The characteristics of land cover and macroscopical ecology changes in the source region of three rivers in Qinghai-Tibet plateau during last 30 years

We obtained four phases of land cover spatial data sets by interpreting MSS images of middle and late 1970s and three phases of TM images of late 1980s, 2004 and 2008 based on field investigation in Three Rivers' Source Region. We analyzed the temporal and spatial characteristics of land cover and macro ecological changes in Three Rivers' Source Region in Qinghai-Tibet plateau since middle and late 1970s. Indicated by land cover condition index change rate and land cover change index, land cover and macroscopical ecological condition degenerated (7090 period Zc -0.63, LCCI -0.58)-obviously degenerated (9004 period, Zc -0.94, LCCI -1.76)-slightly meliorated (0408 period, Zc 0.06, LCCI 0.33). This course was jointly driven by climate change, grassland stocking pressure and implement of ecological construction project.

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 May 2009-31 July 2009

This article documents the addition of 512 microsatellite marker loci and nine pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia, Bashania fangiana, Bashania fargesii, Chaetodon vagabundus, Colletes floralis, Coluber constrictor flaviventris, Coptotermes gestroi, Crotophaga major, Cyprinella lutrensis, Danaus plexippus, Fagus grandifolia, Falco tinnunculus, Fletcherimyia fletcheri, Hydrilla verticillata, Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus, Leavenworthia alabamica, Marmosops incanus, Miichthys miiuy, Nasua nasua, Noturus exilis, Odontesthes bonariensis, Quadrula fragosa, Pinctada maxima, Pseudaletia separata, Pseudoperonospora cubensis, Podocarpus elatus, Portunus trituberculatus, Rhagoletis cerasi, Rhinella schneideri, Sarracenia alata, Skeletonema marinoi, Sminthurus viridis, Syngnathus abaster, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) chinensis, Verticillium dahliae, Wasmannia auropunctata, and Zygochlamys patagonica. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Chaetodon baronessa, Falco columbarius, Falco eleonorae, Falco naumanni, Falco peregrinus, Falco subbuteo, Didelphis aurita, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosops paulensis, Monodelphis Americana, Odontesthes hatcheri, Podocarpus grayi, Podocarpus lawrencei, Podocarpus smithii, Portunus pelagicus, Syngnathus acus, Syngnathus typhle,Uroteuthis (Photololigo) edulis, Uroteuthis (Photololigo) duvauceli and Verticillium albo-atrum. This article also documents the addition of nine sequencing primer pairs and sixteen allele specific primers or probes for Oncorhynchus mykiss and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; these primers and assays were cross-tested in both species.

Size and time of day affect the response of postlarvae and early juvenile grooved tiger prawns Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan (Decapoda:Penaeidae) to natural and artificial seagrass in the laboratory

Juvenile tiger prawns (Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan and P. esculentus Haswell) show a strong association with vegetated habitats and are rarely caught on non-vegetated areas. This pattern of distribution may be caused by postlarvae selecting vegetation when they settle, or to differences in post-settlement mortality in different habitats. In this study, we examined whether the postlarvae and early juvenile stages of P. semisulcatus would distinguish between seagrass (Zostera capricorni Aschers) without epiphytes, artificial seagrass and bare substratum in the laboratory. The responses of prawns reared from the egg to different stages of postlarval and juvenile development were tested to determine whether, and when, each size class showed a response to a particular habitat. Five size classes of postlarvae (average carapace lengths [CL] of 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7 and 2.0 mm) were offered a choice between Z. capricorni and bare sand. Small size classes of postlarvae either did not respond to Z. capricorni (1.2 and 1.6 mm CL), or were more abundant on bare substratum than Z. capricorni. In contrast, the largest size classes of postlarvae (1.7 and 2.0 mm CL) were more abundant on Z. capricorni during the day but not at night. The behaviour of postlarvae changed markedly at a size of 1.7 mm CL (22 days from the first nauplius): smaller postlarvae frequently swam in the water column; 1.7 and 2.0 mm CL postlarvae spent much more. time resting on the substrate and perched on seagrass leaves. This size at which postlarvae first respond to seagrass during the day, and show mainly benthic behaviour, is similar to the size at which they are found on shallow seagrass beds in northern Australia. Large postlarvae (2.7 mm CL) and juveniles (4.1 mm CL) both were more abundant on artificial seagrass than bare sand during the day but not at night, indicating that they respond to structured habitats. When large postlarvae (2.4 mm CL) and juveniles (3.5 mm CL) were offered a choice between Z. capricorni without epiphytes and artificial seagrass, they were more abundant on the Z. capricorni, which suggests that chemical cues from seagrass may explain some of the responses of P. semisulcatus to seagrass. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

Composition, Abundance, and Diversity of the Peracarida on Different Vegetation Types in the Qi'ao-Dan'gan Island Mangrove Nature Reserve on Qi'ao Island in the Pearl River Estuary, China

Chang-Fu Wang, Xian-Qiu Ren, and Run-Lin Xu (2010) Composition, abundance, and diversity of the Peracarida on different vegetation types in the Qi'ao-Dan'gan Island Mangrove Nature Reserve on Qi'ao Island in the Pearl River estuary, China. Zoological Studies 49(5): 608-615. Almost nothing is known about the Peracarida in the Pearl River estuary. This is the 1st report to study the composition, abundance, and diversity of the Peracarida in the Qi'ao-Dan'gan I. Mangrove Nature Reserve on Qi'ao I., in the Pearl River estuary, southern China. Bimonthly samplings were carried out in 3 representative vegetation types (mangrove arbor, emergent plants, and seaweed) for 2 yr. Using a Peterson grab, 1940 individuals (id.) were collected in total, including 11 species of 6 genera, 5 families, and 3 orders (Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Tanaidacean). Discapseudes mackiei Bamber 1997 was the dominant species with the highest density of 1,432 incl./m(2). The effect of temperature on the abundance of Peracarida was significant (p < 0.01), and the optimum temperature was 22-23 degrees C in both the mangrove arbor and seaweed. The results showed that the abundance of the Peracarida was higher in the mangrove arbor, while the diversity, especially Amphipoda diversity, was higher in the seaweed. In contrast, emergent plants provided no suitable habitats for the Peracarida. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/49.5/608.pdf

Vegetation Responses to A Long-term Grazing Intensity Experiment in Alpine Shrub Grassland on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

在青藏高原中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态系统定位研究站对金露梅高寒灌丛草场植被开展了长期不同放 牧强度试验,分别在短期(4 年) 、中期(11 年) 和长期(18 年) 放牧阶段研究不同放牧干扰强度对草地植物物种多样 性、群落结构、地上生物量和草场质量的影响。研究表明,在不同放牧阶段,随着放牧强度增加植物群落的高度和 盖度都降低。在中期放牧干扰阶段,物种多样性指数和均匀度指数随着放牧强度增加呈现典型的单峰曲线模式; 在长期放牧干扰阶段,随着放牧强度增加,占优势地位的灌木和禾草被典型杂类草替代,其中的重度放牧干扰简化 了高寒灌丛植被群落结构,减少了地上现存生物量,特别是可食优良牧草生物量。植被对放牧的响应除了与放牧 强度和放牧时间阶段密切相关外,还与该地区水热条件的变化有一定的相关性。针对长期放牧干扰的反应特性可 将金露梅灌丛草场中植物划分为增加型、敏感型、忍耐型和无反应型4 种类型。除了丰富度指数、多样性指数和均 匀度指数外,其它一些特征参数并不支持著名的中度干扰假说。本研究发现,长期重度放牧促进了青藏高原高寒 草地退化,适度放牧有利于高寒灌丛草场的生物多样性保护和牧草利用;“取半留半”的放牧原则在青藏高原草场 放牧管理实践中值得推荐,它将有利于防止草场退化,提高牧草利用率和维持较高的生物多样性。

Effect of plateau zokors on vegetation characteristics and productivity of alpine meadow

This research was conducted on alpine meadow site at Menyuan county, Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China to determine the effects of native, subterranean rodent of Qinghai-Tibet grasslands, the plateau zokors (Myospalax baileyi), on seasonal above-and below-ground plant biomass, plant species diversity and productivity. Both total peaks of above-and below-ground biomass were the greatest (413.600 g/m~2 and 2297.502 g/m~2) in the patch no any plateau zokors colonized by plateau zokors over 10 years in August and October, respectively. Both above-and below-ground biomass were significantly increased in the patches where plateau zokors were removed or the burrow systems were abandoned for five years compared to the patches plateau zokors colonized over 10 years. However, both above-and below-ground biomass in abandoned patches were significantly lower than that in uncolonized patches. Monocotyledonous biomass was reduced greatly, but the non-palatable dicots were significantly increased in colonized patches. The palatable biomass of monocots and dicots were increased in abandoned patches. Total plant species diversity was the greatest in uncolonized patchesand least in abandoned patch. The total net primary production in colonized patches was reduced by 68.98% compared with uncolonized patches. Although the patches were without any plateau zokors disturbance for fives years, the total net primary production just reached 58.69% of the uncolonized patches. The above-ground net primary production in abandoned patches increased 28.74% and the below-ground increased 54.91% compared with the colonized patches. We suggest that plateau zokor-induced changes in plant above- and below-ground biomass and species diversity may lead to further alterations of nutrient cycling and trophic dynamics in this alpine meadow ecosystem.

GEO-ECOLOGICAL TRANSECT STUDIES IN NORTHEAST TIBET (QINGHAI, CHINA) REVEAL HUMAN-MADE MID-HOLOCENE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE UPPER YELLOW RIVER CATCHMENT CHANGING FOREST TO GRASSLAND

Geo-ecological transect studies in the pastures of the upper catchment of the HuangHe (99 degrees 30'-100 degrees 00'E/35 degrees 30'-35 degrees 40'N'; 3,000-4,000 in a.s.l., Qinghai province, China) revealed evidence that pastures replace forests. Plot-based vegetation records and fenced grazing exclosure experiments enabled the identification of grazing indicator plants for the first time. The mapping of vegetation patterns of pastures with isolated juniper and Spruce forests raise questions as to the origin of the grasslands, which arc widely classified as "natural" at present. Soil investigations and charcoal fragments of Juniperus (8,153 +/- 63 uncal BP) and Picea (6,665 +/- 59 uncal BP) provide evidence of the wider presence of forests. As temperatures and rainfall records undoubtedly represent a forest climate, it is assumed that the present pastures have replaced forests. Circumstantial evidence arising from investigations into the environmental history of the Holocene effectively substantiates this theory.

Effects of vegetation control on ecosystem water use efficiency within and among four grassland ecosystems in China

Through 2-3-year (2003-2005) continuous eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor fluxes, we examined the seasonal, inter-annual, and inter-ecosystem variations in the ecosystem-level water use efficiency (WUE, defined as the ratio of gross primary production, GPP, to evapotranspiration, ET) at four Chinese grassland ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and North China. Representing the most prevalent grassland types in China, the four ecosystems are an alpine swamp meadow ecosystem, an alpine shrub-meadow ecosystem, an alpine meadow-steppe ecosystem, and a temperate steppe ecosystem, which illustrate a water availability gradient and thus provide us an opportunity to quantify environmental and biological controls on ecosystem WUE at different spatiotemporal scales. Seasonally, WUE tracked closely with GPP at the four ecosystems, being low at the beginning and the end of the growing seasons and high during the active periods of plant growth. Such consistent correspondence between WUE and GPP suggested that photosynthetic processes were the dominant regulator of the seasonal variations in WUE. Further investigation indicated that the regulations were mainly due to the effect of leaf area index (LAI) on carbon assimilation and on the ratio of transpiration to ET (T/ET). Besides, except for the swamp meadow, LAI also controlled the year-to-year and site-to-site variations in WUE in the same way, resulting in the years or sites with high productivity being accompanied by high WUE. The general good correlation between LAI and ecosystem WUE indicates that it may be possible to predict grassland ecosystem WUE simply with LAI. Our results also imply that climate change-induced shifts in vegetation structure, and consequently LAI may have a significant impact on the relationship between ecosystem carbon and water cycles in grasslands.

Cellular automata: Simulating alpine tundra vegetation dynamics in response to global warming

This study attempts to model alpine tundra vegetation dynamics in a tundra region in the Qinghai Province of China in response to global warming. We used Raster-based cellular automata and a Geographic Information System to study the spatial and temporal vegetation dynamics. The cellular automata model is implemented with IDRISI's Multi-Criteria Evaluation functionality to simulate the spatial patterns of vegetation change assuming certain scenarios of global mean temperature increase over time. The Vegetation Dynamic Simulation Model calculates a probability surface for each vegetation type, and then combines all vegetation types into a composite map, determined by the maximum likelihood that each vegetation type should distribute to each raster unit. With scenarios of global temperature increase of I to 3 degrees C, the vegetation types such as Dry Kobresia Meadow and Dry Potentilla Shrub that are adapted to warm and dry conditions tend to become more dominant in the study area.

An inventory of forest relicts in the pastures of Southern Tibet (Xizang AR, China)

An inventory of isolated tree stands surrounded by desert pastures in Southern Tibet (A.R. Xizang, China) revealed more than 50 sites with vigorous trees of Juniperus convallium Rehder & E.H. Wilson and Juniperus tibetica Kom and additional more than 10 records where juniper trees had been destroyed between 1959-1976. The tree stands are not restricted to any specific habitat, and occur within an area stretching 650 km westwards from the current forest border of Southern Tibet. The trees are religious landmarks of the Tibetan Buddhists. The highest trees were found at an elevation of 4,860 m. Vegetation records, rainfall correlations and temperature data collected by local climate stations and successful reforestation trials since 1999 indicate that forest relicts fragmented through human interference could regenerate if current cattle grazing and deforestation practices are halted. The drought line of Juniperus forests in Southern Tibet is approximately 200-250 mm/a. A first pollen diagram from Lhasa shows forest decline associated with the presence of humans since at least 4,600 yr BP. The currently degraded commons developed in the last 600 yr. To date, no findings of remains of ancient forests in the Central Tibetan Highlands of the Changtang have been reported.

Mitochondrial and chloroplast phylogeography of Picea crassifolia Kom. (Pinaceae) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent highlands

The disjunct distribution of forests in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and adjacent Helan Shan and Daqing Shan highlands provides an excellent model to examine vegetation shifts, glacial refugia and gene flow of key species in this complex landscape region in response to past climatic oscillations and human disturbance. In this study, we examined maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (nad1 intron b/c and nad5 intron 1) and paternally inherited chloroplast DNA (trnC-trnD) sequence variation within a dominant forest species, Picea crassifolia Kom. We recovered nine mitotypes and two chlorotypes in a survey of 442 individuals from 32 populations sampled throughout the species' range. Significant mitochondrial DNA population subdivision was detected (G(ST) = 0.512; N-ST = 0.679), suggesting low levels of recurrent gene flow through seeds among populations and significant phylogeographical structure (N-ST > GST, P < 0.05). Plateau haplotypes differed in sequence from those in the adjacent highlands, suggesting a long period of allopatric fragmentation between the species in the two regions and the presence of independent refugia in each region during Quaternary glaciations. On the QTP platform, all but one of the disjunct populations surveyed were fixed for the same mitotype, while most populations at the plateau edge contained more than one haplotype with the mitotype that was fixed in plateau platform populations always present at high frequency. This distribution pattern suggests that present-day disjunct populations on the QTP platform experienced a common recolonization history. The same phylogeographical pattern, however, was not detected for paternally inherited chloroplast DNA haplotypes. Two chlorotypes were distributed throughout the range of the species with little geographical population differentiation (G(ST) = N-ST = 0.093). This provides evidence for highly efficient pollen-mediated gene flow among isolated forest patches, both within and between the QTP and adjacent highland populations. A lack of isolation to pollen-mediated gene flow between forests on the QTP and adjacent highlands is surprising given that the Tengger Desert has been a geographical barrier between these two regions for approximately the last 1.8 million years.