subjected to herbivory.Important Findings Herbivory in the apical part severely reduced leaf growth(leaf mass,leaf number or leaf area)and ramet production of both apical and basal parts,and increased root to shoot ratio of the apical part.Irrespective of herbivory and soil N,stem connection between the apical and the basal part decreased root to shoot ratio of the ap-ical part,but did not change its growth measures.Meanwhile,con-nection increased stem N concentration of the apical part growing under high-N supply and decreased stem carbon(C)concentration of the apical part under low-N supply.By contrast,connection in-creased root to shoot ratio of the basal part,but reduced its leaf and ramet production.Connection also increased leaf and stem C concentrations of the basal part under low-N supply.Thus,clonal integration can be beneficial for the early development of young A.philoxeroides ramets,but not for their local adaptation to herbivory damage by A.hygrophila.
基金This research was supported by the National Key Resecarch and Development Program of China(2016YFC1201100)NSFC(31570413,31500331)to F.H.Y.and B.C.D.S.R.R.+1 种基金R.B.and R.P.acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness(project Ref.CGL2013-44519-R,cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund,ERDF)This is a contribution from the Alien Species Network(Ref.ED431D 2017/20-Xunta de Galicia,Autonomous Government of Galicia).
文摘Aims The plant-herbivore interaction is one of the most fundamental inter-actions in nature.Plants are sessile organisms,and consequently rely on particular strategies to avoid or reduce the negative impact of herbivory.Here,we aimed to determine the defense strategies against insect herbivores in the creeping invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides.Methods We tested the defense response of A.philoxeroides to herbivory by a leaf-feeding specialist insect Agasicles hygrophila and a pol-yphagous sap-feeding insect Planococcus minor.We also tested the mechanisms triggering defense responses of A.philoxeroides by including treatments of artificial leaf removal and jasmonic acid application.Furthermore,we examined the effect of physiological integration on these defense strategies.Important Findings The combination of artificial leaf removal and jasmonic acid appli-cation produced a similar effect to that of leaf-feeding by the real herbivore.Physiological integration influenced the defense strat-egies of A.philoxeroides against herbivores,and increased biomass allocation to aboveground parts in its apical ramets damaged by real herbivores.Our study highlights the importance of physio-logical integration and modular plasticity for understanding the consequences of herbivory in clonal plants.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant no.31172117,31472020)the Graduate Student Innovation Research Projects of Anhui University(YQH100269)
文摘Background:The Yangtze River floodplain provides important wintering habitats for Hooded Cranes(Grus monacha) in China.Fluctuations in the water level change foraging habitat and food availability,affecting their temporal-spatial patterns of foraging activities.It is of considerable importance to investigate the effect of these fluctuations on food availability for wintering Hooded Cranes and their foraging response to these changes.Understanding their behavior patterns is beneficial in protecting the wintering crane population and restoring their wintering habitats.Methods:A field survey of the winter behavior of cranes was carried out at Shengjin Lake from November in 2013 to April in 2014.Habitat variables,as well as the spatial distribution and behavior patterns of wintering cranes at their foraging sites during five stages of water level fluctuation were collected.Based on this data we analyzed the relationship of foraging behavior relative to water level fluctuations and habitat types.Results:The foraging habitats used by Hooded Cranes varied at the different water level stages.As the water level decreased,the use of meadows and mudflats increased.When the water dropped to its lowest level,the use by the Hooded Crane in the mudflats reached a peak.There were statistically significant differences in time budget in the three types of habitats over the five stages of the water level.In the mudflats,the foraging behavior and maintenance behavior varied significantly with the water level,while the alert behavior showed little variation.Analysis of a generalized linear model showed that the five water level stages and three habitat types had a significant effect on foraging behavior,while the combined effect of these two variables was significant on the foraging time budget and the length of foraging activity of the Hooded Crane.Conclusions:With the decrease in the water level,the use of mudflats by Hooded Cranes increased correspondingly.Food availability in different habitats was affected by changes in the wate
基金supported by the University Natural Science Research Project of Anhui Province (No. KJ2019A0042)the Key Research and Development Program of Anhui Province (No. 201904a07020071)
文摘The seasonal changes in dissolved organic matter(DOM),and its correlation with the release of internal nutrients during the annual cycle of cyanobacteria in the eutrophic Lake Chaohu,China,were investigated from four sampling periods between November 2020 and July 2021.The DOM fluorescence components were identified as protein-like C1,microbial humic-like C2,and terrestrial humic-like C3.The highest total fluorescence intensity(FT)of DOM in sediments during the incubation stage is due to the decomposition and degradation of cyanobacteria remains.The lowest humification of DOM and the highest proportion of C1 in waters during the initial cyanobacterial growth indicate that fresh algae are the main source.The highest molecular weight of DOM and FT of the C2 in sediments during cyanobacterial outbreaks indicate the concurrent deposition of undegraded cyanobacterial remains and microbial degradation.The components of DOM are affected mainly by the dissolved total phosphorus in waters,while the temperature drives the annual cycle of cyanobacteria.The decreasing C1 in sediments and increasing nutrients in waters from the cyanobacterial incubation to outbreak indicate that mineralization of algal organic matter contributes importantly to the release of internal nutrients,with the strongest release of phosphorus observed during the early growth of cyanobacteria.The humic-like C2 and C3 components could also affect the dynamics of internal phosphorus through the formation of organic colloids and organic–inorganic ligands.The results show that the degradation of DOM leads to nutrients release and thus supports the continuous growth of cyanobacteria in eutrophic Lake Chaohu.
基金Under the auspices of Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.WELF-2009-B-001)Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of Chinese Ministry of Education(No. 09YJCZH117)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51079155)
文摘Based on the results of the National Survey of Peat Resources(1983-1985) and the investigation results on the peatlands of China,the storage and density of the organic carbon in the peatlands of China were estimated.The total organic carbon storage(OCS) of the peatlands in China,including bare peatlands and buried peatlands,are 1.503 × 109 t,unevenly distributed over 30 provincial level administrative units and 16 climatic zones.Peatland organic carbon storage(POCS) in Sichuan(6.45 × 108 t) and Yunnan provinces(2.91 × 108 t) is the highest,accounting for 62.29% of the total POCS.Humid zone of plateau has the highest POCS of 7.14 × 108 t,especially in the Zoigê Plateau,where the POCS is 6.30 × 108 t,accounting for 41.92% of the total POCS of China.The organic carbon density(OCD) of the peatlands in China mostly ranges from 80 kg/m3 to 140 kg/m3,and the range of the maximum is 270-360 kg/m3,and the minimum is less than 80 kg/m3.Divided by the Yanshan Mountain,Taihang Mountains and Hengduan Mountains,the peatland oganic carbon density(POCD) is lower on the northwestern side than that on the southeastern side.Jiangxi Province has the highest POCD due to the ancient buried peatlands.The OCD of the bare peatlands is mostly in the range of 60-150 kg/m3,and that of the buried peatlands is more than 100 kg/m3.In the bare peatlands,the OCD generally increases from the surface layer to the below surface layer,and then decreases with the depth.Although the peatlands area in China is small,the OCS per unit area is far higher than the other soil types,so peatlands protection can effectively mitigate climate change.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(41871031 and 31860111)Basic Research Program of Shenzhen(20220811173316001)+2 种基金Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2023A1515011273 and 2020A1515111142)Shenzhen Polytechnic Research Fund(6023310031K),Key Laboratory of Spatial Data Mining&Information Sharing of Ministry of Education,Fuzhou University(2022LSDMIS05)supported by a grant from State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System.The contribution of Ivan Lizaga was supported by the Research Foundation-Flanders(FWO,mandate 12V8622N)。
文摘Soils constitute one of the most critical natural resources and maintaining their health is vital for agricultural development and ecological sustainability,providing many essential ecosystem services.Driven by climatic variations and anthropogenic activities,soil degradation has become a global issue that seriously threatens the ecological environment and food security.Remote sensing(RS)technologies have been widely used to investigate soil degradation as it is highly efficient,time-saving,and broad-scope.This review encompasses recent advances and the state-of-the-art of ground,proximal,and novel Rs techniques in soil degradation-related studies.We reviewed the RS-related indicators that could be used for monitoring soil degradation-related properties.The direct indicators(mineral composition,organic matter,surface roughness,and moisture content of soil)and indirect proxies(vegetation condition and land use/land cover change)for evaluating soil degradation were comprehensively summarized.The results suggest that these above indicators are effective for monitoring soil degradation,however,no indicators system has been established for soil degradation monitoring to date.We also discussed the RS's mechanisms,data,and methods for identifying specific soil degradation-related phenomena(e.g.,soil erosion,salinization,desertification,and contamination).We investigated the potential relations between soil degradation and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)and also discussed the challenges and prospective use of RS for assessing soil degradation.To further advance and optimize technology,analysis and retrieval methods,we identify critical future research needs and directions:(1)multi-scale analysis of soil degradation;(2)availability of RS data;(3)soil degradation process modelling and prediction;(4)shared soil degradation dataset;(5)decision support systems;and(6)rehabilitation of degraded soil resource and the contribution of RS technology.Because it is difficult to monitor or measure all soil properties in the large
基金This work was supported by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42271422 and 41930648)the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Urban Land Resources Monitoring and Simulation,Ministry of Natural Resources(KF-2020-05-025).
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31472020).
文摘Background: The habitat use and foraging behaviors of waterbirds are closely related to the distribution and abundance of their food resources. Reductions in food supply can cause waterbirds to shift their habitats and adjust their foraging behaviors to meet their nutritional requirements and increase fitness. Seasonal withdraw of the water levels in the river-connected lakes in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain provides abundant food resources for the wintering Greater White-fronted Goose(Anser albifrons). Sedge(Carex) meadows are critical foraging habitats for herbivorous waterbirds in the hydro-fluctuation belt, which changes with hydrological conditions and climate. This study aimed to examine the behavioral responses of the Greater White-fronted Goose to temporal-spatial changes of food availability in the Sedge meadows.Methods: Fields surveys were carried out at Shengjin Lake from November 2017 to April 2018. According to the phenology of Shengjin Lake, we divided the wintering season into three periods. The food density, minimum temperature, food items, grass height, and number of foraging geese were surveyed, and samples of the foraging behavior were collected. We analyzed the relationship of the foraging behavior and habitat use relative to the food resources, using correlation and linear regression analyses.Results: Along with the temporal-spatial variation and exploitation of food resources, the food abundance and items varied widely among the foraging sites. Over the whole wintering period, the foraging habitat with the highest utilization rate was the meadows, followed by the paddy fields, and then mudflats. Furthermore, the utilization of the meadows showed a bimodal distribution trend, while the paddy fields showed a unimodal trend, and a decreasing trend was seen in the mudflats over the whole wintering period. The results of the generalized linear model showed that the foraging rate was related to the food density and grass height, with a linearly increasing trend during the winter.Co
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31772485 and 31801989)。
文摘Background:Gut microbiota play crucial roles in host health.Wild birds and domestic poultry often occupy sympatric habitats,which facilitate the mutual transmission of intestinal microbes.However,the distinct intestinal microbial communities between sympatric wild birds and poultry remain unknown.At present,the risk of interspecies transmission of pathogenic bacteria between wild and domestic host birds is also a research hotspot.Methods:This study compared the intestinal bacterial communities of the overwintering Hooded Crane(Grus monacha)and the Domestic Goose(Anser anser domesticus)at Shengjin Lake,China,using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology(Mi-Seq platform).Results:Our results revealed that Firmicutes,Actinobacteria,Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacterial phyla in both hosts.The gut bacterial community composition differed significantly between sympatric Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese.However,the hosts exhibited little variation in gut bacterial alphadiversity.The relative abundance of Firmicutes was significantly higher in the guts of the Hooded Cranes,while the relative abundances of Actinobacteria,Proteobacteria,Bacteroidete and Chloroflexi were significantly higher in guts of Domestic Geese.Moreover,a total of 132 potential pathogenic operational taxonomic units(OTUs)were detected in guts of Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese,and 13 pathogenic OTUs(9.8%)were found in both host guts.Pathogenic bacterial community composition and diversity differed significantly between hosts.Conclusions:The results showed that the gut bacterial community composition differs significantly between sympatric Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese.In addition,potential pathogens were detected in the guts of both Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese,with 13 pathogenic OTUs overlapping between the two hosts,suggesting that more attention should be paid to wild birds and poultry that might increase the risk of disease transmission in conspecifics and other mixed species.
文摘In general, coastal habitat conditions are extremely harsh, with the ecological equilibrium inextric- ably related to the plant community. Understanding the natural vegetation features of a coastal zone with little human disturbance could provide a reference for future vegetation restoration and ecosystem maintenance ser- vices. In this study, the vegetation patterns of Wangzi Shell Ridge Island in the Yellow River Delta were investigated. A total of 35 taxa of vascular plants were documented, representing 15 families and 33 genera （of which most were mono-specific）. Surveys identified only one to eight taxa in each plot. From sea to land, the vegetation showed a typical zonal distribution pattern. There was a correlation between the landform and important factors that influenced the plants including soil factors and distance from the sea. Thus, the taxa distribution and vegetation had a significant correlation with landform. The dune crest, backdune and interdune lowlands were areas with weak storm surges and were the important locations for the taxa to be become established. Plants along the high-tide line formed important defenses from large waves and high winds. The significant protection provided a suitable living environment for many organisms with high medicinal value. Special attention and protection could be provided to this area by reducing the use of the beach road and enclosing the complete section from sea to land with a protective fence. In addition, vegetation protection and restoration on Shell Ridge Island would aid in the formulation and implementation of reintroduction strate- gies for similar vegetation in similar habitats.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31971705)Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(Grant No.21ZR1434200)。
文摘Hormones play important roles in vegetative and reproductive processes;however,the regulatory roles of hormones in Nelumbo nucifera(Lotus)growth and development are unclear.In this study,nine types of endogenous hormones,including gibberellins(GA_1,GA_3,and GA_4),indole-3-acetic acid(IAA),brassinolide(BR),ethylene(ETH),jasmonic acid(JA),abscisic acid(ABA),and zeatin(ZT)were detected in dormant shoot tips,vegetative shoot tips,developing leaf buds,and developing flower buds of lotus.The results indicated that GA,ETH,and BR signaling can promote vegetative and reproductive development of lotus.GA signaling regulates plant height and stimulates flower bud differentiation.GA levels were the highest in the flower buds;exogenous GA3+4 increased plant height by approximately 90%,increased flower quantity by nearly 40%,and advanced flowering by 4 d.Suppressing GA biosynthesis using paclobutrazol decreased plant height and flower quantity by 38%and 87.1%,respectively,and delayed flowering by 15.6 d.ETH signaling has positive regulatory effects on vegetative growth and flower development.The ETH concentration in the developing leaf buds was at least 50%higher than that in other samples.Ethephon spraying led to remarkable increases in plant height and leaf thickness and extended the flowering duration.BR signaling acts as a growth promoter during vegetative and reproductive development in lotus.The highest BR levels were detected in the vegetative shoot tips.External application of28-epihomobrassinolide resulted in growth-promoting phenotypes including longer scapes,thicker leaves,and prolonged flowering.
文摘Quantifying and mapping the distribution patterns of ecosystem services can help to ascertain which services should be protected and where investments should be directed to improve synergies and reduce trade- offs. Moreover, the indicators of urbanization that affect the provision of ecosystem services must be identified to determine which approach to adopt in formulating policies related to these services. This paper presents a case study that maps the distribution of mukiple ecosystem services and analyzes the ways in which they interact. The relationship between the supply of ecosystem services and the socio-economic development in the Taihu Lake Basin of eastern China is also revealed. Results show a significant negative relationship between crop production and tourism income （p 〈 0.005） and a positive relationship between crop production, nutrient retention, and carbon sequestration （p 〈 0.005）. The negative effects of the urbanization process on providing and regulating services are also identified through a comparison of the ecosystem services in large and small cities. Regression analysis was used to compare and elucidate the relative significance of the selected urbanization factors to ecosystem services. The results indicate that urbanization level is the most substantial factor inversely correlated with crop production （R2 = 0.414） and nutrient retention services （R2 = 0.572）. Population density is the most important factor that negatively affects carbon sequestration （R2 = 0.447）. The findings of this study suggest the potential relevance of ecosystem service dynamics to urbanization management and decision making.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32071525,32371584,3197142)the Third Xinjiang Scientifc Expedition Program(2022xjkk1200)the Science and Technology Program from Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province(2023KYXM09).
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52301309 and 42107057)the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U2243208 and No.42330705).
文摘This editorial summarizes the contributions to the Special Issue Biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration of vulnerable ecosystems in the Anthropocene',established under the Journal of Plant Ecology.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32171530 and 31472020)。
文摘Nest site selection is a vital component of bird reproduction success,and an adaptive behavior conducted to decrease nest predation risk with avoiding external disturbances.Understanding patterns of nest site selection can provide insights into how species adapt to changes in their habitat and has important conservation implications.In this study,we used microhabitat variables and multi-scale data with a field survey of nest occurrence to determine nest site selection patterns and adaptive strategies of the breeding Oriental Storks(Ciconia boyciana)in different nest areas.Results demonstrate that the nest site microhabitat characteristics of the breeding Oriental Storks significantly differed among the three nesting areas,and nest height was higher in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain than in the Northeast China and Bohai Bay nest areas.The food resources and intensity of human disturbance had the greatest effects on the nest site selection of the breeding Oriental Storks.The intensity of human disturbance was positively correlated with the nest height of the breeding Oriental Storks in Bohai Bay and the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain;however,nest height decreased with the abundance of food resources in the Northeast China nest area.Our findings indicate that the nest site selection patterns of Oriental Storks showed flexible adaptive strategies.In safer environments,nests were lower and closer to food resources,which allows parent storks to invest more in the nestlings.However,in areas where human activity was intense,nests were higher to ensure the safety of their offspring.Some measures that could be taken to improve the breeding habitat of Oriental Storks include increasing the percentage of wetland areas in nesting areas to enhance food resources availability and setting artificial nests at suitable heights in potential nesting grounds to encourage nesting.Finally,the establishment of soft barriers around the nesting areas could increase the safety of nests.
