Hill land use in Scotland

Summary

It is the common lot of unattached algae to move with, or through, the surrounding water, and of attached algae to remain attached despite the movement of water over them. Movement of solution also occurs within larger algae. These various movements have important consequences for the acquisition, retention and allocation of resources such as energy (from light) and dissolved solutes containing nitrogen and phosphorus. This paper discusses the costs in relation to the benefits of moving (or resisting movement) for resource manipulation. Examples are taken predominantly from algae which occur naturally in Scotland.     

Associations between shell morphology and land crab predation in the land snail Cerion

1. The land crab Gecarcinus lateralis is a significant predator of the abundant Bahamian land snails of the genus Cerion . The crabs typically 'scissor' the cylindrical shells in half or break the lip and peel back the shell to reach the animal which withdraws two or three whorls into the shell. Scars on shells of live adults at 73 sites in the Bahamas and Florida Keys show that about 8% (range: 0–44%) of the snails have survived attacks of this type.
2. An artificial crab claw was used to investigate the compressive force required to break Cerion shells of different morphotypes. Defining shell strength as the ability to withstand compressive forces, 10 morphotypes were found that exhibited mean relative strengths of between 30 and 300 newtons. Feeding trials with one adult crab showed that snails whose shells could withstand compressive forces of > 95 N were safe from this individual predator.
3. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that both shell size (length and width) and shell wall thickness were the ultimate determinants of shell strength. Ribs strengthen the shell by contributing to wall thickness and also by increasing overall shell width. The thickened adult shell lip and collabral ribs provide effective protection from attack by peeling.     

Challenges in using land use and land cover data for global change studies

Land use and land cover data play a central role in climate change assessments. These data originate from different sources and inventory techniques. Each source of land use/cover data has its own domain of applicability and quality standards. Often data are selected without explicitly considering the suitability of the data for the specific application, the bias originating from data inventory and aggregation, and the effects of the uncertainty in the data on the results of the assessment. Uncertainties due to data selection and handling can be in the same order of magnitude as uncertainties related to the representation of the processes under investigation. While acknowledging the differences in data sources and the causes of inconsistencies, several methods have been developed to optimally extract information from the data and document the uncertainties. These methods include data integration, improved validation techniques and harmonization of classification systems. Based on the data needs of global change studies and the data availability, recommendations are formulated aimed at optimal use of current data and focused efforts for additional data collection. These include: improved documentation using classification systems for land use/cover data; careful selection of data given the specific application and the use of appropriate scaling and aggregation methods. In addition, the data availability may be improved by the combination of different data sources to optimize information content while collection of additional data must focus on validation of available data sets and improved coverage of regions and land cover types with a high level of uncertainty. Specific attention in data collection should be given to the representation of land management (systems) and mosaic landscapes.     

Effects of land use intensity on the restoration capacity of sandy land vegetation and soil moisture in fenced sandy land in desert area

Effects of different land use intensity (phytomass semi-cutting and all-cutting) on structure characteristics of plant community and soil moisture in a natural vegetation enclosure and an artificially-aided enclosure were investigated in a sandy grassland in Northern China. No-cutting (phytomass kept nomal) was taken as the control treatment (CK). Analyzes showed that: 1—Importance value of the dominant species of different cutting treatments was in the range of 0.47–0.75. The influence of different cutting intensities on species composition was not significant for the same fenced method; 2—Both the diversity indices and the evenness index of shrub layer for the two enclosures were in the order: CK > semi-cutting > all-cutting; the similar indices of the plots of same cutting intensity and different fenced methods were smaller than 0.3; 3—The above-ground biomass of all-cutting treatment was significantly less than that of semi-cutting treatment, and CK had no significant difference from semi-cutting treatment; 4—There were significant differences in soil moisture between all-cutting and semi-cutting. The soil moisture of different layers within 80 cm increased with the increase of cutting intensities. In 0–30 cm, the soil moisture in different cutting intensities was increased with depth; however, in 30–70 cm, it decreased quickly with the increase of soil depth. Soil moisture under different cutting intensities and CK was in the following order: all-cutting > semi-cutting > CK. It proved that land use has some regulation and improvement effects on soil moisture.     

面向土地整治的耕地质量评价优化

探讨面向土地整治的耕地质量评价方法和指标体系,进行土地整治成效分析,是当前土地整治的现实需求.借鉴已有耕地质量评价相关成果,从地学特征、土壤特性、耕作条件、健康状况和生物特性等五个方面改进评价方法和指标体系.以河南省温县土地整治工程进行实证研究,采用综合算法,其中耕地地形特征、土壤性状和耕作条件指数采用加权求和法,健康状况系数和生物特性系数利用“1+X”模型,将耕地质量划分为5个等级,评价项目区土地整治前和整治后耕地质量指数的变化.结果表明:相较于《农用地质量分等规程》,新的耕地质量评价体系应用于土地整治工程实施前后耕地质量评价具有一定的优势,可以更精确地分析土地整治成效.研究结果可为面向土地整治的耕地质量评价工作提供一定参考.     

Native and introduced land snail species as ecological indicators in different land use types in Java

We investigated the effects of different land use types and environmental parameters on the number and abundance of native and introduced land snail species in East Java. 2919 specimens were sampled and assigned to 55 species of which 8 are introduced. Whereas species richness was highest in primary forest, the highest number of introduced species was found in agroforest. The snail assemblages in different habitat types differ much clearer in composition than in total species richness. Plantations and agroforest are dominated by introduced pulmonates with regard to number of individuals, while primary forest is dominated by native prosobranchs. The habitat requirements of the introduced pulmonates differ from those of the native species. In the study area, the abundance of native as well as introduced pulmonate species increased with increasing human impact. However, the abundance of introduced pulmonate species decreased with increasing density of the canopy cover, whereas the abundance of native pulmonate species increased with increasing canopy cover. The abundance of native prosobranch land snails also tends to increase with increasing canopy cover and with the availability of deadwood, but decreased with increasing human impact. Improving the canopy cover and retaining deadwood in plantations and agroforests might help to control the populations of introduced species or even prevent their establishment in these habitats. Land snails are good indicators for the long-term stability of natural habitats, because several species are restricted to undisturbed natural habitats and because of their low dispersal abilities. However, complete inventories of land snail species are costly. Therefore we propose two indices that can be scored with much less effort, namely the percentage of prosobranch individuals and the percentage of individuals of introduced species. Both indices are significantly correlated with the number of native species. Dense plantations and agroforests bordering primary forests may protect the latter from introduced species and help to conserve the native fauna by reducing desiccation and buffering the human impact on the primary forests.     

海口市生态用地变化与安全格局构建

城市化过程中,城市生态用地变化与安全格局构建对于城市生态系统健康、城市居民生活质量和城市可持续发展有着重要意义,生态用地的变化直接影响生态安全格局变化,生态用地安全格局又对生态用地的规划有指导作用。基于GIS技术,对海口市1991年至2016年生态用地的时空变化过程进行研究,进而分析生态用地演变。选取高度、坡度、水资源安全作为生态安全影响单因子,并分级赋值,构建综合生态用地分布格局。以底线型生态用地为源,基于最小累计阻力模型(MCR),以阻力阈值作为分级边界,划分不同安全水平的生态用地区域,进而确定源间生态廊道、辐射道与战略点,构建生态用地安全格局。分析结果表明:1991年至2016年,海口市三类生态用地变化最大,其中林地减少13.33%,园地增加9.136%,坑塘水面增加3.71%。南渡江以西生态用地从以林地为主转为园地与建设用地为主,其余地区变化较少。生态用地安全变化区域集中在海口市西部与东部,其中西部高安全水平区减少,整体安全水平急剧恶化,东部高安全水平区略有提升。故需要制定和实施合理的生态用地保护政策,对生态用地格局进行优化调整,以期构建区域内生态环境协调发展的可行方案。     

晋北地区土地利用覆被格局的演变与模拟

区域土地利用覆被变化及未来发展情景对区域土地管理和可持续发展具有重要意义。以地处农牧交错带、土地利用覆被变化剧烈的晋北地区为研究区,获取其2010、2015年的土地利用覆被(Land use/land cover,LULC)数据,选取高程、人口、经济、气温、降水等9种影响因素作为驱动因子,采用CLUE-S模型拟合研究区2015年的土地覆被格局并判断拟合精度,在此基础上,分别设置了3种社会经济发展情景,模拟这些情景下研究区2020年的土地利用覆被格局演变。结果表明:1)晋北地区土地利用覆被以耕地、林地和草地为主,各类型土地主要呈西北斜向的条带状分布;2)Logistic回归模型可以很好地提取LULC与驱动因子之间的关系,反映不同的驱动因素对不同的土地利用类型分布格局的影响效果及程度;3)CLUE-S模型在晋北地区土地利用覆被格局的拟合上有较好的精度,模拟Kappa系数值达0.89,表明该模型能够很好地模拟晋北地区的土地利用覆被;4)情景模拟结果表明,研究区生态保护情景(c)下的土地利用覆被格局明显优于维持现状情景(a)和经济优先情景(b),建议在未来土地开发利用过程中,应当减缓工矿用地增...     

Conservation and diversity in flower land

During the past decade, enormous progress has been made in understanding the molecular regulation of flower development. In particular, homeotic genes that determine the identity of the floral organs have been characterised from different flowering plants, revealing considerable conservation among angiosperm species. On the other hand, evolutionary diversification has led to enormous variation in flower morphology. Increasing numbers of reports have described differences in the regulation, redundancy and function of homeotic genes from various species. These fundamentals of floral organ specification are therefore an ideal subject for comparative analyses of flower development, which will lead to a better understanding of plant evolution, plant development and the complexity of molecular mechanisms that control flower development and morphology.     

Assessing uncertainties in land cover projections

Understanding uncertainties in land cover projections is critical to investigating land‐based climate mitigation policies, assessing the potential of climate adaptation strategies and quantifying the impacts of land cover change on the climate system. Here, we identify and quantify uncertainties in global and European land cover projections over a diverse range of model types and scenarios, extending the analysis beyond the agro‐economic models included in previous comparisons. The results from 75 simulations over 18 models are analysed and show a large range in land cover area projections, with the highest variability occurring in future cropland areas. We demonstrate systematic differences in land cover areas associated with the characteristics of the modelling approach, which is at least as great as the differences attributed to the scenario variations. The results lead us to conclude that a higher degree of uncertainty exists in land use projections than currently included in climate or earth system projections. To account for land use uncertainty, it is recommended to use a diverse set of models and approaches when assessing the potential impacts of land cover change on future climate. Additionally, further work is needed to better understand the assumptions driving land use model results and reveal the causes of uncertainty in more depth, to help reduce model uncertainty and improve the projections of land cover.     

Auxin metabolism in representative land PLANTS

The plant hormone auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) appears to control many plant developmental processes, and studies performed in seed plants suggest that IAA conjugation is the critical mechanism to regulate free IAA concentration. The purpose of this investigation is to characterize the biochemical ability of one charophyte and 23 land plants ranging from liverworts to angiosperms to produce IAA conjugates, and to study the complexity of their conjugation patterns. Actively growing tissue was incubated with ¹⁴C-IAA, after which labeled IAA conjugates were separated using thin-layer chromatography. The conjugates were analyzed using radioimaging techniques and their tentative identity assigned by co-chromatography and/or by differential hydrolysis. The charophyte and the liverworts appear unable to conjugate IAA. The mosses and the hornwort are able to conjugate IAA into a few amide and ester conjugates. The tracheophytes examined synthesize several conjugates unique to the vascular plants, indole-3-acetyl-aspartic acid (-glutamic acid) and/or indole-3-acetyl-β-1-O-glucose, as well as a variety of other amide and ester conjugates. These three conjugation patterns are correlated to the type of conducting tissue characteristic of the plants analyzed. These biochemical differences may be indicative of significative differences in the hormonal regulation in these plant groups, thus suggesting that changes in IAA regulation accompanied the major evolutionary events in land plants.     

Climate signals in Palaeozoic land plants

The Palaeozoic is regarded as a period in which it is difficult to recognize climate signals in land plants because they have few or no close extant relatives. In addition early, predominantly axial, representatives lack the features, e.g. leaf laminae, secondary growth, used later as qualitative and quantitive measures of past climates. Exceptions are stomata, and the preliminary results of a case study of a single taxon present throughout the Devonian, and analysis of stomatal complex anatomy attempt to disentangle evolutionary, taxonomic, habitat and atmospheric effects on stomatal frequencies. Ordovician-Silurian vegetation is represented mainly by spores whose widespread global distribution on palaeocontinental reconstructions with inferred climates suggest that the producers were independent of major climate variables, probably employing the physiology and behavioural strategies of extant bryophytes, further characterized by small size. Growth-ring studies, first possible on Mid-Devonian plants, have proved most informative in elucidating the climate at high palaeolatitudes in Late Permian Gondwana. Changes in the composition of Carboniferous-Permian low-latitude wetland vegetation are discussed in relation to tectonic activity and glaciation, with most confidence placed on the conclusion that major extinctions at the Westphalian-Stephanian boundary in Euramerica resulted from increased seasonality created by changes in circulation patterns at low latitudes imposed by the decrease of glaciations in most parts of Gondwana.     

Competition for land

A key challenge for humanity is how a future global population of 9 billion can all be fed healthily and sustainably. Here, we review how competition for land is influenced by other drivers and pressures, examine land-use change over the past 20 years and consider future changes over the next 40 years.Competition for land, in itself, is not a driver affecting food and farming in the future, but is an emergent property of other drivers and pressures. Modelling studies suggest that future policy decisions in the agriculture, forestry, energy and conservation sectors could have profound effects, with different demands for land to supply multiple ecosystem services usually intensifying competition for land in the future.In addition to policies addressing agriculture and food production, further policies addressing the primary drivers of competition for land (population growth, dietary preference, protected areas, forest policy) could have significant impacts in reducing competition for land. Technologies for increasing per-area productivity of agricultural land will also be necessary. Key uncertainties in our projections of competition for land in the future relate predominantly to uncertainties in the drivers and pressures within the scenarios, in the models and data used in the projections and in the policy interventions assumed to affect the drivers and pressures in the future.     

Doubling protected land area may be inefficient at preserving the extent of undeveloped land and could cause substantial regional shifts in land use

Projection of land use and land-cover change is highly uncertain yet drives critical estimates of carbon emissions, climate change, and food and bioenergy production. We use new, spatially explicit land availability data in conjunction with a model sensitivity analysis to estimate the effects of additional land protection on land use and land cover. The land availability data include protected land and agricultural suitability and is incorporated into the Moirai land data system for initializing the Global Change Analysis Model. Overall, decreasing land availability is relatively inefficient at preserving undeveloped land while having considerable regional land-use impacts. Current amounts of protected area have little effect on land and crop production estimates, but including the spatial distribution of unsuitable (i.e., unavailable) land dramatically shifts bioenergy production from high northern latitudes to the rest of the world, compared with uniform availability. This highlights the importance of spatial heterogeneity in understanding and managing land change. Approximately doubling the current protected area to emulate a 30% protected area target may avoid land conversion by 2050 of less than half the newly protected extent while reducing bioenergy feedstock land by 10.4% and cropland and grazed pasture by over 3%. Regional bioenergy land may be reduced (increased) by up to 46% (36%), cropland reduced by up to 61%, pasture reduced by up to 100%, and harvested forest reduced by up to 35%. Only a few regions show notable gains in some undeveloped land types of up to 36%. Half of the regions can reach the target using only unsuitable land, which would minimize impacts on agriculture but may not meet conservation goals. Rather than focusing on an area target, a more robust approach may be to carefully select newly protected land to meet well-defined conservation goals while minimizing impacts to agriculture.     

Effectiveness of natural protected areas to prevent land use and land cover change in Mexico

This study evaluated the extent to which natural protected areas (NPAs) in Mexico have been effective for preventing land use/land cover change, considered as a major cause of other degradation processes. We developed an effectiveness index including NPA percentage of transformed areas (agriculture, induced vegetation, forestry plantations, and human settlements) in 2002, the rate and absolute extent of change in these areas (1993–2002), the comparison between rates of change observed inside the NPA and in an equivalent surrounding area, and between the NPA and the state(s) in which it is located. We chose 69 terrestrial federal NPAs, decreed before 1997, that were larger than 1,000 ha, not urban/reforested with non-native vegetation, not islands and not coastal strips, and estimated the extent of transformed areas using 1993 and 2002 land use/land cover maps. Over 54% of NPAs were effective, and were heterogeneously distributed by management categories: 65% of Biosphere Reserves, 53% of Flora and Fauna Protection Areas, and 45% of National Parks. 23% of NPAs were regarded as weakly effective, and the remaining 23% as non-effective. We recognize the importance of NPAs as a relevant conservation instrument, as half of NPAs analyzed (particularly biosphere reserves) prevented natural vegetation loss compared with their geographic context. Our results suggest that conservation based on NPAs in Mexico still faces significant challenges. Our approach can be expanded for evaluating the effectiveness of NPA in other regions, as land use/land cover maps are now available almost worldwide.     

中国耕地用途转移对耕地生产力影响的预测与分析

依据DLS模型模拟了未来情景下中国耕地面积及其空间分布特征,在此基础上,应用ESLP估算了栅格尺度上的耕地生产力水平,分析了不同农业生态区耕地生产力的空间分异特征.基于以上两个模型的估算结果,分析了2000—2020中国耕地用途转移对耕地生产力的影响,提炼了影响耕地生产力变化的主要因素.结果表明:在耕地生产力有较大增长空间的地域,提高单位面积耕地生产力比耕地用途转移对耕地生产力总量的影响显著;但对于耕地生产力增长空间较小的地域,耕地用途转移对耕地生产力总量的影响显著.要保障国家粮食安全,既要合理控制耕地转移,保证中国1.2×108hm2耕地红线,又要增加投入、提高管理水平,增加单位面积的粮食产量.