The spatial pattern of grassland aboveground biomass on Xizang Plateau and its climatic controls

Aims Grassland is the most widely distributed vegetation type on the Xizang Plateau. Accurate remote sensing estimation of the grassland aboveground biomass (AGB) in this region is influenced by the types of vegetation indexes (VIs) used, the grain size (resolution) of the remote sensing data and the targeted ecosystem features. This study attempts to answer the following questions: (i) Which VI can most accurately reflect the grassland AGB distribution on the Xizang Plateau? (ii) How does the grain size of remote sensing imagery affect AGB reflection? (iii) What is the spatial distribution pattern of the grassland AGB on the plateau and its relationship with the climate?Methods We investigated 90 sample sites and measured site-specific AGBs using the harvest method for three grassland types (alpine meadow, alpine steppe and desert steppe). For each sample site, four VIs, namely, Normalized Difference VI (NDVI), Enhanced VI, Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Modified Soil-Adjusted VI (MSAVI) were extracted from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products with grain sizes of 250 m and 1 km. Linear regression models were employed to identify the best estimator of the AGB for the entire grassland and the three individual grassland types. Paired Wilcoxon tests were applied to assess the grain size effect on the AGB estimation. General linear models were used to quantify the relationships between the spatial distribution of the grassland AGB and climatic factors.Important findings The results showed that the best estimator for the entire grassland AGB on the Xizang Plateau was MSAVI at a 250 m grain size (MSAVI 250 m). For each individual grassland type, the best estimator was MSAVI at a grain size of 250 m for alpine meadow, NDWI at a grain size of 1 km for alpine steppe and NDVI at a grain size of 1 km for desert steppe. The explanation ability of each VI for the grassland AGB did not significantly differ for the two grain sizes. Based on the best fit model (AGB =^-10.80 + 139.13 MSAVI 250 m), the spatial pattern of the grassland AGB on the plateau was characterized. The AGB varied from 1 to 136g m ?2. Approximately 59% of total spatial variation in the AGB for the entire grassland was explained by the combination of the mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature. The explanatory power of MAP was weaker for each individual grassland type than that for the entire grassland. This study illustrated the high efficiency of the VIs derived from MODIS data in the grassland AGB estimation on the Xizang Plateau due to the vegetation homogeneity within a 1×1 km pixel in this region. Furthermore, MAP is a primary driver on the spatial variation of AGB at a regional scale.     

Resorption proficiency and efficiency of leaf nutrients in woody plants in eastern China

Aims (i) To explore variations in nutrient resorption of woody plants and their relationship with nutrient limitation and (ii) to identify the factors that control these variations in forests of eastern China.Methods We measured nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in both green and senesced leaves of 172 woody species at 10 forest sites across eastern China. We compared the nutrient resorption proficiency (NuRP) and efficiency (NuRE) of N and P in plant leaves for different functional groups; we further investigated the latitudinal and altitudinal variations in NuRP and NuRE and the impacts of climate, soil and plant types on leaf nutrient resorptions.Important findings On average, the leaf N resorption proficiency (NRP) and P resorption proficiency (PRP) of woody plants in eastern China were 11.1mg g ? 1 and 0.65 mg g ? 1, respectively; and the corresponding N resorption efficiency (NRE) and P resorption efficiency (PRE) were 49.1% and 51.0%, respectively. Angiosperms have higher NRP (are less proficient) values and lower NRE and PRE values than gymnosperms, but there are no significant differences in NRP, PRP and PRE values between species with different leaf habits (evergreen vs. deciduous angiosperms). Trees have higher NRE and PRE than shrubs. Significant geographical patterns of plant nutrient resorption exist in forests of eastern China. In general, NRP and PRE decrease and PRP and NRE increase with increasing latitude/altitude for all woody species and for the different plant groups. Plant functional groups show more controls than environmental factors (climate and soil) on the N resorption traits (NRP and NRE), while site-related variables present more controls than plant types on PRP and PRE. NRP increases and PRP and NRE decrease significantly with increasing temperature and precipitation for the overall plants and for most groups, except that significant PRE–climate relationship holds for only evergreen angiosperms. Leaf nutrient resorption did not show consistent responses in relation to soil total N and P stoichiometry, probably because the resorption process is regulated by the relative costs of drawing nutrients from soil versus from senescing leaves. These results support our hypothesis that plants growing in P-limited habitats (low latitudes/altitudes or areas with high precipitation/temperature) should have lower PRP and higher PRE, compared with their counterparts in relatively N-limited places (high latitudes/altitudes or areas with low precipitation/temperature). Our findings can improve the understanding of variations in N and P resorption and their responses to global change, and thus facilitate to incorporate these nutrient resorption processes into future biogeochemical models.     

CO2浓度升高和降水增加协同作用对玉米产量及生长发育的影响

关于[CO₂]升高和降水变化等多因子共同作用对植物的影响报道较少, 制约着人们对植物对全球气候变化响应的认识和预测。玉米(Zea mays)作为重要的C₄植物, 受[CO₂]和降水影响显著, 但鲜有[CO₂]升高和降水增加协同作用对其产量及生长发育影响的报道。该研究利用开顶式生长箱模拟[CO₂]升高(390 (环境)、450和550 μmol·mol^-1), 降水增加量设置为增加自然降水量的15% (以试验地锦州1981-2010年6至8月月平均降水量为基准), 从而形成6个处理: C₅₅₀W_+15%、C₅₅₀W₀、C₄₅₀W_+15%、C₄₅₀W₀、C₃₉₀W_+15%和C₃₉₀W₀。试验材料选用玉米品种‘丹玉39’。结果表明: [CO₂]升高和降水增加的协同作用在玉米的籽粒产量和生物产量上均达到了显著水平(p< 0.05), 二因子均起正作用, 使籽粒产量和生物产量均升高。籽粒产量在[CO₂] 390、450和550 μmol·mol^-1水平下的降水增加处理较自然降水处理分别增加15.94%、9.95%和9.45%, 而生物产量分别增加13.06%、8.13%和6.49%。因为籽粒产量的增幅略大于生物产量的增幅, 所以促进了经济系数的升高。穗部性状变化显著, 其中, 穗粒数、穗粒重、穗长和穗粗等性状值均随[CO₂]升高而升高, 且各[CO₂]水平下均表现为降水增加处理>自然降水处理, 而瘪粒数相反。但是, [CO₂]升高和降水增加的协同作用也促进了轴粗的升高, 对玉米产量的增加起着限制作用。二因子协同作用在净光合速率(P_n)和叶面积上达到了极显著水平(p< 0.01), 而在株高和干物质积累量上达到了显著水平(p< 0.05)。二因子协同作用使玉米叶片的P_n升高, 植株高度升高, 穗位高升高, 茎粗增加, 叶面积变大, 从而促进了干物质积累量的升高, 为玉米增产打下了良好的基础。这表明: 在未来[CO₂]升高条件下, 一定程度的降水增加对玉米的产量具有正向促进作用。     

土壤呼吸对降雨响应的研究进展

土壤呼吸是当前区域碳收支及全球变化研究中的一个热点问题。降雨作为一个重要的扰动因子, 对准确估算土壤呼吸具有重要影响, 这在干旱和半干旱地区尤为明显。尽管关于土壤呼吸对降雨响应过程与规律的研究已取得了较大进展, 但是对于其机制的解释仍然存在较大的争议, 集中体现在对“Birch效应” (降雨强烈激发土壤呼吸的现象)的解释上, 即到底是“底物供应改变机制”还是“微生物胁迫机制”在调控该过程。该文综述了土壤呼吸对降雨事件、降雨量及降雨格局的响应过程与规律; 阐述了土壤呼吸各组分对降雨响应的差异, 分析了雨后物理替代与阻滞、底物供应、根系和微生物活性、微生物群落结构与功能等一系列过程引起土壤呼吸改变的机制; 重点阐述了微生物对土壤水分波动的响应与适应机制。在此基础上提出了今后需重点关注的4个方面：1) “底物供应改变机制”与“微生物胁迫机制”的区分; 2)土壤呼吸各组分对降雨响应的差异; 3)不同时空尺度上土壤呼吸对降雨响应的模拟与估算; 4)降雨带来的外援N和H⁺的作用。     

中国东北样带(NECT):十年集成与未来挑战

Northeast China Transect (NECT), one of the fifteen International Biosphere-Geosphere Programme (IGBP) terrestrial transects, has been established for 10 years by Prof. Zhang Xin-Shi, through a core project of the IGBP - the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE). This transect is located in the mid-latitude semi-arid region, ranging 42-46°N latitude and 110-132癊 longitude. The primary driving force for global change is precipitation and the secondary one is land use intensity. Research progresses have been performed during the past decade in the following aspects: ecological database development, climate and its variability, ecophysiological response of plants to environments, vegetation and landscape changes, biodiversity patterns and their changes, plant functional types and traits with relation to climatic gradient, productivity and carbon dynamics, pollen-vegetation relationship, trace gas emissions, land use and land cover changes, as well as biogeographical and biogeochemical modelling. In order to achieve the higher level of integrated research, the NECT needs the consistent basic data sets within the same framework, further field experiments and observations, integrated simulations of vegetation structure, process and function from patch, landscape to biome scales, intercomparisons of results and simulations within the transect and to other IGBP transects, multidisciplinary research, national and international co-ordinates, and full scientific plan and implementation strategy.     

Responses of soil respiration to simulated precipitation pulses in semiarid steppe under different grazing regimes

Aims Precipitation pulses and different land use practices (such as grazing) play important roles in regulating soil respiration and carbon balance of semiarid steppe ecosystems in Inner Mongolia. However, the interactive effects of grazing and rain event magnitude on soil respiration of steppe ecosystems are still unknown. We conducted a manipulative experiment with simulated precipitation pulses in Inner Mongolia steppe to study the possible responses of soil respiration to different precipitation pulse sizes and to examine how grazing may affect the responses of soil respiration to precipitation pulses.Methods Six water treatments with different precipitation pulse sizes (0, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 mm) were conducted in the ungrazed and grazed sites, respectively. Variation patterns of soil respiration of each treatment were determined continuously after the water addition treatments.Important findings Rapid and substantial increases in soil respiration occurred 1 day after the water treatments in both sites, and the magnitude and duration of the increase in soil respiration depended on pulse size. Significantly positive relationships between the soil respiration and soil moisture in both sites suggested that soil moisture was the most important factor responsible for soil respiration rate during rain pulse events. The ungrazed site maintained significantly higher soil moisture for a longer time, which was the reason that the soil respiration in the ungrazed site was maintained relatively higher rate and longer period than that in the grazed site after a rain event. The significant exponential relationship between soil temperature and soil respiration was found only in the plots with the high water addition treatments (50 and 100 mm). Lower capacity of soil water holding and lower temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in the grazed site indicated that degraded steppe due to grazing might release less CO₂ to the atmosphere through soil respiration under future precipitation and temperature scenarios.     

红壤坡地土壤水分时间序列分析

基于时间序列法,分析了2002—2004年3—9月茶园和农作区两种土地利用方式下土壤水分与降雨的相关关系.结果表明,降雨为不相关序列,而不同深度(10、30、50、70和90 cm)土壤含水量有高度自相关性,为自相关序列,相关时间域为30～45 d.降雨和土地利用方式是影响土壤水分与降雨相关关系的主要因素.降雨对土壤水分的影响强度由表层到深层不断减弱,其在土壤表层(10和30 cm)的有效性时间为7～8 d;在深层有效时间长短不一,但雨后2～3 d,降雨对土壤水分(0～100 cm)的影响最显著.旱季土壤含水量与降雨的相关时间比雨季短1～3 d,若持续5 d降雨量小于5 mm,土壤表层水分含量就会明显降低,可能引发季节性干旱.与农作区相比,降雨对茶园表层水分的影响较弱,但对深层水分的影响较强且持续时间长.     

Rapid morphological change in stream beetle museum specimens correlates with climate change

Abstract 1. Climate change has been occurring at unprecedented rates and its impacts on biological populations is beginning to be well documented in the literature. For many species, however, long‐term records are not available, and trends have not been documented. 2. Using museum specimens from southern USA, we show that the stream‐dwelling beetle Gyretes sinuatus has shown an 8% increase in body size and change in body shape (fineness ratio) from 1928 to 1988. Any directional morphological change observed over time could be an indicator of a microevolutionary response. 3. During these 60 years, there have also been changes in temperature, precipitation, and location of collection sites. Unlike the global trend, mean annual temperature in the region has decreased, and furthermore, total annual precipitation has increased. By investigating how these various ecological and geographical variables may affect body size and shape, we can examine which pressures may promote larger and/or thinner beetles. 4. Results indicate that mean annual temperature was the most predictive variable for the change in size and shape. We suggest there is an adaptive role for temperature on body size and shape of stream dwelling organisms. 5. We found that museum specimens can be invaluable resources of information when collection date and location information is available. We promote the use of such specimens for future studies of the morphological response to climate change.     

右旋糖酐40制备过程中细菌内毒素含量的影响因素

右旋糖酐40生产中分离纯化采用乙醇沉淀和超滤方法，将细菌内毒素作为分离纯化的一项指标，对影响因素进行探究，将细菌内毒素含量引入右旋糖酐40原料药产品标准，并且达到国际标准。随着乙醇浓度的增加，相应沉淀产品的细菌内毒素含量逐渐降低；在乙醇分步沉淀中，随着乙醇浓度逐级提高，分离产品的细菌内毒素含量也在降低。分离纯化用水和环境因素均会影响右旋糖酐40分离纯化的细菌内毒素指标。乙醇沉淀分离纯化的右旋糖酐40产品，细菌内毒素含量均＜6.00 EU/g，最低含量＜3.00 EU/g，优于国际标准（≤10 EU/g），重均分子量和分子量均符合《中国药典》质量标准。100 kDa+20 kDa二膜组合超滤分离纯化的右旋糖酐40的细菌内毒素含量可以达到10 EU/g以下。100 kDa＋20 kDa+50 kDa三膜组合超滤分离纯化，右旋糖酐40的细菌内毒素含量达到3 EU/g以下，重均分子量及分子量分布达到《中国药典》标准。改进右旋糖酐40生产工艺，提高产品品质，细菌内毒素含量引入右旋糖酐40原料药质量指标，使其达到和超过国际最高质量标准。     

Defensive compound concentration in boreal lichens in response to simulated nitrogen deposition

Nitrogen (N) deposition is expected to increase in northwestern Europe the next 50–100 years. The effects of higher N availability on lichens will presumably depend on their capacity to acquire carbon (C), that is, of the timing and duration of the wet and active state. If lichens respond like plants, their C and N status may affect their concentration of carbon-based secondary compounds (CBSCs), and thus their defence against herbivores, detrimental radiation, pathogens and parasites. In the present study we have manipulated N availability and timing and duration of the metabolically active state by spraying lichen transplants in an old spruce forest with rainwater or rainwater with added N corresponding to 50 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The spraying was applied either at night, in the morning or at noon to also investigate the effect of timing and duration of the active state. Concentrations of N, chlorophyll a (Chl a ) and CBSCs were measured before and after one summer's spraying of 10 thalli in each of four different lichen species; Alectoria sarmentosa, Lobaria scrobiculata, Platismatia glauca , and Xanthoria aureola . The added N was readily taken up by all the lichen species. A. sarmentosa, P. glauca , and X. aureola increased their Chl a concentration in response to increased N, while L. scrobiculata increased Chl a in response to increased active time. None of the studied species reduced their concentration of secondary compounds during the experimental period, but in P. glauca the concentration of all compounds were significantly lower in N-treated thalli compared with those that got only rainwater. The results are consistent with a high degree of constitutive defence in three of four species, and we conclude that all the investigated lichens seem to have rather robust chemical defence systems despite considerable manipulation of the environmental conditions.