The determinants of local differences in species and functions matter for reservoir management but have seldom been investigated.To this aim,we explored fish taxonomic,and functional beta diversity between local assem...The determinants of local differences in species and functions matter for reservoir management but have seldom been investigated.To this aim,we explored fish taxonomic,and functional beta diversity between local assem-blages in a large Chinese reservoir.Taxonomicβdiversity was primarily driven by species richness differences(54%–72%),while functionalβdiversity was almost equally driven by turnover and nestedness components.Environmental characteristics of the sites were significant predictors of all facets of fishβdiversity.Additionally,site contributions to taxonomic(LCBD)and functional(XLCBD)βdiversity were significantly associated with human activity variables,suggesting that there is a pressing need to mitigate human-induced disturbances for the conservation of biodiversity.Species contributions to taxonomic(SCBD)and functional(XSCBD)βdiversity exhibited positive correlations primarily with species occupancy and abundance,suggesting the potential uniqueness of certain common species.Priority conservation areas in the upstream area and rare but key species such as Tachysurus and Siniperca were identified based on site and species contributions.We thus propose to focus on habitat restoration actions to upstream areas by restricting sand mining,as the current mining activities in the river channel can directly alter riverbed morphology and damage the spawning grounds of fish.We also emphasize the necessity for increased conservation efforts through the development of sustainable recreational fishing policies and stock recovery programs for sensitive species such as Pelteobagrus vachelli and Acheilognathus macropterus.These species have lower SCBD or XLCBD values than others and possess unique feeding habits or high economic value,making them primary targets for recreational fishing.This research highlights the impor-tance of integrating taxonomic and functionalβdiversity to effectively evaluate biodiversity changes and develop more comprehensive and sustainable conservation strategies for fish diversity conservation.展开更多
The variation in microbiota during pit fermentation is the main reason for the distinct characteristics of the 7 types of base Baijiu in jiang-flavor Baijiu(JFB)brewing.However,the specific structure,succession,and fu...The variation in microbiota during pit fermentation is the main reason for the distinct characteristics of the 7 types of base Baijiu in jiang-flavor Baijiu(JFB)brewing.However,the specific structure,succession,and functional differentiation of microbial communities across different fermentation rounds remain unclear.Therefore,this study compared the differences in microbiota structure,environmental factors driving community assembly,and functional differentiations throughout 1–7 rounds(JC1–JC7)of pit fermentation in JFB production.Results showed that Lactobacillus dominated all rounds and complied with declining relative abundance from rounds JC1–JC7.The mould composition was similar in JC3–JC5 while the yeast structure in JC4 was found intermediate between JC3 and JC5.LEf Se analysis unveiled aroma-producing microorganisms as prominent biomarkers in JC1,strong enzyme-producing attributes in JC2,JC6,and JC7 biomarkers,and an enzyme and aroma-producing focus with robust tolerance in JC3–JC5 biomarkers.Acidity mainly regulated the microbial community in the first 4 rounds,with nutrient limitation drove microbial succession from the fifth round onward.Functional predictions underscored enriched amino acid metabolism enzymes in JC6 and JC1,while carbohydrate degradation exhibited predominant enzymatic profiles in JC2,JC6,and JC7.This study laid a foundation for comprehending community composition,succession,and flavor regulatory mechanisms throughout JFB brewing.展开更多
Soil microbial communities are key factors in maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF).However,the distribution patterns of bacterial diversity and how the different bacterial taxa and their diversity dimensions ...Soil microbial communities are key factors in maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF).However,the distribution patterns of bacterial diversity and how the different bacterial taxa and their diversity dimensions affect EMF remain largely unknown.Here,we investigated variation in three measures of diversity(alpha diversity,community composition and network complexity)among rare,intermediate,and abundant taxa across a latitudinal gradient spanning five forest plots in Yunnan Province,China and examined their contributions on EMF.We aimed to characterize the diversity distributions of bacterial groups across latitudes and to assess the differences in the mechanisms underlying their contributions to EMF.We found that multifaceted diversity(i.e.,diversity assessed by the three different metrics)of rare,intermediate,and abundant bacteria generally decreased with increasing latitude.More importantly,we found that rare bacterial taxa tended to be more diverse,but they contributed less to EMF than intermediate or abundant bacteria.Among the three dimensions of diversity we assessed,only community composition significantly affected EMF across all locations,while alpha diversity had a negative effect,and network complexity showed no significant impact.Our study further emphasizes the importance of intermediate and abundant bacterial taxa as well as community composition to EMF and provides a theoretical basis for investigating the mechanisms by which belowground microorganisms drive EMF along a latitudinal gradient.展开更多
The authors regret that an error occurred during the preparation of their article:One of the official databases,which was used for functional trait collections,contained an incorrect term–'chametophytes'–for...The authors regret that an error occurred during the preparation of their article:One of the official databases,which was used for functional trait collections,contained an incorrect term–'chametophytes'–for the life form category'chamaephytes'.Unfortunately,this incorrect term was used throughout the article following the nomenclature of this official database:in one instance in the main text,in Fig.3 and its caption,in Fig.5,and in two instances in the supplementary material.展开更多
The acceleration of global urbanization has caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and decrease of habitat quality,often leading to a decline in biodiversity.However,most previous urbanization studies focused on taxonomic ...The acceleration of global urbanization has caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and decrease of habitat quality,often leading to a decline in biodiversity.However,most previous urbanization studies focused on taxonomic diversity,with relatively less research on functional and phylogenetic diversity.In this study,we examined the phylogenetic and functional diversity and underlying influencing factors of bird communities in 37 urban parks in Nanjing,China.We conducted a systematic survey of bird communities in Nanjing urban parks and selected six park characteristics that are generally considered to affect bird diversity.Model selection based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion(AICc)and model averaging showed that park area,habitat diversity and building index(a proxy for the degree of urbanization)were significant factors affecting avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in Nanjing urban parks.Specifically,habitat diversity and park area were positively correlated with bird diversity,while the building index was negatively correlated with bird diversity.Moreover,the phylogenetic and functional structures of urban bird communities exhibited a clustered pattern,indicating that environmental filtering might play a role in shaping community composition.In addition,building index had certain impact on the construction of bird phylogenetic communities in urban parks.Our results suggest that expanding park areas,increasing habitat diversity and reducing building indexes may be effective measures to increase the avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in our system.展开更多
Topographic complexity supports the maintenance of a high diversity of microhabitats,which may act as important‘safe havens’-or microrefugia-for biodiversity.Microrefugia are sites with specific environmental condit...Topographic complexity supports the maintenance of a high diversity of microhabitats,which may act as important‘safe havens’-or microrefugia-for biodiversity.Microrefugia are sites with specific environmental conditions that facilitate the persistence of species during environmental changes and exhibit unique ecoevolutionary dynamics.However,our knowledge about how topographic complexity and related ecoevolutionary selective forces influence the functional and phylogenetic signatures of species assemblages in microrefugia is very limited.Although the conceptual framework on the systematic integration of plant functional traits into the study of refugia is well established,more empirical studies on functional trait composition and functional diversity in refugia are urgently needed for more effective conservation.Here we analyzed the distribution of various plant functional traits and phylogenetic patterns in microhabitats(south-and north-facing slopes,and bottoms)of 30 large topographic depressions(i.e.doline microrefugia)and microhabitats of the surrounding plateaus in two distant forested karst regions.We found that plant assemblages in the understory of dolines and their surroundings are characterized by unique functional values and combinations of traits.Doline bottoms had the highest functional diversity among doline microhabitats and supported plant assemblages with considerably different trait compositions from the plateaus.Bottoms also had the highest phylogenetic diversity.These results suggest that topographic complexity in forested dolines has a significant effect on the distribution of plant functional traits in the understory.High functional and phylogenetic diversity in doline bottoms can have important consequences for the long-term survival of plant populations,highlighting that these microhabitats may provide a higher resilience and support an adaptive community-level response to natural and anthropogenic stressors.Understanding mechanisms that drive the survival of species within microrefugia is required to determine the best conservation and management strategies.展开更多
Urban wetlands are considered as"habitat islands"within the urban matrix that contribute to species conservation.Waterbirds are sensitive pollution indicators in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,and their ...Urban wetlands are considered as"habitat islands"within the urban matrix that contribute to species conservation.Waterbirds are sensitive pollution indicators in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,and their diversity in urban wetlands reflects the response of wildlife to urbanization.However,very few studies have investigated seasonal differences in the multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in urbanized landscapes.In this study,we analyzed various wetland parameters that could potentially affect the seasonal variations in multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in Nanjing,China.We surveyed waterbirds in 29 urban wetlands using the point count method during breeding and non-breeding seasons from November 2022 to June 2023.We then employed multiple linear regressions and information-theoretic approaches to investigate the impact of wetland characteristics on waterbird diversity.We found that water body area and buffer zone connectivity consistently emerged as positive factors affecting waterbird taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity across seasons.Conversely,the urbanization synthetic index was negatively correlated with waterbird diversity only during the breeding season.Regarding functional diversity,we found that the positive correlation between buffer zone connectivity and waterbird diversity was specific to the breeding season.Therefore,for effective conservation of waterbird diversity in our system,wetland planning should prioritize expanding wetland water body areas,enhancing wetland connectivity,minimizing human disturbance during the breeding season,and implementing ecological restoration measures in urbanized wetlands to mitigate adverse effects of urbanization.展开更多
The response of plant functional diversity to external disturbances not only effectively predicts changes in the ecosystem but it also reflects how plant communities use external environmental resources.However,resear...The response of plant functional diversity to external disturbances not only effectively predicts changes in the ecosystem but it also reflects how plant communities use external environmental resources.However,research on how different herbivore assemblages affect plant functional diversity is limited.Therefore,this study systematically explored the effects of three typical herbivore assemblages(yak grazing,Tibetan sheep grazing,and mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep)on species richness,plant functional diversity,and soil physicochemical properties in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China.This study further investigated the primary mechanisms driving the changes in plant functional diversity.The results indicate four key aspects of this system:(1)Grazing significantly enhanced plant functional diversity,particularly when the mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep was applied at a ratio of 1:2.This ratio showed the most substantial improvement in the functional dispersion index and Rao's quadratic entropy index.(2)Compared to enclosed treatments,grazing increased species richness andβ-diversity,contributing to higher plant functional diversity.(3)Grazing treatments affected various plant traits,such as reducing plant community height and leaf thickness while increasing specific leaf area.However,the impact on plant functional diversity was most pronounced under the mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep at a ratio of 1:2.(4)Speciesα-diversity was positively correlated with plant functional diversity.Changes in plant functional diversity were primarily regulated by variations in soil physicochemical properties.Specifically,increases in soil available nitrogen significantly promoted changes in plant functional diversity,while increases in soil available potassium and bulk density had a significant inhibitory effect on these changes.Long-term grazing significantly reduced the height of plant communities in alpine meadows,while a balanced mixture of yak and Tibetan sheep grazing,especially at a ratio of 1:2,enhanced plant functional diversity the most.This suggests that,under these conditions,the use of external environmental resources by the plant community is optimized.展开更多
Lactococcus lactis,a major starter culture in the dairy industry,has been widely applied in food fermentation.While current research has primarily focused on evaluating its role during fermentation,genomic investigati...Lactococcus lactis,a major starter culture in the dairy industry,has been widely applied in food fermentation.While current research has primarily focused on evaluating its role during fermentation,genomic investigations into its genetic diversity and functional adaptability remain limited.In this study,199 L.lactis strains isolated from Chinese traditional artisanal cheeses(72 bovine,71 goat,and 56 yak milk cheese isolates)were subjected to comparative genomic analysis.Genomic characteristic analysis indicated that bovine milk strains possess larger genomes and the highest number of unique genes.Functional characterization further demonstrated notable differences in carbohydrate metabolism among strains from different sources,with yak milk strains enriched in enzymes involved in complex polysaccharide degradation,including members of the carbohydrate esterases family.Moreover,strains from different sources exhibit distinct strategies for lactose hydrolysis and metabolic utilization,reflecting adaptive evolution to their specific nutritional niches.Analysis of the antibiotic resistance profile suggests that L.lactis predominantly harbors glycopeptide and lincosamide resistance genes,encompassing four distinct resistance mechanisms.Collectively,this study reveals the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of L.lactis strains from different sources and identifies key genes associated with carbohydrate degradation,lactose metabolism,and antibiotic resistance,providing concrete genetic evidence for the selection of efficient and safe industrial fermentation strains.展开更多
This study focuses on the three courtyards located in the eastern,central,and western sections of the Tongzhou Campus of Renmin University of China.Adopting a functional differentiation perspective,the research system...This study focuses on the three courtyards located in the eastern,central,and western sections of the Tongzhou Campus of Renmin University of China.Adopting a functional differentiation perspective,the research systematically analyzes the patterns of plant diversity within courtyards characterized by distinct functional orientations.This analysis employs various plant species diversity indices,including the Patrick richness index,Simpson dominance index,Shannon-Wiener diversity index,and Pielou evenness index,alongside a classification of functional plant types,namely ornamental,ecological regulation,spatial shaping,and recreational assistance.The results indicate that the east courtyard presents the highest Patrick species richness(S=42),predominantly comprising spatial shaping and recreational assistance plants,which are wellsuited for recreational and passage functions.Conversely,the central courtyard exhibits the lowest Patrick species richness(S=19),characterized by a balanced distribution of functional types,with an emphasis on public display and traffic guidance.The west courtyard demonstrates the greatest stability in the tree layer(D=0.87),featuring a combination of shade-tolerant and ornamental plants that fulfill the requirements for a tranquil and naturalistic environment.One-way analysis of variance reveals that only Patrick species richness differs significantly among the courtyards(P=0.007),whereas the diversity index does not show a significant difference.This finding suggests that functional requirements precisely regulate diversity through microhabitat heterogeneity and plant configuration strategies.This study offers both a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the plant configuration and functional optimization of small-scale courtyards on campus.展开更多
Maintaining community stability has profound positive impacts on the ecological functions and sustainable utilization of grassland ecosystems.Numerous studies have explored how community stability responds to climate ...Maintaining community stability has profound positive impacts on the ecological functions and sustainable utilization of grassland ecosystems.Numerous studies have explored how community stability responds to climate change and its relationship with plant species diversity.Nevertheless,the impact and underlying mechanisms of belowground ecosystem multifunctionality(BGEMF)on community stability along a precipitation gradient in alpine grasslands remain poorly understood.To address this knowledge gap,we conducted field surveys from 2015 to 2020,measuring plant species diversity,annual net primary productivity(ANPP),and soil physicochemical properties across 79 sites in alpine grassland ecosystems on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.Our findings highlight both plant species diversity(standardized total effect:32%)and BGEMF(standardized total effect:75%)had an indirect effect on stability viaregulating mean ANPP within alpine grasslands.Furthermore,mean annual precipitation substantially impacted both plant species diversity and BGEMF,subsequently affecting community stability.However,temperature had a strong negative regulatory effect on species diversity,the mean and variability of ANPP.Thus,we emphasized the pivotal role of plant species diversity and BGEMF in shaping community stability,and stated the imperative need for species conservation and BGEMF improvement to sustain alpine ecosystems in the face of ongoing climate change.展开更多
Habitat fragmentation dramatically reshapes species richness and community composition.However,most estimates ofβ-diversity rely on incidence-based metrics,which consider only species presence/absence.Here,we introdu...Habitat fragmentation dramatically reshapes species richness and community composition.However,most estimates ofβ-diversity rely on incidence-based metrics,which consider only species presence/absence.Here,we introduce a novel framework that explicitly incorporates species abundance and intraspecifictrait variation(ITV)into the quantificationof taxonomic,functional,and phylogeneticβ-diversity,allowing a more nuanced understanding of community differentiation.To demonstrate the utility of this framework,we quantifiedthe effects of island area and isolation onβ-diversity across plant communities in China's Thousand Island Lake.Abundance-weighted taxonomic multiple-site/pairwiseβ-diversity showed substantially higher nestedness and stronger nestedness-area relationship than incidence-based metrics,indicating that species-poor communities are not only subsets of richer ones but share similar abundance hierarchies,highlighting strong environmental filteringand hierarchical species sorting.We also found that the turnover component was less sensitive to isolation,suggesting limited dispersal effects.Incidence-based functional and phylogenetic distances increased with differences in island area,but these associations weakened or disappeared in abundance-weighted measures,suggesting stronger environmental filteringand functional/phylogenetic clustering among larger islands.Only abundance-weighted standardized effect sizes increased with island area differences.Additionally,ITV further amplifiedfunctional nestedness and buffered the influenceof isolation on turnover,emphasizing its role in mitigating dispersal limitations.By jointly considering abundance and ITV,two often-overlooked but critical dimensions,this study advances our understanding of how fragmentation shapesβ-diversity.These findingshighlight the importance of integrating abundanceweighted and trait-based metrics into conservation strategies to better detect functionally important species,prioritize larger habitat patches,and design biodiversity monitoring that captures withinspecies variation.展开更多
[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of continuous cropping obstacles in Polygonatum odoratum.[Methods]Three treatments were established:continuous cropping(two consecutive crops),first-cr...[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of continuous cropping obstacles in Polygonatum odoratum.[Methods]Three treatments were established:continuous cropping(two consecutive crops),first-crop control(with Phaseolus vulgaris as the preceding crop),and blank control.The effects of continuous cropping on the functional diversity of soil microorganisms,soil enzyme activities,and soil nutrient coordination in the rhizosphere soil of P.odoratum during different growth stages were investigated.[Results](1)Continuous cropping increased the carbon source metabolic capacity,Shannon diversity index,and richness of rhizosphere soil microorganisms by 3.2%-14.7%,0.9%-3.5%,and 1.3%-12.5%,respectively,but the differences were not significant.(2)Principal component analysis indicated that during the middle stage of rhizome expansion,continuous cropping significantly altered the characteristics of microbial carbon metabolism,and the microbial communities utilizing carbohydrates,amino acids,polymers,carboxylic acids and amines as carbon sources exhibited vigorous metabolism.(3)Continuous cropping significantly reduced the activities of urease,polyphenol oxidase,and acid phosphatase in rhizosphere soil,with decreases of 24.4%-39.5%,3.2%-14.8%,and 7.9%-18.2%,respectively.The activities of catalase and invertase sometimes exceeded and sometimes fell below those of the first crop,showing no consistent pattern.(4)Under continuous cropping conditions,nutrient imbalance occurred in the rhizosphere soil,characterized by nitrogen deficiency and phosphorus surplus.(5)Grey correlation analysis indicated that available phosphorus content,alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content and polyphenol oxidase activity in rhizosphere soil were the main factors influencing microbial functional diversity.[Conclusions]This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the formation mechanism of continuous cropping obstacles in P.odoratum.展开更多
Functional traits are characteristics associated with the growth,reproduction,and survival of individuals.Studying them helps us understand how species traits drive ecosystem functioning.Thus,we evaluated the differen...Functional traits are characteristics associated with the growth,reproduction,and survival of individuals.Studying them helps us understand how species traits drive ecosystem functioning.Thus,we evaluated the differences in traits and functional diversity between forest edges and interiors,and how the inclusion of intraspecific trait variation affects the assessment of functional diversity in these habitats.We sampled 10 representative forest patches,and,in each patch,we established five plots on the edge and five inside the forest,collecting leaf functional traits,allometric and wood density for all species.We assessed functional diversity using functional richness(FRic),divergence(FDiv),and dispersion(FDis).To assess the impact of incorporating intraspecific variation when comparing trait values and functional diversity indices,we established two scenarios:one that excludes intraspecific variation and another that includes it.We found that the edge and interior harbor individuals with distinct functional traits that alleviate the inherent stress of each habitat.The edge was also found to be more selective in terms of the range of functional traits,resulting in lower functional diversity.Our findings demonstrated that habitats play an important role in intraspecific trait variation(ITV)and that statistically significant differences between habitats,in relation to traits and functional diversity,were better observed with the inclusion of intraspecific variation.Our study highlights the potential of using natural forest patches to understand the edge effect,regardless of habitat loss.Additionally,we emphasize the importance of incorporating ITV into functional diversity studies,especially those on a smaller scale that incorporate quantitative variables,to better understand and predict ecological patterns.展开更多
The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of plant species diversity and functional composition (the identity of the plant functional groups) on ecosystem stability of Stipa, communities in the Inner M...The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of plant species diversity and functional composition (the identity of the plant functional groups) on ecosystem stability of Stipa, communities in the Inner Mongolia Plateau. The research work was based on a 12-year study (from 1984 to 1995) of species abundance, diversity, and primary productivity of four Stipa communities, i.e. S. baicalensis Roshev., S. grandis P. Smirn., S, krylovii Roshev., and S. klemenzii Roshev. respectively. The Shnnon-Wiener index was used as a measurement of plant diversity, while functional composition was used to differentiate the functional groups that were included in the communities. The plant species of four Stipa communities were classified into functional groups based on the differences in life forms and ecological groups, which influence their performance in resource requirements, seasonality of growth, tolerance to water stress, and life history. Plant species were classified into five functional groups based on their differences in life form, shrubs and half shrubs, perennial bunch grasses, perennial rhizome grasses, forbs, annuals and biennials. Based on their differences in water requirement these species were classified into four functional groups: xerads, intermediate xerads, intermediate mesophytes, and mesophytes. The results showed: 1) Plant species diversity stabilized ecosystem processes. Shannon-Wiener index were 2.401 4, 2.172 0, 1.624 8, 0.354 3 from S. baicalensis community to S. grandis, S. krylovii and S. klemenzii community, respectively. The dynamics of the aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) for a 12-year's period showed a reverse pattern, the coefficients of variation of the four communities were 21.94%, 20.63%, 29.21% and 39.72% respectively. 2) The Life form functional group component of diversity was a greater determinant of the ecosystem processes than the species component of diversity. The effects of perennial bunch grasses, perennial rhizome grasses and forbs on community stability were highly significant. 3) The ecological group component of diversity was also a great determinant of the ecosystem processes. The effects of xerads, intermediate xerads, and mesophytes on community stability were also very strong.展开更多
With Biolog Eco microplate, metabolic characteristics and functional diver-sity of carbon source in microflora of ponds were researched based on recitculating ponds and control ponds in order to explore effects of eco...With Biolog Eco microplate, metabolic characteristics and functional diver-sity of carbon source in microflora of ponds were researched based on recitculating ponds and control ponds in order to explore effects of eco-adjustments on microflo-ra in ponds. The results indicate that total number of bacterium, microbial metabolism activity, and diversity index in P7, P8, P1 and P2 kept higher, fol owed by P3, P4, P5 and P6. The utilization rate of microbes on sugars achieved the highest （31.0%-48.7%）, fol owed by carboxylic acid （13.4%-18.0%）, amino acid （10.1%-20.5%）, polymers （9.4%-17.0%）, biopolymer （5.7%-9.7%） and phenol （4.95%-7.50%）. Principal component analysis divided microflora in different ponds, suggesting that microbial community has varied carbon source characteristics and nitrogen-containing compound and biopolymer metabolisms are most affected.展开更多
Given the rapid rise in human population and increasing urbanization,it is important to understand their potential impacts on biodiversity.From March 2007 to August 2007,we conducted bird surveys in 90 strip transects...Given the rapid rise in human population and increasing urbanization,it is important to understand their potential impacts on biodiversity.From March 2007 to August 2007,we conducted bird surveys in 90 strip transects,each 3 km long and 100 m wide,along a gradient of urbanization in Hangzhou,China.This gradient spanned a range of urbanization levels including urban areas,rural-urban continuum areas,farming areas,mixed forest/farming areas and forested areas.We recorded 96 breeding bird species and classified them into nine functional groups based on nesting requirements.The nine functional groups consisted of canopy nesters,shrub nesters,canopy/shrub nesters,natural cavity nesters,building nesters,natural cavity/building nesters,ground nesters,water surface nesters and parasitic nesters.Species and functional diversities were estimated based on the Shannon-Wiener index.Environmental data of each transect as human disturbance,vegetation cover and building index were also measured,and a synthetic urbanization index of each transect was introduced based on these data.We used regression analyses to model the relationship of species abundance,species diversity,functional abundance and functional diversity with this synthetic index.The results show that urbanization significantly reduces species richness,species diversity,functional richness and functional diversity,but the specific patterns differed.The relationship between species abundance/species diversity and urbanization is linear.In contrast,the relationship between functional diversity and urbanization was quadratic.In other words,with increased urbanization,functional diversity declined only slightly at first but then dropped at an accelerating rate.This implies that,although moderate urbanization reduces species diversity of breeding birds,it affects functional diversity of breeding birds only slightly in Hangzhou.The regression analysis of species diversity and functional diversity suggests a quadratic relationship between species diversity and functional diversity,i.e.,a linear relationship between species diversity and functional diversity can only exist at low diversity levels across urbanization gradients and increasing species abundance does not lead to an increase in functional diversity at the highest diversity levels.展开更多
As one of the main methods of microbial community functional diversity measurement, biolog method was favored by many researchers for its simple oper- ation, high sensitivity, strong resolution and rich data. But the ...As one of the main methods of microbial community functional diversity measurement, biolog method was favored by many researchers for its simple oper- ation, high sensitivity, strong resolution and rich data. But the preprocessing meth- ods reported in the literatures were not the same. In order to screen the best pre- processing method, this paper took three typical treatments to explore the effect of different preprocessing methods on soil microbial community functional diversity. The results showed that, method B＇s overall trend of AWCD values was better than A and C＇s. Method B＇s microbial utilization of six carbon sources was higher, and the result was relatively stable. The Simpson index, Shannon richness index and Car- bon source utilization richness index of the two treatments were B〉C〉A, while the Mclntosh index and Shannon evenness were not very stable, but the difference of variance analysis was not significant, and the method B was always with a smallest variance. Method B＇s principal component analysis was better than A and C＇s. In a word, the method using 250 r/min shaking for 30 minutes and cultivating at 28 ℃ was the best one, because it was simple, convenient, and with good repeatability.展开更多
Conservationists have long debated whether fragmented habitats are best conserved by protecting a single large patch(SL)or several small patches(SS),i.e.,the SLOSS debate.Although this SLOSS debate has provided import...Conservationists have long debated whether fragmented habitats are best conserved by protecting a single large patch(SL)or several small patches(SS),i.e.,the SLOSS debate.Although this SLOSS debate has provided important insights into biodiversity conservation,research has predominantly focused on only one dimension of diversity(i.e.,taxonomic),failing to consider how phylogenetic and functional diversity might inform conservation strategies.In this study,we determined whether grasslands in the agro-pastoral ecotone of the Tabu River Basin,Inner Mongolia should be conserved by protecting a single large patch or several small patches.For this purpose,we quantified the relationships between three dimensions of biodiversity(taxonomic,phylogenetic,and functional diversity)and grassland patch area.We found species richness and the standardized effect size of phylogenetic diversity increased with patch area,whereas the standardized effect size of functional diversity decreased.Taxonomic measures of diversity indicated that the best strategy for conserving Tabu River Basin grasslands is to protect several small habitat patches;in contrast,phylogenetic and functional measures of diversity indicated that conserving a single large habitat patch was best.Our study emphasizes the necessity of considering multiple dimensions of diversity when designing conservation strategies for fragmented landscapes to achieve comprehensive biodiversity conservation.展开更多
A growing global population and the increasing prevalence of diet-related health issues such as“hidden hunger”,obesity,hypertension,and diabetes necessitate a fundamental rethinking of crop design and breeding.Synth...A growing global population and the increasing prevalence of diet-related health issues such as“hidden hunger”,obesity,hypertension,and diabetes necessitate a fundamental rethinking of crop design and breeding.Synthetic metabolic engineering offers a method to modify and redesign metabolic pathways to increase the nutritional value of crops.We summarize recent advances in the biofortification of key nutrients including provitamin A,vitamin C,vitamin B9,iron,zinc,anthocyanins,flavonoids,and unsaturated fatty acids.We discuss the potential of multi-gene stacking,gene editing,enzyme engineering,and artificial intelligence in synthetic metabolic engineering.We propose future research directions and potential solutions centered on leveraging AI-driven systems biology,precision gene editing,enzyme engineering,agrobacterium-mediated genotype-independent transformation,and modular metabolic engineering strategies to develop next-generation nutritionally enhanced super crops and transform global food systems.展开更多
基金supported by the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA(CARS-46)the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund,CAFS(grant 2023TD61,YFI20240102 and YFI202418)the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangxi Province,China(grant 20223BBF61010).
文摘The determinants of local differences in species and functions matter for reservoir management but have seldom been investigated.To this aim,we explored fish taxonomic,and functional beta diversity between local assem-blages in a large Chinese reservoir.Taxonomicβdiversity was primarily driven by species richness differences(54%–72%),while functionalβdiversity was almost equally driven by turnover and nestedness components.Environmental characteristics of the sites were significant predictors of all facets of fishβdiversity.Additionally,site contributions to taxonomic(LCBD)and functional(XLCBD)βdiversity were significantly associated with human activity variables,suggesting that there is a pressing need to mitigate human-induced disturbances for the conservation of biodiversity.Species contributions to taxonomic(SCBD)and functional(XSCBD)βdiversity exhibited positive correlations primarily with species occupancy and abundance,suggesting the potential uniqueness of certain common species.Priority conservation areas in the upstream area and rare but key species such as Tachysurus and Siniperca were identified based on site and species contributions.We thus propose to focus on habitat restoration actions to upstream areas by restricting sand mining,as the current mining activities in the river channel can directly alter riverbed morphology and damage the spawning grounds of fish.We also emphasize the necessity for increased conservation efforts through the development of sustainable recreational fishing policies and stock recovery programs for sensitive species such as Pelteobagrus vachelli and Acheilognathus macropterus.These species have lower SCBD or XLCBD values than others and possess unique feeding habits or high economic value,making them primary targets for recreational fishing.This research highlights the impor-tance of integrating taxonomic and functionalβdiversity to effectively evaluate biodiversity changes and develop more comprehensive and sustainable conservation strategies for fish diversity conservation.
文摘The variation in microbiota during pit fermentation is the main reason for the distinct characteristics of the 7 types of base Baijiu in jiang-flavor Baijiu(JFB)brewing.However,the specific structure,succession,and functional differentiation of microbial communities across different fermentation rounds remain unclear.Therefore,this study compared the differences in microbiota structure,environmental factors driving community assembly,and functional differentiations throughout 1–7 rounds(JC1–JC7)of pit fermentation in JFB production.Results showed that Lactobacillus dominated all rounds and complied with declining relative abundance from rounds JC1–JC7.The mould composition was similar in JC3–JC5 while the yeast structure in JC4 was found intermediate between JC3 and JC5.LEf Se analysis unveiled aroma-producing microorganisms as prominent biomarkers in JC1,strong enzyme-producing attributes in JC2,JC6,and JC7 biomarkers,and an enzyme and aroma-producing focus with robust tolerance in JC3–JC5 biomarkers.Acidity mainly regulated the microbial community in the first 4 rounds,with nutrient limitation drove microbial succession from the fifth round onward.Functional predictions underscored enriched amino acid metabolism enzymes in JC6 and JC1,while carbohydrate degradation exhibited predominant enzymatic profiles in JC2,JC6,and JC7.This study laid a foundation for comprehending community composition,succession,and flavor regulatory mechanisms throughout JFB brewing.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds of Chinese Academy of Forestry(Nos.CAFYBB2022SY037,CAFYBB2021ZA002 and CAFYBB2022QC002)the Basic Research Foundation of Yunnan Province(Grant No.202201AT070264).
文摘Soil microbial communities are key factors in maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF).However,the distribution patterns of bacterial diversity and how the different bacterial taxa and their diversity dimensions affect EMF remain largely unknown.Here,we investigated variation in three measures of diversity(alpha diversity,community composition and network complexity)among rare,intermediate,and abundant taxa across a latitudinal gradient spanning five forest plots in Yunnan Province,China and examined their contributions on EMF.We aimed to characterize the diversity distributions of bacterial groups across latitudes and to assess the differences in the mechanisms underlying their contributions to EMF.We found that multifaceted diversity(i.e.,diversity assessed by the three different metrics)of rare,intermediate,and abundant bacteria generally decreased with increasing latitude.More importantly,we found that rare bacterial taxa tended to be more diverse,but they contributed less to EMF than intermediate or abundant bacteria.Among the three dimensions of diversity we assessed,only community composition significantly affected EMF across all locations,while alpha diversity had a negative effect,and network complexity showed no significant impact.Our study further emphasizes the importance of intermediate and abundant bacterial taxa as well as community composition to EMF and provides a theoretical basis for investigating the mechanisms by which belowground microorganisms drive EMF along a latitudinal gradient.
文摘The authors regret that an error occurred during the preparation of their article:One of the official databases,which was used for functional trait collections,contained an incorrect term–'chametophytes'–for the life form category'chamaephytes'.Unfortunately,this incorrect term was used throughout the article following the nomenclature of this official database:in one instance in the main text,in Fig.3 and its caption,in Fig.5,and in two instances in the supplementary material.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32271734)。
文摘The acceleration of global urbanization has caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and decrease of habitat quality,often leading to a decline in biodiversity.However,most previous urbanization studies focused on taxonomic diversity,with relatively less research on functional and phylogenetic diversity.In this study,we examined the phylogenetic and functional diversity and underlying influencing factors of bird communities in 37 urban parks in Nanjing,China.We conducted a systematic survey of bird communities in Nanjing urban parks and selected six park characteristics that are generally considered to affect bird diversity.Model selection based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion(AICc)and model averaging showed that park area,habitat diversity and building index(a proxy for the degree of urbanization)were significant factors affecting avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in Nanjing urban parks.Specifically,habitat diversity and park area were positively correlated with bird diversity,while the building index was negatively correlated with bird diversity.Moreover,the phylogenetic and functional structures of urban bird communities exhibited a clustered pattern,indicating that environmental filtering might play a role in shaping community composition.In addition,building index had certain impact on the construction of bird phylogenetic communities in urban parks.Our results suggest that expanding park areas,increasing habitat diversity and reducing building indexes may be effective measures to increase the avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in our system.
基金funded by the National Research,Development and Innovation Office(NKFIH FK 142428 grant)The contribution of Z.B.was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and by the New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research,Development and Innovation Fund(ÚNKP-23-5-SZTE-697)+2 种基金K.F.was supported by the New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research,Development and Innovation Fund(ÚNKP-23-3-SZTE-441)C.T.was supported by the NKFIH K 146137 grantA.E-V.was supported by the long-term research development project of the Czech Academy of Sciences(RVO 67985939).
文摘Topographic complexity supports the maintenance of a high diversity of microhabitats,which may act as important‘safe havens’-or microrefugia-for biodiversity.Microrefugia are sites with specific environmental conditions that facilitate the persistence of species during environmental changes and exhibit unique ecoevolutionary dynamics.However,our knowledge about how topographic complexity and related ecoevolutionary selective forces influence the functional and phylogenetic signatures of species assemblages in microrefugia is very limited.Although the conceptual framework on the systematic integration of plant functional traits into the study of refugia is well established,more empirical studies on functional trait composition and functional diversity in refugia are urgently needed for more effective conservation.Here we analyzed the distribution of various plant functional traits and phylogenetic patterns in microhabitats(south-and north-facing slopes,and bottoms)of 30 large topographic depressions(i.e.doline microrefugia)and microhabitats of the surrounding plateaus in two distant forested karst regions.We found that plant assemblages in the understory of dolines and their surroundings are characterized by unique functional values and combinations of traits.Doline bottoms had the highest functional diversity among doline microhabitats and supported plant assemblages with considerably different trait compositions from the plateaus.Bottoms also had the highest phylogenetic diversity.These results suggest that topographic complexity in forested dolines has a significant effect on the distribution of plant functional traits in the understory.High functional and phylogenetic diversity in doline bottoms can have important consequences for the long-term survival of plant populations,highlighting that these microhabitats may provide a higher resilience and support an adaptive community-level response to natural and anthropogenic stressors.Understanding mechanisms that drive the survival of species within microrefugia is required to determine the best conservation and management strategies.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32271743).
文摘Urban wetlands are considered as"habitat islands"within the urban matrix that contribute to species conservation.Waterbirds are sensitive pollution indicators in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,and their diversity in urban wetlands reflects the response of wildlife to urbanization.However,very few studies have investigated seasonal differences in the multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in urbanized landscapes.In this study,we analyzed various wetland parameters that could potentially affect the seasonal variations in multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in Nanjing,China.We surveyed waterbirds in 29 urban wetlands using the point count method during breeding and non-breeding seasons from November 2022 to June 2023.We then employed multiple linear regressions and information-theoretic approaches to investigate the impact of wetland characteristics on waterbird diversity.We found that water body area and buffer zone connectivity consistently emerged as positive factors affecting waterbird taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity across seasons.Conversely,the urbanization synthetic index was negatively correlated with waterbird diversity only during the breeding season.Regarding functional diversity,we found that the positive correlation between buffer zone connectivity and waterbird diversity was specific to the breeding season.Therefore,for effective conservation of waterbird diversity in our system,wetland planning should prioritize expanding wetland water body areas,enhancing wetland connectivity,minimizing human disturbance during the breeding season,and implementing ecological restoration measures in urbanized wetlands to mitigate adverse effects of urbanization.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U20A2007 and 32160343)the Open Project of Key Laboratory of the Alpine Grassland Ecology in the Three Rivers Region(Qinghai University),Ministry of Education of China(2023-SJY-KF-02)the West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences。
文摘The response of plant functional diversity to external disturbances not only effectively predicts changes in the ecosystem but it also reflects how plant communities use external environmental resources.However,research on how different herbivore assemblages affect plant functional diversity is limited.Therefore,this study systematically explored the effects of three typical herbivore assemblages(yak grazing,Tibetan sheep grazing,and mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep)on species richness,plant functional diversity,and soil physicochemical properties in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China.This study further investigated the primary mechanisms driving the changes in plant functional diversity.The results indicate four key aspects of this system:(1)Grazing significantly enhanced plant functional diversity,particularly when the mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep was applied at a ratio of 1:2.This ratio showed the most substantial improvement in the functional dispersion index and Rao's quadratic entropy index.(2)Compared to enclosed treatments,grazing increased species richness andβ-diversity,contributing to higher plant functional diversity.(3)Grazing treatments affected various plant traits,such as reducing plant community height and leaf thickness while increasing specific leaf area.However,the impact on plant functional diversity was most pronounced under the mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep at a ratio of 1:2.(4)Speciesα-diversity was positively correlated with plant functional diversity.Changes in plant functional diversity were primarily regulated by variations in soil physicochemical properties.Specifically,increases in soil available nitrogen significantly promoted changes in plant functional diversity,while increases in soil available potassium and bulk density had a significant inhibitory effect on these changes.Long-term grazing significantly reduced the height of plant communities in alpine meadows,while a balanced mixture of yak and Tibetan sheep grazing,especially at a ratio of 1:2,enhanced plant functional diversity the most.This suggests that,under these conditions,the use of external environmental resources by the plant community is optimized.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Project(2022YFD2100703)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32394051 and U23A20259)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(JUSRP622013).
文摘Lactococcus lactis,a major starter culture in the dairy industry,has been widely applied in food fermentation.While current research has primarily focused on evaluating its role during fermentation,genomic investigations into its genetic diversity and functional adaptability remain limited.In this study,199 L.lactis strains isolated from Chinese traditional artisanal cheeses(72 bovine,71 goat,and 56 yak milk cheese isolates)were subjected to comparative genomic analysis.Genomic characteristic analysis indicated that bovine milk strains possess larger genomes and the highest number of unique genes.Functional characterization further demonstrated notable differences in carbohydrate metabolism among strains from different sources,with yak milk strains enriched in enzymes involved in complex polysaccharide degradation,including members of the carbohydrate esterases family.Moreover,strains from different sources exhibit distinct strategies for lactose hydrolysis and metabolic utilization,reflecting adaptive evolution to their specific nutritional niches.Analysis of the antibiotic resistance profile suggests that L.lactis predominantly harbors glycopeptide and lincosamide resistance genes,encompassing four distinct resistance mechanisms.Collectively,this study reveals the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of L.lactis strains from different sources and identifies key genes associated with carbohydrate degradation,lactose metabolism,and antibiotic resistance,providing concrete genetic evidence for the selection of efficient and safe industrial fermentation strains.
基金Sponsored by 2025 Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project.
文摘This study focuses on the three courtyards located in the eastern,central,and western sections of the Tongzhou Campus of Renmin University of China.Adopting a functional differentiation perspective,the research systematically analyzes the patterns of plant diversity within courtyards characterized by distinct functional orientations.This analysis employs various plant species diversity indices,including the Patrick richness index,Simpson dominance index,Shannon-Wiener diversity index,and Pielou evenness index,alongside a classification of functional plant types,namely ornamental,ecological regulation,spatial shaping,and recreational assistance.The results indicate that the east courtyard presents the highest Patrick species richness(S=42),predominantly comprising spatial shaping and recreational assistance plants,which are wellsuited for recreational and passage functions.Conversely,the central courtyard exhibits the lowest Patrick species richness(S=19),characterized by a balanced distribution of functional types,with an emphasis on public display and traffic guidance.The west courtyard demonstrates the greatest stability in the tree layer(D=0.87),featuring a combination of shade-tolerant and ornamental plants that fulfill the requirements for a tranquil and naturalistic environment.One-way analysis of variance reveals that only Patrick species richness differs significantly among the courtyards(P=0.007),whereas the diversity index does not show a significant difference.This finding suggests that functional requirements precisely regulate diversity through microhabitat heterogeneity and plant configuration strategies.This study offers both a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the plant configuration and functional optimization of small-scale courtyards on campus.
基金supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32271774).
文摘Maintaining community stability has profound positive impacts on the ecological functions and sustainable utilization of grassland ecosystems.Numerous studies have explored how community stability responds to climate change and its relationship with plant species diversity.Nevertheless,the impact and underlying mechanisms of belowground ecosystem multifunctionality(BGEMF)on community stability along a precipitation gradient in alpine grasslands remain poorly understood.To address this knowledge gap,we conducted field surveys from 2015 to 2020,measuring plant species diversity,annual net primary productivity(ANPP),and soil physicochemical properties across 79 sites in alpine grassland ecosystems on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.Our findings highlight both plant species diversity(standardized total effect:32%)and BGEMF(standardized total effect:75%)had an indirect effect on stability viaregulating mean ANPP within alpine grasslands.Furthermore,mean annual precipitation substantially impacted both plant species diversity and BGEMF,subsequently affecting community stability.However,temperature had a strong negative regulatory effect on species diversity,the mean and variability of ANPP.Thus,we emphasized the pivotal role of plant species diversity and BGEMF in shaping community stability,and stated the imperative need for species conservation and BGEMF improvement to sustain alpine ecosystems in the face of ongoing climate change.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant no.32371603,31901211 and 31930073).
文摘Habitat fragmentation dramatically reshapes species richness and community composition.However,most estimates ofβ-diversity rely on incidence-based metrics,which consider only species presence/absence.Here,we introduce a novel framework that explicitly incorporates species abundance and intraspecifictrait variation(ITV)into the quantificationof taxonomic,functional,and phylogeneticβ-diversity,allowing a more nuanced understanding of community differentiation.To demonstrate the utility of this framework,we quantifiedthe effects of island area and isolation onβ-diversity across plant communities in China's Thousand Island Lake.Abundance-weighted taxonomic multiple-site/pairwiseβ-diversity showed substantially higher nestedness and stronger nestedness-area relationship than incidence-based metrics,indicating that species-poor communities are not only subsets of richer ones but share similar abundance hierarchies,highlighting strong environmental filteringand hierarchical species sorting.We also found that the turnover component was less sensitive to isolation,suggesting limited dispersal effects.Incidence-based functional and phylogenetic distances increased with differences in island area,but these associations weakened or disappeared in abundance-weighted measures,suggesting stronger environmental filteringand functional/phylogenetic clustering among larger islands.Only abundance-weighted standardized effect sizes increased with island area differences.Additionally,ITV further amplifiedfunctional nestedness and buffered the influenceof isolation on turnover,emphasizing its role in mitigating dispersal limitations.By jointly considering abundance and ITV,two often-overlooked but critical dimensions,this study advances our understanding of how fragmentation shapesβ-diversity.These findingshighlight the importance of integrating abundanceweighted and trait-based metrics into conservation strategies to better detect functionally important species,prioritize larger habitat patches,and design biodiversity monitoring that captures withinspecies variation.
文摘[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of continuous cropping obstacles in Polygonatum odoratum.[Methods]Three treatments were established:continuous cropping(two consecutive crops),first-crop control(with Phaseolus vulgaris as the preceding crop),and blank control.The effects of continuous cropping on the functional diversity of soil microorganisms,soil enzyme activities,and soil nutrient coordination in the rhizosphere soil of P.odoratum during different growth stages were investigated.[Results](1)Continuous cropping increased the carbon source metabolic capacity,Shannon diversity index,and richness of rhizosphere soil microorganisms by 3.2%-14.7%,0.9%-3.5%,and 1.3%-12.5%,respectively,but the differences were not significant.(2)Principal component analysis indicated that during the middle stage of rhizome expansion,continuous cropping significantly altered the characteristics of microbial carbon metabolism,and the microbial communities utilizing carbohydrates,amino acids,polymers,carboxylic acids and amines as carbon sources exhibited vigorous metabolism.(3)Continuous cropping significantly reduced the activities of urease,polyphenol oxidase,and acid phosphatase in rhizosphere soil,with decreases of 24.4%-39.5%,3.2%-14.8%,and 7.9%-18.2%,respectively.The activities of catalase and invertase sometimes exceeded and sometimes fell below those of the first crop,showing no consistent pattern.(4)Under continuous cropping conditions,nutrient imbalance occurred in the rhizosphere soil,characterized by nitrogen deficiency and phosphorus surplus.(5)Grey correlation analysis indicated that available phosphorus content,alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content and polyphenol oxidase activity in rhizosphere soil were the main factors influencing microbial functional diversity.[Conclusions]This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the formation mechanism of continuous cropping obstacles in P.odoratum.
基金the Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) by granting the scholarship (Finance Code 001)supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, project number 433828/2018-8,435598/2018-0)+1 种基金the Minas Gerais Research Funding Foundation (FAPEMIG, project number CRA APQ 00929-15)CNPq productivity fellowships
文摘Functional traits are characteristics associated with the growth,reproduction,and survival of individuals.Studying them helps us understand how species traits drive ecosystem functioning.Thus,we evaluated the differences in traits and functional diversity between forest edges and interiors,and how the inclusion of intraspecific trait variation affects the assessment of functional diversity in these habitats.We sampled 10 representative forest patches,and,in each patch,we established five plots on the edge and five inside the forest,collecting leaf functional traits,allometric and wood density for all species.We assessed functional diversity using functional richness(FRic),divergence(FDiv),and dispersion(FDis).To assess the impact of incorporating intraspecific variation when comparing trait values and functional diversity indices,we established two scenarios:one that excludes intraspecific variation and another that includes it.We found that the edge and interior harbor individuals with distinct functional traits that alleviate the inherent stress of each habitat.The edge was also found to be more selective in terms of the range of functional traits,resulting in lower functional diversity.Our findings demonstrated that habitats play an important role in intraspecific trait variation(ITV)and that statistically significant differences between habitats,in relation to traits and functional diversity,were better observed with the inclusion of intraspecific variation.Our study highlights the potential of using natural forest patches to understand the edge effect,regardless of habitat loss.Additionally,we emphasize the importance of incorporating ITV into functional diversity studies,especially those on a smaller scale that incorporate quantitative variables,to better understand and predict ecological patterns.
文摘The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of plant species diversity and functional composition (the identity of the plant functional groups) on ecosystem stability of Stipa, communities in the Inner Mongolia Plateau. The research work was based on a 12-year study (from 1984 to 1995) of species abundance, diversity, and primary productivity of four Stipa communities, i.e. S. baicalensis Roshev., S. grandis P. Smirn., S, krylovii Roshev., and S. klemenzii Roshev. respectively. The Shnnon-Wiener index was used as a measurement of plant diversity, while functional composition was used to differentiate the functional groups that were included in the communities. The plant species of four Stipa communities were classified into functional groups based on the differences in life forms and ecological groups, which influence their performance in resource requirements, seasonality of growth, tolerance to water stress, and life history. Plant species were classified into five functional groups based on their differences in life form, shrubs and half shrubs, perennial bunch grasses, perennial rhizome grasses, forbs, annuals and biennials. Based on their differences in water requirement these species were classified into four functional groups: xerads, intermediate xerads, intermediate mesophytes, and mesophytes. The results showed: 1) Plant species diversity stabilized ecosystem processes. Shannon-Wiener index were 2.401 4, 2.172 0, 1.624 8, 0.354 3 from S. baicalensis community to S. grandis, S. krylovii and S. klemenzii community, respectively. The dynamics of the aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) for a 12-year's period showed a reverse pattern, the coefficients of variation of the four communities were 21.94%, 20.63%, 29.21% and 39.72% respectively. 2) The Life form functional group component of diversity was a greater determinant of the ecosystem processes than the species component of diversity. The effects of perennial bunch grasses, perennial rhizome grasses and forbs on community stability were highly significant. 3) The ecological group component of diversity was also a great determinant of the ecosystem processes. The effects of xerads, intermediate xerads, and mesophytes on community stability were also very strong.
基金Supported by National Modern Agricultural Technology System(CARS-46)NationalSci-tech Support Plan(2012BAD25B05,2012BAD25B01)National Department PublicBenefit Research Foundation(201203083)~~
文摘With Biolog Eco microplate, metabolic characteristics and functional diver-sity of carbon source in microflora of ponds were researched based on recitculating ponds and control ponds in order to explore effects of eco-adjustments on microflo-ra in ponds. The results indicate that total number of bacterium, microbial metabolism activity, and diversity index in P7, P8, P1 and P2 kept higher, fol owed by P3, P4, P5 and P6. The utilization rate of microbes on sugars achieved the highest （31.0%-48.7%）, fol owed by carboxylic acid （13.4%-18.0%）, amino acid （10.1%-20.5%）, polymers （9.4%-17.0%）, biopolymer （5.7%-9.7%） and phenol （4.95%-7.50%）. Principal component analysis divided microflora in different ponds, suggesting that microbial community has varied carbon source characteristics and nitrogen-containing compound and biopolymer metabolisms are most affected.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30670344)the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Forestry and Water Resources
文摘Given the rapid rise in human population and increasing urbanization,it is important to understand their potential impacts on biodiversity.From March 2007 to August 2007,we conducted bird surveys in 90 strip transects,each 3 km long and 100 m wide,along a gradient of urbanization in Hangzhou,China.This gradient spanned a range of urbanization levels including urban areas,rural-urban continuum areas,farming areas,mixed forest/farming areas and forested areas.We recorded 96 breeding bird species and classified them into nine functional groups based on nesting requirements.The nine functional groups consisted of canopy nesters,shrub nesters,canopy/shrub nesters,natural cavity nesters,building nesters,natural cavity/building nesters,ground nesters,water surface nesters and parasitic nesters.Species and functional diversities were estimated based on the Shannon-Wiener index.Environmental data of each transect as human disturbance,vegetation cover and building index were also measured,and a synthetic urbanization index of each transect was introduced based on these data.We used regression analyses to model the relationship of species abundance,species diversity,functional abundance and functional diversity with this synthetic index.The results show that urbanization significantly reduces species richness,species diversity,functional richness and functional diversity,but the specific patterns differed.The relationship between species abundance/species diversity and urbanization is linear.In contrast,the relationship between functional diversity and urbanization was quadratic.In other words,with increased urbanization,functional diversity declined only slightly at first but then dropped at an accelerating rate.This implies that,although moderate urbanization reduces species diversity of breeding birds,it affects functional diversity of breeding birds only slightly in Hangzhou.The regression analysis of species diversity and functional diversity suggests a quadratic relationship between species diversity and functional diversity,i.e.,a linear relationship between species diversity and functional diversity can only exist at low diversity levels across urbanization gradients and increasing species abundance does not lead to an increase in functional diversity at the highest diversity levels.
基金Supported by National and International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Project"The application of Microbial Agents on Mining Reclamation and Ecological Recovery"(2011DFR31230)Key Project of Shanxi academy of Agricultural Science"The Research and Application of Bio-organic Fertilizer on Mining Reclamation and Soil Remediation"(2013zd12)Major Science and Technology Programs of Shanxi Province"Key Technology Research and Demonstration of mining waste land ecosystem Restoration and Reconstruction"(20121101009)~~
文摘As one of the main methods of microbial community functional diversity measurement, biolog method was favored by many researchers for its simple oper- ation, high sensitivity, strong resolution and rich data. But the preprocessing meth- ods reported in the literatures were not the same. In order to screen the best pre- processing method, this paper took three typical treatments to explore the effect of different preprocessing methods on soil microbial community functional diversity. The results showed that, method B＇s overall trend of AWCD values was better than A and C＇s. Method B＇s microbial utilization of six carbon sources was higher, and the result was relatively stable. The Simpson index, Shannon richness index and Car- bon source utilization richness index of the two treatments were B〉C〉A, while the Mclntosh index and Shannon evenness were not very stable, but the difference of variance analysis was not significant, and the method B was always with a smallest variance. Method B＇s principal component analysis was better than A and C＇s. In a word, the method using 250 r/min shaking for 30 minutes and cultivating at 28 ℃ was the best one, because it was simple, convenient, and with good repeatability.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Key Project(2023ZD24)the Erdos City Major Science and Technology Special Project(ZD20232305)+3 种基金the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Science and Technology Plan Project(2025KYPT0012)the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Science and Technology Plan Project(2022ZD007)the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Education Department Project(NMGIRT2409)the Inner Mongolia First-Class Disciplines Scientific Research Special Project(YLXKZX-ND-047).
文摘Conservationists have long debated whether fragmented habitats are best conserved by protecting a single large patch(SL)or several small patches(SS),i.e.,the SLOSS debate.Although this SLOSS debate has provided important insights into biodiversity conservation,research has predominantly focused on only one dimension of diversity(i.e.,taxonomic),failing to consider how phylogenetic and functional diversity might inform conservation strategies.In this study,we determined whether grasslands in the agro-pastoral ecotone of the Tabu River Basin,Inner Mongolia should be conserved by protecting a single large patch or several small patches.For this purpose,we quantified the relationships between three dimensions of biodiversity(taxonomic,phylogenetic,and functional diversity)and grassland patch area.We found species richness and the standardized effect size of phylogenetic diversity increased with patch area,whereas the standardized effect size of functional diversity decreased.Taxonomic measures of diversity indicated that the best strategy for conserving Tabu River Basin grasslands is to protect several small habitat patches;in contrast,phylogenetic and functional measures of diversity indicated that conserving a single large habitat patch was best.Our study emphasizes the necessity of considering multiple dimensions of diversity when designing conservation strategies for fragmented landscapes to achieve comprehensive biodiversity conservation.
基金supported by grants from the Guangxi Science and Technology Major Project(GKAA24206023)the Biological Breeding-National Science and Technology Major Project(2024ZD04077)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32272120)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2024YFF1000800)the Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Precise Breeding of Future Crops Major Project(FCBRCE-202502,FCBRCE-202504).
文摘A growing global population and the increasing prevalence of diet-related health issues such as“hidden hunger”,obesity,hypertension,and diabetes necessitate a fundamental rethinking of crop design and breeding.Synthetic metabolic engineering offers a method to modify and redesign metabolic pathways to increase the nutritional value of crops.We summarize recent advances in the biofortification of key nutrients including provitamin A,vitamin C,vitamin B9,iron,zinc,anthocyanins,flavonoids,and unsaturated fatty acids.We discuss the potential of multi-gene stacking,gene editing,enzyme engineering,and artificial intelligence in synthetic metabolic engineering.We propose future research directions and potential solutions centered on leveraging AI-driven systems biology,precision gene editing,enzyme engineering,agrobacterium-mediated genotype-independent transformation,and modular metabolic engineering strategies to develop next-generation nutritionally enhanced super crops and transform global food systems.
