Spatial analysis of anthropogenic disturbance regimes and roadside shrubs in a fragmented agricultural landscape

Abstract. In fragmented woodlands in agricultural regions of Australia, roadside environments (road verges) provide important refuges for threatened native fauna and isolated populations of plant species. However, as roads are transport corridors for humans and their vehicles, species survival is affected through destruction, fragmentation and modification of remaining habitat by human activity. Few studies have recognised the effects of anthropogenic disturbances, in the form of historical roadworks activities, on adjacent roadside plant populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soil disturbance from roadworks on the spatial patterns and structural dynamics of roadside Acacia populations in an agricultural area in southeastern Australia. Stem size and disturbance data were collected from 135 roadside populations of three species of Acacia shrubs in the Lockhart Shire area. Spatial pattern analysis using the Network K‐function and Discriminant Function analyses showed that road verge width, road category, disturbance intensity and distance to nearest town were highly significant variables in relation to disturbance from roadworks and shrub structural dynamics. Colonising populations were more abundant along gravel roads where soil disturbance intensity was high, whereas stable populations were more abundant where soil disturbance intensity was low. Senescent populations were more abundant in narrow, little used road verge corridors 4–6 km from nearby towns. These results suggest that anthropogenic disturbance regimes may be critical to shrub recruitment and persistence in roadside environments, which has important consequences for conservation of threatened native flora and fauna in agricultural landscapes.     

药物经皮转运通道的网络热力学模型

阐述药物在经皮转运过程中皮肤通道导纳特性,为经皮给药技术提供理论和方法。用药物经皮转运通道的网络热力学模型建立药物浓度与渗透通量的定量关系,提出皮肤通道导纳由激活因子和失活因子控制的理论。以替硝唑为模式药物,进行被动扩散(对照组)和电脉冲增强扩散(实验组)的离体漏槽实验,结果显示皮肤通道导纳的理论线与实验值拟合较好。理论线计算的激活因子初值m0、激活因子时间常数Tm、失活因子初值‰、失活因子时间常数Th对分析皮肤通道特性有重要价值。     

入睡K-综合波产生的生理机制模型仿真研究

在确定人类睡眠脑电客观分期的国际标准中,有两类脑电特征波可以用来确定入睡状态（睡眠第二期）,即纺锤波和K－综合波。在前文中已提出了产生纺锤波的生理机制模型。按照1998年后对K－综合波形成的生理机制的看法,建立了微观神经元环路模型,其放电节律与实验中入睡时神经元放电的振荡节律相一致。而由大量这种相同环路组成的网络模型则在皮层处可产生符合K－综合波的波形。这一结果再次启示了脑信息处理中如何由微观神经元群放电特征整合为脑的宏观功能状态的过程。     

泛函连接网络计算软件及其在生物多样性研究中的应用

针对农田生物多样性分析的需要,研制出泛函连接网络（FLANN）计算软件。该软件由7个Java类和1个HTML文件组成,是一种Internet在线计算工具,可运行于多种操作系统和Web浏览器上,并在各种类型的PC及工作站上使用,可读取多种类型的数据库文件。对水稻田昆虫生物多样性的两组取样调查数据Zmar18和Zapr15,用生物多样性工具软件LUMP和非监督分类－离差平方和聚类法进行统计归纳及分类,分别划分为21个和20个功能群,各包含60个样本。以FLANN计算软件对昆虫生物多样性进行了模式分类分析。结果表明,泛函连接网络的模式分类及预测与实际测查结果吻合良好。泛函连接网络Internet在线计算软件的应用可促进生物多样性数据采集和分析的规范化,有利于数据和信息共享,也为形成高度的生物多样性智能分析系统提供了一种工具。     

Relazione Intorno Al Bilnncio Consuotivo delta Società Botmicn Itnlinna per l'nnno 1929

A study of the bryophyte flora of the gypsum outcrops in six sites of the Nature 2000 Network of the Emilia-Romagna Region was conducted in order to contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity of these sites. Subsequently, the main ecological and chorological aspects of the areas were analyzed, and with this information a series of target species was identified as indicators of the conditions of naturality or of progressive anthropization and deterioration of the areas.     

pH Biosensing by PI4P Regulates Cargo Sorting at the TGN

1. Download : Download high-res image (187KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Evidence for increases in vegetation species richness across UK Environmental Change Network sites linked to changes in air pollution and weather patterns

We analysed trends in vegetation monitored at regular intervals over the past two decades (1993–2012) at the twelve terrestrial Environmental Change Network (ECN) sites. We sought to determine the extent to which flora had changed and link any such changes to potential environmental drivers. We observed significant increases in species richness, both at a whole network level, and when data were analysed within Broad Habitat groupings representing the open uplands, open lowlands and woodlands. We also found comparable increases in an indicator of vegetation response to soil pH, Ellenberg R. Species characteristic of less acid soils tended to show more consistent increases in frequency across sites relative to species with a known tolerance for strongly acidic soils. These changes are, therefore, broadly consistent with a response to increases in soil solution pH observed for the majority of ECN sites that, in turn, are likely to be driven by large reductions in acid deposition in recent decades. Increases in species richness in certain habitat groupings could also be linked to increased soil moisture availability in drier lowland sites that are likely to have been influenced by a trend towards wetter summers in recent years, and possibly also to a reduction in soil nitrogen availability in some upland locations. Changes in site management are also likely to have influenced trends at certain sites, particularly with respect to agricultural practices. Our results are therefore indicative of widescale responses to major regional-scale changes in air pollution and recent weather patterns, modified by local management effects. The relative consistency of management of ECN sites over time is atypical of much of the wider countryside and it is therefore not appropriate to scale up these observations to infer national scale trends. Nevertheless the results provide an important insight into processes that may be operating nationally. It will now be necessary to test for the ubiquity of these changes using appropriate broader spatial scale survey data.     

Geographic Information System (GIS) modeling approach to determine the fastest delivery routes

This study involves the adoption of the Geographic Information System (GIS) modeling approach to determine the quickest routes for fresh vegetable delivery. During transport, fresh vegetables mainly deteriorate on account of temperature and delivery time. Nonetheless, little attention has been directed to transportation issues in most areas within Kuala Lumpur. In addition, perishable food normally has a short shelf life, thus timely delivery significantly affects delivery costs. Therefore, selecting efficient routes would consequently reduce the total transportation costs. The regression model is applied in this study to determine the parameters that affect route selection with respect to the fastest delivery of fresh vegetables. For the purpose of this research, ArcGIS software with network analyst extension is adopted to solve the problem of complex networks. The final output of this research is a map of quickest routes with the best delivery times based on all variables. The variables tested from regression analysis are the most effective parameters to make the flow of road networks slower. The objective is to improve the delivery services by achieving the least drive time. The main findings of this research are that Land use such as residential area and population as variables are the effective parameters on drive time.     

Identify sectors’ role on the embedded CO2 transfer networks through China’s regional trade

This study developed a framework for combining multi-regional input-output analysis and network indicators to assess the interregional CO₂ flows in China. The interregional CO₂ flows of eight regions were calculated and visualized based on a multiregional input-output (MRIO) model for China. The focus of the research was intermediate use. The results of the network indicators showed that refined petroleum, coke, nuclear fuel and chemical products (07), and basic metals and fabricated metal sectors (09) played key roles in the complex networks. and these sectors in most regions controlled a large share of CO₂ transfer by functioning as key hubs and authorities. They along with commerce, transport, storage, and post (16) acted as agents that brokered the CO₂ flows within and between regions. The roles of some other industrial sectors were also identified, e.g., construction (15) functioned as the largest authority. The results demonstrated the importance and effectiveness of network indicators for identifying the characteristics of CO₂ emissions embedded in the domestic supply chain, and provided new information relevant to policy implementation.     

Network environ analysis for socio-economic water system

Embodied water in a socio-economic system refers to the hidden water contained in products traded from one region or one sector to another and has been the center of concern for water management in recent years. However, most models developed for water system analysis ignore cycling and indirect flows, making it difficult to explain the effects of structure on these factors among sectors. Therefore, those models fail to examine the water utilization efficiency from an integral view. In this study, we investigate an embodied socio-economic water system using network analysis developed originally for ecological systems. In this manner, we identify structural and throughflow indicators, such as Finn Cycling Index, Indirect effects ratio, and aggradation, to show the efficiency of water utilization. The three indicators show different perspectives of the system's efficiency change over time, indicating that only the combination of these three indicators can provide a holistic portray about efficiency. Results showed that the structure influenced the cycling and indirect flows, and from a throughflow perspective, the system depends on large boundary inputs of fresh water. Furthermore, the values of Cycling Index and Indirect effect ratio are much lower than for natural food webs, implying that the policies that led to the structural change and reduction of boundary fresh water inputs do not lead to positive water utilization seen in natural systems. This study provides a novel perspective and methodology for assessing the structure and efficiency of water utilization system with a whole perspective.