受到強烈干擾的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中往往生物多樣性較低，干擾能成為環(huán)境因子“過濾器”使得系統(tǒng)中擁有特定適應性狀的物種得以存在?；谙到y(tǒng)發(fā)生學進化過程中親緣關系越近,、物種對外界干擾反應越相似的假設，近日,，中科院西雙版納熱帶植物園生態(tài)進化組博士后Matthew Helmus博士等的研究表明,，受干擾生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中的生物群落更易富集近緣種。相關研究成果在生態(tài)學領域頂級刊物ECOLOGY LETTERS上在線發(fā)表,。
Matthew Helmus博士等通過對受生物干擾（如物種入侵）,、化學干擾（如酸化）、物理干擾（如控制水位線）三種干擾類型的18個湖泊和16個對照湖泊中浮游動物的群落變化情況,，發(fā)現(xiàn)無論哪種類型的干擾均會促使湖泊里浮游動物群落中近緣種普遍增加,，物種的變化與群落內(nèi)物種豐富度、均勻度及群體的數(shù)量無關,；研究還發(fā)現(xiàn)在酸性脅迫下湖泊中浮游動物群落變化最激烈,；物種對特定干擾的敏感性具有系統(tǒng)發(fā)育學上的遺傳性，與個體的大小無關,，而且這種敏感性可以通過近緣種的行為進行預測,。因此，物種系統(tǒng)發(fā)育學的研究不失為一種用于研究和測量種群和群落對生態(tài)系統(tǒng)受到干擾的響應機制的有效手段,。
Matthew Helmus 博士畢業(yè)于美國威斯康星大學,，自2009年3月起在版納植物園生態(tài)進化組做博士后研究，主要從事生態(tài)學,、進化學及統(tǒng)計學的交叉研究,，著重于進化過程中親緣關系相近的近緣種是否具有相似的生態(tài)變量的研究。同時結(jié)合新一代測序技術(shù)試圖從基因組水平探知物種的進化關系,，從而推測物種的入侵與滅絕,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Ecology Letters 8 Dec 2009 DOI:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01411.x
Communities contain closely related species during ecosystem disturbance
Matthew R. Helmus 1,2*, Wendel (Bill) Keller 3 , Michael J. Paterson 4 , Norman D. Yan 5 , Charles H. Cannon 1 and James A. Rusak 6,?
1 Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
2 Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
3 Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, P3E 2C6 Canada
4 Fisheries and Oceans R3T 2N6 Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
5 Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
6 Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Boulder Junction, WI 54512, USA
Predicting community and species responses to disturbance is complicated by incomplete knowledge about species traits. A phylogenetic framework should partially solve this problem, as trait similarity is generally correlated with species relatedness, closely related species should have similar sensitivities to disturbance. Disturbance should thus result in community assemblages of closely related species. We tested this hypothesis with 18 disturbed and 16 reference whole-lake, long-term zooplankton data sets. Regardless of disturbance type, communities generally contained more closely related species when disturbed. This effect was independent of species richness, evenness, and abundance. Communities already under stress (i.e., those in acidic lakes) changed most when disturbed. Species sensitivities to specific disturbances were phylogenetically conserved, were independent of body size, and could be predicted by the sensitivities of close relatives within the same community. Phylogenetic relatedness can effectively act as a proxy for missing trait information when predicting community and species responses to disturbance.
