黄土丘陵沟壑区不同植被区土壤生态化学计量特征

以黄土丘陵沟壑区3个植被区(森林区、森林草原区、草原区)不同坡向土壤作为研究对象,对土壤有机C、全N、全P、全K含量及其化学计量特征进行了研究.结果表明,不同植被区、坡向和土层土壤养分含量及其化学计量特征均有明显不同.土壤有机C、全N变异性较大,全P、全K变异性较小.表层土壤养分含量显著高于底层土壤;同一土层之间有机C、全N含量变异性较大,全P、全K含量变异性较小.不同坡向之间养分含量不同,阴坡最大,阳坡最小.土壤养分含量受植被类型及植被盖度的影响,森林区＞草原区＞森林草原区.土壤C/N、C/P、C/K、N/P、N/K比都较稳定,C/N比的变化范围为5.65-12.57,平均值为9.44; C/P比的变化范围为3.62-17.32,平均值为8.15;C/K比的变化范围为0.10-0.55,平均值为0.26;N/P比的变化范围为0.43-1.38,平均值为0.86; N/K比的变化范围为0.01-0.05,平均值为0.03;P/K比值较稳定,为0.03.土壤有机C和全N极显著正相关,全N和全P极显著正相关.     

贵州白鹇湖沉积物中孢粉记录的5.5kaB.P.以来的气候变化

通过对白鹇湖沉积物柱芯孢粉组合的剖面变化分析,在有机质14C定年基础上,探讨了白鹇湖地区过去5.5 ka calB.P.以来的植被演替和气候变化过程.研究结果表明,5500-4500 aB.P.期间,各类植被比较丰富,气候温暖湿润;4500-2750 aB.P.期间,干旱草本和蕨类植物开始出现,是气候转变过渡期;2750-1500 aB.P.期间,木本植物组合类型发生明显变化,喜湿草本减少,耐旱草本增加,气候向温凉干旱化发展;1500 aB.P.至今,木本植被和喜湿草本继续减少,中生耐旱草本和蕨类植物数量继续大幅增加,干旱化趋势明显,植被组合向典型石漠化植被组合类型发展.白鹇湖沉积物剖面孢粉组合变化表明,该地区近5000a来气候变化以温度下降、降水减少为主要趋势,并存在明显的陆地植被退化现象.研究还揭示了自然气候变化事件(如气候持续干旱)可导致喀斯特地区发生石漠化,证实了喀斯特地区生态环境具先天脆弱性.科学评估白鹇湖地区气候干旱化趋势及其生态环境影响对指导该地区科学应对气候变化具重要意义,亟待加强.     

黄河三角洲典型植被与地下水埋深和土壤盐分的关系

土壤盐分和地下水埋深是影响黄河三角洲植被发育和分布的重要因素.本文通过野外调查与统计分析,研究了黄河三角洲区域典型植被(翅碱蓬 柽柳、刺槐、芦苇和棉花)、地下水埋深、土壤盐分之间的关系.结果表明: 研究区地下水埋深显著影响土壤盐分,平均影响系数为0.327,地下水埋深在0.5～1.5 m的土壤盐渍化最严重;整个研究区内植被发育较差,其中,研究区78%面积的归一化植被指数(NDVI)<0.4,地下水埋深、土壤盐分对天然植被分布有显著影响;土壤盐分对研究区翅碱蓬-柽柳、刺槐、芦苇及棉花NDVI的影响显著,地下水埋深对翅碱蓬-柽柳NDVI的影响显著,对芦苇、棉花、刺槐NDVI的影响不显著.     

Pollen Phenology of the Most Important Trees in Finland

The pollen frequency of Alnus correlated negatively at the 10% level with the daily mean temperature and at the 5% level with the temperatures of the previous day, and of the same week in 1975; and with the same levels of chance with humidity in 1974. The pollen frequency of Betula correlated positively with the mean temperature both of the same and previous day. Because of the rainy year 1974, birch pollen amount correlated very significantly negatively with humidity. The correlations showed the same tendencies in the other two years. The Pinus pollen frequency correlated positively with the mean daily temperature either at the 0.1% or 1% level, and in the same way with the mean temperature of the previous day. The correlation ofPinus to humidity was negative. Pine pollen showed fairly significant negative correlation with the snow cover thickness in 1974 and 1976. In 1975, there was less snow in S. Finland than normally, and Pinus had no significant correlations to this factor.     

High‐resolution prediction of leaf onset date in Japan in the 21st century under the IPCC A1B scenario

Reports indicate that leaf onset (leaf flush) of deciduous trees in cool‐temperate ecosystems is occurring earlier in the spring in response to global warming. In this study, we created two types of phenology models, one driven only by warmth (spring warming [SW] model) and another driven by both warmth and winter chilling (parallel chill [PC] model), to predict such phenomena in the Japanese Islands at high spatial resolution (500 m). We calibrated these models using leaf onset dates derived from satellite data (Terra/MODIS) and in situ temperature data derived from a dense network of ground stations Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System. We ran the model using future climate predictions created by the Japanese Meteorological Agency's MRI‐AGCM3.1S model. In comparison to the first decade of the 2000s, our results predict that the date of leaf onset in the 2030s will advance by an average of 12 days under the SW model and 7 days under the PC model throughout the study area. The date of onset in the 2090s will advance by 26 days under the SW model and by 15 days under the PC model. The greatest impact will occur on Hokkaido (the northernmost island) and in the central mountains.     

Contributions to the Flora of Spitsbergen,especially of Red bay,from the Collections of W. S. Bruce,F.R.S.G.S., Naturalist to the Prince of Monaco's Expeditions of 1898 and 1899

Background: Prescribed burning in peatlands is controversial due to concerns over damage to their ecological functioning, particularly regarding their key genus Sphagnum. However, empirical evidence is scarce.

Aims: The aim of the article is to quantify Sphagnum recovery following prescribed burns.

Methods: We completed nine fires at a raised bog in Scotland, achieving a range of fire severities by simulating drought in some plots. We measured Sphagnum cover and chlorophyll fluorescence F_v/F_m ratio (an estimate of photosynthetic capacity) up to 36 months post-fire.

Results: Cover of dominant Sphagnum capillifolium was similar in unburnt and burnt plots, likely due to its high moisture content which prevented combustion. Burning decreased S. capillifolium F_v/F_m 5 months after fire from 0.67 in unburnt plots to 0.44 in low fire severity plots and 0.24 in higher fire severity (drought) plots. After 22 months, F_v/F_m in burnt plots showed a healthy photosynthetic capacity of 0.76 and no differences between severity treatments. Other Sphagnum species showed similar post-fire recovery though their low overall abundance precluded formal statistical analysis.

Conclusions: S. capillifolium is resilient to low–moderate fire severities and the same may be true for a number of other species. This suggests that carefully applied managed burning can be compatible with the conservation of peatland ecosystem function.     

Monitoring vegetation change caused by trampling: a study in the Cairngorms,Scotland

Summary

A study was made in the Cairngorms, Scotland to make recommendations for a monitoring scheme capable of detecting changes in the vegetation caused by recreational pressure following the development of a funicular railway. Four methods were used in field trials to assess percentage cover of plant species and gravel, rock and bare ground, where appropriate, in two vegetation types (open and closed). The methods used were visual estimates in 50 × 40 cm quadrats (Q), the mean of visual estimates in twenty 10 × 10 cm sub-quadrats of the 50 × 40 cm quadrats (Q₂₀), a modified point intercept method (RL) and photography. Variances between observers and between-quadrats were estimated for the different methods. The sampling design for detecting change was based on a model of variance, constructed from field trial data.

Between-observer and between-quadrat variances were related to mean percentage cover and approximated to a binomial distribution. The between-quadrat variance was larger than observer variance. The Q₂₀ method achieved appreciably better precision than the other methods. Analysis of half of the 10 × 10 cmsub-quadrats (1/2Q₂₀) selected in a checker board design achieved a relative efficiency of 78% compared with the Q₂₀. This result suggests that comparable precision to the Q₂₀ method could be achieved by choosing about 14 sub-quadrats in a larger quadrat, thus saving some time. Variation between quadrats also suggested that the Q₂₀ method was the one of choice for maximising precision. The precision of the photographic method was based on fewer data points, so is less accurate than other estimates.

Minimum sample sizes were estimated for detecting a 10% relative change of a species in open vegetation with 30% cover (i.e. a change from 30% to <27 or to >33% cover). With a 10 % Type II error rate and 5 % Type I error rate the minimum sample sizes were 47 quadrats for Q, 18 for Q ₂₀, 43 for RL, and 23 for the means of ten 10 × 10 cm sub-quadrats in open vegetation.

The most time-efficient field recording appeared to be the use of Q despite the required sample size being 2.6 times higher than that of Q₂₀. The far lower time requirement per quadrat, however, compensated for the higher numbers. The number of quadrats would depend on the specified change in percentage cover and on the statistical significance level used. For example, to detect a 10% absolute change in cover (i.e. from 30% to either <20 % or >40 % cover) at 95 % probability the net effective recording time is estimated at 5 h per vegetation type while to detect a 5 % change at 99 % probability would require c. 25 h. Larger samples may be required for other species or for species with a low initial cover.     

A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF A SILTATION SYSTEM IN SHALLOW LAKES WITH LITTORAL VEGETATION

SUMMARY

In shallow lakes a siltation system develops when wind driven water turbulence erodes the lake floor, silt is resuspended and transported by means of waterdrift into the littoral vegetation. Here, due to the resistance of the vegetation, the turbulence is reduced and the silt deposited. Through this mechanism, the prevailing winds have a major rôle in the erosion and siltation pattern, lake morphology, vegetation pattern and in the mixing of water and nutrients from the open water and the reedswamp and vice versa. The model explains the uneven distribution of vegetation at the lakes Neusiedlersee (Austria) and Chilwa (Malawi) satisfactorily, if one assumes a positive correlation between siltation and reedswamp growth and spread.     

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ALIEN INVASIVE VEGETATION ON THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF RIVER CHANNELS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Summary

Invasion of the riparian zone by alien vegetation is recognised as a serious problem in many areas of South Africa. Vegetation is a dynamic component of river channels. It is an important control variable affecting channel form whereas the flow and sediment regime influences vegetation growth. Wherever alien vegetation invades the riparian zone it can be expected that there will be some impact on the physical structure of the riparian habitat. This paper reviews the effect of riparian vegetation on channel processes and channel form and discusses the implications of the invasion of riparian zones by alien vegetation. Woody species in particular are seen as having a significant potential for inducing channel modification, whilst their removal could lead to significant channel instability and mobilisation of sediment. The need for further research into the impact of alien vegetation on the geomorphology of South African river channels is stressed.