异速生长关系在生物学中的应用

综述了异速生长关系在动物代谢和植物生长方面的应用．分析了异速生长关系的机理解释模型——代谢生态学理论——在生物学研究中的现状和存在的问题．该理论认为,生物的代谢速率将正比于个体质量3／4次幂,然后将生物体的其他属性同代谢速率相联系,并进行一系列的时间、空间和组织水平的尺度转换,从而代谢生态学理论可以解释个体生长、发育、种群动态、分子进化,以及物种多样性等问题．     

生态信息表达的尺度问题

尺度是生态学中的核心问题,时间和空间尺度包含于任何生态过程中,揭示和把握复杂的生态学规律依赖于研究所采纳的尺度。于分文揭示了生态信息科学中尺度的内涵,综述了生态信息表达的四种最优尺度选择方法,即基于局部方差的方法、基于变异函数的方法、基于离散度的方法和基于信息熵的方法,分别阐述了四种方法的基本思路、优点及不足。目前基于信息熵的方法是考虑最全面的最优尺度选择方法,但仍需改进。论述了生态信息表达中2种上推转换方法、4种下推转换方法和1种综合尺度上推和尺度下推两种范式的方法的特点,认为每一种尺度转换的方法都存在一定的优势和不足,需不断完善目前已有的转换方法或引入和应用新的转换方法,充实和完善尺度转换方法体系。     

多尺度决策系统中基于模糊相似关系的决策粗糙集最优尺度选择与约简

基于模糊相似关系的决策粗糙集是经典决策粗糙集的延伸与拓展,为当今的研究热点之一。在实际处理数据时,同一对象的同一属性可能具有不同层次,并且在不同层次上取得不同值。为此,该文针对多尺度决策系统,提出多尺度决策系统中基于模糊相似关系的决策粗糙集模型,给出相应的最优尺度选择及约简方法,并讨论了获得一个最优尺度约简的简便算法。利用5组UCI标准数据集对该文所提出的模型与算法进行实例验证,证明其有效性。该文提出的模型进一步拓展了基于模糊相似关系的决策粗糙集在多尺度决策系统下的应用。     

景观尺度上的区域生态安全研究

目的探讨景观尺度上区域生态安全与评价研究的理论与方法。方法综合分析法。结果景观尺度是区域生态安全评价的适宜尺度。在景观尺度上，有利于确立区域生态安全与评价研究中的基本参照系、揭示时空动态特征、进行尺度转换和人文因素评价、指导生态恢复。结论在景观尺度上的区域生态安全评价有利于将区域生态安全的现状与动态评价有机结合，也有利于对人类活动的生态安全影响的动态评价与预测。     

路表纹理多尺度特性表征及演化行为研究综述

为了量化路表纹理的多尺度特征,厘清路表纹理的演化行为,概述了路表纹理尺度特征及其影响,总结了多尺度表征的数学理论方法,分析了表面纹理演化机理及磨光演化模型。结果表明：不同尺度的路表纹理影响着安全、环境、经济等方面。路表纹理在结构特性上具有统计几何、频谱及自仿相似特征。在路表纹理形成期,材料、级配及施工等决定了表面纹理水平,而在劣化期主要受到表面雨雪冰霜、沉积污染物以及荷载磨光等因素影响。解析胎-路接触应力是预测路表纹理磨光演化行为的有效途径。未来研究有必要研究纹理尺度之间的相关性、表面纹理与内部结构的映射关系、碳排放的量化关系以及接触状态理论力学等问题,为材料力学设计、快速检测评价及智能养护提供理论和应用支持。     

生态学实验时空尺度认识的基本原则——实验对象的操作尺度与其自身尺度相契合

 时间和空间存在，尺度存在，生态学实验对象的时空尺度（本体论意义上的，又叫“本征尺度”）也存在。对生态学实验对象的时空尺度认识的基本原则是让“生态学实验对象的时空操作尺度”（方法论意义上的，又叫“表征尺度”）与生态学实验对象的时空尺度相契合（认识论意义上的）。这是生态学实验时空尺度关联实在论。在具体的生态学实验过程中，有些生态学家或坚持生态学实验对象的时空尺度不存在，或坚持其虽然存在但是不可认识，从而走向工具论和经验建构论（反实在论）。这种立场与生态学认识的基本宗旨--认识自然界中存在的生物与环境之间的关系相违背，应该抛弃。而且，某些生态学家或出于生态学实验对象的时空尺度本身认识的困难，或出于“不发表便出局”及其他原因，一是将生态学实验对象的时空尺度之时空简化为牛顿的绝对时空观，而没有考虑爱因斯坦的相对论时空观、普里戈金的“内时间”乃至引伸出来的“内空间”时空观，以及莱布尼兹的关系“空间观”乃至引伸出来的关系“时间观”，二是没有选择恰当的“粒度”和“幅度”进行实验，造成“用度失当”之误，三是没有进行充分的多尺度分析，造成“聚集偏差”，四是没有建构合适的模型，造成“鼠夹捕象”现象，五是没有正确识别“特征尺度”，造成“生态学谬误”。生态学实验者应针对上述不足，坚持正确的时空观，采取各种措施，以获得对生态学实验对象尺度的正确认识。     

植物种群生态研究进展

对植物种群生态学近20年在其各个领域所取得的进展及其动态作如下归纳：（1）植物种群生理生态学在向宏观方向发展的同时,由于分子生物学和生物技术的兴起,也向器官细胞和分子水平发展;（2）植物种群繁殖生态主要集中于繁殖分配与繁殖投资、分配通货,生殖值,生活史进化,繁殖时间和频率等;（3）无性系种群生态学主要集中于无性系性、生理整合,克隆生长格局,无性系生长型,等级选择模型和空间拓展性等,（4）植物构件生态主要集中于植物沟件种群动态和形态结构与构件的关系。（5）遗传生态学主要集中在种群遗传结构,变异、分化、适应及其与环境的关系,生态型及其遗传基础,多态性等。（6）植物行为生态学主要对植物觅源生态学研究,并集中在资源分配格局、表型可塑性,资源异质性以及觅源行为和进化,种群统计学主要涉及图解模型和转移矩阵模型,植物种群生理生态、生殖生态、遗传生态以及种群数量动态均与分子机制相关联,因而成为种群生态研究的前沿。     

2种典型荒漠植物多尺度蒸腾日变化特征及其尺度转换研究

针对西北干旱荒漠区水分循环与生态平衡问题,利用热扩散(TDP)探针监测典型荒漠植物梭梭和柽柳的枝条和胸径的液流日变化,并分析不同尺度液流与环境因子的关系及其尺度间的转换方法。结果表明:梭梭和柽柳的枝条和胸径的液流开始时间基本与太阳辐射开始增强的时间一致,且都滞后于温度和水气压亏缺(VPD)的开始升高时间。太阳总辐射是植物液流的启动器,而VPD是植物液流的加速器。不同环境因子对梭梭和柽柳不同尺度液流的影响作用不同,整体相关性大小为:总辐射光合有效辐射温度VPD。梭梭枝条间差异不明显,可以较好的上推出胸径的液流密度,即梭梭枝条尺度和冠层尺度间蒸腾作用可以较好的转换:y=1.925x+0.569,R2=0.956。柽柳枝条间差异较大,枝条液流与胸径液流间的相关性相对较小(y=2.418x+0.808,R2=0.697),把枝条液流上推到胸径尺度需分析不同位置的枝条间液流的差异性及其与微环境的关系,进一步修正尺度上推方程。     

浅谈景观生态学及其应用

景观生态学作为20世纪80年代以来新兴学科,在环境科学体系中和国际生态学中的学科地位不断加强,它把生态理念及可持续发展的思想意识贯穿始终,现实生活中在土地利用、自然保护、城乡规划、生态管理、区域景观规划设计中得到显著的应用成果。景观生态学(Landscape Ecology):是研究景观单元的类型组成、空间格局及其与生态学过程相互作用的综合性学科。它的定位是以生态学的理论框架为依托,吸收现代地理学和系统科学之长,研究景观的结构(空间格局)、景观的功能(生态过程)和景观的演化(空间动态)。景观生态学作为一门跨地理学(主要是自然地理学)和生态学的一门边缘学科或交叉学科,着重研究中等尺度的景观结构和生态关系,并指导人们解决宏观尺度上的资源,环境管理等方面所起的作用越来越大。     

景观生态学与土地可持续利用研究

土地可持续利用一直是国内外土地科学及相关学科研究的热门话题,而新兴的景观生态学其理论核心涉及土地可持续利用的研究内容。基于景观生态学理论的土地可持续利用研究思考,是土地可持续利用研究思路的一次有益拓展。在分析景观、景观生态学与土地的关系的基础上,探讨了景观生态学的景观结构与功能理论、生态整体性与空间异质性理论、等级尺度理论、景观变化与稳定性理论等基本理论对土地可持续利用内涵的诠释。     

Size and form in efficient transportation networks.

Many biological processes, from cellular metabolism to population dynamics, are characterized by allometric scaling (power-law) relationships between size and rate. An outstanding question is whether typical allometric scaling relationships--the power-law dependence of a biological rate on body mass--can be understood by considering the general features of branching networks serving a particular volume. Distributed networks in nature stem from the need for effective connectivity, and occur both in biological systems such as cardiovascular and respiratory networks and plant vascular and root systems, and in inanimate systems such as the drainage network of river basins. Here we derive a general relationship between size and flow rates in arbitrary networks with local connectivity. Our theory accounts in a general way for the quarter-power allometric scaling of living organisms, recently derived under specific assumptions for particular network geometries. It also predicts scaling relations applicable to all efficient transportation networks, which we verify from observational data on the river drainage basins. Allometric scaling is therefore shown to originate from the general features of networks irrespective of dynamical or geometric assumptions.     

Invariant scaling relations across tree-dominated communities

Organizing principles are needed to link organismal, community and ecosystem attributes across spatial and temporal scales. Here we extend allometric theory-how attributes of organisms change with variation in their size-and test its predictions against worldwide data sets for forest communities by quantifying the relationships among tree size-frequency distributions, standing biomass, species number and number of individuals per unit area. As predicted, except for the highest latitudes, the number of individuals scales as the -2 power of basal stem diameter or as the -3/4 power of above-ground biomass. Also as predicted, this scaling relationship varies little with species diversity, total standing biomass, latitude and geographic sampling area. A simulation model in which individuals allocate biomass to leaf, stem and reproduction, and compete for space and light obtains features identical to those of a community. In tandem with allometric theory, our results indicate that many macroecological features of communities may emerge from a few allometric principles operating at the level of the individual.     

Universal scaling of respiratory metabolism, size and nitrogen in plants

The scaling of respiratory metabolism to body size in animals is considered to be a fundamental law of nature, and there is substantial evidence for an approximate (3/4)-power relation. Studies suggest that plant respiratory metabolism also scales as the (3/4)-power of mass, and that higher plant and animal scaling follow similar rules owing to the predominance of fractal-like transport networks and associated allometric scaling. Here, however, using data obtained from about 500 laboratory and field-grown plants from 43 species and four experiments, we show that whole-plant respiration rate scales approximately isometrically (scaling exponent approximately 1) with total plant mass in individual experiments and has no common relation across all data. Moreover, consistent with theories about biochemically based physiological scaling, isometric scaling of whole-plant respiration rate to total nitrogen content is observed within and across all data sets, with a single relation common to all data. This isometric scaling is unaffected by growth conditions including variation in light, nitrogen availability, temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration, and is similar within or among species or functional groups. These findings suggest that plants and animals follow different metabolic scaling relations, driven by distinct mechanisms.     

A general integrative model for scaling plant growth, carbon flux, and functional trait spectra

Linking functional traits to plant growth is critical for scaling attributes of organisms to the dynamics of ecosystems and for understanding how selection shapes integrated botanical phenotypes. However, a general mechanistic theory showing how traits specifically influence carbon and biomass flux within and across plants is needed. Building on foundational work on relative growth rate, recent work on functional trait spectra, and metabolic scaling theory, here we derive a generalized trait-based model of plant growth. In agreement with a wide variety of empirical data, our model uniquely predicts how key functional traits interact to regulate variation in relative growth rate, the allometric growth normalizations for both angiosperms and gymnosperms, and the quantitative form of several functional trait spectra relationships. The model also provides a general quantitative framework to incorporate additional leaf-level trait scaling relationships and hence to unite functional trait spectra with theories of relative growth rate, and metabolic scaling. We apply the model to calculate carbon use efficiency. This often ignored trait, which may influence variation in relative growth rate, appears to vary directionally across geographic gradients. Together, our results show how both quantitative plant traits and the geometry of vascular transport networks can be merged into a common scaling theory. Our model provides a framework for predicting not only how traits covary within an integrated allometric phenotype but also how trait variation mechanistically influences plant growth and carbon flux within and across diverse ecosystems.     

Universal scaling relations in food webs

The structure of ecological communities is usually represented by food webs. In these webs, we describe species by means of vertices connected by links representing the predations. We can therefore study different webs by considering the shape (topology) of these networks. Comparing food webs by searching for regularities is of fundamental importance, because universal patterns would reveal common principles underlying the organization of different ecosystems. However, features observed in small food webs are different from those found in large ones. Furthermore, food webs (except in isolated cases) do not share general features with other types of network (including the Internet, the World Wide Web and biological webs). These features are a small-world character and a scale-free (power-law) distribution of the degree (the number of links per vertex). Here we propose to describe food webs as transportation networks by extending to them the concept of allometric scaling (how branching properties change with network size). We then decompose food webs in spanning trees and loop-forming links. We show that, whereas the number of loops varies significantly across real webs, spanning trees are characterized by universal scaling relations.     

Genetic fingerprinting of plankton community provides new insights into aquatic ecology

Over the past two decades, molecular techniques have been widely used in ecological study and molecular ecology has been one of the most important branches of ecology. Meanwhile, genetic fingerprinting analyses have significantly enhanced our knowledge of the diversity and evolutionary relations of the planktonic organisms. Compared with conventional approaches in ecological study (e.g. morphological classification), genetic fingerprinting techniques are simpler and much more effective. This review provides an overview of the principles, advantages and limitations of the commonly used DNA fingerprinting techniques in plankton research. The aim of this overview is to assess where we have been, where we are now and what the future holds for solving aquatic ecological problems with molecular-level information.     

Fractal geometry predicts varying body size scaling relationships for mammal and bird home ranges

Scaling laws that describe complex interactions between organisms and their environment as a function of body size offer exciting potential for synthesis in biology. Home range size, or the area used by individual organisms, is a critical ecological variable that integrates behaviour, physiology and population density and strongly depends on organism size. Here we present a new model of home range-body size scaling based on fractal resource distributions, in which resource encounter rates are a function of body size. The model predicts no universally constant scaling exponent for home range, but defines a possible range of values set by geometric limits to resource density and distribution. The model unifies apparently conflicting earlier results and explains differences in scaling exponents among herbivorous and carnivorous mammals and birds. We apply the model to predict that home range increases with habitat fragmentation, and that the home ranges of larger species should be much more sensitive to habitat fragmentation than those of smaller species.     

异速生长和资源限制生物量模型研究的最新进展

异速生长和资源限制理论是当今生物界和系统科学研究的热点理论,其最新进展对森林生物量估算问题有重要意义。阐述了异速生长关系;并在总结国内外森林生物量估算方法基础上,探讨了基于异速生长与资源限制模型的树高、个体与区域的森林生物量估算理论;最后展望了基于异速生长与资源限制模型的研究与应用的发展趋势。     

植物种群的自然稀疏规律——-3/2还是-4/3?

由密度导致的植物种群的自然稀疏现象,是植物种群生态学研究的热点.但关于植物自然稀疏规律(种群密度和个体平均质量的幂律关系)的机理,却有两类截然不同的理论解释,分别对应着-3/2和-4/3幂律.作者重点介绍这两类自然稀疏幂律的代表性理论模型: Yoda的-3/2自疏法则和基于WBE模型的-4/3自疏规律,以及它们各自的理论基础.由于研究方法等原因,目前的数据尚不足以否定一条自疏上限线的存在,也不能令人信服地推翻-3/2而确立-4/3幂值的自疏规律.