Fishing elevates variability in the abundance of exploited species

The separation of the effects of environmental variability from the impacts of fishing has been elusive, but is essential for sound fisheries management. We distinguish environmental effects from fishing effects by comparing the temporal variability of exploited versus unexploited fish stocks living in the same environments. Using the unique suite of 50-year-long larval fish surveys from the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations we analyse fishing as a treatment effect in a long-term ecological experiment. Here we present evidence from the marine environment that exploited species exhibit higher temporal variability in abundance than unexploited species. This remains true after accounting for life-history effects, abundance, ecological traits and phylogeny. The increased variability of exploited populations is probably caused by fishery-induced truncation of the age structure, which reduces the capacity of populations to buffer environmental events. Therefore, to avoid collapse, fisheries must be managed not only to sustain the total viable biomass but also to prevent the significant truncation of age structure. The double jeopardy of fishing to potentially deplete stock sizes and, more immediately, to amplify the peaks and valleys of population variability, calls for a precautionary management approach.     

Mangroves enhance the biomass of coral reef fish communities in the Caribbean

Mangrove forests are one of the world's most threatened tropical ecosystems with global loss exceeding 35% (ref. 1). Juvenile coral reef fish often inhabit mangroves, but the importance of these nurseries to reef fish population dynamics has not been quantified. Indeed, mangroves might be expected to have negligible influence on reef fish communities: juvenile fish can inhabit alternative habitats and fish populations may be regulated by other limiting factors such as larval supply or fishing. Here we show that mangroves are unexpectedly important, serving as an intermediate nursery habitat that may increase the survivorship of young fish. Mangroves in the Caribbean strongly influence the community structure of fish on neighbouring coral reefs. In addition, the biomass of several commercially important species is more than doubled when adult habitat is connected to mangroves. The largest herbivorous fish in the Atlantic, Scarus guacamaia, has a functional dependency on mangroves and has suffered local extinction after mangrove removal. Current rates of mangrove deforestation are likely to have severe deleterious consequences for the ecosystem function, fisheries productivity and resilience of reefs. Conservation efforts should protect connected corridors of mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs.     

Leadership, social capital and incentives promote successful fisheries

One billion people depend on seafood as their primary source of protein and 25% of the world's total animal protein comes from fisheries. Yet a third of fish stocks worldwide are overexploited or depleted. Using individual case studies, many have argued that community-based co-management should prevent the tragedy of the commons because cooperative management by fishers, managers and scientists often results in sustainable fisheries. However, general and multidisciplinary evaluations of co-management regimes and the conditions for social, economic and ecological success within such regimes are lacking. Here we examine 130 co-managed fisheries in a wide range of countries with different degrees of development, ecosystems, fishing sectors and type of resources. We identified strong leadership as the most important attribute contributing to success, followed by individual or community quotas, social cohesion and protected areas. Less important conditions included enforcement mechanisms, long-term management policies and life history of the resources. Fisheries were most successful when at least eight co-management attributes were present, showing a strong positive relationship between the number of these attributes and success, owing to redundancy in management regulations. Our results demonstrate the critical importance of prominent community leaders and robust social capital, combined with clear incentives through catch shares and conservation benefits derived from protected areas, for successfully managing aquatic resources and securing the livelihoods of communities depending on them. Our study offers hope that co-management, the only realistic solution for the majority of the world's fisheries, can solve many of the problems facing global fisheries.     

Upwelling-driven nearshore hypoxia signals ecosystem and oceanographic changes in the northeast Pacific

Seasonal development of dissolved-oxygen deficits (hypoxia) represents an acute system-level perturbation to ecological dynamics and fishery sustainability in coastal ecosystems around the globe. Whereas anthropogenic nutrient loading has increased the frequency and severity of hypoxia in estuaries and semi-enclosed seas, the occurrence of hypoxia in open-coast upwelling systems reflects ocean conditions that control the delivery of oxygen-poor and nutrient-rich deep water onto continental shelves. Upwelling systems support a large proportion of the world's fisheries, therefore understanding the links between changes in ocean climate, upwelling-driven hypoxia and ecological perturbations is critical. Here we report on the unprecedented development of severe inner-shelf (<70 m) hypoxia and resultant mass die-offs of fish and invertebrates within the California Current System. In 2002, cross-shelf transects revealed the development of abnormally low dissolved-oxygen levels as a response to anomalously strong flow of subarctic water into the California Current System. Our findings highlight the sensitivity of inner-shelf ecosystems to variation in ocean conditions, and the potential impacts of climate change on marine communities.     

Coherent ecological dynamics induced by large-scale disturbance

Aggregate community-level response to disturbance is a principle concern in ecology because post-disturbance dynamics are integral to the ability of ecosystems to maintain function in an uncertain world. Community-level responses to disturbance can be arrayed along a spectrum ranging from synchronous oscillations where all species rise and fall together, to compensatory dynamics where total biomass remains relatively constant despite fluctuations in the densities of individual species. An important recent insight is that patterns of synchrony and compensation can vary with the timescale of analysis and that spectral time series methods can enable detection of coherent dynamics that would otherwise be obscured by opposing patterns occurring at different scales. Here I show that application of wavelet analysis to experimentally manipulated plankton communities reveals strong synchrony after disturbance. The result is paradoxical because it is well established that these communities contain both disturbance-sensitive and disturbance-tolerant species leading to compensation within functional groups. Theory predicts that compensatory substitution of functionally equivalent species should stabilize ecological communities, yet I found at the whole-community level a large increase in seasonal biomass variation. Resolution of the paradox hinges on patterns of seasonality among species. The compensatory shift in community composition after disturbance resulted in a loss of cold-season dominants, which before disturbance had served to stabilize biomass throughout the year. Species dominating the disturbed community peaked coherently during the warm season, explaining the observed synchrony and increase in seasonal biomass variation. These results suggest that theory relating compensatory dynamics to ecological stability needs to consider not only complementarity in species responses to environmental change, but also seasonal complementarity among disturbance-tolerant and disturbance-sensitive species.     

Transient dynamics of an altered large marine ecosystem

Overfishing of large-bodied benthic fishes and their subsequent population collapses on the Scotian Shelf of Canada's east coast and elsewhere resulted in restructuring of entire food webs now dominated by planktivorous, forage fish species and macroinvertebrates. Despite the imposition of strict management measures in force since the early 1990s, the Scotian Shelf ecosystem has not reverted back to its former structure. Here we provide evidence of the transient nature of this ecosystem and its current return path towards benthic fish species domination. The prolonged duration of the altered food web, and its current recovery, was and is being governed by the oscillatory, runaway consumption dynamics of the forage fish complex. These erupting forage species, which reached biomass levels 900% greater than those prevalent during the pre-collapse years of large benthic predators, are now in decline, having outstripped their zooplankton food supply. This dampening, and the associated reduction in the intensity of predation, was accompanied by lagged increases in species abundances at both lower and higher trophic levels, first witnessed in zooplankton and then in large-bodied predators, all consistent with a return towards the earlier ecosystem structure. We conclude that the reversibility of perturbed ecosystems can occur and that this bodes well for other collapsed fisheries.     

Confronting the coral reef crisis

The worldwide decline of coral reefs calls for an urgent reassessment of current management practices. Confronting large-scale crises requires a major scaling-up of management efforts based on an improved understanding of the ecological processes that underlie reef resilience. Managing for improved resilience, incorporating the role of human activity in shaping ecosystems, provides a basis for coping with uncertainty, future changes and ecological surprises. Here we review the ecological roles of critical functional groups (for both corals and reef fishes) that are fundamental to understanding resilience and avoiding phase shifts from coral dominance to less desirable, degraded ecosystems. We identify striking biogeographic differences in the species richness and composition of functional groups, which highlight the vulnerability of Caribbean reef ecosystems. These findings have profound implications for restoration of degraded reefs, management of fisheries, and the focus on marine protected areas and biodiversity hotspots as priorities for conservation.     

内蒙古羊草草原退化系列上群落生物量组成特征的研究

通过对羊草草原退化系列上四个退化梯度植物种类组成、不同生活型和水分生态型的绝对和相对生物量以及群落的多样性指数的比较发现,随着退化程度的增强,物种的数量逐渐减少.禾本科在群落中的作用逐渐下降,而其它科,尤其是菊科的作用逐渐增大.群落科组成的多样性随着群落的退化先降后增,水分生态类型的多样性则逐渐下降.旱生植物的生物量逐渐增加,其作用随着群落的退化也逐渐增强,整个群落逐渐向旱生方向发展.多年生根茎禾草在群落中的生物量逐渐降低.群落生活型组成的多样性先降后增.在重度退化群落,多年生根茎禾草和多年生丛生禾草的相对生物量均有所下降,小半灌木和多年生草本的相对生物量有所升高,四种植物在群落中优势度较为平均,打破了原生群落中多年生丛生禾草和多年生根茎禾草占优势的局面.     

Ecosystem stability and compensatory effects in the Inner Mongolia grassland

Numerous studies have suggested that biodiversity reduces variability in ecosystem productivity through compensatory effects; that is, a species increases in its abundance in response to the reduction of another in a fluctuating environment. But this view has been challenged on several grounds. Because most studies have been based on artificially constructed grasslands with short duration, long-term studies of natural ecosystems are needed. On the basis of a 24-year study of the Inner Mongolia grassland, here we present three key findings. First, that January-July precipitation is the primary climatic factor causing fluctuations in community biomass production; second, that ecosystem stability (conversely related to variability in community biomass production) increases progressively along the hierarchy of organizational levels (that is, from species to functional group to whole community); and finally, that the community-level stability seems to arise from compensatory interactions among major components at both species and functional group levels. From a hierarchical perspective, our results corroborate some previous findings of compensatory effects. Undisturbed mature steppe ecosystems seem to culminate with high biodiversity, productivity and ecosystem stability concurrently. Because these relationships are correlational, further studies are necessary to verify the causation among these factors. Our study provides new insights for better management and restoration of the rapidly degrading Inner Mongolia grassland.     

草原植物群落生产力及能量功能群组成对年降水量波动的响应

以内蒙古锡林郭勒草原羊草草原群落18年的动态监测数据及降水量数据为基础,在对草原植物进行能量功能群划分的基础上,分析了年降水量、生长季降水量(5-8月)对草原群落生物量、能量功能群组成的影响。结果表明:群落生物量构成中高能群所占比例最大;低能群最小,群落生物量的年际波动与高、中能群生物量变动趋势一致,而与低能群不相关;群落生物量和高能群生物量均与年降水量显著相关;中、低能群生物量则没有受到年降水量的显著影响。研究结果可为进一步揭示全球变化背景下,干旱半干旱区草原植物群落的动态变化规律,特别是群落能量变化规律提供有效参考。     

The contribution of species richness and composition to bacterial services

Bacterial communities provide important services. They break down pollutants, municipal waste and ingested food, and they are the primary means by which organic matter is recycled to plants and other autotrophs. However, the processes that determine the rate at which these services are supplied are only starting to be identified. Biodiversity influences the way in which ecosystems function, but the form of the relationship between bacterial biodiversity and functioning remains poorly understood. Here we describe a manipulative experiment that measured how biodiversity affects the functioning of communities containing up to 72 bacterial species constructed from a collection of naturally occurring culturable bacteria. The experimental design allowed us to manipulate large numbers of bacterial species selected at random from those that were culturable. We demonstrate that there is a decelerating relationship between community respiration and increasing bacterial diversity. We also show that both synergistic interactions among bacterial species and the composition of the bacterial community are important in determining the level of ecosystem functioning.     

黑龙江省东部山区森林生物多样性研究

研究了黑龙江东部山区森林生态系统的物种组成和生物多样性．调查结果表明：森林植物群落物种丰富度指数和多样性指数大小依次为：草本层＞乔木层＞灌木层；森林昆虫群落的物种多样性指数大小依次为：植食性昆虫＞捕食性昆虫＞寄生性昆虫，群落均匀度的变化不明显。     

岩溶地区森林自然恢复过程中植物和土壤微生物多样性的关联分析

本研究以岩溶地区森林自然恢复过程中的草丛(HL)、灌丛(SL)、灌乔林(SAF)、次顶极乔林(SCAF)和顶极乔林(CAF)为研究对象,对植物多样性与土壤微生物群落多样性进行关联分析,探究森林恢复能否促进整个生态系统的恢复,为岩溶森林生态保护修复和科学管理提供理论依据.结果表明:(1)随着森林的恢复,植物群落的物种丰富...     

中亚热带南部与北部的亮叶水青冈林的比较研究--Ⅰ. 种组成、结构及更新

采用Braun-Blanquet,Fujiwara的植物社会学方法，对分布于中亚热带北部的八大公山及中亚热带南部的南山的亮叶水青冈林进行了植被生态学的比较研究，两个群落被区分．并比较了两群落的种组成、结构及生长更新的特征。     

珊瑚礁隐居生物的研究现状和展望

珊瑚礁隐居生物是栖息于珊瑚礁隐匿空间中的后生动物群体，其群落的生物量巨大，在珊瑚礁生物多样性的构成中占据大多数，且在珊瑚礁营养动力学上有着不可或缺的作用。然而，目前国际国内对珊瑚礁生态系统的生物多样性的关注多集中在鱼类及甲壳类、棘皮动物等礁栖或底栖动物上，对珊瑚礁隐居生物的关注度不足，隐居生物的生物多样性构成不甚清楚，有些类别甚至从未被描述。本文结合国内外文献综述了珊瑚礁隐居生物的研究现状，并对基于珊瑚礁自动监测装置(Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures, ARMS)的隐居生物研究进行了展望。     

Copepod hatching success in marine ecosystems with high diatom concentrations

Diatoms dominate spring bloom phytoplankton assemblages in temperate waters and coastal upwelling regions of the global ocean. Copepods usually dominate the zooplankton in these regions and are the prey of many larval fish species. Recent laboratory studies suggest that diatoms may have a deleterious effect on the success of copepod egg hatching. These findings challenge the classical view of marine food-web energy flow from diatoms to fish by means of copepods. Egg mortality is an important factor in copepod population dynamics, thus, if diatoms have a deleterious in situ effect, paradoxically, high diatom abundance could limit secondary production. Therefore, the current understanding of energy transfer from primary production to fisheries in some of the most productive and economically important marine ecosystems may be seriously flawed. Here we present in situ estimates of copepod egg hatching success from twelve globally distributed areas, where diatoms dominate the phytoplankton assemblage. We did not observe a negative relationship between copepod egg hatching success and either diatom biomass or dominance in the microplankton in any of these regions. The classical model for diatom-dominated system remains valid.     

Polar ocean ecosystems in a changing world

Polar organisms have adapted their seasonal cycles to the dynamic interface between ice and water. This interface ranges from the micrometre-sized brine channels within sea ice to the planetary-scale advance and retreat of sea ice. Polar marine ecosystems are particularly sensitive to climate change because small temperature differences can have large effects on the extent and thickness of sea ice. Little is known about the interactions between large, long-lived organisms and their planktonic food supply. Disentangling the effects of human exploitation of upper trophic levels from basin-wide, decade-scale climate cycles to identify long-term, global trends is a daunting challenge facing polar bio-oceanography.     

稻田生态系统中杂草地捕食性节肢动物群落研究

采用吸虫器法采样，对稻田生态系统中杂草地捕食性节肢动物天敌群落物种多样性、结构动态等进行了系统的研究。在杂草地生境中采集到73种捕食性节肢动物，其中55种为捕食性蜘蛛，18种为捕食性昆虫。在冬春闲期，杂草地生境的捕食性节肢动物物种多样性和单位面积内的个体数量较高。水稻移栽后，杂草地中的捕食性节肢动物种群迁进稻田，为稻田提供天敌移居者，杂草地生境中的捕食性天敌物种数减少，单位面积内的个体数量降低；水稻成熟后、夏闲期始及冬闲期始，杂草地接纳从稻田中迁出的天敌种群，捕食性天敌物种数和单位面积内的个体数量呈上升趋势。杂草地为保护稻田捕食性天敌，提供了一个良好的庇难所。     

A highly unsaturated fatty acid predicts carbon transfer between primary producers and consumers

The factors that regulate energy transfer between primary producers and consumers in aquatic ecosystems have been investigated for more than 50 years. Among all levels of the food web (plants, herbivores, carnivores), the plant-animal interface is the most variable and least predictable link. In hypereutrophic lakes, for example, biomass and energy transfer is often inhibited at the phytoplankton-zooplankton link, resulting in an accumulation of phytoplankton biomass instead of sustaining production at higher trophic levels, such as fish. Accumulation of phytoplankton (especially cyanobacteria) results in severe deterioration of water quality, with detrimental effects on the health of humans and domestic animals, and diminished recreational value of water bodies. We show here that low transfer efficiencies between primary producers and consumers during cyanobacteria bloom conditions are related to low relative eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5omega3) content of the primary producer community. Zooplankton growth and egg production were strongly related to the primary producer 20:5omega3 to carbon ratio. This indicates that limitation of zooplankton production by this essential fatty acid is of central importance at the pelagic producer-consumer interface.     

General patterns of taxonomic and biomass partitioning in extant and fossil plant communities

A central goal of evolutionary ecology is to identify the general features maintaining the diversity of species assemblages. Understanding the taxonomic and ecological characteristics of ecological communities provides a means to develop and test theories about the processes that regulate species coexistence and diversity. Here, using data from woody plant communities from different biogeographic regions, continents and geologic time periods, we show that the number of higher taxa is a general power-function of species richness that is significantly different from randomized assemblages. In general, we find that local communities are characterized by fewer higher taxa than would be expected by chance. The degree of taxonomic diversity is influenced by modes of dispersal and potential biotic interactions. Further, changes in local diversity are accompanied by regular changes in the partitioning of community biomass between taxa that are also described by a power function. Our results indicate that local and regional processes have consistently regulated community diversity and biomass partitioning for millions of years.