Phytochrome B dynamics departs from photoequilibrium in the field

Vegetation shade is characterized by marked decreases in the red/far‐red ratio and photosynthetic irradiance. The activity of phytochrome in the field has typically been described by its photoequilibrium, defined by the photochemical properties of the pigment in combination with the spectral distribution of the light. This approach represents an oversimplification because phytochrome B (phyB) activity depends not only on its photochemical reactions but also on its rates of synthesis, degradation, translocation to the nucleus, and thermal reversion. To account for these complex cellular reactions, we used a model to simulate phyB activity under a range of field conditions. The model provided values of phyB activity that in turn predicted hypocotyl growth in the field with reasonable accuracy. On the basis of these observations, we define two scenarios, one is under shade, in cloudy weather, at the extremes of the photoperiod or in the presence of rapid fluctuations of the light environment caused by wind‐induced movements of the foliage, where phyB activity departs from photoequilibrium and becomes affected by irradiance and temperature in addition to the spectral distribution. The other scenario is under full sunlight, where phyB activity responds mainly to the spectral distribution of the light.     

The problems of sustainable water use in the Mediterranean and research requirements for agriculture

This study addresses the sustainable use of water resources in the Mediterranean basin, particularly in the Southern and Eastern parts of the region, and the many problems generated by water scarcity and misuse. Water economy in the region is beset by two specific problems: high irrigation needs and changes in consumer demands (especially after population shifts from rural to urban areas and because of increasing tourism and industrialisation). The challenges presented by the water crisis are even greater because of growing populations and estimated future climatic changes in the region. The integrated management of limited water resources in the Southern and Eastern parts of the Mediterranean involves several areas of research. Those most directly related with agriculture concern improving water (and nutrient) use in agriculture through the management and breeding of irrigated and rain-fed crops. However, these fields of research address only one face of a multi-factorial equation that affects water sustainability in the region. Thus, other research fields include the design of comprehensive water policies and integrated planning, and technologies for advanced water treatment and re-use. Moreover, local problems and socio-economic aspects must be considered when addressing research issues.     

岩溶石漠化区不同植被恢复模式土壤无机磷形态特征及影响因素

为分析岩溶石漠化区不同植被恢复模式土壤无机磷的形态特征,评价植被恢复的土壤供磷潜力,阐明有机碳及钙素在无机磷形态转化中的作用,选取研究区内8种有代表性的样地,采用蒋柏藩无机磷分级方法对土壤无机磷形态特征及影响因素进行研究。结果表明:研究区土壤全磷与速效磷含量分别在0.25—1.35 g/kg、1.05—53.01 mg/kg范围,无机磷总量在123.94—934.61 mg/kg,耕地与退耕地以及各退耕地之间全磷、速效磷、各形态无机磷含量水平差异明显,各退耕地磷素含量水平介于耕地与次生马尾松林地之间,退耕地中桃林地、花椒林地磷素含量水平较高、樟树林地、柳杉林地、撂荒草地次之、撂荒灌丛地较低。各样地土壤无机磷占全磷比例在51.2%—72.4%,不同形态的无机磷含量表现为O-PFe-PCa-PAl-P,其中Ca2-P、Al-P对速效磷的贡献率大,Fe-P、Ca8-P贡献较小,O-P、Ca10-P献率最小。不同活性土壤有机碳与不同形态钙素对各形态无机磷在总无机磷中比例的影响较大,p H、容重、粘粒含量、含水量等其它理化性质影响较小。     

生物土壤结皮——荒漠化地区研究的热点问题

生物土壤结皮在荒漠化地区广为分布。从结皮的概念、结皮对生态系统和景观变化的影响（包括水文循环、土壤侵蚀、土壤养分循环、维管植物的萌发和生长、动物多样性、景观异质性以及生态系统和景观变化监测和评价等）以及生物土壤结皮对干扰的反应及其恢复机理等方面详细地论述了生物结皮在荒漠化发生发展及其防治中所起的重要作用,并提出了今后生物土壤结皮研究的方向和着眼点。     

景观生态学在荒漠化监测与评价中应用的初步研究——以青海沙珠玉地区为例

以青海沙珠玉地区为例对景观生态学在荒漠化监测与评价中的应用进行了初步研究,并主要分析了多样性、优势度和均匀度以及马尔科夫转移矩阵模型等指标和方法在荒漠化监测与评价中应用的景观生态学意义。     

Detection of process-related changes in plant patterns at extended spatial scales during early dryland desertification

Arid and semiarid shrublands occupy extensive land areas over the world, are susceptible to desertification by anthropic use and can contribute to regional climate change. These prompt the interest to monitor and evaluate these lands adequately in order to detect early stages of degradation. Evaluation topics must refer to biology‐relevant characteristics of these systems, while simultaneously satisfying sampling consistency over extended landscape areas. We present an analysis of process‐relevant parameters related to changes in the spatial arrangement of the plant canopy of shrublands inferred from high‐resolution panchromatic aerial photos and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery. We obtained low‐altitude images systematically located along several gradients of land‐use intensity in a Patagonian Monte shrubland in Argentina. Images were digitized to spatial resolutions ranging from 0.09 to 0.72 m (pixel size) and the average values and an‐isotropic characteristics of the plant canopy patterns were quantified by means of a Fourier metric. We used radar‐derived imagery to overlay the panchromatic images on a digital elevation model in order to study the correspondence of potential runoff patterns and the spatial arrangement of plants. We related an‐isotropic features of the plant canopy images to the prevailing wind regime. Observed trends were further interpreted on the basis of a spatial‐explicit simulation model describing the dynamics of the main functional groups in the plant community. We conclude that early stages of anthropic‐driven dryland degradation in the Patagonian Monte can be characterized by the incipient un‐coupling of spatial vegetation patterns from those of runoff at a landscape scale, and a progressive coupling to the spatial pattern of the wind regime. The method and metrics we present can be used to quantify early desertification changes in other similar drylands at extended spatial scales.     

农牧交错带土地沙化的本质及其形成研究

通过对陕北农牧交错带不同类型沙化土地土体构型、土壤质地、元素组成和理化性质的分析,研究了土地沙化的本质。结果表明：受风沙作用影响,土壤中细粒物质逐渐减少,颗粒组成变粗;表层消失,最终被流沙所取代,原土壤剖面被覆盖在沙层之下;土壤有机质及养分含量减少,保水保肥性能降低,生产力不断下降;现代土壤形成过程以侵蚀和风沙沉积为主,物质淋溶和化学风化微弱。研究区土地沙化可划分为：风沙侵蚀为主、风沙蚀积平衡、风沙沉积为主和土壤形成发育4个阶段;沙化土地的类型有：肥力衰退质地粗化、表层剥蚀、片沙覆盖、流动沙丘与固定沙丘等5种。     

Mobilization of the gypsy and copia retrotransposons in Drosophila melanogaster induces reversion of the ovo dominant female-sterile mutations: molecular analysis of revertant alleles

The ovo locus is required for the maintenance of the female germ line in Drosophila melanogaster. In the absence of an ovo⁺ gene, males are completely normal but females have no germ-line stem cells. Three dominant mutations at the ovo locus, called ovo^D, were observed to revert towards recessive alleles at high frequency when ovo^D males were crossed to females of the strain y v f mal. We have found that this strain contains an inordinately high number of gypsy transposable elements, and crossing it with the ovo^D strains results in the mobilization of both gypsy and copia, with high-frequency insertions into the ovo locus: of 16 revertants examined 12 have gypsy and four have copia inserted at 4E, the ovo cytological site. Using gypsy DNA as a tag we have cloned 32 kb of wild-type DNA sequences surrounding a gypsy insertion and characterized molecular rearrangements in several independent revertants: in 10 of them gypsy appears to be inserted into the same site. The orientation of gypsy is strictly correlated with whether the neighbouring lozenge-like mutation appears in the revertants. A distal limit of the ovo locus was molecularly determined from the breakpoint of a deletion affecting closely flanking regions.     

典型喀斯特地区石漠化景观格局对土地利用变化的响应

土地利用是人类活动最基本的表现形式,探讨石漠化与土地利用变化之间的响应关系,对于石漠化治理和区域的可持续发展是非常重要的。基于贵州道真县2005年、2015年LANDSAT和石漠化数据,再利用ENVI 5.3进行监督分类,将道真县土地利用分为8种类型。通过景观格局空间分析技术和3S技术,对道真县土地利用时空演变和石漠化景观格局进行综合分析,结果表明:(1) 2005—2015年间,道真县建设用地和灌木林地面积增加,大部分灌木林地由水田和旱地转化而来,其面积增加了7.51%,建设用地增加了1.30%。(2)近10年间,研究区石漠化等级间的转移表现为轻、中、重度转化为潜在石漠化,其斑块转移面积分别为11.26、38.79、2.71 km2,表明研究区石漠化景观得到了恢复,低等级石漠化斑块面积增加,降低了原有高等级石漠化斑块的优势度。(3) 2005—2015年间道真县土地利用和石漠化景观格局,多样性指数分别下降了0.6434和2.4309,均匀度指数各减少了0.0552和0.5436,分维度指数各提高了0.0061和0.0801,蔓延度指数各增加0.1751、25.5396和聚合度指数分别增加1.8688和2.9112,景观形状指数分别减少0.9812和4.536,石漠化景观格局的变化对应土地利用景观格局指数的变化,随着人们土地利用方式的改变,石漠化也发生相应的改变。通过该研究的进行,有助于提高人们对石漠化和土地利用景观格局的认识,基于景观生态学背景对石漠化治理成效进行评估,为之后的石漠化治理工作的进行及研究提供了参考。