Analysis of over-consumption of natural resources and the ecological trade deficit in China based on ecological footprints

China has experienced unprecedented economic development in recent years and is now facing severe challenges caused by the over-consumption of resources and by ecological and environmental degradation. To assess the influence of resource exploitation and ecological trade, we have developed an index of excessive resource consumption based on the concepts of ecological deficit and ecological over-shoot, and we have used the ecological trade deficit to assess the pressure created by the export and import of resources and products. Our analysis indicated that China's consumption footprint surpassed its biocapacity in 1983, leading to an ecological deficit, and the production footprint surpassed its biocapacity in 1986, leading to an ecological over-shoot, as the over-consumption of natural resources grew. By 2010, 3.6 times the current area of bioproductive land was needed to provide sufficient resources to meet the consumption. China has been encouraging the development of exporting enterprises by implementing a series of financial and tax incentives, which have stimulated the economy in the short-term but have gradually increased the ecological trade deficit since 2000.     

Microsatellite identification of ramet genotypes in a clonal plant with phalanx growth: The case of Cirsium rivulare (Asteraceae)

Cirsium rivulare is a perennial plant that forms patches consisting of ramets resulting from sexual reproduction by seeds and asexual propagation by rhizome fragmentation. We examined the relationship between the size of patches and genetic differentiation of ramets within and between patches. Ramet genotypes were identified using microsatellites. From among 216 ramets examined in the studied population, 123 had a unique genotype, while 93 were clonal, i.e., their genotype was present in at least two ramets. The frequency of ramets with clonal genotypes was 43% and the frequency of unique genotypes was 57%. Ramets with identical genotypes were dominant in small patches. Large patches consisted of ramets with both unique and clonal genotypes, usually with the predominance of the latter. A molecular variance analysis showed the highest level of variance between ramets and the lowest between patches. Additionally, 21.02% of the total variance was recorded between ramets and within patches. The size of patches was correlated with the number of clonal ramets and the number of unique ramets, but it was not correlated with the clonality index. This population of C. rivulare is currently in a phase of decline from 30 years of vegetation transformation, and there appears to have been an increase in sexual propagation based growth over clonal propagation based growth. Hence, a predominance of ramets with unique genotypes was observed. This can happen as a result of disintegration of large patches and formation of gaps between them. These gaps become convenient places for seed germination and the subsequent development of seedlings.     

大熊猫取食竹笋期间的昼夜活动节律和强度

采用内置记录活动水平传感器的GPS项圈研究了卧龙自然保护区3只野生大熊猫春季取食竹笋期间的昼夜活动节律和强度,并分析了太阳辐射、温度因子对大熊猫活动节律与强度的影响。3只大熊猫的平均活动率为68.05%,受孕雌性大熊猫的活动率(70.86%)和活动强度(范围:0-255;水平方向/垂直方向,23.82±0.30/ 17.63±0.22)均比其它两只大熊猫(70.55%, 14.71±0.17/13.52±0.15 ;62.76%,17.74±0.23/13.61±0.18)高。大熊猫有3次活动高峰,分别出现在6:00-7:00,18:00-21:00和23:00-3:00,一个明显的活动低谷,出现在9:00-12:00。大熊猫白天的活动率(68.32%)和活动强度(19.59±0.20/ 15.45±0.15)比夜间(67.67%,17.63±0.19/14.21±0.15)高。大熊猫的活动强度与太阳辐射之间存在显著负相关(r=-0.822, P<0.001),与空气温度之间不存在显著的相关性。     

云雾山铁杆蒿茎叶浸提液对封育草地四种优势植物的化感效应

为了揭示铁杆蒿群落在植被演替中的作用,通过研究铁杆蒿茎叶浸提液对铁杆蒿草地4种优势植物(百里香、大针茅、本氏针茅和赖草)的种子萌发及幼苗生长的干扰,结果表明:高浓度的铁杆蒿浸提液(甲醇浸提液和水浸提液)使得百里香、大针茅、本氏针茅和赖草的种子发芽指数降低,发芽率、芽长和根长低于对照,种子平均发芽时间延长达1.13-2.16 d。而低浓度浸提液(0.005 g/mL)使得百里香的发芽要高于对照11.63%(水浸提液)、15.12%(甲醇浸提液)。在幼苗生长期,铁杆蒿浸提液对4种受试植物幼苗芽和根的生长受到不同程度的抑制,不同浓度的浸提液对植物的化感作用强度不同,随浓度的增加,抑制作用越强,0.1 g/mL相对其他浓度有显著性差异;其中0.005 g/mL浸提液对本氏针茅和赖草的幼苗生长有促进作用,幼根生长高出对照19.00%、16.06%,水浸提液对幼芽促进了2.33%、9.06%,在0.1 g/mL浓度下,本氏针茅或大针茅的生长完全受到抑制,芽长和根长抑制率为100%;同一浓度下的不同浸提液对植物的抑制作用也不同,其中百里香对铁杆蒿浸提液的敏感度是最低的;甲醇浸提液的化感作用要强于水浸提液。在封育过程中,百里香群落向铁杆蒿群落的过渡,铁杆蒿的化感作用是该草地演替的一个重要影响因子。     

山西历山国家级自然保护区千金榆群落种间分离研究

对山西历山国家级自然保护区普通沟和西峡的千金榆(Carpinus cordata)群落进行野外调查,共记录了40个样方,44个物种,组成946个种对.利用最近邻体法构造N×N最近邻体列联表,以x2检验和种间分离指数S作为区分指标,研究了千金榆群落的种间分离情况.结果表明:(1)946个种对中呈现随机毗邻的最多,有507个种对,占总数的53.59％;呈现正分离的有349个种对,占总数的36.89％;而呈现负分离种对最少,只有90对,占总数的9.52％.(2)群落的建群种或优势种因为有较强的生存能力和竞争能力,往往表现出正分离,例如千金榆、小叶鹅耳枥(Carpinus turczaninowii)、五角枫(Acer mono)、葛罗槭(Acer grosseri)等有较强生存能力的物种与大多数的物种发生正分离;而六道木(Abelia biflora)、东北茶镳子(Ribes mandshuricum)、小花溲疏(Deutziaparviflora),美蔷薇(Rosa bella)和紫花卫矛(Euonymus porphyries)等群落中的伴生种或小灌木,与部分物种形成负分离.其余物种之间发生随机毗邻的较多.(3)对千金榆群落44×44列联表进行全面分离,结果表明群落内的44个物种相互交错分布,不是全面分离.此外,种间分离的结果也揭示该群落处于演替初期,受岩石风化崩塌的影响较严重,人为干扰因素较轻.     

20份新编目入国家烟草种质库的烤烟种质的鉴定和分析

为将20份新收集（引进）、选育的烤烟种质资源入国家种质库进行编目和保存,对各种质进行田间鉴定评价,结果表明,云烟317、云烟201、云烟202、云烟203、PVH09和RGH51等品种抗或中抗黑胫病、根结线虫病、青枯病、TMV等主要病害中的2种以上,产量适中、品质较好,已经全国烟草品种审定委员会审（认）定,其余种质资源在田间生长正常,白花大金元、江川地方种、大有种和人民六队-15黑胫病较重。田间试验获得了各种质的生育期、形态特征、主要农艺性状、经济性状、原烟外观质量、化学成分和主要病害等数据资料,拍摄了各种质的植株、叶片、花序、花冠和蒴果的照片,按规定上交合格种子并入库保存,获得的资料全部上交给中国农业科学院烟草研究所,用于中国烟草种质资源信息系统和共享平台建设,为丰富国家种质库以及今后持续利用种质资源奠定良好基础。     

Implications of chronic wasting disease,cougar predation,and reduced recruitment for elk management

Emerging diseases and expanding carnivore populations may have profound implications for ungulate harvest management and population regulation. To better understand effects of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and cougar (Puma concolor) predation, we studied mortality and recruitment of elk (Cervus elaphus) at Wind Cave National Park (WICA) during 2005–2009. We marked 202 elk (83 subadult M and 119 subadult and ad F) with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars, observed 28 deaths during 74,220 days of monitoring, and investigated 42 additional deaths of unmarked elk found dead. Survival rates were similar for males and females and averaged 0.863 (SE = 0.025) annually. Leading causes of mortality included hunting (0.065, SE = 0.019), CWD (0.034, SE = 0.012), and cougar predation (0.029, SE = 0.012). Marked elk killed by hunters and cougars typically were in good physical condition and not infected with CWD. Effects of mortality on population growth were exacerbated by low rates of pregnancy (subadults = 9.5%, SE = 6.6%; ad = 76.9%, SE = 4.2%) and perinatal survival (0.49, SE = 0.085 from 1 Feb to 1 Sep). Chronic wasting disease, increased predation, and reduced recruitment reduced the rate of increase for elk at WICA to approximately λ = 1.00 (SE = 0.027) during the past decade. Lower rates of increase are mitigating effects of elk on park vegetation, other wildlife, and neighboring lands and will facilitate population control, but may reduce opportunities for elk hunting outside the park. © 2011 The Wildlife Society     

Effects of spatial disturbance on common loon nest site selection and territory success

The common loon (Gavia immer) breeds during the summer on northern lakes and water bodies that are also often desirable areas for aquatic recreation and human habitation. In northern New England, we assessed how the spatial nature of disturbance affects common loon nest site selection and territory success. We found through classification and regression analysis that distance to and density of disturbance factors can be used to classify observed nest site locations versus random points, suggesting that these factors affect loon nest site selection (model 1: Correct classification = 75%, null = 50%, K = 0.507, P < 0.001; model 2: Correct classification = 78%, null = 50%, K = 0.551, P < 0.001). However, in an exploratory analysis, we were unable to show a relation between spatial disturbance variables and breeding success (P = 0.595, R² = 0.436), possibly because breeding success was so low during the breeding seasons of 2007–2008. We suggest that by selecting nest site locations that avoid disturbance factors, loons thereby limit the effect that disturbance will have on their breeding success. Still, disturbance may force loons to use sub-optimal nesting habitat, limiting the available number of territories, and overall productivity. We advise that management efforts focus on limiting disturbance factors to allow breeding pairs access to the best nesting territories, relieving disturbance pressures that may force sub-optimal nest placement. © 2011 The Wildlife Society     

Waitangi Day,Okains Bay: Contest,Co-operation and the Construction of Place in a Local Commemoration of Nation in New Zealand

Local commemorations of nation, while indexing and taking place within the framework of a national imaginary, need to be understood within their own contexts and sets of relationships as these operate in specific places. This paper examines one such case, that of an annual Waitangi Day event at Okains Bay, a small rural settlement in New Zealand's South Island. Here, although the annual public ritual to mark Waitangi Day follows closely the model of the national commemoration at Waitangi itself, it has certain distinctive features and takes place within a context that gives it a specific meaning that is in some ways at odds with the meanings created at the national level. This has to do with the particular history of Okains and with the various relationships and interests associated with it, which the Waitangi Day event draws upon and enacts.     

四川老君山自然保护区红翅噪鹛冬季栖息地特征

摘要：2010年1月和2011年1月,在四川老君山国家级自然保护区对红翅噪鹛（Garrulax formosus）的冬季栖息地特征进行了初步研究。在研究区内,红翅噪鹛冬季多集小群活动,主要选择次生林,而回避原生林和人工林。2个冬季在野外共遇见红翅噪鹛21群78只。通过比较分析,发现红翅噪鹛喜欢在海拔较低、坡位较高、坡向...