This paper examines the distribution and structure of populations of a medicinal and culinary herb native to Armenia. As one of the first countries to join the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Armenia has a...This paper examines the distribution and structure of populations of a medicinal and culinary herb native to Armenia. As one of the first countries to join the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Armenia has a strong interest in assessing the biodiversity of its native flora and identifying threats to the conservation of these species, particularly those with economic value. Only limited information, however, is available at this time on the genetic biodiversity, population location, structure and size, and conservation status of most of these species. This paper reports the results of five consecutive years of field studies conducted in Armenia to 1) re-locate native populations of the important medicinal and culinary herb, Origanum vulgare L., 2) locate new populations, and 3) assess the growth pattern and dynamics of the populations. The quadrat sampling technique was used to identify key elements that determined population size and abundance. GPS maps of present and past population distributions were created. Particular habitat and environmental factors were identified as crucial to predicting the future conditions of these populations under the impact of global climate change. The research provides a baseline dataset that can be used for the development of further conservation strategies of this important medicinal and culinary species in Armenia.展开更多
Human disturbance and climate change have increased the risk of extinction for rare and endangered wild plant species.One effective way to conserve these rare and endangered species is through reintroduction.In this r...Human disturbance and climate change have increased the risk of extinction for rare and endangered wild plant species.One effective way to conserve these rare and endangered species is through reintroduction.In this review,we summarize the advances in wild plant reintroduction from five perspectives:the establishment of reintroduction biology as an important tool for biodiversity conservation;the importance of genetic diversity in reintroduction;reintroduction under global climate change;recruitment limitation in reintroduction;and reintroduction and ecological restoration.In addition,we consider the future of plant reintroduction strategies.展开更多
Functional traits play a vital role in mediating the responses of ecosystem services to environmental changes and in predicting the functioning of the ecosystem.However,the connection between functional traits and eco...Functional traits play a vital role in mediating the responses of ecosystem services to environmental changes and in predicting the functioning of the ecosystem.However,the connection between functional traits and ecosystem services has become increasingly intricate due to climate change and human activities for degraded ecosystems.To investigate this relationship,we selected 27 sampling sites in the Yanhe River Basin of the Chinese Loess Plateau,each containing two types of vegetation ecosystems:natural vegetation and artificial vegetation ecosystems.At each sampling site,we measured ecosystem services and calculated the composition index of community traits.We established a response–effect trait framework that included environmental factors such as climate,elevation and human activities.Our results showed that leaf tissue density(LTD)was the overlapping response and effect trait when responding to climate change.LTD is positively correlated with mean annual temperature and negatively correlated with supporting services.Under the influence of human activities,leaf nitrogen content and leaf dry matter content were carriers of environmental change.Comparing the two vegetation ecosystems,the relationship between functional traits and ecosystem services showed divergent patterns,indicating that human activities increased the uncertainty of the relationship between functional traits and ecosystem services.Trait-based ecology holds promise for enhancing predictions of ecosystem services responses to environmental changes.However,the predictive ability is influenced by the complexity of environmental changes.In conclusion,our study highlights the importance of understanding the complex connection between functional traits and ecosystem services in response to climate changes and human activities.展开更多
文摘This paper examines the distribution and structure of populations of a medicinal and culinary herb native to Armenia. As one of the first countries to join the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Armenia has a strong interest in assessing the biodiversity of its native flora and identifying threats to the conservation of these species, particularly those with economic value. Only limited information, however, is available at this time on the genetic biodiversity, population location, structure and size, and conservation status of most of these species. This paper reports the results of five consecutive years of field studies conducted in Armenia to 1) re-locate native populations of the important medicinal and culinary herb, Origanum vulgare L., 2) locate new populations, and 3) assess the growth pattern and dynamics of the populations. The quadrat sampling technique was used to identify key elements that determined population size and abundance. GPS maps of present and past population distributions were created. Particular habitat and environmental factors were identified as crucial to predicting the future conditions of these populations under the impact of global climate change. The research provides a baseline dataset that can be used for the development of further conservation strategies of this important medicinal and culinary species in Armenia.
基金supported by the National Key Fundamental Research Development Plan (2009CB421101)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40871249,30670370)
文摘Human disturbance and climate change have increased the risk of extinction for rare and endangered wild plant species.One effective way to conserve these rare and endangered species is through reintroduction.In this review,we summarize the advances in wild plant reintroduction from five perspectives:the establishment of reintroduction biology as an important tool for biodiversity conservation;the importance of genetic diversity in reintroduction;reintroduction under global climate change;recruitment limitation in reintroduction;and reintroduction and ecological restoration.In addition,we consider the future of plant reintroduction strategies.
基金supported by the CAS‘light of West China’program(XAB2020YN04)and the Natural Science Foundation of China(41977077 and 41671289).
文摘Functional traits play a vital role in mediating the responses of ecosystem services to environmental changes and in predicting the functioning of the ecosystem.However,the connection between functional traits and ecosystem services has become increasingly intricate due to climate change and human activities for degraded ecosystems.To investigate this relationship,we selected 27 sampling sites in the Yanhe River Basin of the Chinese Loess Plateau,each containing two types of vegetation ecosystems:natural vegetation and artificial vegetation ecosystems.At each sampling site,we measured ecosystem services and calculated the composition index of community traits.We established a response–effect trait framework that included environmental factors such as climate,elevation and human activities.Our results showed that leaf tissue density(LTD)was the overlapping response and effect trait when responding to climate change.LTD is positively correlated with mean annual temperature and negatively correlated with supporting services.Under the influence of human activities,leaf nitrogen content and leaf dry matter content were carriers of environmental change.Comparing the two vegetation ecosystems,the relationship between functional traits and ecosystem services showed divergent patterns,indicating that human activities increased the uncertainty of the relationship between functional traits and ecosystem services.Trait-based ecology holds promise for enhancing predictions of ecosystem services responses to environmental changes.However,the predictive ability is influenced by the complexity of environmental changes.In conclusion,our study highlights the importance of understanding the complex connection between functional traits and ecosystem services in response to climate changes and human activities.