Pantropical dynamics of 'intact' rain forest canopy texture

Aside from deforestation and selective logging, mature tropical rain forests appear to be in a state of near‐term flux. At plot scales over a 20‐year period, forest inventory data (representing areas < 750 ha) have shown stands to be accumulating above‐ground biomass pantropically while displaying signs of increasing turnover. To assess whether or not such disequilibrium is manifest at broader spatial scales (i.e. coarser grain sizes and larger extents), we performed a change detection analysis of landscape texture (i.e. the organization of reflective properties), in satellite images of closed‐canopy tropical rain forests considered to be anthropically undisturbed. Here we show that fractal properties of pixel spectral values depicting low and high levels of photosynthetic activity underwent significant shifts from the 1970s to the 1980s. Following expectations for aggrading forests, canopy texture became more random throughout the tropics. Although subject to periodic disturbance events such as natural exogenic perturbations and/or synchronous die‐off, which should produce no consistent trend, these forested landscapes across the globe exhibited similar dynamics at fine temporal (decadal) intervals. Such biophysical changes (representing areas > 1000 000 ha) directly affect atmospheric boundary layer conditions and could have implications with respect to biodiversity and carbon cycling in these systems.     

王港潮滩重金属Pb、Zn和Cu的积累特征

对15a来王港潮滩重金属积累规律和污染状况进行了研究,第1次测到了王港地区210Pb的本底值为1.16dpm/g,校正了前人对王港地区沉积速率的研究。尝试性地把分形理论引入到环境压力的定量研究中。研究表明,王港潮滩现代平均沉积速率为4.13cm/a;从重金属相关性分析得出:王港潮滩Fe、Zn与Li相关系数非常显著,归一化后,Cu、Zn的归一化值在15a内相对稳定,其中Cu的波动范围在0.4～2之间,Zn在1.5～2.6之间狭小的范围内波动。分形回归分析结果表明,王港潮滩重金属Cu、Zn归一化值的信息维数高,系统的结构松散,自组织程度低。Cu的分维值范围在5～6.5,平均值为5.8085,Zn的分维值范围在在3～6.5,平均值为4.68。王港潮滩重金属的人为污染较轻,主要受地球化学元素的控制;同时,Pb的归一化值的分维值较低,其分维值范围在2～5.5,平均值为3.608,自组织程度较高,说明存在一定程度的Pb污染。     

不同土地利用类型下土壤粒径分形分析——以黄土丘陵沟壑区为例

土壤粒径分布影响土壤的水力特性、土壤肥力状况以及土壤侵蚀等,是重要土壤物理特性之一。在水蚀严重的黄土丘陵沟壑区,不同的土地利用类型对水土流失的阻截作用不同,因而进一步导致其土壤粒径分布的差异。对不同土地利用类型下土壤粒径分布的分形和多重分形分析发现：黄绵土土壤粒径分布包含有3个无标度区间,分别为粘粒域、粉粒域和砂粒域;土壤粒径分布的分形维数D、粉粒域维数Dsilt、砂粒域维数Dsand、信息维数D1、信息维数/容量维数D1/D0与土壤细颗粒含量和有机质含量成显著的正相关关系;土地利用对分形维数D、粉粒域维数Dsilt、砂粒域维数Dsand、容量维数D0、信息维数D1、信息维数/容量维数比值D1/D0的影响较显著。这表明这些分形和多重分形参数可以作为反映土壤物理性质和土壤质量的潜在性指标,其实用性有待进一步探讨。     

建筑三维空间形态对地气能量动态、空气温度和相对湿度的影响

建筑对城市能量分配和微气候起着重要作用,探讨建筑三维空间形态与地气能量/微气候关系对气候适应性城市建设具有重大意义。基于ENVI-met的多情景模拟结果和增强回归树量化了建筑三维分形维数和三维形状指数对地气能量指标(净辐射、土壤热通量、建筑储热、感热通量和潜热通量)、空气温度和空气相对湿度的影响。研究结果表明,建筑三维分形维数、三维形状指数与地气能量动态、空气温度和空气相对湿度存在非线性关系。白天,当三维分形维数高于2.4,或三维形状指数低于2.0时,随着三维分形维数或三维形状指数的增加,三维分形维数和三维形状指数与净辐射、土壤热通量、建筑储热、感热通量、潜热通量和空气温度呈现统计负相关。夜间,当三维分形维数高于2.4,三维分形维数与感热通量和空气温度呈现负相关;与土壤热通量和潜热通量呈现正相关。夜间,当三维形状指数小于2.0时,三维形状指数与空气温度、空气相对湿度呈现负相关。当三维形状指数在2.0—2.5时,三维形状指数与感热通量、潜热通量呈现负相关;当三维形状指数高于2.5时,三维形状指数与感热通量、潜热通量不存在统计关系。白天,建筑三维分形维数的增加,净辐射、土壤热通量、建筑储热...     

How a measure of tree structural complexity relates to architectural benefit‐to‐cost ratio,light availability,and growth of trees

Aboveground tree architecture is neither fully deterministic nor random. It is likely the result of mechanisms that balance static requirements and light‐capturing efficiency. Here, we used terrestrial laser scanning data to investigate the relationship between tree architecture, here addressed using the box‐dimension (D_b), and the architectural benefit‐to‐cost ratio, the light availability, and the growth of trees. We detected a clear relationship between D_b and the benefit‐to‐cost ratio for the tested three temperate forest tree species (Fagus sylvatica L., Fraxinus excelsior L., and Acer pseudoplatanus L.). In addition, we could also show that D_b is positively related to the growth performance of several tropical tree species. Finally, we observed a negative relationship between the strength of competition enforced on red oak (Quercus rubra L.) trees and their D_b. We therefore argue that D_b is a meaningful and integrative measure that describes the structural complexity of the aboveground compartments of a plant as well as its relation to structural efficiency (benefit‐to‐cost ratio), productivity, and growing conditions (competition or availability of light).     

Testing the metabolic theory of ecology

The metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) predicts the effects of body size and temperature on metabolism through considerations of vascular distribution networks and biochemical kinetics. MTE has also been extended to characterise processes from cellular to global levels. MTE has generated both enthusiasm and controversy across a broad range of research areas. However, most efforts that claim to validate or invalidate MTE have focused on testing predictions. We argue that critical evaluation of MTE also requires strong tests of both its theoretical foundations and simplifying assumptions. To this end, we synthesise available information and find that MTE's original derivations require additional assumptions to obtain the full scope of attendant predictions. Moreover, although some of MTE's simplifying assumptions are well supported by data, others are inconsistent with empirical tests and even more remain untested. Further, although many predictions are empirically supported on average, work remains to explain the often large variability in data. We suggest that greater effort be focused on evaluating MTE's underlying theory and simplifying assumptions to help delineate the scope of MTE, generate new theory and shed light on fundamental aspects of biological form and function.     

Teasing apart the contributions of hard dietary items on 3D dental microtextures in primates

3D dental microtexture analysis is a powerful tool for reconstructing the diets of extinct primates. This method is based on the comparison of fossils with extant species of known diet. The diets of primates are highly diversified and include fruits, seeds, grass, tree leaves, bark, roots, tubers, and animal resources. Fruits remain the main component in the diets of most primates. We tested whether the proportion of fruit consumed is correlated with dental microtexture. Two methods of microtexture analysis, the scale-sensitive fractal analysis (SSFA) and the Dental Areal Surface Texture Analysis (DASTA; after ISO/FDIS 25178-2), were applied to specimens of eight primate species (Alouatta seniculus, Gorilla gorilla, Lophocebus albigena, Macaca fascicularis, Pan troglodytes, Papio cynocephalus, Pongo abelii, Theropithecus gelada). These species largely differ in the mean annual proportion of fruit (from 0 to 90%) in their diet, as well as in their consumption of other hard items (seeds, bark, and insect cuticles) and of abrasive plants. We find the complexity and heterogeneity of textures (SSFA) to correlate with the proportion of fruits consumed. Textural fill volume (SSFA) indicates the proportion of both fruits and other hard items processed. Furthermore, anisotropy (SSFA) relates to the consumption of abrasive plants like grass and other monocots. ISO parameters valley height, root mean square height, material volume, density of peaks, and closed hill and dale areas (DASTA) describe the functional interaction between food items and enamel facets during mastication. The shallow, plastic deformation of enamel surfaces induced by small hard particles, such as phytoliths or dust, results in flat microtexture relief, whereas the brittle, deep fracture caused by large hard items such as hard seeds creates larger relief.     

Dental microwear texture analysis: technical considerations

Dental microwear analysis is commonly used to infer aspects of diet in extinct primates. Conventional methods of microwear analysis have usually been limited to two-dimensional imaging studies using a scanning electron microscope and the identification of apparent individual features. These methods have proved time-consuming and prone to subjectivity and observer error. Here we describe a new methodological approach to microwear: dental microwear texture analysis, based on three-dimensional surface measurements taken using white-light confocal microscopy and scale-sensitive fractal analysis. Surface parameters for complexity, scale of maximum complexity, anisotropy, heterogeneity, and textural fill volume offer repeatable, quantitative characterizations of three-dimensional surfaces, free of observer measurement error. Some results are presented to illustrate how these parameters distinguish extant primates with different diets. In this case, microwear surfaces of Cebus apella and Lophocebus albigena, which consume some harder food items, have higher average values for complexity than do folivores or soft fruit eaters.     

干旱地区山地荒漠草原阴坡植物群落空间异质性

在样线调查基础上 ,以 Shannon- Wiener指数 ,群落盖度 ,DCA排序轴为区域化随机变量 ,应用半方差、分形分析等方法 ,对干旱地区山坡植物群落空间异质性进行了研究。结果表明 ,在整个山坡尺度上植被格局的空间异质性不大 ,小尺度上植被格局的空间异质性较大 ,尺度依赖性较强 ,不同群落类型的空间格局不同 ,随尺度变化的规律也不一样。严重放牧干扰强烈影响干旱山地植物群落的空间格局 ,生境中的牧道格局 ,斑块格局使山坡植物群落多样性空间异质性更加复杂 ,牧道效应是导致群落空间格局周期性振荡的重要因子。去势对应分析 (DCA)排序第一轴特征值体现了综合生态因子对群落格局作用的结果 ,DCA第二轴半方差变化包含了大量信息 ,其变化具有周期性。群落多样性空间格局强烈影响着干旱山地生态系统的各种生态学过程 ,这些作用机制有待进一步研究