Species richness and abundance are two important species diversity variables that have attracted particular attention because of their significance in determining present and future species composition conditions. Thi...Species richness and abundance are two important species diversity variables that have attracted particular attention because of their significance in determining present and future species composition conditions. This paper aims to explain the qualitative and quantitative relationships between species diversity pattern and grain size （i.e. size of the sampling unit）, and species diversity pattern and sampling area, and to analyze species diversity variability on active sand dunes in the Horqin Sandy Land, northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. A 50 mx50 m sampling plot was selected on the windward slope, where the dominant species was annual herb Agriophyllum squarrosum. Species composition and abundance at five grain sizes were recorded, and the species-area curves were produced for thirteen grain sizes. The range of values for species abundance tended to increase with in- creasing grain size in the study area, whereas, generally, species richness did not follow this rule because of poor species richness on the windward slope of active sand dunes. However, the homogeneity of species richness in- creased significantly. With the increase in sampling area, species abundance increased linearly, but richness in- creased logarithmically. Furthermore, variograms showed that species diversity on the windward slope of active sand dunes was weakly anisotropic and the distribution pattern was random, according to the Moran Coefficient. The results also showed that species richness was low, with a random distribution pattern. This conflicts with the results of previous studies that showed spatial aggregation in lower richness in a sampling area within a community and inferred that the physical processes play a more important role in species diversity than distribution pattern on active sand dunes. Further research into different diversity patterns and mechanisms between active sand dunes and interdune lowlands should be conducted to better understand biodiversity conservation in sand dune fields.展开更多
The presence of invasive plant species poses a substantial ecological impact,thus comprehensive evaluation of their potential range and risk under the influence of climate change is necessary.This study uses maximum e...The presence of invasive plant species poses a substantial ecological impact,thus comprehensive evaluation of their potential range and risk under the influence of climate change is necessary.This study uses maximum entropy(MaxEnt)modeling to forecast the likelihood of Leucaena leucocephala(Lam.)de Wit invasion in Saudi Arabia under present and future climate change scenarios.Utilizing the MaxEnt modeling,we integrated climatic and soil data to predict habitat suitability for the invasive species.We conducted a detailed analysis of the distribution patterns of the species,using climate variables and ecological factors.We focused on the important influence of temperature seasonality,temperature annual range,and precipitation seasonality.The distribution modeling used robust measures of area under the curve(AUC)and receiver-operator characteristic(ROC)curves,to map the invasion extent,which has a high level of accuracy in identifying appropriate habitats.The complex interaction that influenced the invasion of L.leucocephala was highlighted by the environmental parameters using Jackknife test.Presently,the actual geographic area where L.leucocephala was found in Saudi Arabia was considerably smaller than the theoretical maximum range,suggesting that it had the capacity to expand further.The MaxEnt model exhibited excellent prediction accuracy and produced reliable results based on the data from the ROC curve.Precipitation and temperature were the primary factors influencing the potential distribution of L.leucocephala.Currently,an estimated area of 216,342 km^(2)in Saudi Arabia was at a high probability of invasion by L.leucocephala.We investigated the potential for increased invasion hazards in the future due to climate change scenarios(Shared Socioeconomic Pathways(SSPs)245 and 585).The analysis of key climatic variables,including temperature seasonality and annual range,along with soil properties such as clay composition and nitrogen content,unveiled their substantial influence on the distribution dynamic of L.leucocephala.Our findings indicated a significant expansion of high risk zones.High-risk zones for L.leucocephala invasion in the current climate conditions had notable expansions projected under future climate scenarios,particularly evident in southern Makkah,Al Bahah,Madina,and Asir areas.The results,backed by thorough spatial studies,emphasize the need to reduce the possible ecological impacts of climate change on the spread of L.leucocephala.Moreover,the study provides valuable strategic insights for the management of invasion,highlighting the intricate relationship between climate change,habitat appropriateness,and the risks associated with invasive species.Proactive techniques are suggested to avoid and manage the spread of L.leucocephala,considering its high potential for future spread.This study enhances the overall comprehension of the dynamics of invasive species by combining modeling techniques with ecological knowledge.It also provides valuable information for decision-making to implement efficient conservation and management strategies in response to changing environmental conditions.展开更多
利用随机样法构建种-面积曲线,对每一取样面积下的物种数进行999次随机抽样后计算均值,得到不同取样面积下的植物物种数,由此绘制实际种-面积曲线,并采用8种曲线模型拟合桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林的种-面积关系,结合赤池信息量准...利用随机样法构建种-面积曲线,对每一取样面积下的物种数进行999次随机抽样后计算均值,得到不同取样面积下的植物物种数,由此绘制实际种-面积曲线,并采用8种曲线模型拟合桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林的种-面积关系,结合赤池信息量准则AIC值及生物学意义确定最优拟合模型,通过对比群落总种数比例法、二阶导数法与实际种-面积曲线结果,最终确定桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林的最小面积。结果表明,桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林种-面积关系的最优拟合模型为累积韦伯分布模型(cumulative Weibull),拟合方程为S=73.8017(1-exp(-0.0138A ^(0.6685)))。二阶导数法比群落总种数比例法更具科学性和准确性,最终确定桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林的最小面积为2500 m ^(2)。所以,最小面积的确定应根据实际区域的物种特征来确定。展开更多
Bilharzia is vector-borne disease carried by a parasite that is hosted by fresh water snails. The distribution of the disease is concurrent with the existence of the freshwater snails and </span></span><...Bilharzia is vector-borne disease carried by a parasite that is hosted by fresh water snails. The distribution of the disease is concurrent with the existence of the freshwater snails and </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">is </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">dependent on certain suitable environmental conditions. It is difficult to identify the specific habitats of the snails as they are often inaccessible on the ground, the snails also migrate by means of flowing water, making it difficult to keep a track of the freshwater snails’ habitat. This paper aimed at using GIS, Remote Sensing and Species Distribution Modelling techniques to model the suitable habitats for the freshwater snails and to prove that the snails migrate when there are sudden changes in water levels whilst showing the population at risk of bilharzia. The SDM used is the Maximum Entropy (MAXENT) for its ability to make right predictions even with small presence sites. The AUC value of the model was 0.951. The research results showed that the environmental variables;brightness Index, elevation, temperatures were negatively correlated with the snails’ presence while the wetness index, MSAVI, greenness index and soil pH were positively correlated. The snails are observed to favor clay soils of the montmorillonite type and the crop-lands land cover. Areas consistently submerged by water especially after flooding are shown to be the most suitable areas where snails migrate by means of river or canal water. The research proves that Mwea is not the source habitat of the freshwater snails. The neighboring sub-counties within Kirinyaga County should be investigated using such models as a likely source-habitat of the freshwater snails. Destroying the source habitats will lead to complete eradication of the freshwater snails within Mwea.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41071187)the State Forestry Administration Industry Special Project (201004023)
文摘Species richness and abundance are two important species diversity variables that have attracted particular attention because of their significance in determining present and future species composition conditions. This paper aims to explain the qualitative and quantitative relationships between species diversity pattern and grain size （i.e. size of the sampling unit）, and species diversity pattern and sampling area, and to analyze species diversity variability on active sand dunes in the Horqin Sandy Land, northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. A 50 mx50 m sampling plot was selected on the windward slope, where the dominant species was annual herb Agriophyllum squarrosum. Species composition and abundance at five grain sizes were recorded, and the species-area curves were produced for thirteen grain sizes. The range of values for species abundance tended to increase with in- creasing grain size in the study area, whereas, generally, species richness did not follow this rule because of poor species richness on the windward slope of active sand dunes. However, the homogeneity of species richness in- creased significantly. With the increase in sampling area, species abundance increased linearly, but richness in- creased logarithmically. Furthermore, variograms showed that species diversity on the windward slope of active sand dunes was weakly anisotropic and the distribution pattern was random, according to the Moran Coefficient. The results also showed that species richness was low, with a random distribution pattern. This conflicts with the results of previous studies that showed spatial aggregation in lower richness in a sampling area within a community and inferred that the physical processes play a more important role in species diversity than distribution pattern on active sand dunes. Further research into different diversity patterns and mechanisms between active sand dunes and interdune lowlands should be conducted to better understand biodiversity conservation in sand dune fields.
基金the Researchers Supporting Project(RSP2024R347),King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘The presence of invasive plant species poses a substantial ecological impact,thus comprehensive evaluation of their potential range and risk under the influence of climate change is necessary.This study uses maximum entropy(MaxEnt)modeling to forecast the likelihood of Leucaena leucocephala(Lam.)de Wit invasion in Saudi Arabia under present and future climate change scenarios.Utilizing the MaxEnt modeling,we integrated climatic and soil data to predict habitat suitability for the invasive species.We conducted a detailed analysis of the distribution patterns of the species,using climate variables and ecological factors.We focused on the important influence of temperature seasonality,temperature annual range,and precipitation seasonality.The distribution modeling used robust measures of area under the curve(AUC)and receiver-operator characteristic(ROC)curves,to map the invasion extent,which has a high level of accuracy in identifying appropriate habitats.The complex interaction that influenced the invasion of L.leucocephala was highlighted by the environmental parameters using Jackknife test.Presently,the actual geographic area where L.leucocephala was found in Saudi Arabia was considerably smaller than the theoretical maximum range,suggesting that it had the capacity to expand further.The MaxEnt model exhibited excellent prediction accuracy and produced reliable results based on the data from the ROC curve.Precipitation and temperature were the primary factors influencing the potential distribution of L.leucocephala.Currently,an estimated area of 216,342 km^(2)in Saudi Arabia was at a high probability of invasion by L.leucocephala.We investigated the potential for increased invasion hazards in the future due to climate change scenarios(Shared Socioeconomic Pathways(SSPs)245 and 585).The analysis of key climatic variables,including temperature seasonality and annual range,along with soil properties such as clay composition and nitrogen content,unveiled their substantial influence on the distribution dynamic of L.leucocephala.Our findings indicated a significant expansion of high risk zones.High-risk zones for L.leucocephala invasion in the current climate conditions had notable expansions projected under future climate scenarios,particularly evident in southern Makkah,Al Bahah,Madina,and Asir areas.The results,backed by thorough spatial studies,emphasize the need to reduce the possible ecological impacts of climate change on the spread of L.leucocephala.Moreover,the study provides valuable strategic insights for the management of invasion,highlighting the intricate relationship between climate change,habitat appropriateness,and the risks associated with invasive species.Proactive techniques are suggested to avoid and manage the spread of L.leucocephala,considering its high potential for future spread.This study enhances the overall comprehension of the dynamics of invasive species by combining modeling techniques with ecological knowledge.It also provides valuable information for decision-making to implement efficient conservation and management strategies in response to changing environmental conditions.
文摘利用随机样法构建种-面积曲线,对每一取样面积下的物种数进行999次随机抽样后计算均值,得到不同取样面积下的植物物种数,由此绘制实际种-面积曲线,并采用8种曲线模型拟合桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林的种-面积关系,结合赤池信息量准则AIC值及生物学意义确定最优拟合模型,通过对比群落总种数比例法、二阶导数法与实际种-面积曲线结果,最终确定桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林的最小面积。结果表明,桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林种-面积关系的最优拟合模型为累积韦伯分布模型(cumulative Weibull),拟合方程为S=73.8017(1-exp(-0.0138A ^(0.6685)))。二阶导数法比群落总种数比例法更具科学性和准确性,最终确定桂林岩溶石山常绿落叶阔叶混交林的最小面积为2500 m ^(2)。所以,最小面积的确定应根据实际区域的物种特征来确定。
文摘Bilharzia is vector-borne disease carried by a parasite that is hosted by fresh water snails. The distribution of the disease is concurrent with the existence of the freshwater snails and </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">is </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">dependent on certain suitable environmental conditions. It is difficult to identify the specific habitats of the snails as they are often inaccessible on the ground, the snails also migrate by means of flowing water, making it difficult to keep a track of the freshwater snails’ habitat. This paper aimed at using GIS, Remote Sensing and Species Distribution Modelling techniques to model the suitable habitats for the freshwater snails and to prove that the snails migrate when there are sudden changes in water levels whilst showing the population at risk of bilharzia. The SDM used is the Maximum Entropy (MAXENT) for its ability to make right predictions even with small presence sites. The AUC value of the model was 0.951. The research results showed that the environmental variables;brightness Index, elevation, temperatures were negatively correlated with the snails’ presence while the wetness index, MSAVI, greenness index and soil pH were positively correlated. The snails are observed to favor clay soils of the montmorillonite type and the crop-lands land cover. Areas consistently submerged by water especially after flooding are shown to be the most suitable areas where snails migrate by means of river or canal water. The research proves that Mwea is not the source habitat of the freshwater snails. The neighboring sub-counties within Kirinyaga County should be investigated using such models as a likely source-habitat of the freshwater snails. Destroying the source habitats will lead to complete eradication of the freshwater snails within Mwea.
