Early Miocene vegetation and climate in Weichang District, North China

The Early Miocene palynological assemblage of Guangfayong (GFY) in the Weichang District, Hebei Province, China has been studied. It consists of 48 palynomorphs belonging to 39 families, with pollen and spores belonging to angiosperms (28.9%), gymnosperms (59.9%), ferns (10.8%) and other elements (0.5%). Based on the palynological assemblages of GFY and Wuluogong (WLG), another locality in the Weichang District, the Early Miocene vegetation of the Weichang District, was characterized by a mixed temperate forest of conifers (e.g. Pinus, Picea, Tsuga) and broad-leaved trees (e.g. Betula, Alnus), with some subtropical plants (e.g. Carya). The palaeoclimatic parameters of Guangfayong were obtained by applying the Coexistence Approach: the mean annual temperature from 7.8 to 14.9 °C, the difference of temperature between the coldest and warmest months from 14.2 to 23 °C, the mean temperature of the coldest month from − 3 to 5.9 °C, the mean temperature of the warmest month from 23.5 to 25.4 °C, the mean annual precipitation from 658.7 to 1389.4 mm, the minimum monthly precipitation from 7.6 to 16.4 mm, and the maximum monthly precipitation from 161.4 to 205.9 mm. It suggests a warm temperate to subtropical climate in Weichang District, similar to that of present-day Zhaojue City, Sichuan Province in the Yangtze River Valley. When the palaeoclimatic parameters were compared with those of Middle Miocene Shanwang Basin, it would seem that the temperature and precipitation were a little higher in the Middle Miocene of eastern China. However, if the latitudinal temperature gradient at that time is considered, the median temperature values of GFY of Early Miocene and Shanwang of Mid-Miocene were similar.     

中国“平原-山地”地形过渡带NDVI时空变异与气候响应

研究地形过渡带植被的地形效应,边缘效应,及其对纬度、气候变化的响应,将为我国山地生态格局和资源禀赋的深层认知提供地学参考。利用1982—2015年第三代全球库存建模和制图研究归一化植被指数数据集(GIMMS NDVI3g v1)和年均气温、降水等气象数据,分别进行最大值合成、趋势分析、突变分析、变异分析和相关分析,揭示了中国近南北走向的“平原-山地”地形过渡带(简称“地形过渡带”)植被物候的时空变化规律及对气候变化的响应特征。研究表明：(1)“地形过渡带”跨越一年三熟的低纬度地区,到一年两熟的中纬度地区,再到一年一熟的高纬度地区的周期性植被物候特征区;(2)34年间,年际NDVI整体呈增长趋势,其中植被改善区域占58.84%;年内分析表明“地形过渡带”植被生长期(LOS)变化率-3.16 d/纬度;(3)34年间“地形过渡带”的年均气温呈现升高趋势,每10年上升速率为0.098—0.386℃之间;年均降水呈现减少趋势,每10年下降速率为8.29—31.82 mm;(4)34年间NDVI变异系数结果表明,研究区NDVI低波动变化和相对较低波动变化的面积占比达95.52%,说明研究区植被呈...     

Phytoplankton decline in the eastern North Pacific transition zone associated with atmospheric blocking

Global climate change can significantly influence oceanic phytoplankton dynamics, and thus biogeochemical cycles and marine food webs. However, associative explanations based on the correlation between chlorophyll‐a concentration (Chl‐a) and climatic indices is inadequate to describe the mechanism of the connection between climate change, large‐scale atmospheric dynamics, and phytoplankton variability. Here, by analyzing multiple satellite observations of Chl‐a and atmospheric conditions from National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis datasets, we show that high‐latitude atmospheric blocking events over Alaska are the primary drivers of the recent decline of Chl‐a in the eastern North Pacific transition zone. These blocking events were associated with the persistence of large‐scale atmosphere pressure fields that decreased westerly winds and southward Ekman transport over the subarctic ocean gyre. Reduced southward Ekman transport leads to reductions in nutrient availability to phytoplankton in the transition zone. The findings describe a previously unidentified climatic factor that contributed to the recent decline of phytoplankton in this region and propose a mechanism of the top‐down teleconnection between the high‐latitude atmospheric circulation anomalies and the subtropical oceanic primary productivity. The results also highlight the importance of understanding teleconnection among atmosphere–ocean interactions as a means to anticipate future climate change impacts on oceanic primary production.     

中国北方农牧交错带优化生态-生产范式

中国北方农牧交错带具有生态、生产双重功能,在国民经济发展中具有重要战略地位。构建优化生态生产范式是对其进行科学管理的一种有效方式。优化生态-生产范式是应用生态经济学原理与系统科学方法,以生态恢复与重建为目标,以多用途资源利用和景观生态设计为核心,以生物-自然和社会-经济综合分析为基础,结合现代科学成果和传统农牧业技术的精华而建立起来的结构优化、功能持续、经济可行的农林牧复合经营系统的范例。文章对优化生态生产范式的配置以及配套技术的研究现状进行了综述,提出在构建优化生态生产范式的过程中应当遵守规模的发展与土地承载能力相适应的原则、限制因子原则、景观异质性与尺度的原则以及生态、经济和社会效益统一的原则。针对目前范式研究中着重经济效益、研究尺度单一、缺乏学科间的综合和集成、效益评价体系不完善等一些问题,指出了今后范式研究的趋势,认为今后的研究应重视基础理论和应用技术的研究、对现有范式进行调整和优化、建立统一的评价体系、量化范式适宜程度和优化程度。在基础研究方面应主要集中在主要的农业生态系统对不同人为干扰响应的形式和实质,研究确定一系列重要的生态经济阈值;应用技术方面应注重于调整产业结构,积极发展高科技产业,提高产投比。对范式实施后的各项生态经济指标进行动态监测,从而对范式进行适时调整与优化。对不同范式取得的效益进行横向的、定量的研究,选择出最优的范式。同时,学科间的融入将成为范式研究中的又一特点。     

Reassessing the impact of North Atlantic Oscillation on the sub-Saharan vegetation productivity

The Northern Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has been shown to have a significant impact on the terrestrial ecosystem in the Sahelian region of Africa during the 1980s, and it has been strongly suggested that NAO may be a reliable predictor for the response of the Sahelian ecosystem to global climate variability. Using data from an extended period, we provide a reassessment for the impact of NAO on the Sahelian climate and ecosystem, and show that there is no consistent relationship between NAO and the ecosystem over Sahel. Statistical analysis on the NAO, vegetation, and precipitation data indicates that NAO influences the Sahelian vegetation productivity exclusively through its impact on precipitation. However, the relationship between the NAO index and Sahelian precipitation varies substantially with time. The correlation coefficient fluctuates between positive and negative values, and does not pass the 5% significance test during most of the twentieth century. The NAO system, although documented to govern the ecosystem dynamics over many other regions, does not have a consistent impact on the ecosystem over the Sahel. Therefore, the NAO index cannot produce a useful prediction on the ecosystem variability and changes in this region. This study provides an example that correlations based on short climate and ecological records (less than 20 years in this case) can be spurious and potentially misleading.     

Linear spectrum and non-linear complexity features of lumbar muscle surface electromyography between people with and without non-specific chronic low back pain during Biering-Sorensen test

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the electromyographic parameters of lumbar muscles during the Biering-Sorensen test (BST) in people with and without non-specific chronic low back pain (NCLBP).Materials and methodsThirteen healthy controls and thirteen NCLBP patients participated in the current study, where they performed the 90s-BST, while the surface electromyography (sEMG) was recorded from the erector spinae (ES) at L1 and L3 level and lumbar multifidus (LM) at L5 level, bilaterally. Spectral and nonlinear analyses were applied by calculating mean power frequency (MPF), fractal dimension (FD) and the percentage of determinism (%DET) in the 10-second non-overlapping time-windows and EMG-EMG coherence during the first half and second half of the BST. Also, the slopes of the linear fitting curves of MPF, FD and %DET were calculated.ResultsNCLBP group had significantly lower rates of changes in MPF, FD and %DET compared to asymptomatic controls in the ES(L3) and LM. Coherence in left–right LM and in the right ES-LM increased significantly in the gamma band in the Control group with no increase in the NCLBP group.ConclusionsOur findings indicated that compared to people with NCLBP, the sEMG signals of lumbar muscles of people without NCLBP were more regular and less complex during the 90s-BST.     

华北地区2001-2014年植被变化对SPEI气象干旱指数多尺度的响应

近年降水量的减少以及全球气候变暖的影响导致我国华北区域干旱程度加剧,影响植被生长状况,使得区域生态环境恶化。基于华北地区2001-2014年的TRMM及MODIS数据,以归一化植被指数NDVI、净初级生产力NPP、植被状态指数VCI作为植被状况表征指数,以标准化降水蒸散指数SPEI作为气象干旱表征指数,对华北地区近年的气象干旱及植被状况时空变化进行评价,并分析植被对干旱的多尺度响应。结果表明：（1）华北地区干旱在西南部地区呈明显加重趋势,东北部地区干旱状况有所好转;针对不同时间尺度的SPEI表示干旱的变化趋势,得出月份尺度干旱呈现干湿交替特征,选取SPEI时间尺度越长,干旱化趋势越明显;（2）NDVI与NPP所反馈的植被长势空间分布略有差异,总体而言华北地区植被状况大部分地区呈好转趋势,但研究区中部部分地区及部分沿海地区植被状况转差;（3）植被状况指数与SPEI指数在大部分地区呈正相关,NPP与SPEI的相关性强于NDVI与SPEI的相关性,且相关程度在草原地区及中高海拔地区最高,林地对干旱的敏感度最弱;各植被类型在植被生长季的多数月份对SPEI-3响应最明显,且在夏季相关程度最高,夏季及其前期的季尺度干旱更易影响植被生长状况,SPEI-12对植被的影响主要表现为影响植被生长季初期的植被状态。     

云南省植被NDVI时间变化特征及其对干旱的响应

基于云南省74个气象站点的1997—2012年逐日降水资料和逐旬SPOT-NDVI值,利用标准化降水蒸散指数(SPEI)多尺度分析了云南省干旱时间和强度演变与NDVI时间动态特征及其相关性分析,进而探讨气候变化对植被的影响。结果表明,1999—2013年云南省年平均NDVI值和年最大NDVI值均呈现波浪式的发展趋势,其趋势线斜率分别为0.0017和0.0011;NDVI年内各月变化情况大体上相同;不同季节NDVI的年际变化特征呈现出显著差异。1997—2012年不同时间尺度SPEI均体现出干旱化加剧的趋势,并随SPEI的时间尺度增大而增大;3个月尺度的SPEI值(SPEI3)结果表明,各月的变化呈现先增大后减小的趋势;SPEI3反映出多年季节水平的干旱强度为:冬季秋季春季夏季。总体上,云南省的年均NDVI与SPEI的相关性极弱,年最大NDVI与SPEI呈正相关;多年月均NDVI与不同尺度SPEI的相关性较强且存在滞后性;不同季节NDVI与SPEI的相关性及滞后性有较大差异,其中冬季NDVI、秋季NDVI与其当年当季SPEI的负相关性较强。     

Investigation of changes in EEG complexity during memory retrieval: the effect of midazolam

The aim of this study is applying nonlinear methods to assess changes in brain dynamics in a placebo-controlled study of midazolam-induced amnesia. Subjects injected with saline and midazolam during study, performed old/new recognition memory tests with EEG recording. Based on previous studies, as midazolam causes anterograde amnesia, we expected that midazolam would affect the EEG’s degree of complexity. Recurrence quantification analysis, and approximate entropy were used in this assessment. These methods compare with other nonlinear techniques such as computation of the correlation dimension, are suitable for non-stationary EEG signals. Our findings suggest that EEG’s complexity decreases during memory retrieval. Although this trend is observed in nonlinear curves related to the midazolam condition, the overall complexity were greater than in the saline condition. This result implies that impaired memory function caused by midazolam is associated with greater EEG’s complexity compared to normal memory retrieval in saline injection.     

Assessing the recent grassland greening trend in a long-term context based on tree-ring analysis: A case study in North China

Records of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and of the productivity of grassland are not long enough to reliably capture natural variation of the grassland dynamics. Herein, we compared a 20-year long growing-season NDVI time series of a typical steppe in North China, and the first principal component (PC1) of four tree-ring width chronologies (based on 69 trees from 3 Pinus tabulaeformis sites and 1 Picea meyeri site) with climate data. Both variables are significantly correlated to each other and to April–July rainfall as well as relative air humidity. This is why PC1 was taken as an indicator of greenness of vegetation in a typical steppe since 1850. The recent greening trend may have happened several times in the past as part of the moisture-driven natural variability. Periods of low growing-season NDVI values derived from tree rings were validated by historical documents. In spite of the ecological complexity, tree-ring analysis provides a simple and efficient method to mirror the key characteristics of the underlying ecological process that was primarily controlled by moisture availability. Thus, tree-ring width time series, clearly documenting the signals of environmental influences, conveys invaluable information about the steppe greenness dynamics and enables us to put the recent greening trend in a long-term context.     

喀斯特关键带植被时空变化及其驱动因素

中国南方喀斯特地区广泛面临着生态问题,植被的保护与恢复倍受关注,对这一区域植被覆盖的进行监测和预测是非常必要的。以MODIS-NDVI为数据源,分析2000—2016年间,研究区不同地质背景,多种土地覆被类型的NDVI时空变化特征及驱动因素。结果表明:(1)从2000—2016年间,研究区植被覆盖整体呈增长趋势;其中喀斯特区域增长情况略优于非喀斯特区域。植被覆盖在空间上呈现东高西低;其中林地的NDVI值最高,耕地次之,依次草地,居民用地,水域,未利用地最低;在林地和耕地中,非喀斯特区域的NDVI值比喀斯特高,其余的土地覆被类型中都比喀斯特区域低。(2)研究区植被覆盖改善的地区占60.19%,退化地区占17.06%;草地,耕地区改善明显,退化主要在水域和建设用地; Hurst指数显示在研究区持续性改善的NDVI大于持续性退化;相比非喀斯特区域,喀斯特区域改善及持续性改善情况更佳。(3)整体而言,海拔对NDVI的空间分布影响力最大,温度次之,依次为降雨,夜间灯光指数;相比而言,非喀斯特区域NDVI空间分布更易受地形因子影响;喀斯特区域NDVI空间分布更易受气候差异及人类活动影响。(4)研究区分别有49%,45%,61%的NDVI与气温,降雨,日照的相关系数通过a=0.05的显著性检验;相比非喀斯特而言,喀斯特区域植被生长更易受气候变化的影响。     

利用NOAA NDVI和MSAVI遥感监测中国北方不同纬度带植被生长季变化

将中国北方13个省按纬向划分为5个区域：32°～36°N（区域Ⅰ）、36°～40°N（区域Ⅱ）、40°～44°N（区域Ⅲ）、44°～48°N（区域Ⅳ）和48°～52°N（区域Ⅴ）,然后利用Savitzky-Golay滤波算法平滑了1982～1999年NOAA/AVHRR NDVI和MSAVI时间序列影像,基于经验正交函数（EOF）分析提取了不同区域植被NDVI和MSAVI主分量,估测了1982～1999年中国北方不同纬度带的植被生长季开始、结束和长度,最后对1982～1999年不同区域的生长季参数进行了线性拟合,分析了不同区域的植被生长季变化趋势.研究表明,不同纬度带的植被生长季开始日期均表现出不同程度的提前趋势,区域Ⅳ的植被生长季开始提前趋势最大;生长季结束日期呈现推迟的趋势,区域Ⅱ的植被活动结束日期的推迟趋势最大,而区域Ⅲ最小.整个生长季长度呈延长趋势,延长日期在10 d以上.     

中国潜在植被空间分布格局

潜在植被作为一种与所处立地达到平衡的演替终态,反映的是无人类干扰情况下,立地所能发育形成的最稳定成熟的一种顶极植被类型,是一个地区现状植被的发展趋势。潜在植被的研究能够真实反映气候条件对植被形态变化的影响,是植被-环境分类与关系研究的起点,也是全球变化与陆地生态系统研究的关键。以综合顺序分类法为基本理论基础,在GIS研究方法支持下,利用我国2348个气象台站1961～1990年30a的气候资料,对我国潜在植被类型进行了划分,得出以下结论：（1）分布在我国的潜在植被类型有41类,表现出了我国潜在植被的多样性特征;从面积相对比例来看,我国潜在植被在分布面积上很不均匀,面积最大的寒冷潮湿多雨冻原、高山草甸类分布面积达到1526188km^2,面积最小的炎热微干稀树草原类分布面积仅为13km^2。（2）海拔0～6800m之间,是我国潜在植被主要分布的海拔界限,并且此海拔段植被多样性随海拔变化呈现出一定的规律性,即随海拔增加植被多样性显著下降。（3）我国潜在植被的空间分布很好的体现了三向地带性规律,而决定这种分布的主要原因是太阳辐射的纬度性变化、距离海洋的远近引起水分条件变化以及由海拔高度引起的从基带向上热量和干湿变化。（4）我国潜在植被空间格局在重心分布上,主要表现为空间聚集（P1、P2、P3、P4、P5、P6）和空间线型邻接（L1、L2、L3）两个主要特征。     

末次盛冰期以来沙漠-黄土过渡带植被演替及其对气候变化的响应

末次盛冰期(LGM)以来的增温期和全新世高温期是人类古文化进步的重要时期。黄土高原北部沙漠-黄土过渡带两个自然剖面高分辨率花粉分析结果显示,该区LGM以来为草原植被景观,但优势群落和伴生植物随气候变化而有所不同,温度和降水变化对植被演替有着重要的控制作用。气候干冷时,以耐干旱的草本植物种属为主,群落成分单一,植被盖度低;增温期和高温期,出现少量暖温带乔木植物如胡桃科、栎属等,植被盖度高,群落发育良好。全新世暖期是植被发育良好、植被盖度高的适宜期。本研究为黄土高原地区未来增温下植被响应的分析提供了历史相似型。     

华北平原参考作物蒸散量时空变化及其影响因素分析

根据华北平原56个气象站1960—2012年逐日气象数据和Penman-Monteith模型计算了各站及区域整体参考作物蒸散量(ET0),利用样条插值法、气候倾向率、累积距平、敏感性系数等方法对华北平原ET0的时空变化及其影响因素进行了分析。结果表明:(1)华北平原多年平均ET0为1071.37mm,空间上呈现高低值相间分布格局,高值中心分布在冀北、鲁中、豫西,而低值中心分布在冀东、鲁南、豫东及豫南等地;(2)近53年ET0呈减少趋势(-12.8mm/10a),山东半岛北部及冀北等地有缓慢增加趋势,其余地区以减少为主;(3)ET0对气温、平均风速、日照时数为正敏感,而对相对湿度为负敏感。平均气温与日照时数敏感系数呈现下降趋势,相对湿度与风速敏感系数表现出上升趋势。ET0对气温和风速敏感度高的区域同时对日照时数和相对湿度敏感度较低;(4)归因分析表明,华北平原ET0的主导因子是日照时数,平均风速次之,相对湿度、最高温度、最低温度对ET0变化影响较小,日照时数主导区域包括冀北、坝上地区、冀中、豫西、豫南、鲁中及鲁西北,平均风速的主导区域为冀南、河南黄河以北、豫中、鲁西北,温度主导区域零星分布于冀北、豫西、山东半岛等地,相对湿度的主导区域主要分布在鲁南、山东半岛。     

Phenological description of natural vegetation in southern Africa using remotely‐sensed vegetation data

Abstract. Various attempts have been made to describe and map the vegetation of southern Africa with recent efforts having an increasingly ecologi cal context. Vegetation classification is usually based on vegetation physiognomy and floristic composition, but phenology is useful source of information which is rarely used, although it can contribute functional information on ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to identify a suite of variables derived from time‐series NDVI data that best describe the phenological phenomena of vegetation in southern Africa and, secondly, to assess a classification of pixels of the study area based on NDVI variables using a preexisting map of the biomes that was delimited on the basis of life forms and climate. A number of variables were derived from the satellite data for describing phenological phenomena, which were analysed by multivariate techniques to determine which variables best explained the variation in the satellite data. This set of variables was used to produce a phenological classification of the vegetation of southern Africa, the results of which are discussed in relation to their concordance with the existing biome boundaries.     

中国与北美苔藓植物区系关系的探讨

关于中国和北美间苔藓植物区系关系的研究是在20世纪90年代开始的。研究表明中国和北美苔类和藓类的种间关系疏远,这一事实说明两个大陆在第三纪后期分离后,由于地质、地理、气候等因素的差异致使苔藓植物区系成分也产生明显分异。虽然它们在科、属方面差异较小,但两个大陆已各自形成地区特有的苔类和藓类的属。已知的中国特有及东亚特有的苔类属有5个,藓类属有22个;而已知北美地区特有的苔类属有4个、藓类属有5个。北美东部和西部形成于不同地质时期,在苔藓植物方面与中国共同分布的科、属和种存在一定差异。从神农架藓类植物研究表明,从共同分布的种来看,北美东部与中国比北美西部与中国的相似性系数高约6％。从两地区间苔类和藓类植物的雌雄同株或雌雄异株及孢子直径大小而论,这两个因素似乎并不是影响苔藓植物在两大地区间分布的主要原因,但对苔藓植物的分布仍然十分重要。本文作者认为结合中国和北美的地史、地理条件及苔藓植物自身的特点,可以认为白令海峡不是阻碍中国和北美苔藓植物交流的绝对自然屏障;中国和北美苔藓植物区系关系目前的状况,是长期多次交流融合和分异的结果。     

东北地区植被物候对气候变化的响应

使用1982—2003年GIMMS-NDVI数据和气候数据,借助GIS空间分析和统计分析方法,分析了东北地区不同植被物候期与气候变化的关系。结果表明:22年东北地区年均温度以升高趋势为主,年降水量以减少趋势为主;针叶林、针阔叶混交林、阔叶林、草甸和沼泽植被生长季开始日期提前受春季温度升高影响显著(P<0.05)。春季降水对植被生长季开始日期变化影响较小,仅对针叶林生长季开始日期的推迟有显著的影响(P<0.05)。植被生长季结束日期受温度变化影响较小,仅草原植被生长季结束日期提前受秋季温度降低影响显著(P<0.05)。降水对东北地区植被生长季结束日期的变化影响高于温度。随着秋季降水量的减少,针阔叶混交林、草原和农田植被生长季结束日提前(P<0.05)。草丛生长季结束日期提前受夏季降水减少的影响显著(P<0.05);农田生长季结束日期提前亦受夏季和9月降水量减少的显著影响(P<0.05)。阔叶林和沼泽植被生长季延长受春季温度升高影响显著(P<0.05);灌丛植被生长季缩短受春季降水量减少影响显著(P<0.05);草丛和农田植被生长季延长受夏季降水量增加影响显著(P<0.05)。     

Temporal activity patterns of North China leopards and their prey in response to moonlight and habitat factors

The nocturnal activities of predators and prey are influenced by several factors, including physiological adaptations, habitat quality and, we suspect, corresponds to changes in brightness of moonlight according to moon phase. In this study, we used a dataset from 102 camera traps to explore which factors are related to the activity pattern of North China leopards (Panthera pardus japonensis) in Shanxi Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve (TPNR), China. We found that nocturnal activities of leopards were irregular during four different lunar phases, and while not strictly lunar philic or lunar phobic, their temporal activity was highest during the brighter moon phases (especially the last quarter) and lower during the new moon phase. On the contrary, roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) exhibited lunar philic activity, while wild boar (Sus scrofa) and tolai hare (Lepus tolai) were evidently lunar phobic, with high and low temporal activity during the full moon, respectively. In terms of temporal overlap, there was positive overlap between leopards and their prey species, including roe deer and tolai hare, while leopard activity did not dip to the same low level of wild boar during the full moon phase. Human activities also more influenced the temporal activity of leopards and wild boar than other species investigated. Generally, our results suggested that besides moonlight risk index (MRI), cloud cover and season have diverse effects on leopard and prey nocturnal activity. Finally, distinct daytime and nighttime habitats were identified, with leopards, wild boar, and tolai hare all using lower elevations at night and higher elevations during the day, while leopards and roe deer were closer to secondary roads during the day than at night.