基于森林清查资料的河南省森林植被碳储量动态变化

利用1994—1998年、1999—2003年、2004—2008年、2009—2013年河南省4期森林资源清查数据,运用生物量转换因子连续函数法和平均生物量法,估算了1998—2013年河南省森林植被的碳储量和碳密度变化。研究结果表明,河南省森林植被碳储量由1998年的45.57 Tg增加到2013年的107.98 Tg,年均碳汇量为4.16 Tg/a。乔木林碳储量和碳密度分别由1998年的33.54 Tg和22.39 Mg/hm~2增加到2013年的97.11 Tg和31.80 Mg/hm~2。乔木林碳储量在所有植被类型中占主体,4个森林清查时期乔木林碳储量占森林植被总碳储量的比例分别为73.60%、79.22%、85.63%和89.93%。2013年森林清查时,乔木林中杨树和栎类碳储量最大,分别占总碳储量的37.61%和25.22%,各龄组乔木林碳密度大小顺序依次为成熟林近熟林中龄林过熟林幼龄林。阔叶林面积、碳储量、碳密度均高于针叶林,阔叶林是河南省森林碳汇的主要贡献者。人工林面积、碳储量、碳密度增加幅度都要高于天然林,人工林碳储量由1998年的9.62 Tg增加到2013年的55.67 Tg,占乔木林碳储量总增量的77.15%,人工林碳密度由1998年的17.86 Mg/hm~2提高到2013年的32.01 Mg/hm~2,人工林在河南省森林碳汇中逐步发挥重要的作用,逐渐成为河南省森林碳汇的主体,随着人工林生长为具有较高碳密度的成熟林,河南省乔木林将具有较大的碳汇潜力。     

典型亚热带森林生态系统碳密度及储量空间变异特征

以浙江省森林生态系统为研究对象,基于GIS网格布点,采集了838个森林样地样本(土壤、枯落物等),结合浙江省森林资源监测中心相关数据,利用地统计学和Moran's I相结合的方法系统研究了浙江省森林生态系统碳密度及碳储量空间变异特征。结果表明:浙江省森林生态系统平均碳密度为145.22 t/hm~2,其中森林植被、土壤、枯落物和枯死木层碳密度分别为27.34、108.89、1.79、1.38 t/hm~2。克里格空间插值和局部Moran's I指数结果表明碳密度空间分布规律呈现从西南向东北方向逐渐递减的趋势,与浙江省地形、地势较为一致,受海拔、树龄、森林类型、台风气候等自然因素和人类活动共同影响。浙江省森林生态系统碳储量为877.19 Tg C,森林植被、土壤、枯落物和枯死木层碳储量分别为203.88、656.20、10.84、6.27 Tg C,分别占总碳储量的23%、75%、1.3%、0.7%。在浙江省森林生态系统碳储量空间分布格局中,土壤层是森林生态系统中最大的碳库,约是森林植被层的3.22倍,是整个浙江省森林生态系统碳储量最主要的贡献者。浙江省森林资源丰富,大多数森林仍处于中幼龄林阶段,碳密度水平较低,但是中幼龄林生长速度较快,加强对全省中幼龄林的健康管理,是未来整体提升浙江省森林生态系统固碳潜力的关键。     

1981-2019年华北平原农田土壤有机碳储量的时空变化及影响机制

农业土壤具有可观的固碳及减碳潜力,有助于减缓人类温室气体排放导致的气候变化。为了更好地了解华北平原土壤有机碳储量动态及其驱动因子,结合荟萃分析、随机森林机器学习模型和卫星遥感数据,研究了1981-2019年间中国华北平原农田土壤有机碳储量的时空变化及其驱动因子。结果表明,1981-2019年间华北平原0-20 cm农田土壤有机碳储量约为（523.10±79.36） Tg C （（14.56±1.66） Mg C/hm²）,并以5.94 Tg C/a （0.12 Mg C hm^-2 a^-1）的年固持速率稳步增长,占比约为中国农田每年新增土壤有机碳的23.3%。其中,常规农田管理措施,包括无机肥施用、有机肥施用和秸秆还田,对土壤有机碳增长的贡献平均为25.1%,即1.49 Tg C/a （0.03 Mg C hm^-2 a^-1）。相比对照组,氮磷钾无机肥施用可提高22.7%-26.0%的土壤有机碳固定速率,有机肥可提高48.3%,秸秆还田可提高23.4%。同时,上述常规农田管理措施对土壤有机碳的积累作用受到土壤本身理化性质的调控,在温度和降水较高的气候条件下更显著。值得注意的是,无论是无机肥施用、有机肥施用还是秸秆还田,当投入量超过农作物和土壤微生物对碳和养分的需求时,土壤有机碳累积速率会显著下降。这也导致2000年后土壤有机碳固持速率明显减缓,由9.4 Tg C/a下降为3.5 Tg C/a。总的来说,过去几十年农田管理措施的改进显著提高了华北平原农田土壤有机碳的增加速率,而未来华北平原农田系统固碳潜力仍然可观,但亟待明确在保证粮食产量的同时不同气候和土壤环境条件下最佳固碳所需的化肥、有机肥和秸秆投入量。     

Valuing urban green spaces in mitigating climate change: A city‐wide estimate of aboveground carbon stored in urban green spaces of China's Capital

Urban green spaces provide manifold environmental benefits and promote human well‐being. Unfortunately, these services are largely undervalued, and the potential of urban areas themselves to mitigate future climate change has received little attention. In this study, we quantified and mapped city‐wide aboveground carbon storage of urban green spaces in China's capital, Beijing, using field survey data of diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height from 326 field survey plots, combined with satellite‐derived vegetation index at a fine resolution of 6 m. We estimated the total amount of carbon stored in the urban green spaces to be 956.3 Gg (1 Gg = 10⁹ g) in 2014. There existed great spatial heterogeneity in vegetation carbon density varying from 0 to 68.1 Mg C ha^‐1, with an average density of 7.8 Mg C ha^?1. As expected, carbon density tended to decrease with urban development intensity (UDI). Likely being affected by vegetation cover proportion and configuration of green space patches, large differences were presented between the 95th and 5th quantile carbon density for each UDI bin, showing great potential for carbon sequestration. However, the interquartile range of carbon density narrowed drastically when UDI reached 60%, signifying a threshold for greatly reduced carbon sequestration potentials for higher UDI. These findings suggested that urban green spaces have great potential to make contribution to mitigating against future climate change if we plan and design urban green spaces following the trajectory of high carbon density, but we should be aware that such potential will be very limited when the urban development reaches certain intensity threshold.     

松嫩平原农田土壤有机碳变化及固碳潜力估算

基于1979—1985年全国第二次土壤普查和2015年实地采样数据,利用土壤类型法计算了近35年来松嫩平原及其各县农田表层土壤有机碳密度和土壤碳库储量;并分析了松嫩平原农田土壤有机碳密度的空间分布及变化特征;利用饱和值法对松嫩平原及其各县市农田土壤有机碳量的变化趋势进行拟合,估算其农田土壤的固碳潜力。结果表明:(1)2015年松嫩平原农田表层土壤有机碳密度平均值为1.61 kg/m~2,近35年来约有81.59%的农田土壤有机碳密度呈下降趋势,集中分布在松嫩平原北部、东部和东南部地区,以富裕县东部、依安县中部、肇东县西部、扶余县西部等地区土壤有机碳密度下降幅度最大;(2)2015年松嫩平原农田表层土壤有机碳库总储量为233.63 Tg,比全国第二次土壤普查减少了32.62 Tg;(3)2015年松嫩平原农田表层土壤总固碳潜力为-32.7 TgC,呈现出"碳源"趋势,农田土壤单位面积固碳潜力平均值为-1.793×10~(-3)Tg/km~2。     

Density and Stability of Soil Organic Carbon beneath Impervious Surfaces in Urban Areas

Installation of impervious surfaces in urban areas has attracted increasing attention due to its potential hazard to urban ecosystems. Urban soils are suggested to have robust carbon (C) sequestration capacity; however, the C stocks and dynamics in the soils covered by impervious surfaces that dominate urban areas are still not well characterized. We compared soil organic C (SOC) densities and their stabilities under impervious surface, determined by a 28-d incubation experiment, with those in open areas in Yixing City, China. The SOC density (0–20 cm) under impervious surfaces was, on average, 68% lower than that in open areas. Furthermore, there was a significantly (P<0.05) positive correlation between the densities of SOC and total nitrogen (N) in the open soils, whereas the correlation was not apparent for the impervious-covered soils, suggesting that the artificial soil sealing in urban areas decoupled the cycle of C and N. Cumulative CO₂-C evolved during the 28-d incubation was lower from the impervious-covered soils than from the open soils, and agreed well with a first-order decay model (C _t = C ₁+C ₀(1-e ^-kt)). The model results indicated that the SOC underlying capped surfaces had weaker decomposability and lower turnover rate. Our results confirm the unique character of urban SOC, especially that beneath impervious surface, and suggest that scientific and management views on regional SOC assessment may need to consider the role of urban carbon stocks.     

Understory vegetation should not be ignored in the estimation of forest carbon stocks in Qilian Mountains National Nature Reserve

The Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve is an important ecological barrier in northwestern China; therefore, it is of great importance to accurately evaluate the carbon storage of its main arbor forest. In this study, the Tianlaochi Basin of Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve was used as the research area to measure the carbon storage of the main arbor forests and determine the relationship between neglect of understory vegetation and errors in estimated carbon storages. The results showed that: (1) The total carbon storages of Picea crassifolia and Sabina przewalskii in Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve were 6.05 × 10⁷ and 9.48 × 10⁶ Mg and the carbon density were 426.07 Mg/hm² and 338.72 Mg/hm², respectively. (2) The understory carbon storage of Picea crassifolia and Sabina przewalskii accounted for 7.03% and 5.5% of the total carbon storage, respectively (6.81% combined). When the understory vegetation was neglected, the carbon storage in Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve was estimated to be less than 9.72 × 10⁵ Mg. (3) There are large areas of Picea and Sabina forests worldwide; therefore, ignoring understory vegetation in these systems when estimating the carbon stock will lead to underestimations. Our research can provide a reference when estimating the carbon storage of similar tree species.     

China's wetland soil organic carbon pool: New estimation on pool size,change, and trajectory

Robust estimates of wetland soil organic carbon (SOC) pools are critical to understanding wetland carbon dynamics in the global carbon cycle. However, previous estimates were highly variable and uncertain, due likely to the data sources and method used. Here we used machine learning method to estimate SOC storage and their changes over time in China's wetlands based on wetland SOC density database, associated geospatial environmental data, and recently published wetland maps. We built a database of wetland SOC density in China that contains 809 samples from 181 published studies collected over the last 20 years as presented in the published literature. All samples were extended and standardized to a 1-m depth, on the basis of the relationship between SOC density data from soil profiles of different depths. We used three different machine learning methods to evaluate their robustness in estimating wetland SOC storage and changes in China. The results indicated that random forest model achieved accurate wetland SOC estimation with R² being .65. The results showed that average SOC density of top 1 m in China's wetlands was 25.03 ± 3.11 kg C m⁻² in 2000 and 26.57 ± 3.73 kg C m⁻² in 2020, an increase of 6.15%. SOC storage change from 4.73 ± 0.58 Pg in 2000 to 4.35 ± 0.61 Pg in 2020, a decrease of 8.03%, due to 13.6% decreased in wetland area from 189.12 × 10³ to 162.8 × 10³ km² in 2020, despite the increase in SOC density during the same time period. The carbon accumulation rate was 107.5 ± 12.4 g C m⁻² year⁻¹ since 2000 in wetlands with no area changes. Climate change caused variations in wetland SOC density, and a future warming and drying climate would lead to decreases in wetland SOC storage. Estimates under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 1-2.6 (low-carbon emissions) suggested that wetland SOC storage in China would not change significantly by 2100, but under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5-8.5 (high-carbon emissions), it would decrease significantly by approximately 5.77%. In this study, estimates of wetland SOC storage were optimized from three aspects, including sample database, wetland extent, and estimation method. Our study indicates the importance of using consistent SOC density and extent data in estimating and projecting wetland SOC storage.     

The changes in China's forests: an analysis using the Forest Identity

Changes in forest carbon stocks are a determinant of the regional carbon budget. In the past several decades, China has experienced a pronounced increase in forest area and density. However, few comprehensive analyses have been conducted. In this study, we employed the Forest Identity concept to evaluate the changing status of China''s forests over the past three decades, using national forest inventory data of five periods (1977–1981, 1984–1988, 1989–1993, 1994–1998, and 1999–2003). The results showed that forest area and growing stock density increased by 0.51% and 0.44% annually over the past three decades, while the conversion ratio of forest biomass to growing stock declined by 0.10% annually. These developments resulted in a net annual increase of 0.85% in forest carbon sequestration, which is equivalent to a net biomass carbon uptake of 43.8 Tg per year (1 Tg = 10¹² g). This increase can be attributed to the national reforestation/afforestation programs, environmentally enhanced forest growth and economic development as indicated by the average gross domestic product.     

Carbon budgets of wetland ecosystems in China

Wetlands contain a large proportion of carbon (C) in the biosphere and partly affect climate by regulating C cycles of terrestrial ecosystems. China contains Asia's largest wetlands, accounting for about 10% of the global wetland area. Although previous studies attempted to estimate C budget in China's wetlands, uncertainties remain. We conducted a synthesis to estimate C uptake and emission of wetland ecosystems in China using a dataset compiled from published literature. The dataset comprised 193 studies, including 370 sites representing coastal, river, lake and marsh wetlands across China. In addition, C stocks of different wetlands in China were estimated using unbiased data from the China Second Wetlands Survey. The results showed that China's wetlands sequestered 16.87 Pg C (315.76 Mg C/ha), accounting for about 3.8% of C stocks in global wetlands. Net ecosystem productivity, jointly determined by gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration, exhibited annual C sequestration of 120.23 Tg C. China's wetlands had a total gaseous C loss of 173.20 Tg C per year from soils, including 154.26 Tg CO₂‐C and 18.94 Tg CH₄‐C emissions. Moreover, C stocks, uptakes and gaseous losses varied with wetland types, and were affected by geographic location and climatic factors (precipitation and temperature). Our results provide better estimation of the C budget in China's wetlands and improve understanding of their contribution to the global C cycle in the context of global climate change.     

Storage and sequestration potential of topsoil organic carbon in China's paddy soils

Carbon (C) storage and sequestration in agricultural soils is considered to be an important issue in the study of terrestrial C cycling and global climatic change. The baseline C stock and the C sequestration potential are among the criteria for a region or a state to adopt strategies or policies in response to commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. Paddy soils represent a large portion of global cropland. However, little information on the potential of C sequestration and storage is available for such soils. In this paper, an estimation of the topsoil soil organic carbon (SOC) pool and the sequestration potential of paddy soils in China was made by using the data from the 2nd State Soil Survey carried out during 1979–1982 and from the nationwide arable soil monitoring system established since then. Results showed that the SOC density ranged from 12 to 226 t C ha^?1 with an area‐weighted mean density of 44 t C ha^?1, which is comparable to that of the US grasslands and is higher than that of the cultivated dryland soils in China and the US. The estimated total topsoil SOC pool is 1.3 Pg, with 0.85 Pg from the upper plow layer and 0.45 Pg from the plowpan layer. This pool size is ～2% of China's total storage in the top 1 m of the soil profiles and ～4% of the total topsoil pool, while the area percentage of paddy soil is 3.4% of the total land. The C pool in paddy soils was found predominantly in southeast China geographically and in the subgroups of Fe‐accumulating and Fe‐leaching paddy soils pedogenetically. In comparison with dryland cultivation, irrigation‐based rice cultivation in China has induced significant enrichment of SOC storage (0.3 Pg) in paddy soils. The induced total C sequestration equals half of China's total annual CO₂ emission in the 1990s. Estimates using different SOC sequestration scenarios show that the paddy soils of China have an easily attainable SOC sequestration potential of 0.7 Pg under present conditions and may ultimately sequester 3.0 Pg. Soil monitoring data showed that the current C sequestration rate is 12 Tg yr^?1. The total C sequestration potential and the current sequestration rate of the paddy soils are over 30%, while the area of the paddy soils is 26% that of China's total croplands. Therefore, practicing sustainable agriculture is urgently needed for enhancing SOC storage to realize the ultimate SOC sequestration of rice‐based agriculture of China, as the current C sequestration rate is significantly lower than the potential rate.     

Indonesia’s blue carbon: a globally significant and vulnerable sink for seagrass and mangrove carbon

The global significance of carbon storage in Indonesia’s coastal wetlands was assessed based on published and unpublished measurements of the organic carbon content of living seagrass and mangrove biomass and soil pools. For seagrasses, median above- and below-ground biomass was 0.29 and 1.13 Mg C ha^?1 respectively; the median soil pool was 118.1 Mg C ha^?1. Combining plant biomass and soil, median carbon storage in an Indonesian seagrass meadow is 119.5 Mg C ha^?1. Extrapolated to the estimated total seagrass area of 30,000 km², the national storage value is 368.5 Tg C. For mangroves, median above- and below-ground biomass was 159.1 and 16.7 Mg C ha^?1, respectively; the median soil pool was 774.7 Mg C ha^?1. The median carbon storage in an Indonesian mangrove forest is 950.5 Mg C ha^?1. Extrapolated to the total estimated mangrove area of 31,894 km², the national storage value is 3.0 Pg C, a likely underestimate if these habitats sequester carbon at soil depths >1 m and/or sequester inorganic carbon. Together, Indonesia’s seagrasses and mangroves conservatively account for 3.4 Pg C, roughly 17 % of the world’s blue carbon reservoir. Continued degradation and destruction of these wetlands has important consequences for CO₂ emissions and dissolved carbon exchange with adjacent coastal waters. We estimate that roughly 29,040 Gg CO₂ (eq.) is returned annually to the atmosphere–ocean pool. This amount is equivalent to about 3.2 % of Indonesia’s annual emissions associated with forest and peat land conversion. These results highlight the urgent need for blue carbon and REDD+ projects as a means to stem the decline in wetland area and to mitigate the release of a significant fraction of the world’s coastal carbon stores.     

2004-2013年山东省森林碳储量及其碳汇经济价值

森林作为陆地生态系统的主体,其林分碳储量及其碳汇经济价值的估算是全球碳循环研究的热点和重要内容。基于2004-2008年和2009-2013年山东省森林资源清查数据以及实测样地数据改进的生物量蓄积量转换参数,利用生物量转换因子连续函数法,估算2004-2013年山东省森林碳储量及其碳汇经济价值动态。研究结果表明,2004-2013年山东省森林面积、碳储量和碳密度分别从2004-2008年的156.12×10⁴hm²、34.75Tg C和22.26Mg C/hm²增加到2009-2013年161.44×10⁴hm²、43.98Tg C和27.24Mg C/hm²。人工林是森林面积、碳储量和碳密度增加的主要贡献者,人工林和天然林对森林生物量碳汇的贡献分别为97.3%和2.7%。两次森林清查期间,杨树和硬阔软阔类森林的碳储量之和分别占全省总量的70.2%和69.6%,杨树的碳储量和碳密度增加最为显著。各龄组森林碳储量由大到小依次为：幼龄林 > 中龄林 > 成熟林 > 近熟林 > 过熟林。森林碳汇经济价值从2004-2008年的243.37亿元增长到2009-2013年的253.42亿元,年均增长2.01亿元,杨树的碳汇经济价值占全省所有森林类型的60%,赤松单位面积碳汇经济价值最强为2.08万元/ha。     

Review of Carbon Fixation in Bamboo Forests in China

Bamboo is widespread in the subtropics and tropics of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The total area of bamboo forests of various species is 22.0?×?10⁶ ha, accounting for about 1.0% of the total global area of forest. Although the total forest areas in many countries have decreased drastically, bamboo forests have increased at a rate of 3% annually. China has the richest resources of bamboo in the world, with over 500 species in 39 genera. Carbon storage of vegetation, soils, and litter in bamboo forest system in China was 0.2511?×?10¹⁵, 0.8516?×?10¹⁵, and 0.0361?×?10¹⁵ g C, respectively, giving a total of 1.1388?×?10¹⁵ g C. This paper reviews carbon storage of vegetation, soils, and litter in bamboo forest system and compares the carbon fixation abilities of bamboo forest ecosystems with those of other tree species in subtropical China.     

Soil organic carbon stocks in China and changes from 1980s to 2000s

The estimation of the size and changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is of great importance for decision makers to adopt proper measures to protect soils and to develop strategies for mitigation of greenhouse gases. In this paper, soil data from the Second State Soil Survey of China (SSSSC) conducted in the early 1980s and data published in the last 5 years were used to estimate the size of SOC stocks over the whole profile and their changes in China in last 20 years. Soils were identified as paddy, upland, forest, grassland or waste‐land soils and an improved soil bulk density estimation method was used to estimate missing bulk density data. In the early 1980s, total SOC stocks were estimated at 89.61 Pg (1 Pg=10³ Tg=10¹⁵ g) in China's 870.94 Mha terrestrial areas covered by 2473 soil series. In the paddy, upland, forest and grassland soils the respective total SOC stocks were 2.91 Pg on 29.87 Mha, 10.07 Pg on 125.89 Mha, 34.23 Pg on 249.32 Mha and 37.71 Pg on 278.51 Mha, respectively. The SOC density of the surface layer ranged from 3.5 Mg ha⁻¹ in Gray Desery grassland soils to 252.6 Mg ha⁻¹ in Mountain Meadow forest soils. The average area‐weighted total SOC density in paddy soils (97.6 Mg ha⁻¹) was higher than that in upland soils (80 Mg ha⁻¹). Soils under forest (137.3 Mg ha⁻¹) had a similar average area‐weighted total SOC density as those under grassland (135.4 Mg ha⁻¹). The annual estimated SOC accumulation rates in farmland and forest soils in the last 20 years were 23.61 and 11.72 Tg, respectively, leading to increases of 0.472 and 0.234 Pg SOC in farmland and forest areas, respectively. In contrast, SOC under grassland declined by 3.56 Pg due to the grassland degradation over this period. The resulting estimated net SOC loss in China's soils over the last 20 years was 2.86 Pg. The documented SOC accumulation in farmland and forest soils could thus not compensate for the loss of SOC in grassland soils in the last 20 years. There were, however, large regional differences: Soils in China's South and Eastern parts acted mainly as C sinks, increasing their average topsoil SOC by 132 and 145 Tg, respectively. In contrast, in the Northwest, Northeast, Inner Mongolia and Tibet significant losses of 1.38, 0.21, 0.49 and 1.01 Pg of SOC, respectively, were estimated over the last 20 years. These results highlight the importance to take measures to protect grassland and to improve management practices to increase C sequestration in farmland and forest soils.     

东北森林带森林生态系统固碳服务空间特征及其影响因素

东北森林带作为国家主体生态区划"两屏三带"国家生态安全格局中的重要组成部分,在全球碳平衡中发挥着重要的碳汇作用。以东北森林带为研究区域,采用净生态系统生产力(NEP)评估其森林固碳服务,通过Anselin Local Moran's Ⅰ算法识别固碳服务的"热点"、"冷点"和"异常点",并分析探讨其空间格局与影响因素。结果表明:(1)东北森林带森林生态系统整体上是碳汇。2014年东北森林带森林固碳总量为36.41 Tg C/a,单位面积固碳量为89.57 g C m~(-2)a~(-1)。(2)固碳服务的热点区主要分布在大兴安岭北部和长白山中北部,冷点区主要分布在大兴安岭东部、小兴安岭和长白山南部,固碳服务的高值异常区域主要分布在森林边缘的农林交错带,低值异常区域主要分布在人为干扰严重的城市蔓延区。(3)东北森林带森林生态系统整体上受人为因素的影响小,其固碳服务与NDVI显著正相关。(4)城市扩张等人为干扰是固碳服务异常降低的根本原因,植被本身生长状况不佳和较高的温度是导致固碳服务的异常降低的重要影响因素。     

Antiretroviral Therapy Reduces HIV Transmission in Discordant Couples in Rural Yunnan,China

Background

Although HIV treatment as prevention (TasP) via early antiretroviral therapy (ART) has proven to reduce transmissions among HIV-serodiscordant couples, its full implementation in developing countries remains a challenge. In this study, we determine whether China''s current HIV treatment program prevents new HIV infections among discordant couples in rural China.

Methods

A prospective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted from June 2009 to March 2011, in rural Yunnan. A total of 1,618 HIV-discordant couples were eligible, 1,101 were enrolled, and 813 were followed for an average of 1.4 person-years (PY). Routine ART was prescribed to HIV-positive spouses according to eligibility (CD4<350 cells/µl). Seroconversion was used to determine HIV incidence.

Results

A total of 17 seroconversions were documented within 1,127 PY of follow-up, for an overall incidence of 1.5 per 100 PY. Epidemiological and genetic evidence confirmed that all 17 seroconverters were infected via marital secondary sexual transmission. Having an ART-experienced HIV-positive partner was associated with a lower rate of seroconvertion compared with having an ART-naïve HIV-positive partner (0.8 per 100 PY vs. 2.4 per 100 PY, HR = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.12–0.97, p = 0.0436). While we found that ART successfully suppressed plasma viral load to <400 copies/ml in the majority of cases (85.0% vs. 19.5%, p<0.0001 at baseline), we did document five seroconversions among ART-experienced subgroup.

Conclusions

ART is associated with a 66% reduction in HIV incidence among discordant couples in our sample, demonstrating the effectiveness of China''s HIV treatment program at preventing new infections, and providing support for earlier ART initiation and TasP implementation in this region.     

广西主要森林植被碳储量及其影响因素

广西森林面积和覆盖率位居全国前列,在全国和区域碳平衡中起着至关重要的作用。正确评价广西森林植被碳储量、碳储量的时空格局及其影响因素对我国碳循环及碳汇研究具有十分重要的意义。为阐明广西森林植被碳储量分布格局及其主要影响因素,基于广西10类主要森林类型345个样地的调查,结合森林资源清查资料,估算广西主要森林植被碳储量,探讨广西不同森林类型、不同龄组、不同层次的碳储量组成与分配。采用地统计学方法描绘了植被碳密度空间分布,并采用主成分分析方法和回归分析方法分析了植被碳储量的影响因素。结果表明:广西主要森林植被总碳储量达到746.06 Tg(1Tg=10~(12) g),平均碳密度为55.37 t/hm~2,松树、杉木、桉树、栎类、软阔、硬阔、石山林、竹林、八角和油茶林对广西植被碳储量的贡献比例分别为26.83%、12.28%、6.67%、3.03%、20.37%、16.32%、10.84%、0.88%、1.38%和1.39%。各森林类型植被碳密度介于20.77—108.28 t/hm~2,大小顺序为硬阔软阔松树杉木栎类石山林桉树八角竹林油茶。广西区森林植被碳密度在7.05—219.73 t/hm~2之间,总体表现为广西北部、西南部和广西东部存在高值区,广西中部和东南部有明显的低值区。碳储量以乔木层占优势,且随林龄增大呈逐渐增加的趋势。影响广西植被碳储量的主控因子是平均胸径、林龄和林分密度,经度、碱解氮、全氮、有机碳是影响碳储量的关键因子。     

Polymorphisms in the TNFA and IL6 Genes Represent Risk Factors for Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Background

Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) comprises diseases including Hashimoto''s thyroiditis and Graves'' disease, both characterized by reactivity to autoantigens causing, respectively, inflammatory destruction and autoimmune stimulation of the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor. AITD is the most common thyroid disease and the leading form of autoimmune disease in women. Cytokines are key regulators of the immune and inflammatory responses; therefore, genetic variants at cytokine-encoding genes are potential risk factors for AITD.

Methods

Polymorphisms in the IL6-174 G/C (rs1800795), TNFA-308 G/A (rs1800629), IL1B-511 C/T (rs16944), and IFNGR1-56 T/C (rs2234711) genes were assessed in a case-control study comprising 420 Hashimoto''s thyroiditis patients, 111 Graves'' disease patients and 735 unrelated controls from Portugal. Genetic variants were discriminated by real-time PCR using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays.

Results

A significant association was found between the allele A in TNFA-308 G/A and Hashimoto''s thyroiditis, both in the dominant (OR = 1.82, CI = 1.37–2.43, p-value = 4.4×10⁻⁵) and log-additive (OR = 1.64, CI = 1.28–2.10, p-value = 8.2×10⁻⁵) models. The allele C in IL6-174 G/C is also associated with Hashimoto''s thyroiditis, however, only retained significance after multiple testing correction in the log-additive model (OR = 1.28, CI = 1.06–1.54, p-value = 8.9×10⁻³). The group with Graves'' disease also registered a higher frequency of the allele A in TNFA-308 G/A compared with controls both in the dominant (OR = 1.85, CI = 1.19–2.87, p-value = 7.0×10⁻³) and log-additive (OR = 1.69, CI = 1.17–2.44, p-value = 6.6×10⁻³) models. The risk for Hashimoto''s thyroiditis and Graves'' disease increases with the number of risk alleles (OR for two risk alleles is, respectively, 2.27 and 2.59).

Conclusions

This study reports significant associations of genetic variants in TNFA and IL6 with the risk for AITD, highlighting the relevance of polymorphisms in inflammation-related genes in the etiopathogenesis of AITD.     

Campylobacteriosis in Urban versus Rural Areas: A Case-Case Study Integrated with Molecular Typing to Validate Risk Factors and to Attribute Sources of Infection

Campylobacter infection is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, and most clinical cases appear as isolated, sporadic infections for which the source is rarely apparent. From July 2005 to December 2007 we conducted a prospective case-case study of sporadic, domestically-acquired Campylobacter enteritis in rural versus urban areas and a prevalence study of Campylobacter in animal and environmental sources in the Eastern Townships, Quebec. Isolates were typed using Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) to reinforce the case-case findings and to assign a source probability estimate for each human isolate. The risk of human campylobacteriosis was 1.89-fold higher in rural than urban areas. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis identified two independent risk factors associated with human Campylobacter infections acquired in rural area: occupational exposure to animals (OR = 10.6, 95% CI: 1.2–91, p = 0.032), and household water coming from a private well (OR = 8.3, 95% CI: 3.4–20.4, p<0.0001). A total of 851 C. jejuni isolates (178 human, 257 chicken, 87 bovine, 266 water, 63 wild bird) were typed using MLST. Among human isolates, the incidence rates of clonal complexes (CC) CC-21, CC-45, and CC-61 were higher in rural than urban areas. MLST-based source attribution analysis indicated that 64.5% of human C. jejuni isolates were attributable to chicken, followed by cattle (25.8%), water (7.4%), and wild birds (2.3%). Chicken was the attributable source for the majority of cases, independent of residential area, sex and age. The increased incidence in rural compared to urban areas was associated with occupational exposure to animals, particularly cattle among those aged 15–34 years, and with consumption of private well water. Both bovine and water exposure appeared to contribute to the seasonal variation in campylobacteriosis. These results provide a basis for developing public education and preventive programs targeting the risk factors identified.