Hibernation by a free-ranging subtropical bat (Nyctophilus bifax)

Knowledge about torpor in free-ranging subtropical bats is scarce and it is widely believed that low and stable ambient temperatures are necessary for prolonged torpor. We present temperature-telemetry data from free-ranging male (n = 4) and female (n = 4) subtropical vespertilionid bats, Nyctophilus bifax (~10 g), exposed to pronounced daily fluctuations of ambient temperature. All bats used torpor on every day in winter and both males and females exhibited multi-day torpor bouts of up to 5.4 days. Although females were larger than males, patterns of torpor were similar in both sexes. Torpor use was correlated with prevailing weather conditions and, on days when bats remained torpid, maximum ambient temperature was significantly lower than on days when bats aroused. Moreover, the duration of interbout normothermic periods at night increased with increasing average nightly ambient temperature. Skin temperature of torpid bats varied by 10.2 ± 3.6°C day⁻¹ (n = 8, N = 47) and daily minimum skin temperature was positively correlated with the daily minimum ambient temperature. Our study shows that prolonged torpor is an important component of the winter ecology of a subtropical bat and that torpor and activity patterns of N. bifax predominantly reflect prevailing weather conditions.     

冬小麦气孔臭氧通量拟合及通量产量关系的比较分析

基于田间原位开顶箱(Open-Top Chambers,OTCs)实验,研究了不同浓度臭氧(O3)处理下(自然大气处理,AA;箱内大气处理,NF;箱内低浓度O3处理,NF+40 nL/L;箱内中等浓度O3处理,NF+80 nL/L;箱内高浓度O3处理,NF+120 nL/L),冬小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)旗叶气孔运动对不同环境因子的响应,并通过剂量反应分析,比较了冬小麦产量损失与累积气孔O3吸收通量(AFstX)和累积O3暴露浓度(AOT40和SUM06)的相关性差异。结果表明:冬小麦旗叶气孔运动的光饱和点和最适温度分别约为400μmol.m-.2s-1和27℃,水汽压差、土壤含水量和O3剂量的气孔限制临界值分别约为1.4 kPa、-100 kPa和20μL.L-.1h-1,超过此临界值时,气孔导度会明显下降。利用Jarvis气孔导度模型对冬小麦旗叶气孔导度和气孔O3吸收通量进行了预测,结果表明Jarvis模型解释了冬小麦实测气孔导度60%的变异性。由于不同时期植物体气孔导度的差异,冬小麦旗叶生长期内累积气孔O3吸收通量(AFstX)呈非线性增加趋势。O3吸收速率临界值(X)为4 nmol.m-.2s-1时,累积O3吸收通量(AFst4)与冬小麦产量的相关性最高(R2=0.76),该数值介于O3暴露指标AOT40和SUM06的剂量反应决定系数(0.74和0.81)之间。与O3浓度指标(AOT40和SUM06)相比,O3通量指标(AFstX)在本试验冬小麦产量损失评价中未表现出明显优势。     

2009年冬季东海浮游植物群集

2009年12月23日—2010年1月5日在东海海域(24°00’—32°00’N,120°00’—128°00’E)68个站位进行了水文、化学和生物的综合调查,应用Utermhl方法对调查海域的浮游植物群集进行了研究。经284个浮游植物采水样品的分析,共发现浮游植物4门67属171种(含13个未定种)。浮游植物群集主要由硅藻和甲藻组成,还有少量的蓝藻和金藻,物种以沿岸广温型为主,优势种为:具槽帕拉藻(Paralia sulcata)、菱形海线藻(Thalassionema nitzschioides)、柔弱伪菱形藻(Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima)、安哥拉海链藻(Thalassiosira angulata=并基海链藻Thalassiosira decipens)和细弱海链藻(Thalassiosira subtilis)等。调查浮游植物细胞丰度介于0.356×103—142.578×103个/L,平均值为14.137×103个/L;硅藻占浮游植物细胞丰度的比例最大,介于0.356×103—142.578×103个/L,平均值为13.023×103个/L;其次为甲藻,细胞丰度介于0.356×103—11.378×103个/L,平均值为1.177×103个/L。调查海域表层浮游植物细胞丰度的平面分布由硅藻刻画,高值区出现在调查区北部即长江口东北部海域,甲藻在调查区南部和东南部丰度较高。细胞丰度在水体中的垂直分布趋势为先上升后下降,最大值出现在10m层。从断面分布上看,细胞丰度在调查区近岸和远岸较高、中部较低。Pearson相关性分析表明,调查区浮游植物细胞丰度与磷酸盐和硅酸盐浓度呈显著正相关,与温度呈显著负相关,与硝酸盐相关性不明显。     

稻麦轮作系统冬小麦农田耕作措施对氧化亚氮排放的影响

2008—2011年,采用静态箱-气相色谱法对长江下游稻麦轮作系统冬小麦农田N2O排放进行了为期3a的田间原位观测,研究不同耕作措施(免耕、旋耕和翻耕)对冬小麦生长季N2O排放的影响。结果表明:不同耕作措施下冬小麦农田N2O排放高峰出现在施用基肥后的1个月内以及施用孕穗肥后的4月中旬至小麦成熟期,其余时间N2O排放通量均较小。年度和耕作措施对冬小麦农田N2O季节排放总量均有极显著影响(P<0.01),不同处理N2O季节排放总量表现为免耕>翻耕>旋耕,2008—2011年3年平均分别为2.50 kg/hm2、2.05 kg/hm2和1.66 kg/hm2,免耕比翻耕增加N2O排放22.0%(P<0.05),旋耕比翻耕减排19.0%(P<0.05)。冬小麦生长期内施用孕穗肥后1个月内N2O排放通量与农田土壤充水孔隙率(WFPS)及10 cm地温呈显著(P<0.05)或极显著(P<0.01)正相关,2009—2010年施用基肥后1个月内N2O排放通量与WFPS呈显著负相关(P<0.05)。结果说明旋耕是减少长江下游稻麦轮作系统冬小麦农田N2O排放的最佳耕作措施。     

贺兰山牦牛冬春季的生境选择

在2009年12月－2010年1月和2010年4－5月,采用样线法结合直接观察法对贺兰山牦牛的冬春季生境选择进行了研究。结果表明,牦牛冬季对11种生境因子有选择性,偏爱山地针叶林带,海拔小于2 000 m,优势乔木为灰榆,坡度小于10,下坡位,距水源距离大于1 200 m,人为干扰距离2 000－4 000 m,隐蔽级大于70 %;春季牦牛对13种利用生境生态因子有选择性,偏爱于亚高山灌丛和草甸带,海拔大于3 000 m,乔木密度小于1株,乔木高度小于3 m,乔木距离大于3 m,灌木密度大于4 0株,灌木距离小于1 m,植被盖度大于7 0 %,上坡位,距水源的距离小于8 00 m,人为干扰距离大于4 000 m,隐蔽级大于7 0 %。冬春季牦牛在海拔、植被类型、地形特征、优势乔木、灌木种类、坡位、坡向、人为干扰距离、距水源距离上存在显著差异。主成分分析表明冬季第一主成分的贡献率21.100 %,其中绝对值较大的相关系数是乔木距离、优势乔木、乔木高度和乔木密度;春季第一主成分的贡献率是31.247 %,其中绝对值较大的相关系数是植被类型、海拔高度、地形特征和灌木密度。与其他分布地区的牦牛相比,贺兰山地区的牦牛能适应当地的地理特征和气候环境。     

冬季作物种植对双季稻根系酶活性及形态指标的影响

基于湖南长沙7a定位试验,以冬闲为对照,研究了冬种马铃薯、紫云英及油菜为前茬作物对早、晚稻根系酶活性、形态指标及产量的影响.结果表明,与冬闲相比,冬种作物后早、晚稻根系丙二醛(MDA)含量增加,但其根系的活性氧清除能力更强(SOD、POD和CAT活性高),能够在一定程度上缓解膜脂过氧化作用带来的伤害;冬种不同作物对早晚稻根系形态的影响表现不一.冬种马铃薯和紫云英处理在早稻生育后期的根系优势明显,并能在一定程度上促进晚稻根系生长,双季稻总产量较对照分别增加6.29％和7.76％,而冬种油菜抑制了晚稻根系生长,导致晚稻产量及双季稻总产分别降低6.31％和1.96％;相关性分析表明,灌浆期较高的根长、根数、根体积和根表面积是冬种作物改善双季稻产量的主要原因.综合来看,冬种马铃薯和紫云英对于促进双季稻根系生长,提高稻谷产量具有重要作用,而冬种油菜则不利于提高双季稻的稻谷生产力.     

氮肥和6-BA对花后受渍冬小麦抗渍性的调控效应

渍水是黄淮南部麦区和长江中下游麦区冬小麦生育后期的主要气象灾害因子,试验以小麦品种‘烟农19’为材料,采用裂区设计研究氮肥和6-BA对花后受渍冬小麦抗渍性的调控效应。结果显示:(1)花后渍害显著降低冬小麦根系活力、总吸收面积、活跃吸收面积、旗叶叶绿素含量、旗叶净光合速率,极显著降低穗粒数、千粒重和籽粒产量,而对穗数无显著影响。(2)受渍后叶面喷施氮肥+6-BA、氮肥、6-BA均能显著提高冬小麦花后抗渍性,其根系活力分别提高18.7%、14.6%、12.0%,根系总吸收面积分别提高31.9%、22.1%、19.6%,根系活跃吸收面积分别提高32.5%、21.7%、18.1%,叶绿素含量分别提高16.2%、9.4%、10.3%,净光合速率分别提高32.6%、23.3%、23.3%,穗粒数分别提高13.8%、9.3%、8.5%,千粒重分别提高17.3%、11.5%、10.5%,籽粒产量分别提高35.9%、23.5%、20.9%。研究表明,氮肥和6-BA正交互作用显著,即花后同时喷施氮肥和6-BA缓解小麦渍害的效果更佳。     

分期施氮与CO2浓度升高对小麦光合及其物质积累和产量的互作效应

采用开顶式气室和盆栽方法,以冬小麦品种‘小偃22’为材料,探讨了分期施氮与CO2浓度升高对小麦抽穗期和灌浆中期旗叶光合、地上部物质积累和产量的互作效应.结果显示:(1)不施氮条件下CO2浓度升高对小麦旗叶叶绿素含量(SPAD)和可溶性蛋白含量、光合能力、地上部花后干物质和氮素累积量、籽粒产量的影响不明显(P>0.05)或产生显著负效应;在施氮(300mg/kg土)条件下各指标均不同程度增加,且大多数达到显著水平.(2)与氮肥全部基施相比,分期施氮时CO2浓度升高使灌浆期旗叶光合能力、地上部花后干物质和氮素累积以及产量增加的幅度较大,其中以播前、返青期和孕穗期施氮比例为5∶3∶2时最明显.研究表明,适当分期施氮可能更有利于发挥CO2浓度升高对冬小麦的增产作用.     

The response of benthic macroinvertebrate communities to climate change: evidence from subtropical mountain streams in Central China

Ecological effects of climate change on terrestrial and marine ecosystems are increasingly apparent but evidence from freshwater is scarce, particularly in Asia. Using data from two subtropical Central China streams, we predicted the changes of some benthic macroinvertebrate communities under various climatic scenarios. Our results show that the average annual air temperature, in the study watershed, increased significantly (P < 0.05) by 0.6 °C over the last 30 years (1978–2007), whereas the average annual water flow declined by 30.9 m³ s^–1. Based on the winter sampling of benthic macroinvertebrates at four stream locations over last six years, we observed that macroinvertebrate abundance and Margalef diversity dropped with increasing water temperatures or decreasing smoothed sea surface temperatures (SSST). The winter macroinvertebrate abundance and biodiversity declined by 11.1% and 6.8% for every 1 °C water temperature rise. In contrast, increases in future SSST by one unit would increase winter macroinvertebrate abundance and biodiversity by 38.2% and 16.0%, respectively. Although many dominant taxa were predicted to persist when water temperatures increase by 1 °C, several scarce taxa, e.g., Orthocladius clarkei and Hippeutis umbilicalis, could be at a level of potential local extinction. Our identification of these links, between climate change and stream macroinvertebrate communities, has wide implications for the conservation of mountain stream ecosystems in the upper Yangtze River under scenarios of climate change. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Is the change of winter wheat yield under warming caused by shortened reproductive period?

Previous reports from laboratory-controlled experiments and models considered that a shorter reproductive period could be the main reason for wheat yield reduction in the warmer world. However, this conclusion needs to be proved carefully by field-scale experiments. In this study, a field-scale continuous open-warming experiment was conducted to quantify the adjustment of winter wheat growth and yield under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) systems in the North China Plain (NCP). Canopy temperatures were warmed using infrared heaters between 1.0 and 1.6°C (daytime and nighttime, respectively) above the control. Wheat yields under CT were not significantly reduced over the two seasons (2010 and 2011), but yields under NT were 3.3% and 6.1% lower, respectively. The growing seasons for both CT and NT were shortened 6 days in 2010 and 11 days in 2011; however, the reproductive periods were maintained. The shortened days were due to a significantly shorter springtime re-greening stage followed by minimal changes in other phenological stages (jointing, flag completed, heading, anthesis, and grain-filling). The temporal advance by warming resulted in lower growing-season mean air temperatures (MAT) for warmed plots than the control from 0.23 to 4.22°C for the same subsequent phenological stages. Warming increased the number of tillers m⁻² and kernel weight, but tended to decrease the number of spikes m⁻² in the two tillage systems. The heavier kernels offset the yield reduction from smaller number of spikes. Warming increased the wheat aboveground biomass from 10% to 20% suggesting the potential to sequester more CO₂. This study suggests that winter wheat might adjust its growth (shortened vegetative period to maintain reproductive period) to partly compensate for the negative effects from global warming in this temperate irrigated cropland.