Evidence that local land use practices influence regional climate, vegetation, and stream flow patterns in adjacent natural areas

We present evidence that land use practices in the plains of Colorado influence regional climate and vegetation in adjacent natural areas in the Rocky Mountains in predictable ways. Mesoscale climate model simulations using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS) projected that modifications to natural vegetation in the plains, primarily due to agriculture and urbanization, could produce lower summer temperatures in the mountains. We corroborate the RAMS simulations with three independent sets of data: (i) climate records from 16 weather stations, which showed significant trends of decreasing July temperatures in recent decades; (ii) the distribution of seedlings of five dominant conifer species in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, which suggested that cooler, wetter conditions occurred over roughly the same time period; and (iii) increased stream flow, normalized for changes in precipitation, during the summer months in four river basins, which also indicates cooler summer temperatures and lower transpiration at landscape scales. Combined, the mesoscale atmospheric/land-surface model, short-term trends in regional temperatures, forest distribution changes, and hydrology data indicate that the effects of land use practices on regional climate may overshadow larger-scale temperature changes commonly associated with observed increases in CO₂ and other greenhouse gases.     

湖南白背飞虱前期迁入种群中小尺度虫源地及降落机制

湖南是白背飞虱(Sogatella furcifera(Horváth))南北往返的必经之路和主害区。明确白背飞虱前期(至5月20日)迁入种群的中小尺度虫源地和降落机制,对实现精细化异地预测至关重要。择出2012年湖南稻区白背飞虱前期迁入种群的上灯峰日,用新一代中尺度数值预报模式WRF(Weather Rsearch and Forecast)做三维轨迹分析,明确虫源地分布,并对其迁飞过程进行多因素的时空动态分析。结果表明:(1)2012年湘西白背飞虱迁入虫源主要来自越南北部、广西西南部,少量来自广西东南部与广东南部。湘东南、湘中迁入虫源主要来自广东南部、广西东南部,少部分来自海南。此外,每年4月下旬与5月上旬我国南部盛行西南气流,湘东南位置偏东,加之南岭山脉的阻挡,该区迁入峰次与迁入量较湘西较少。(2)低空急流为白背飞虱的北迁提供了运载气流,锋面气旋与切变线等天气尺度系统以及强烈上升气流带来的降水、低温屏障与下沉气流是湖南稻区白背飞虱集中迫降的3个直接因素;(3)白背飞虱前期迁入种群在湖南的主要落点基本沿湘西武陵山区至湘南雪峰山区一带以及"湘桂走廊"东端分布,地形是导致湘西降虫发生频率高、迁入量大的主要因素。由于山体阻塞与地面摩擦形成的小型垂直环流、夜间山风的作用及山谷间的峡谷风可导致白背飞虱的集中降落,较大的灯诱峰次主要位于谷地或者是山体的迎风坡。     

冬季南海南部微微型浮游植物分布及其影响因素

于2011年11月28日至2012年1月12日调查了南海南部113°E断面(5—13°N)微微型浮游植物的空间分布,并分析了其分布与环境因子的关系。结果表明,调查海域原绿球藻,聚球藻和微微真核生物所有站位水柱丰度的均值分别为(1.71±0.47)×104、(1.50±0.72)×103和(1.30±0.50)×102个/m L,原绿球藻比聚球藻和微微型真核生物分别高1和2个数量级。原绿球藻主要分布在100m以浅,聚球藻主要分布在75m以浅且在25m丰度最高,而微微型真核生物主要分布在100m以浅,在25—75m内丰度最高,与叶绿素a浓度次表层最大值层相吻合。在9—11°N之间,原绿球藻和聚球藻最大值层上移且其最大值显著低于周围水体最大值;而在11—13°N之间,微微型真核生物出现次表层最大值,丰度明显高于周围水体最大值,这可能分别与调查期间采样区域中尺度冷涡上升流和中尺度暖涡下降流引起的水体运动有关。结果还显示,在深海寡营养站位,原绿球藻、聚球藻和微微型真核生物的碳生物量分别占微微型生物总碳生物量的(59.16±13.74)%、(23.86±10.83)%和(16.97±5.51)%,表明原绿球藻在光合微微型生物中占绝对优势。此外,相关性分析结果表明,聚球藻丰度与水体温度呈显著正相关,与盐度呈显著负相关;微微型真核生物与硝酸盐和磷酸盐浓度呈显著负相关。     

Pollen distribution at elevations above 1000 m inSwitzerland

In Switzerland the concentration of allergenic pollendecreases with increasing elevation of the samplingsite of the Swiss pollen measuring network. The aim ofthis study was, to compare the pollen concentrationsof five different localities in the Swiss Alps and inthe Jura mountains, to get an idea of the differencesin the pollen abundance in altitudes above 1000 m. Theinvestigated localities are: La Chaux-de-Fonds(1040 m), Wiesen (1420 m), Davos (1600 m), Samedan(1705 m) and Gütsch (2287 m). These pollen sumswere compared to the Swiss plateau (Basel 273 m).Basel, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Wiesen show clearlyhigher pollen values than Davos, Samedan andGütsch. Pollen concentrations of Corylus,Alnus glutinosa-type and Fraxinus arereduced with increasing altitude and are only a smallproblem for allergies above 1000 m. Betulapollen are also reduced in the higher localities, butthere still occur many days with high pollenconcentrations. Especially Betula pollen frommedium range transport can play an important role forallergies in higher localities. The total grass pollensum does not decrease up to an altitude of 1500 m. Thegrass pollen concentration depends more on factorslike composition of the local grassland, land use andwind situation.Pollen concentrations at higher elevations isinfluenced by the local vegetation, a reduced pollenproduction, land use, topography, exposition, windvelocity and wind direction. These factors modify thepollen concentration considerably. Due to the complextopography of the Prealps and Alps, it is thereforenot possible to propose a general rule of pollenreduction with increasing altitude.     

Fundamental and functional aspects of mesoscopic architectures with examples in physics,cell biology,and chemistry

How small can a macroscopic object be made without losing its intended function? Obviously, the smallest possible size is determined by the size of an atom, but it is not so obvious how many atoms are required to assemble an object so small, and yet that performs the same function as its macroscopic counterpart. In this review, we are concerned with objects of intermediate nature, lying between the microscopic and the macroscopic world. In physics and chemistry literature, this regime in-between is often called mesoscopic, and is known to bear interesting and counterintuitive features. After a brief introduction to the concept of mesoscopic systems from the perspective of physics, we discuss the functional aspects of mesoscopic architectures in cell biology, and supramolecular chemistry through many examples from the literature. We argue that the biochemistry of the cell is largely regulated by mesoscopic functional architectures; however, the significance of mesoscopic phenomena seems to be quite underappreciated in biological sciences. With this motivation, one of our main purposes here is to emphasize the critical role that mesoscopic structures play in cell biology and biochemistry.     

Investigation of the mesoscale structure and volumetric features of biofilms using optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was successfully applied to visualize the mesoscale structure of three different heterotrophic biofilms. For this purpose, biofilm volumes of 4 × 4 × 1.6 mm³ were scanned with spatial resolutions lower than 20 µm within an acquisition time of 2 min. A heterogeneous structure was detected for biofilms cultivated in laminar as well as transient flow conditions. The structure was found to be more homogeneous for the biofilm grown in turbulent flow. This biofilm structure was characterized by a volumetric porosity of 0.36, whereas the porosity calculated for biofilms grown in laminar and transient conditions was 0.65. These results were directly generated from the distribution of porosity calculated from the OCT images acquired and can be linked to structural properties. Up to now, the mesoscale biofilm structure was only observable with time‐consuming and expensive studies, for example, magnetic resonance microscopy. OCT will most certainly be helpful for improved understanding and prediction of biofilm physics with respect to macroscale processes, for example, mass transfer and detachment as the information about mesoscale is easily accessible using this method. In the context of this study, we show that CLSM images do not necessarily provide an accurate representation of the biofilm structure at the mesoscale. Additionally, the typical characteristic parameters obtained from CLSM image stacks differ largely from those calculated from OCT images. Nevertheless, to determine the local distribution of biofilm constituents, microscopic methods such as confocal laser scanning microscopy are required. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 844–853. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The spatial distribution of birds and carabid beetles in pine plantation forests: the role of landscape composition and structure

Aim To evaluate the joint and independent effects of spatial location, landscape composition and landscape structure on the distribution patterns of bird and carabid beetle assemblages in a mosaic landscape dominated by pine plantation forests. Location A continuous 3000‐ha landscape mosaic with native maritime pine Pinus pinaster plantations of different ages, deciduous woodlands and open habitats, located in the Landes de Gascogne forest of south‐western France. Methods We sampled breeding birds by 20‐min point counts and carabid beetles by pitfall trapping using a systematic grid sampling of 200 points every 400 m over the whole landscape. Explanatory variables were composed of three data sets derived from GIS habitat mapping: (1) spatial variables (polynomial terms of geographical coordinates of samples), (2) landscape composition as the percentage cover of the six main habitats, and (3) landscape structure metrics including indices of fragmentation and spatial heterogeneity. We used canonical correspondence analysis with variance partitioning to evaluate the joint and independent effects of the three sets of variables on the ordination of species assemblages. Moran's I correlograms and Mantel tests were used to assess for spatial structure in species distribution and relationships with separate landscape attributes. Results Landscape composition was the main factor explaining the distribution patterns of birds and carabids at the mesoscale of 400 × 400 m. Independent effects of spatial variables and landscape structure were still significant for bird assemblages once landscape composition was controlled for, but not for carabid assemblages. Spatial distributions of birds and carabids were primarily influenced by the amount of heathlands, young pine plantations, herbaceous firebreaks and deciduous woodlands. Deciduous woodland species had positive responses to edge density, while open habitat species were positively associated with mean patch area. Main conclusions Forest birds were favoured by an increase in deciduous woodland cover and landscape heterogeneity, but there was no evidence for a similar effect on carabid beetles. Fragmentation of open habitats negatively affected both early‐successional birds and carabids, specialist species being restricted to large heathlands and young plantations. Several birds of conservation concern were associated with mosaics of woodlands and grasslands, especially meadows and firebreaks. Conserving biodiversity in mosaic plantation landscapes could be achieved by the maintenance of a significant amount of early‐successional habitats and deciduous woodland patches within a conifer plantation matrix.     

A mesoscale analysis of floristic patterns in the south-west Finnish Archipelago

Aim To identify the ecological gradients based on the flora on a mesoscale in an archipelago. To interpret the results of the ordination and the classification of a grid cell‐based botanical data set, with several environmental and geographical attributes. To compare the mesoscale distribution patterns of vascular plants with patterns previously observed on an island scale, and to develop a floristic zonation of the study area. Location The south‐west Finnish Archipelago. Methods Vascular plant species‐lists from over 1500 localities were assigned to 5 × 5 km grid cells. The grid cell‐based floristic data were subjected to both unconstrained [detrended correspondence analysis (DCA)] and constrained [detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA)] gradient analyses. The results of DCA were interpreted with calculated weighted averages of Ellenberg's indicator values for vascular plants, the number of occurring taxa and indices for the strength of human influence and the occurrence of limestone. The results of DCCA were interpreted with geographical attributes of the grid cells and the occurrence of limestone. The grid cells were clustered using two‐way indicator species analysis (twinspan ). Results Both the unconstrained and the constrained ordinations gave consistent and interpretable results. The main ecological gradient runs from the grid cells containing species‐rich islands with high human impact to grid cells containing species‐poor islands with low human impact. This gradient also represents the continuum from areas with large islands near the mainland, to the outermost areas at the edge of the open sea. The secondary gradient was shown to be a gradient of soil reaction. twinspan gave a clustering primarily based on the location of the grid cells on an inner–outer archipelago gradient, but the occurrence of limestone also influenced the classification. The archipelago was divided into five non‐homogeneous areas based on the twinspan clusters. The detected gradients correspond well with the gradients detected in a similar island‐level analysis. Main conclusions The two major ecological gradients in the study area seem to be robust, which is indicated by the similar results obtained both on an island and on a mesoscale. A shift from local and regional processes to broader geographical gradients probably starts to occur at the applied scale. The distribution patterns are strongly affected by the inner–outer archipelago gradient and the occurrence of limestone.