Sowing different mixtures in dry acidic grassland produced priority effects of varying strength

Several longer-term assembly studies on ex-arable land have found that species that arrive first at a disturbed site can play a key role in the further development of the community and that this priority effect influences aboveground productivity, species diversity and stability of the grassland communities that develop. Restoration of nutrient poor, species rich grasslands is often limited by seed dispersal as well as the accessibility of suitable microsites for establishment. Sowing species (i.e. creating priority effects for further assembly) may help overcome such dispersal barriers, but the potential of using priority effects for restoration has not been tested in this type of dry grassland. We tested the hypothesis that sowing two different seed mixtures used for dry acidic grassland restoration onto a sandy substrate (which formed an equivalent to a primary succession) would create priority effects, and that these priority effects would be sustained over a number of years. We followed community assembly and measured aboveground productivity for four years after sowing. We found that priority effects caused by sowing of differently diverse mixtures did also occur in dry acidic grassland habitat, but that how persistent they were over time depended on the response variable considered. Priority effects on species number were not as strong as found in previous ex-arable land studies, whereas priority effects for aboveground productivity were still visible after 4 years. In addition, functional composition of the community still reflected the composition of the seed mixtures 4 years later. Our results suggest that priority effects can occur in nutrient-poor dry acidic grassland but in contrast to more nutrient-rich sites the breadth of responses affected may not be as wide.     

Does intraspecific size variation in bumblebees allow colonies to efficiently exploit different flowers?

Abstract.  1. It has long been known that foraging bumblebee workers vary greatly in size, within species, and within single nests. This phenomenon has not been adequately explained. Workers of their relatives within the Apidae exhibit much less size variation.
2. For the bumblebee Bombus terrestris size, as measured by thorax width, was found to correspond closely with tongue length, so that larger bees are equipped to feed from deeper flowers.
3. The mean size of worker bees attracted to flowers was found to differ between plant species, and larger bees with longer tongues tended to visit deeper flowers.
4. Finally, handling time depended on the match between corolla depth and tongue length: large bees were slower than small bees when handling shallow flowers, but quicker than small bees when handling deep flowers.
5. Size variation within bumblebees may be adaptive, since it enables the colony as a whole to efficiently exploit a range of different flowers. Possible explanations for the marked differences in size variation exhibited by bumblebees compared with Apis species and stingless bees (Meliponinae) are discussed.     

Depth estimation using diameter-thickness ratios in larger benthic foraminifera

The diameter-thickness ratio (D/T) of larger benthic foraminifera varies indirectly with depth. Increased turbulence thickens the test, whilst decreased light intensity causes a flatter test. It is shown that in a nearshore-offshore transect the D/T gradient is similar between reefs, but stretched over a larger depth gradient. In facies analysis an increase in D/T can either be caused by decreased hydrodynamic energy, increased transparency or increased depth (or a combination of these).     

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.     

艾比湖地区土壤呼吸对季节性冻土厚度变化的响应

利用LI-8100土壤CO2排放通量全自动测量系统,于2010年1～4月测定了艾比湖地区不同植被类型样地的土壤呼吸速率,结合环境因子、冻土厚度及室内土壤理化性质分析,探讨了温带干旱区季节性冻土厚度变化对土壤呼吸的影响。结果表明：土壤温度在冻结期是影响冻土厚度的最主要环境因子,而解冻期冻土厚度变化与土壤温度等环境因子关系不显著（P>0.05）;冻土厚度在不同时期影响土壤呼吸速率的程度不同,冻结期两者呈显著正相关（R2=0.782,P<0.05）,解冻初期两者呈弱相关（P>0.05）;土壤呼吸速率在土壤冻结期与解冻初期不存在显著差异（P>0.05）,但在解冻完全期则表现出明显的增加趋势（差值为0.14～0.37μmol?m-2?s-1）,表明冻土融化会明显地增加土壤碳排放,从而增加大气中的CO2。研究结果初步阐明了艾比湖地区季节性冻土厚度变化对土壤呼吸的影响,为揭示全球变暖背景下冻土退化过程中的碳释放机理提供理论基础。     

Finite element analysis of peri-implant bone volume affected by stresses around Morse taper implants: effects of implant positioning to the bone crest

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the distribution and magnitude of stresses through the bone tissue surrounding Morse taper dental implants at different positioning relative to the bone crest. Materials and Methods: A mandibular bone model was obtained from a computed tomography scan. A three-dimensional (3D) model of Morse taper implant-abutment systems placed at the bone crest (equicrestal) and 2?mm bellow the bone crest (subcrestal) were assessed by finite element analysis (FEA). FEA was carried out on axial and oblique (45°) loading at 150 N relatively to the central axis of the implant. The von Mises stresses were analysed considering magnitude and volume of affected peri-implant bone. Results: On vertical loading, maximum von Mises stresses were recorded at 6-7?MPa for trabecular bone while values ranging from 73 up to 118?MPa were recorded for cortical bone. On oblique loading at the equiquestral or subcrestal positioning, the maximum von Mises stresses ranged from 15 to 21?MPa for trabecular bone while values at 150?MPa were recorded for the cortical bone. On vertical loading, >99.9vol.% cortical bone volume was subjected to a maximum of 2?MPa while von Mises stress values at 15?MPa were recorded for trabecular bone. On oblique loading, >99.9vol.% trabecular bone volume was subjected to maximum stress values at 5?MPa, while von Mises stress values at 35?MPa were recorded for >99.4vol.% cortical bone. Conclusions: Bone volume-based stress analysis revealed that most of the bone volume (>99% by vol) was subjected to significantly lower stress values around Morse taper implants placed at equicrestal or subcrestal positioning. Such analysis is commentary to the ordinary biomechanical assessment of dental implants concerning the stress distribution through peri-implant sites.     

The arctic fox Alopex lagopus in Fennoscandia: a victim of human-induced changes in interspecific competition and predation?

After a marked decline at the beginning of the 1900s, the arctic fox Alopex lagopus population in Fennoscandia has remained at a very low level. We suggest that the main cause for the population crash was winter starvation caused by (1) over-hunting of reindeer Rangifer tarandus populations, and thus reduced carcass availability in the mountains, and (2) increased interspecific competition for these carcasses because of increased invasion of red foxes Vulpes vulpes from lower altitudes. The failure of arctic fox populations to recover, despite increasing reindeer populations in the mid 1900s, can be explained by a concurrent strong increase in red fox numbers. Analyses of countywide hunting statistics from Norway 1891–1920 suggest that there actually was an increase in red fox numbers in the period of arctic fox decline, and that the increase in reindeer populations from the 1920s to the 1950s was accompanied by a new increase in red fox numbers. We conclude that restoring arctic fox populations most likely will require a substantial and lasting reduction of red fox populations.     

四种沙埋深度对羊草种子出苗和幼苗生长的影响

模拟羊草种子自然埋藏深度状况,设计了0、1、2和3cm共4种沙埋深度实验,研究了其出苗率及幼苗生长对沙埋深度的响应。结果表明,羊草种子出苗率随埋深的增加呈下降趋势,0cm时出苗率最高为89.3%,1和2cm时分别为81.5%和78.5%,3cm时最低(73.5%),与前三者具有显著差异。埋深对地上株高生长动态的影响主要表现在,播种后25d,0～2cm处理的羊草幼苗地上株高均高于3cm处理;播种后36d,4种处理的地上株高没有显著差异。此外,随着埋深的增加,羊草幼苗的根长、根数、根冠比呈先上升后下降趋势,叶片数呈下降趋势,绝对株高则呈上升趋势。表明1～2cm沙埋深度更适宜于羊草种子出苗及幼苗生长,而0或3cm埋深不利于其出苗和幼苗生长。     

干旱半干旱区地下水埋深对沙地植物土壤系统演变的驱动作用综述

在干旱半干旱生态脆弱区,地下水是限制植物种类组成、数量和生长发育的关键因素之一。近年来由于气候变化与土地利用强度的增加,我国北方普遍出现以极端气候变化、地表水体萎缩和地下水位下降为特征的生态过程,对区域生态系统安全和可持续发展构成严重威胁。而有关干旱半干旱区地下水埋深变化驱动退化植被恢复和稳定性维持方面的系统研究尚存不足。系统总结了地下水埋深变化分别对植物、土壤产生的影响及其三者间相互作用关系,比较分析了前人的研究成果,归纳总结了地下水埋深变化的驱动作用和影响因素,以及干旱半干旱区地下水埋深变化对植物土壤系统影响的预测模型研究,以期为今后应对地下水埋深变化制定生态保护策略提供理论指导依据。对本研究做了展望。