Biology subjects

YANG, H.

Publications and source records attributed to YANG, H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Disordered climate threatens short-distance migrants

Global climate change has led to a warmer world, changing the migratory and breeding behaviors of many species, and short-distance migrants may benefit from climate change. With climate change leading to an increasingly disordered climate, we show here that a disordered spring climate disturbs the migration and breeding of a short-distance anadromous fish. In 2020, on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, an abnormally low temperature in April delayed the migration rhythm of Gymnocypris przewalskii by nearly 10 days, while the gonadal development rhythm of the breeding population was almost normal. The phenology mismatch decreased the migrating populations by 30-70%, reducing the larval flux by nearly 80%. This case reveals that for short-distance migrants, different phenologies within the same species respond to disordered climates differently, which leads to phenology mismatches and then threatens the species. Along with increasing local extreme weather and climate events, short-distance migrants need more attention and conservation actions.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Ecological network analysis of watershed meta-ecosystems: A new perspective on quantifying the integrated watershed ecosystem

A watershed is an integrated ecosystem. In different disciplines, a watershed has been described as a geomorphic unit, a hydrological unit, an ecological unit, or a socio-economic unit and has been quantitatively described using different indicator systems. Until now, no general indicator system has existed that could quantitatively describe the geomorphic features, hydrologic features, ecological features and socio-economic features of an integrated watershed ecosystem (IWE) simultaneously. Here, we proposed a quantitative descriptive framework for an IWE (QDFIWE). This QDFIWE involved three steps: (1) constructing a watershed meta-ecosystem (WME) based on the hierarchical system of the watershed; (2) constructing flow networks based on the WME; and (3) identifying the holistic properties (such as spatial throughput, spatial organization and spatial resilience) of the WME through analyzing its flow networks based on ecological network analysis (ENA). Then, we applied this method to study the geomorphic topological structure, geomorphic spatial structure, natural water resource system and integrated water resource system of the Yangtze River basin. The results suggested that based on the QDFIWE, (1) one could construct different WMEs and corresponding flow networks for different requirements; (2) one could obtain time series of the holistic properties of an IWE to analyze its evolution; (3) one could compare, classify and cluster any number of IWEs through identifying their holistic properties according to similar strategies; and (4) one could determine or create more indicators, which could provide additional information, based on the holistic properties of an IWE. This study demonstrates that the QDFIWE is a general method of quantifying the holistic properties of all subsystems of an IWE simultaneously. Thus, the method can improve the understanding of the IWE.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Simultaneously monitoring aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity using riverine water eDNA: seasonal variation of monitoring effectiveness

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding for biodiversity monitoring is a critical technical advance. Both aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity information can be detected in riverine water eDNA. However, it remains unverified whether riverine water eDNA can be used to simultaneously monitor aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Our specific objective was to assess the effectiveness of monitoring aquatic and riparian biodiversity using riverine water eDNA. We proposed that the monitoring effectiveness (the proportion of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity information detected by riverine water eDNA samples) could be approximated by the transportation effectiveness of land-to-river and upstream-to-downstream biodiversity information flow. We conducted a case study in a watershed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and estimated the effectiveness of using riverine water eDNA to monitor aquatic and riparian biodiversity based on comparing the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and species assemblages of three taxonomic communities detected in riverine water eDNA samples and riparian soil eDNA samples in spring, summer, and autumn. The aquatic and riparian biodiversity of a watershed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau could be simultaneously effectively monitored using riverine water eDNA on summer or autumn rainy days. Monitoring bacterial communities was more efficient than monitoring eukaryotic communities. On summer rainy days, 43%-76% of riparian species could be detected in water eDNA samples, 92%-99% of upstream species could be detected in a 1-km downstream eDNA sample, and more than 50% of dead bioinformation (i.e., the bioinformation labeling the biological material without life activity and fertility) could be monitored 4-6 km downstream for eukaryotes and 13-19 km for bacteria. We encourage more studies on the monitoring effectiveness for each taxonomic community in other watersheds with different environmental conditions. We believe that in future ecological research, conservation and management, we could efficiently monitor and assess the aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity by simply using riverine water eDNA samples.

ecology↗