Wolong Nature Reserve Research Articles

An integrated approach to understanding the linkages between ecosystem services and human well‐being

In order to use science to manage human–nature interactions, we need much more nuanced, and when possible, quantitative, analyses of the interplay among ecosystem services (ES), human well‐being (HWB), and drivers of both ecosystem structure and function, as well as HWB. Despite a growing interest and extensive efforts in ES research in the past decade, systematic and quantitative work on the linkages between ES and HWB is rare in existing literature, largely due to the lack of use of quantitative indicators and integrated models. Here, we integrated indicators of human dependence on ES, of HWB, and of direct and indirect drivers of both using data from household surveys carried out at Wolong Nature Reserve, China. We examined how human dependence on ES and HWB might be affected by direct drivers, such as a natural disaster, and how human dependence on ES and direct and indirect drivers might affect HWB. Our results show that the direct driver (i.e., Wenchuan Earthquake) significantly affected both households' dependence on ES and their well‐being. Such impacts differed across various dimensions of ES and well‐being as indicated by subindices. Those disadvantaged households with lower access to multiple forms of capital, more property damages, or larger revenue reductions also experienced greater losses in HWB. Diversifying human dependence on ES helps to mitigate disaster impacts on HWB. Our findings offer strong empirical evidence that the construction of quantitative indicators for ES and HWB, especially integrated models using them, is a viable approach for advancing the understanding of linkages between ES and HWB.

Comparison of microhabitats and foraging strategies between the captive-born Zhangxiang and wild giant pandas: implications for future reintroduction.

The female giant panda Zhangxiang (pedigree number 826) was born on August 20, 2011 in Wolong Nature Reserve, China. On November 6, 2013, Zhangxiang was transported into the acclimatization enclosure in the Liziping Nature Reserve. Before Zhangxiang left the enclosure into the wild, we conducted the first study to compare microhabitats and foraging strategies between Zhangxiang in the enclosure and giant pandas in the wild. Compared with the latter, microhabitats of Zhangxiang in the enclosure are characteristic of gentler slope, more trees, higher canopy, smaller tree DBH, and lower density of living bamboos. Diet composition and foraging behaviors significantly differed between Zhangxiang and wild giant pandas, perhaps reflecting the combined consequence of environmental conditions (e.g., bamboo species) and individual status (e.g., age, mastication ability, etc.). The difference in microhabitats and foraging strategies between Zhangxiang and wild giant pandas implied that after being released into the natural habitat in the reserve, Zhangxiang will have to adapt to the environmental conditions once again. For future reintroduction, the enclosure can be extended to the Bashania spanostachya forest in the reserve, and captive giant pandas for release can thus normally transit into the wild without human intervention during acclimatization period. For other acclimatization enclosures to be constructed in the future, ecological environment inside, including topography, forests, and bamboos as well, should as possible as can match the habitat that the giant panda to-be-reinforced populations inhabit.

Characterization of summer PM2.5 aerosols from four forest areas in Sichuan, SW China

Aerosol samples were collected over 24 and 12h to represent day/night aerosol characteristics in forest areas at Ya’an Baima Spring Scenic Area (BM), Panzhihua Cycas National Nature Reserve (PZ), Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve (GG), and Wolong National Nature Reserve (WL), during the summers of 2010–2012. Mass and chemical component concentrations, including organic carbon, elemental carbon, and inorganic ions (F−, Cl−, NO2−, NO3−, SO42−, C2O42−, PO43−, K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and NH4+), of PM2.5 aerosols were measured. The average PM2.5 concentrations for 24h were 72.42, 104.89, 20.55, and 29.19μg/m3 at BM, PZ, GG, and WL, respectively. Organic matter accounted for 38.0–49.3%, while elemental carbon accounted for 2.0–5.7% of PM2.5 mass. The sum concentrations of SO42−, NH4+, and NO3− accounted for 23.0%, 17.4%, 22.1%, and 30.5% of PM2.5 mass at BM, PZ, GG, and WL, respectively. Soil dust was also an important source of PM2.5, accounting for 6.3%, 17.0%, 10.4%, and 19.1% of PM2.5 mass at BM, PZ, GG, and WL, respectively. These reconstructed masses accounted for 75.9–102.0% of PM2.5 mass from the four forest areas of SW China.

Multiple telecouplings and their complex interrelationships

Liu, J., V. Hull, J. Luo, W. Yang, W. Liu, A. Viña, C. Vogt, Z. Xu, H. Yang, J. Zhang, L. An, X. Chen, S. Li, Z. Ouyang, W. Xu and H. Zhang 2015. Multiple telecouplings and their complex interrelationships. Ecology and Society 20(3):44. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-07868-200344

Impact of Wenchuan earthquake on the giant panda habitat in Wolong National Nature Reserve, China

Monitoring the change of the giant panda habitat is essential to protect this endangered species. The Wolong National Nature Reserve (WNNR) of China, the giant panda habitat, was struck by the Wenchuan earthquake (M=8.0) on May 12, 2008, and was seriously damaged. Landsat images covering the WNNR on four dates, one before and three after the earthquake, are classified using support vector machines to generate land cover maps (with an overall accuracy of ∼90% and Kappa coefficients of ∼0.86). The habitat suitability index and weighted usable area (WUA) are calculated to evaluate the changes of the habitat suitability of the WNNR. The results indicate that the forest area dropped by ∼10% due to the earthquake. The forest located in the east of Wolong town, the home of numerous giant pandas, suffered the most. The WUA decreased significantly after the earthquake, and was showing improvement in 2013, although still not fully recovered to the level of priori earthquake. The habitat between 1200 and 1300 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) was particularly vulnerable and was slowly recovering. Further effective management is necessary to restore and protect the giant panda habitat.

Variations of soil water isotopes and effective contribution times of precipitation and throughfall to alpine soil water, in Wolong Nature Reserve, China

Alpine shrubs and soils in catchments of the headwaters of the Yangtze River in west China are very important for reducing flooding and sustaining base flow during the summer. However, the contributions of precipitation, throughfall, and interflow to soil water and their effective contribution times in alpine shrub soil are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated a time series of stable isotopes in soil water, precipitation, canopy throughfall, interflow, litter, and humus water in a hillslope area. In addition, the spatial variation of water isotopes in soil profile in the Wolong Valley, located in the upper watershed of the Yangtze River, Sichuan, China, was considered. We found that (1) precipitation and throughfall significantly affected water isotopes in litter, humus, and shallow soil (0cm to 50cm deep) by affecting preferential flows. (2) Rainwater from a small precipitation event (about 4.0mm d−1) also penetrated soil to depths of 40cm to 50cm. (3) Interflow could comprise as much as 96% of water in soil columns during non-rainy days, but the proportion would decrease quickly after the precipitation amount reached more than 3mm d−1. (4) Mean effective contribution times of recharge in soil (0cm to 50cm deep) occurred 3 to 5days despite the occurrence of large precipitation events (15.0mm and 18.9mm). Therefore, preferential flows composed of precipitation/throughfall and interflow were dominant in hillslope hydrology in the southeast edge of Tibet, which caused runoff to increase during the rainy season.

Agent-Based Modeling in Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS): Lessons from a Comparative Analysis

Coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) are characterized by many complex features, including feedback loops, nonlinearity and thresholds, surprises, legacy effects and time lags, and resilience. Agent-based models (ABMs) are powerful for handling such complexity in CHANS models, facilitating in-depth understanding of CHANS dynamics. ABMs have been employed mostly on a site-specific basis, however. Little of this work provides a common infrastructure with which CHANS researchers (especially nonmodeling experts) can comprehend, compare, and envision CHANS processes and dynamics. We advance the science of CHANS by developing a CHANS-oriented protocol based on the overview, design concepts, and details (ODD) framework to help CHANS modelers and other researchers build, document, and compare CHANS-oriented ABMs. Using this approach, we show how complex demographic decisions, environmental processes, and human–environment interaction in CHANS can be represented and simulated in a relatively straightforward, standard way with ABMs by focusing on a comparison of two world-renowned CHANS: the Wolong Nature Reserve in China and the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. The four key lessons we learn from this cross-site comparison in relation to CHANS models include how to represent agents and the landscape, the need for standardized modules for CHANS ABMs, the impacts of scheduling on model outcomes, and precautions in interpreting “surprises” in CHANS model outcomes. We conclude with a CHANS protocol in the hope of advancing the science of CHANS.

Teaching Science with Web-Based Inquiry Projects

The purpose of this research is to explore a new computer-based interactive learning approach to assess the impact on student learning and attitudes toward science in a large university ecology classroom. A comparison was done with an established program to measure the relative impact of the new approach. The first inquiry project, BearCam, gives learners the freedom to navigate bear images and videos online to complete a scientific report. The new program, Virtual Ecological Inquiry (VEI), is based in the Second-Life platform and allows students to create an avatar and explore the Wolong Nature Reserve, collecting plant and environmental data in virtual form. Both inquiry projects show potential to engage learners and promote the acquisition of investigative practices and processes within inquiry. Inquiry assessment methods and changes to the VEI program are shared.

Impact of livestock on giant pandas and their habitat

Livestock production is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. However, impacts of livestock on endangered species have been understudied, particularly across the livestock–wildlife interface in forested protected areas. We investigated the impact of an emerging livestock sector in China's renowned Wolong Nature Reserve for giant pandas. We integrated empirical data from field surveys, remotely sensed imagery, and GPS collar tracking to analyze (1) the spatial distribution of horses in giant panda habitat, (2) space use and habitat selection patterns of horses and pandas, and (3) the impact of horses on pandas and bamboo (panda's main food source). We discovered that the horse distribution overlapped with suitable giant panda habitat. Horses had smaller home ranges than pandas but both species showed similarities in habitat selection. Horses consumed considerable amounts of bamboo, and may have resulted in a decline in panda habitat use. Our study highlights the need to formulate policies to address this emerging threat to the endangered giant panda. It also has implications for understanding livestock impacts in other protected areas across the globe.

Natural recovery and restoration in giant panda habitat after the Wenchuan earthquake

Natural disasters affect forest ecosystems in profound and complex ways. Artificial restoration projects have been conducted worldwide to repair disaster damage to forests, but the efficacy of such projects in light of naturally occurring recovery processes is rarely evaluated. To fill such an important knowledge gap, we investigated forest recovery and restoration in the world-renowned Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China after the catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake (magnitude 8.0) in 2008, which caused considerable damage to the forest and habitat of the endangered giant panda. This was the first multi-year field study to document natural recovery of forests in response to this disaster. Forest sampling conducted in panda habitat over a four-year period after the earthquake revealed that natural recovery was rapid, with vegetation covering roughly 70% of once denuded sites by the fourth sampling year. Vegetation recovery was further improved in sampled artificial restoration sites, which recovered from an average of 30% vegetation cover to 70% in only one year. Factors including soil cover and slope were correlated with successful vegetation recovery. New information learned from the multi-year field data provided a finer scale context for understanding the effects of disasters, a novel contribution considering that the majority of previous work has been conducted at the broader scale using remote sensing. Spatial analysis revealed that restoration sites were mainly distributed in areas of suitable slopes and elevations, but a measurable proportion (30–40%) were located too far from the existing panda distribution area and too close to human settlements. The restoration project has thus far had limited direct effect on giant panda conservation, but has indirect effects on improving forest cover in areas previously affected by human disturbances. This study provides a useful reference for understanding conditions affecting forest recovery, which can inform decision-making surrounding the implementation of forest restoration projects and conservation of endangered species, not only in China but also around the world.

川西亚高山不同海拔岷江冷杉树轮碳稳定同位素对气候的响应

The tree-ring stable isotope technique is an effective approach to climate reconstruction and to establishment of tree responses to environmental factors.In this study,the tree-ring samples of Abies faxoniana from a sub-alpine forest of Wolong in Western Sichuan were used to develop the tree-ring width chronology and stable carbon isotope series based on the standard dendrochronology methods and the stable carbon isotope techniques.The Wolong Nature Reserve in Western Sichuan is located in a transition zone from the Chengdu plain to the Tibeten Platau,with a warm and moist summer andcold and dry winter.Abies faxoniana is the dominant tree species of the sub-alpine forests at the elevation of 2600—3200 m.Tree ring data were collected in 2010 along an elevation gradient(at 2750,2950,3150 m).Climate data were obtained from two nearby national climate stations,Dujiangyan(103° 34' E,30° 59' N) and Xiaojin(102° 21' E,31° N).Isotopic analyses were done at the Chinese Academy of Forestry.With the data and analyses,we established responses of Abies faxoniana tree-ring carbon stable isotope composition to several climatic factors(e.g.,precipitation,mean month temperature,and mean month relative humidity).The main results of this study are as follows:1) The carbon stable isotope series of Abies faxoniana(1904—2009) varied from-23.33‰ to-26.31‰ with the average value of-24.91‰,with the coefficient of variation ranging from-0.011 to-0.038.The carbon stable isotope series showed strong first-order autocorrelation(i.e.,0.651,0.936,and 0.333 along the elevation gradient).2) The tree-ring carbon stable isotope composition showed similar trends at the same altitude,while the isotope composition displayed different trends as altitudes change.However,the relationships between the tree-ring carbon stable isotope composition and climatic factors were complicated.The tree-ring detrend series(DS) values from the lower altitude showed a significant positive correlation to the mean monthly temperature of the December of the current year and the mean monthly relatively humidity of the August in the previous year(P0.05).The tree-ring DS values from the higher altitude showed a significant positive correlation to the mean monthly temperature of the April of the current year and the mean monthly relatively humidity of the August in the previous year(P 0.05).The tree-ring DS values from the mid-altitude showed a significant positive correlation to the mean monthly temperature of the February and November of the current year and the January and November in the previous year(P0.05).The most sensitive variable to the DS values was the winter temperature with a strong "lag effect".The results indicated that tree ring growth of Abies faxoniana in sub-alpine is mainly constrained by temperature with little dependence on rainfall.Thus,a warming climate should help improve the radial growth rate and the survival capability of Abies faxoniana,and this in turn should increase the stability of sub-alpine dark forests in Western Sichuan.The results should help alleviate the inadequacies of doing research in Qinghai-Tibeat plateau with fewer meteorological stations and shorter observation periods,and provide baseline data for studying responses of conifer trees to climate change in the region.

Environmental Protection of Panda Habitat in the Wolong Nature Reserve: A Chinese Perspective

Environmental Protection of Panda Habitat in the Wolong Nature Reserve: A Chinese Perspective

Assessing the Effectiveness of Payments for Ecosystem Services: an Agent-Based Modeling Approach

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) have increasingly been implemented to protect and restore ecosystems worldwide. The effectiveness of conservation investments in PES may differ under alternative policy scenarios and may not be sustainable because of uncertainties in human responses to policies and dynamic human-nature interactions. To assess the impacts of these interactions on the effectiveness of PES programs, we developed a spatially explicit agent-based model: human and natural interactions under policies (HANIP). We used HANIP to study the effectiveness of China's Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) and alternative policy scenarios in a coupled human-nature system, China's Wolong Nature Reserve, where indigenous people's use of fuelwood affects forests. We estimated the effects of the current NFCP, which provides a cash payment, and an alternative payment scenario that provides an electricity payment by comparing forest dynamics under these policies to forest dynamics under a scenario in which no payment is provided. In 2007, there were 337 km² of forests in the study area of 515 km². Under the baseline projection in which no payment is provided, the forest area is expected to be 234 km² in 2030. Under the current NFCP, there are likely to be 379 km² of forests in 2030, or an increase of 145 km² of forests to the baseline projection. If the cash payment is replaced with an electricity payment, there are likely to be 435 km² of forests in 2030, or an increase of 201 km² of forests to the baseline projection. However, the effectiveness of the NFCP may be threatened by the behavior of newly formed households if they are not included in the payment scheme. In addition, the effects of socio-demographic factors on forests will also differ under different policy scenarios. Human and natural interactions under policies (HANIP) and its modeling framework may also be used to assess the effectiveness of many other PES programs around the world.

Nonlinear effects of group size on collective action and resource outcomes

For decades, scholars have been trying to determine whether small or large groups are more likely to cooperate for collective action and successfully manage common-pool resources. Using data gathered from the Wolong Nature Reserve since 1995, we examined the effects of group size (i.e., number of households monitoring a single forest parcel) on both collective action (forest monitoring) and resource outcomes (changes in forest cover) while controlling for potential confounding factors. Our results demonstrate that group size has nonlinear effects on both collective action and resource outcomes, with intermediate group size contributing the most monitoring effort and leading to the biggest forest cover gain. We also show how opposing effects of group size directly and indirectly affect collective action and resource outcomes, leading to the overall nonlinear relationship. Our findings suggest why previous studies have observed differing and even contradictory group-size effects, and thus help guide further research and governance of the commons. The findings also suggest that it should be possible to improve collective action and resource outcomes by altering factors that lead to the nonlinear group-size effect, including punishing free riding, enhancing overall and within-group enforcement, improving social capital across groups and among group members, and allowing self-selection during the group formation process so members with good social relationships can form groups autonomously.

Performance and prospects of payments for ecosystem services programs: Evidence from China

Systematic evaluation of the environmental and socioeconomic effects of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs is crucial for guiding policy design and implementation. We evaluated the performance of the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP), a national PES program of China, in the Wolong Nature Reserve for giant pandas. The environmental effects of the NFCP were evaluated through a historical trend (1965–2001) analysis of forest cover to estimate a counter-factual (i.e., without-PES) forest cover baseline for 2007. The socioeconomic effects of the NFCP were evaluated using data collected through household interviews carried out before and after NFCP implementation in 2001. Our results suggest that the NFCP was not only significantly associated with increases in forest cover, but also had both positive (e.g., labor reduction for fuelwood collection) and negative (e.g., economic losses due to crop raiding by wildlife) effects on local households. Results from this study emphasize the importance of integrating local conditions and understanding underlying mechanisms to enhance the performance of PES programs. Our findings are useful for the design and implementation of successful conservation policies not only in our study area but also in similar places around the world.

圈养大熊猫野化培训期的生境选择特征

大熊猫(<em>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</em>)是我国特有的珍稀物种,也是世界上最濒危的野生动物之一。为了将人工繁育的部分大熊猫个体重引入其历史分布区或复壮野生种群,中国保护大熊猫研究中心从2003年开始进行圈养大熊猫的野外放归工作,通过野化培训以提高圈养大熊猫适应和选择野外环境的能力。对野化培训大熊猫"淘淘"的生境选择研究表明:该野化培训大熊猫幼仔经常活动于新笋密度较大的区域[生境与对照:(2.68±1.14)对(1.58±0.66)],却避开成竹密度过大[(9.91±2.51)对(12.18±4.68)]、竹子较高[(4.57±1.09) m对(4.98±0.66) m]以及枯死竹过多[(2.52±0.86)对(3.39±1.33)]的区域;喜欢活动于离水源[(1.59±0.67)对(2.19±0.87)]和隐蔽场所较近[(5.37±2.14) m对(8.35±7.76)m],以及距离乔木较远[(3.09±0.69) m对(2.70±0.42) m]和郁闭度较低[(1.85±0.57)对(2.10±0.47)]的区域(<em>P</em> < 0.05),新笋密度大小是该栖息地在整个野化培训期间是否被利用的最重要因素。该野化培训大熊猫幼仔保持着与带仔母兽相近的生境选择特征,对竹子环境的选择也与卧龙野生大熊猫相似,野化培训对该大熊猫幼仔产生了积极的作用。野化培训大熊猫幼仔形成的家域和核域面积分别为9.21 hm² 和1.93 hm²,占野化培训圈面积的51.95%和10.89%,其中家域面积仅有卧龙野生大熊猫的1.4%-2.4%,所以在以后的野化培训过程中需要采取增加野化培训圈中环境丰富度等方式,促进野化培训大熊猫形成较大的家域面积。;The giant panda (<em>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</em>)is a rare endangered species listed on the IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)Red List of Threatened Species and in the Appendices of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The giant panda has encountered risks of gene loss and local extinction of metapopulations due to habitat loss as a result of both biogeological and anthropologenic disturbance. One way to save endangered species is to reintroduce captive animals to sparsely populated regions of their historical distribution area. However, in order for reintroduction to succeed, captive animals must be able to select habitat that ensures their survival in the wild, a crucial skill that can be honed during pre-release training. We conducted research involving pre-release training of a giant panda in an enclosure in an area of natural habitat at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in Wolong Nature Reserve. We found that the panda selected areas with a high density of <em>Fargesia robusta </em>bamboo shoots (means±standard deviation of habitat plots and control plots: 2.68±1.14 vs. 1.58±0.66), but avoided areas with a high density of adult bamboo (9.91±2.51 vs. 12.18±4.68) dead bamboo (2.52±0.86 vs. 3.39±1.33) and areas with higher bamboo culms ((4.57±1.09) m vs. (4.98±0.66) m). The panda was found in areas near water ((1.59±0.67) m vs. (2.19±0.87) m) and shelter ((5.37±2.14) m vs. (8.35±7.76) m) more often than other areas, but avoided areas close to trees ((3.09±0.69) m vs. (2.70±0.42) m) and areas with higher canopy cover (1.85±0.57 vs. 2.10±0.47) (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that the density of new bamboo shoots was the main factor predicting habitat use by the pre-released giant panda. The pre-released giant panda had similar habitat selection patterns as its mother, suggesting that it may be able to learn skills from its mother, an important factor that can impact the success of the reintroduction. The pre-released giant panda also displayed similar habitat selection patterns as wild giant pandas in Wolong Nature Reserve, suggesting that it may be prepared for foraging in the wild. The fact that the pre-released giant panda selected areas close to the shelter suggests it might have learned predator avoidance skills from pre-release training, which could have a positive effect on its survival in the wild. Home range and home range core areas were 9.21 hm² and 1.93 hm², about 51.95% and 10.89% of the pre-release training enclosure respectively, while the home range was only 1.4%-2.4% of home ranges of wild giant pandas in Wolong Nature Reserve. It is essential to enrich the bamboo species richness of the pre-release training enclosure (such as by including <em>Bashania faberi </em>in the enclosure) in the future.

卧龙巴郎山川滇高山栎群落植物叶特性海拔梯度特征

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 卧龙巴郎山川滇高山栎群落植物叶特性海拔梯度特征 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201207181024 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家科技支撑计划课题（2012BAD22B01）；四川森林生态与资源环境国家林业局重点实验室开放课题；森林和湿地生态恢复与保育四川省点实验室开放课题 Leaf-form characteristics of plants in Quercus aquifolioides community along an elevational gradient on the Balang Mountain in Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan,China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:川滇高山栎林是中国植被非常特殊的亚高山硬叶栎林类型，广泛分布在横断山地区。为了阐明植物群落植物叶型组成对海拔梯度的响应，对卧龙自然保护区巴朗山阳坡川滇高山栎群落植物叶型特征随海拔梯度（15海拔梯度，海拔2200-3600 m）的变化进行了研究。卧龙自然保护区巴朗山各个梯度川滇高山栎群落维管束植物的叶级以小型叶为主，占总种数的平均百分率为36.09%；细型叶和中型叶的维管束植物比例相当，分别为25.64%，25.22%；大型叶和巨型叶维管束植物分别占6.82%-9.94%和0.00%-0.71%；微型叶植物比例在1.28%-5.59%；小型叶维管束植物的比例随海拔先降低后升高再降低，最低值出现在海拔3000 m左右。各个海拔梯度川滇高山栎林内维管束植物的叶型以单叶为主，平均占总种数的75.89%，其余为复叶植物，占总种数的24.11%；维管束单叶型植物物种比例随海拔升高变幅较小，在73.84%-78.78%之间，但在海拔2500 m有一个最低值，其比例为73.85%；复叶维管束植物在各海拔梯度群落物种数比例在21.21%-26.15%之间。各海拔川滇高山栎林内维管束植物的叶质以纸叶型为主，平均占总种数的46.03%，其次为薄叶植物（29.17%），革质（22.00%）和厚革质植物（2.79%）。川滇高山栎群落内纸质与厚革质维管束植物种类的比例随海拔升高而降低；革质与薄叶型维管束植物种类的比例随海拔升高而升高。全缘维管束和非全缘维管束植物种类分别占总数的50.50%和49.50%；全缘类维管束植物随海拔升高呈正二项式分布，而非全缘维管束植物则呈相反的分布格局。 Abstract:The evergreen oak (Quercus aquifolioides Rehder & E.H. Wilson) forests are widely distributed in the subalpine zone on the Hengduan Mountains,southwestern China. To understand plant responses to elevational gradient,we studied the leaf-form characteristics of vascular plants growing in 15 Q. aquifolioides community along an elevational gradient from 2200 to 3600 m.a.s.l. on the Balang Mountain,Wolong Nature Reserve, SW China. The majority of the plant species occurring in Q. aquifolioides populations belonged to the microphyll leaf size class (36.09% of the total plant species recorded). Plants with nanophyll-and mesophyll-sized leaf had a proportion of 25.64% and 25.22%,respectively. Plants with macrophyll-and megaphyll-sized leaves accounted for 6.82%-9.94% and 0.00-0.71%,respectively. Plants with macrophyll-sized leaves of the total plant species recorded in the populations across the elevational transect. Plants belonging to the leptophyll leaf size class had a proportion of 1.28%-5.59% only. The proportion of plants with microphyll-sized leaves decreased then increased and then decreased again with increasing elevation,with the lowest proportion at 3000 m a.s.l. Single-leaved plants had a proportion of 75.52% (ranging from 73% to 78%) with a minimum value of 57.23% at 2700 m a.s.l. Compound-leaved plants accounted for 24.48% ranging from 21% to 26% across the Q. aquifolioides populations investigated. Membranous plants were abundant with a proportion of 46.03%,followed by orthophyll (29.17%),sclerophyll (22.00%),and thick sclerophyll (2.79%). Proportions of plants with membranous and thick sclerophyll leaves decreased,but those with orthophyll and sclerophyll leaves increased with increasing elevation. Entire-leaved plants (50.50%) and unentire-leaved plants (49.50%) had the same proportion in Q. aquifolioides populations,but the former changed with increasing elevation following a positive binomial distribution,and the latter following a negative binomial distribution. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Analyzing Effects of Shrub Canopy on Throughfall and Phreatic Water Using Water Isotopes, Western China

Alpine shrub Quercus aquifolioides was selected to study the effects of shrub canopy on throughfall and phreatic water by analyzing the isotopic time series of precipitation, canopy throughfall and phreatic water and examining correlations among these series in Wolong Nature Reserve, Western China. Based on analysis of precipitation data in 2003, ;the local meteoric water line during the rainy season was delta D = 8.28 x delta 18O + 8.93, and the primary precipitation moisture in this region originated from the Pacific Ocean in the summer. Stable isotope analysis showed that the main supply of throughfall and phreatic water was from precipitation, and the shrub canopy has an important effect on the processes of rainwater transmuted into throughfall and phreatic water. Moreover, the differences of delta D and delta 18O values between rainwater and throughfall were relevant to rainfall. Due to interception of the shrub canopy, there had a response hysteresis of phreatic water to the various rainfall events, which was mostly 2 days, except that this hysteresis was 15 mm/day.

Drivers and Socioeconomic Impacts of Tourism Participation in Protected Areas

Nature-based tourism has the potential to enhance global biodiversity conservation by providing alternative livelihood strategies for local people, which may alleviate poverty in and around protected areas. Despite the popularity of the concept of nature-based tourism as an integrated conservation and development tool, empirical research on its actual socioeconomic benefits, on the distributional pattern of these benefits, and on its direct driving factors is lacking, because relevant long-term data are rarely available. In a multi-year study in Wolong Nature Reserve, China, we followed a representative sample of 220 local households from 1999 to 2007 to investigate the diverse benefits that these households received from recent development of nature-based tourism in the area. Within eight years, the number of households directly participating in tourism activities increased from nine to sixty. In addition, about two-thirds of the other households received indirect financial benefits from tourism. We constructed an empirical household economic model to identify the factors that led to household-level participation in tourism. The results reveal the effects of local households' livelihood assets (i.e., financial, human, natural, physical, and social capitals) on the likelihood to participate directly in tourism. In general, households with greater financial (e.g., income), physical (e.g., access to key tourism sites), human (e.g., education), and social (e.g., kinship with local government officials) capitals and less natural capital (e.g., cropland) were more likely to participate in tourism activities. We found that residents in households participating in tourism tended to perceive more non-financial benefits in addition to more negative environmental impacts of tourism compared with households not participating in tourism. These findings suggest that socioeconomic impact analysis and change monitoring should be included in nature-based tourism management systems for long-term sustainability of protected areas.

Weak Ties, Labor Migration, and Environmental Impacts

Debate about the substitutability of manufactured, natural, human, and social capital is at the heart of sustainability theory. Sociology can contribute to this debate by examining the processes and mechanisms by which one form of capital is substituted for another. The authors examine the substitution among different forms of capitals at China’s Wolong Nature Reserve, where the consumption of an important aspect of natural capital, fuelwood, has serious consequences for the environment. The authors found that weak social ties to people in urban settings significantly increased rural–urban labor migration. Following the chain of capital substitutions, labor migration then significantly reduced fuelwood consumption. These findings indicate policies that facilitate the development of social capital between people in Wolong and people in urban areas could substantially reduce the consumption of local natural capital. Mechanisms by which different forms of capital are substituted for one another should be considered in improving global sustainability.