应用生态学报最新文献

Birds are key indicator taxa for assessing urban ecosystems condition, as their diversity, distributional patterns, and community structure reflect environmental quality in urban settings. To synthesize the research progress of urban birds, we employed bibliometric analysis and inductive synthesis to analyze the distribution of research hotspots, evolutionary trajectories, and thematic keyword categories, based on literature indexed in CNKI and the Web of Science Core Collection over the past two decades. We found that research in both contexts shares a common focus on the impacts of urbanization on bird communities and on biodiversity conservation. Research in China exhibits a policy-driven orientation toward conservation planning practice, whereas international research emphasize individual- to population-level behavioral and physiological response mechanisms, with comparatively more mature frameworks. Current research on urban birds focus on five main aspects: 1) the effects of urbanization on bird community composition and structure; 2) the influence of urban green space configuration and vegetation attributes on birds; 3) behavior and survival adaptations under urbanization; 4) the effects of urban environments on morphology and physiology; and 5) planning of urban ecological parks grounded in bird conservation. Future works should highlight the significance of ecosystem services provided by urban birds, advance conservation from multiple dimensions, and enhance both quality and efficiency through integrating theory with practice.

To mitigate the reduction of crop yield caused by soil salinization in the Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation District, we implemented an experiment with split-plot design to evaluate the effects of three drip irrigation regimes (W1: spring border irrigation 180 mm + growing-season drip irrigation 420 mm; W2: 162 mm + 378 mm; and W3: 144 mm + 336 mm) and two planting configurations (T1: sorghum monoculture; T2: sorghum-sesbania intercropping) on soil water content, salinity, desalination efficiency, sorghum growth, and yield. We applied partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) to analyze the dynamics of water-salt transport and the synergies of intercropping. Results showed that during the seedling and jointing stages, intercropping (T2) under the W2 and W3 increased soil water content in the 40-80 cm layer by 1.6%-8.5% compared to monoculture (T1). During the grouting stage, T2 under W1 and W2 significantly reduced soil salinity in 0-40 cm layer by 4.1%-35.5%. W2 was the optimal irrigation regime for salt leaching efficiency across both planting patterns. Moreover, intercropping (W2T2) enhanced sorghum growth in the pustulation period, with shoot length reduced by 13.6% compared to W2T1. Compared with T1, stem thickness of T2 elevated by 2.2%, 7.7%, and 5.5% for W1, W2, and W3, respectively. Du-ring the booting stage, sorghum under T2 showed enhanced leaf area index by 6.6% and 7.7% and chlorophyll contents (SPAD values) by 28.2% and 3.3% under W1 and W2, respectively compared to T1, while a reduced SPAD was observed under W3 treatment. Overall, T2 boosted sorghum yield by 3.9%-7.3%, with W2T2 yielding 7865.6 kg·hm^-2 and significantly higher than that of W1T2 and W3T2. Furthermore, structural equation modeling results indicated that T2 strengthened photosynthetic capacity, enhanced grain assimilate allocation, and mitigated water stress via interspecific resource complementation. The combination of sorghum-sesbania intercropping with growing-season drip irrigation 378 mm maximized salt leaching, deep-water utilization, and crop yield, offering a promising strategy for water-saving salt management and productivity enhancement in saline-alkali environment.

Inland waters are important sources of greenhouse gases (GHG). The accurate quantification of fluxes is fundamental to assessing their roles in the global GHG cycle. The flux chamber method is the most widely used technique for measuring GHG fluxes in inland waters. Based on whether external air is introduced to maintain stable CO₂ concentrations inside the chamber during measurements, flux chambers can be categorized into two types: closed path (non-steady-state) chamber and opened path (steady-state) chamber. We reviewed the basic principles, practical applications, and respective advantages and limitations of those two types. The closed path chamber method is characterized by flexible deployment and simple operation, but it may disturb the micrometeorological conditions within the chamber. In contrast, the opened path chamber method maintains consistent environmental conditions between the chamber interior and the ambient atmosphere, but it imposes higher requirements on the precision of gas analyzers and the stability of control systems. Moreover, we discussed the uncertainties in flux measurements arising from factors such as chamber design (size and shape), observation duration, and gas transfer velocity. We further summarized key operational considerations, including chamber airtightness, pressure equili-brium, gas mixing conditions, and the measurement of gas mixing ratios. Finally, we outlined future directions and application prospects of the flux chamber method in inland water GHG research, aiming to provide a reference for method selection and technological advancement in this field.

To understand the potential suitable habitats of Limosa limosa and clarify the dominant environmental factors affecting its distribution, we collected a total of 239 distribution sites and 29 environmental variables, and simulated with the MaxEnt model. The results showed that the dominant factors influencing the suitable habitats for L. limosa during the breeding period included isothermality, slope, elevation, distance to major water, distance to paddy field, distance to village, and mean temperature of the coldest quarter. During the breeding period, L. limosa preferred inland wetlands and their surrounding grassland and farmland with high annual temperature variation, low winter temperature, medium elevation, low slope, near water sources and with little human activity. The dominant influencing factors during the overwintering period were precipitation of the coldest quarter, slope, distance to major water, normalized vegetation index, elevation, and mean diurnal temperature range. During the overwintering period, L. limosa preferred areas with a certain amount of rainfall during the coldest season, low elevation and slope, closer to water sources, low temperature variation and suitable degree of concealment. The highly suitable area for the L. limosa during the breeding period covered an area of 17.8×10⁴ km², and was mainly distributed in northern Xinjiang, central and northeastern Inner Mongolia, with a few breeding sites in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. The highly suitable area for the overwintering period covered an area of 6.1×10⁴ km², and was mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (such as Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi provinces) and its southern coastal provinces (such as Fujian and Guangdong provinces). Due to the influence of human activities and global warming, the wintering area of the L. limosa has gradually shifted from the coastal areas to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in recent years. Our findings hold significant implications for the conservation of L. limosa population and habitat management.

To improve the quantitative monitoring accuracy of land gravelization, we designed quadrats of 10 cm×10 cm, 25 cm×25 cm, 50 cm×50 cm, 75 cm×75 cm, and 100 cm×100 cm in the desert area of Inner Mongolia. Using the measurement results of the 100 cm×100 cm quadrat as the standard values for gravel coverage and unit area gravel mass, we conducted a comparative analysis with the results of other quadrat configurations to determine the appropriate size and quantity of quadrats for monitoring land gravelization in desert areas. The results showed that quadrats of different sizes could all be used for monitoring land gravelization. Without considering time costs, measurement accuracy improved and the number of quadrats required decreased with increasing quadrat area. When time costs were factored in, the advantages of smaller quadrats (10 cm×10 cm or 25 cm×25 cm) became more pronounced. Due to factors such as gravel particle size and composition, the differences in unit area gravel mass between quadrats were much greater than those in gravel coverage. An excessively small quadrat area increased the instability of unit area gravel mass measurements. To ensure measurement stability, the number of qua-drats should be increased, which would raise time costs. Considering both monitoring accuracy and work efficiency, the appropriate quadrat area for land gravelization monitoring could be 25 cm×25 cm, with a recommended quadrat quantity of 9.

Hexi Corridor is an important ecological security barrier in China. Ecological zoning of this area is of great significance for the precise restoration and optimal resource allocation. We estimated the ecosystem service value of the Hexi Corridor and constructed ecological security pattern with the basic paradigm of "source-resistance surface-corridor-strategic point". We further coupled the results of the landscape ecological risk assessment to deli-neate ecological zoning and optimize the ecological security pattern. The results showed that ecological quality in the study area improved from 2000 to 2020, with total ecosystem service value increasing by 15.741 billion yuan. The area with high ecological risk decreased by 14324 km², and the area with medium and low ecological risk increased by 4778 and 9546 km², respectively. The ecological components exhibited consistent spatial distribution, primarily concentrated in the southern part of the Hexi Corridor. Ten ecological source areas were identified, covering 20643.12 km². A total of 45 ecological corridors were extracted, totaling 2685.69 km in length, including 15 key ecological corridors spanning 1053.16 km. We identified 64 ecological strategic points. Hexi Corridor could be classified into four ecological zones: ecological safeguard zone, ecological rehabilitation zone, ecological improvement zone, and ecological conservation zone. The ecological sources and corridors were mainly located in the ecological safeguard zone and ecological conservation zone. Our results could provide theoretical references for ecological restoration research in the Hexi Corridor as well as in the northwestern China.

Identifying and protecting key ecological elements to construct a regional ecological security pattern can provide stable spatial structure for ecosystems, with consequences on regional ecosystem stability. Taking Gansu-Qinghai section of the upper Yellow River as a case, we integrated ecological sensitivity analysis with multi-source data, including elevation, slope, land use type, and NDVI by using the minimum cumulative resistance model and gravity model to delineate the ecological security pattern and propose optimization strategies. Eighteen ecological sources were identified in the Gansu-Qinghai section of the upper Yellow River, primarily comprising grasslands, water body, and forests, accounting for 10.6% of the total area and forming the core space of the regional ecological barrier. We constructed a composite ecological network, consisting of 23 important corridors, 130 general corridors, 82 important nodes, and 378 general nodes, with a structurally complete yet optimizable configuration. The Gansu-Qinghai section of the upper Yellow River exhibited a typical plateau resistance surface, requiring focused monitoring grassland degradation zone in the western region, the interlaced zone of water conservation and urban development in the central region, and the significant area of urban expansion in the eastern region. The functional units of Gansu-Qinghai section of the upper Yellow River could be classified into ecological conservation zones, core restoration zones, ecological management zones, and ecological preservation zones. We should clarify spatial governance principles and implement differentiated ecological protection strategies to achieve regional ecological restoration and spatial optimization.

As a flagship species in marine, the conservation of Acipenser sinensis habitat is of great significance for biodiversity maintenance. Based on 339 records of A. sinensis bycatch in the ocean and related environmental data from 2022 to 2023, we investigated its distribution characteristics and habitat selection using the MaxEnt model. The results showed that A. sinensis was primarily distributed in the waters of Hangzhou Bay and the Xiangshan area, with a relatively broad range in spring and winter, while the distribution was more concentrated in summer and autumn. The MaxEnt model revealed that key environmental factors influencing the potential habitat of A. sinensis were bottom water temperature, silicate concentration, and pH. When the temperature of bottom water ranged between 19-23 ℃, the silicate concentration exceeded 15 mmol·m^-3, and pH was between 8.2 and 8.5, the probability of A. sinensis presence was higher. Within the study area, the highly suitable zone covered an area of 258.71 km² (6.9% of the total), while the suboptimally suitable zone spanned 703.46 km² (18.7%). The main highly suitable zones were located in the waters of Hangzhou Bay, the Xiangshan Port-Jiushan Archipelago-Sanmen Bay-Jiaojiang area, while the suboptimally suitable zones were primarily found in the waters near Zhoushan-Ningbo-Taizhou to the east and south, as well as the coastal waters of Jiangsu.

Based on data from nine plots, we analyzed the population structure of Rhododendron taishunense, a plant endemic to East China, the niche characteristics and interspecific associations of the dominant species, aiming to provide a basis for effective protection and scientific management. The results showed that population age structure of R. taishunense generally exhibited a growing pattern. Some plots showed generational gaps due to digging or habitat destruction. In the tree layer, some species, such as R. taishunense, Castanopsis eyrei and Schima superba, showed clear advantages in niche breadth. In the shrub layers, C. eyrei, R. taishunense, and Lindera aggregata had relatively large niche breadths, indicating strong adaptability. R. taishunense overlapped with 17 species in the tree layer and 15 species in the shrub layer. The niche overlap values of dominant species in the tree and shrub layers were 0.17 and 0.15, respectively, indicating a high degree of niche differentiation, and potential competitive relationships. The tree layer showed no significant association, while the shrub layer showed a significant negative association. Association coefficients, co-occurrence percentages, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients showed that the proportion of species pairs with negative associations or no co-occurrence ranged from 60.8% to 76.6%, indicating strong interspecific competition. Although R. taishunense had strong ecological adaptability, its community was in a successional stage with poor stability. It is necessary to establish special protection areas and implement scientific management of seedlings to promote population development.