No detrimental effects of delayed mowing or uncut grass refuges on plant and bryophyte community structure and phytomass production in low-intensity hay meadows

To maintain European semi-natural grasslands, agri-environment schemes (AES) have been established in many countries but their biodiversity benefits have remained limited. We tested the effects of three new mowing regimes designed to benefit biodiversity in extensively managed meadows across the Swiss lowlands. Our experimental treatments mimicked easily implementable farming practices. We previously showed that invertebrates benefit from delayed mowing and leaving an uncut grass refuge. Here we focus on the effects on plant and bryophyte communities.We compared the standard AES practice (earliest mowing on June 15, no fertilizer input, but no restriction on number of cuts) to three alternative mowing regimes: (i) earliest mowing delayed by one month, (ii) maximum of two cuts per year with at least eight weeks in between, and (iii) leaving an uncut refuge on 10–20% of the meadow area in 12 study areas in the Swiss lowlands. We also tested for the interactive effects of ambient temperature, precipitation, elevation, meadow size, local forest cover, time since AES registration, and phytomass production.After five years of application, we found no difference in the effects of mowing regimes on vascular plant or bryophyte species richness, community composition, phytomass, flowering phenology or average plant height (the latter two indices were derived from the literature). However, cutting frequency and hay nutritional quality (C:N and Ca:P ratios) were lower under delayed mowing. Vascular plant and bryophyte species richness as well as forage quality were negatively related to phytomass, while the latter was positively related to mean summer temperature and negatively to time since AES registration.We conclude that supporting invertebrate biodiversity with alternative mowing regimes has no detrimental effects on the vascular plants and mosses, while the reduced forage quality calls for additional financial compensation of the farmers adopting these agri-environment schemes.     

刈割对植被组成及土壤有关性质的影响

在红壤地区生长良好的自然植被（白茅）条件下设计了不同的刈割期试验,结果表明,每次刈割时的生物量以６年刈割１次处理最高,而以１年刈割１次处理最低,但６年累计生物量则以１年刈割１次处理最高,每块样地达３９９．１ｋｇ;各处理木本植物与草本植物生物量的比例亦与刈割期长短有关,至试验第６年时,６年刈割１次自理中木本植物生物量所占比例达４１．５％,而每年刈割１次自理草本植物生物量占总生物量的９９．０％;     

采伐干扰对帽儿山地区天然次生林土壤表层温度空间异质性的影响

研究了不同强度采伐干扰对土壤表层（3～5 cm）温度空间异质性和空间格局的影响.在帽儿山地区天然次生林内,设置3块不同强度采伐干扰处理样地: A（对照）、B（按基面积的50%随机采伐）和C（皆伐）,分别布设不同空间距离 (0.5～56 m)的取样点160、154和154个,比较了干扰以后2年内春季和夏季（共4次）土壤表层温度的空间异质性和空间格局特征.结果表明,森林采伐后,土壤表层平均温度显著增加（相差0.6～4.2 ℃,P＜0.001）,与干扰强度存在一定程度正相关,温度波动范围加大.采伐干扰导致土壤表层温度空间异质性程度和变异尺度增加,并随干扰强度加大而增大,小尺度上的空间异质性也出现增加现象,但土壤温度空间变异尺度主要体现在＜20 m范围内,空间异质性组成受干扰影响较小.经Kriging法对土壤表层温度空间格局模拟,发现采伐干扰样地土壤表层温度的空间格局强度较对照林地大,温度等值线密集,其差异春季比夏季明显.采伐干扰样地的年际间相同季节土壤表层温度格局较相似,而对照样地则呈较均匀的分布格局.     

Muscle activation patterns of selected lower extremity muscles during stepping and cutting tasks

Lower extremity muscle activations during crossover and side step cut tasks are hypothesized to play an important role in controlling knee motion, and therefore, impact the design of knee injury prevention and rehabilitation programs. However, the contribution of lower extremity muscles to frontal and transverse plane moments during cutting tasks is unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle activation patterns of selected lower extremity muscles (vastus lateralis, medial/lateral hamstrings and medial/lateral gastrocnemius) of subjects performing a stepping down and side step cut, a stepping down and crossover cut and an equivalent straight ahead task. Ground reaction force was used to determine the cut angle, stance time and compare the lower limb loading during each task. Electromyography data during all tasks were normalized to the average activation during the straight ahead tasks to determine relative changes in muscle activation between the straight ahead and different cut styles (crossover and side step). There were no differences in the pattern of muscle activation of the vastus lateralis, or lateral hamstring muscles when comparing the cutting tasks to the equivalent straight ahead task. However, the crossover cut task resulted in significantly higher muscle activation of the medial hamstrings and lateral gastrocnemius muscles relative to both the side step cut and straight ahead tasks. These results suggest the medial/lateral hamstrings and medial/lateral gastrocnemius play a role in transverse and frontal plane control during cut tasks.     

Prediction of cutting effects on a population of Chaerophyllum aureum– a demographic approach

Abstract. A demographic study of the undesirable perennial weed Chaerophyllum aureum in extensified French Pyrenean hay meadows was carried out. For two successive years the effect of date and intensity of cutting on the population demography of this colonizer. Population density is sensitive to cutting practices essentially through fecundity, seedling survival rate and seed dispersal between fields. Cutting reduces fecundity by preventing seed formation (early cutting) or by exportation of some mature seeds with hay (late cutting). Nevertheless, the number of seeds transported between field populations by hay harvest, organic manuring and associated cutting practices compensates for the lack of seed production in early‐cut populations, maintaining them at relative high densities. For each of three cutting regimes, the number of immigrant and emigrant seeds has been indirectly estimated from a prediction of population density at equilibrium from demographic parameters measured in field populations and compared with observed population densities.     

植物生长调节剂对鹿角杜鹃扦插繁殖的影响

以腐殖土为基质,研究了5种植物生长调节剂的4个浓度处理、以及萘乙酸(NAA)不同浓度与浸泡时间处理对鹿角杜鹃(Rhododendron latoucheae)当年生枝条扦插繁殖12个育苗指标的影响及各指标间的相关性,并运用隶属函数法对各处理组合的育苗效果进行了综合评价。结果表明:5种生长调节剂中,赤霉素(GA3)、吲哚丁酸(IBA)处理在大部分育苗指标上表现良好,为鹿角杜鹃扦插育苗的理想调节剂,吲哚乙酸(IAA)效果次之,6-苄氨基嘌呤(6-BA)、NAA处理的育苗指标表现较差;4个浓度水平上,愈伤率、腐烂率及老叶留存率总体以低浓度处理最佳,随着浓度升高效果下降;其它9个指标对浓度的响应因生长调节剂种类而异。各指标相关性分析发现,4个根系生长指标,即不定根数、最长不定根长、总根数及根系直径之间呈极显著正相关,但它们与愈伤率、腐烂率、生根率及老叶留存率、新梢率间的相关性较弱。隶属函数综合评价表明,50 mg/L GA3处理为鹿角杜鹃扦插育苗的最佳组合,其次为100 mg/L GA3和400 mg/L IBA处理。本研究为杜鹃花产业化育苗提供了科学依据。     

直接模糊聚类的截取水平选择及其在植被数量分析中的应用

植被生态研究中常用的聚类法,是着眼于研究区域中植被和环境因子呈间断分布或变化梯度较大的一类情况,对原始数据中各个体按其属性进行归类。直接模糊聚类法则以各个体间的属性相近程度来定义一模糊关系矩阵,然后对矩阵取不同的水平截集,从而得出一等级分类。当模糊关系确定以后,截取水平的选择就成了聚类结果的决定性因素。至目前为止,直接模糊聚类中的截取水平通常由分析者主观给定,或者是以逐步试验,逐步修改的方法确定的。这样,聚类结果就不可避免地带有较大的主观和任意性。笔者认为截取水平应选在模糊关系变化较大之处,使聚类结果尽可能地反映原始数据的结构特征。这一原理已被实施于一通用软件中,实例分析表明,如此选择的截取水平确能比较客观地反映原始数据的特征,从而得出较为合理的聚类结果。     

刈割频度对普通野生稻实验种群的影响

本文通过考察普通野生稻(Oryza rufipogon)实验种群对不同频度刈割的反应,揭示刈割对该种群的密度、株高、生物量、单枝生物量和有性生殖份额等有明显的抑制作用,对累积株高增长和光合系统份额则有一定的促进作用。刈割频度越大,作用越大。但对后两者的促进是以消耗地下部分的物质和能量为前提的,超过一定频度的刈割不仅可使其有性生殖份额降至零,还可导致种群消亡。提示过频破坏普遍野生稻地上部分是该种部分种群发生地方性绝灭的重要原因之一。     

红马蹄草的生态生物学特征及其扦插繁殖

为了解红马蹄草(Hydrocotyle nepalensis Hook.)的生态生物学特征, 对其形态解剖特征及光合特性进行了研究。结果表明, 红马蹄草叶片较薄, 栅栏组织不发达, 海绵组织与栅栏组织厚度之比较大;遮荫条件下叶片的净光合速率日变化呈单峰型, 具有较低的光补偿点、光饱和点、叶绿素a/b 以及较高的表观量子效率、总叶绿素含量、叶绿素b 含量, 这显示其耐荫特性, 对弱光环境的适应能力和利用弱光的能力较强。同时, 红马蹄草扦插繁殖迅速, 成活率较高, 以荫蔽潮湿的生长环境为佳。因此, 红马蹄草适合生长在弱光环境中, 因其具有较高的观赏价值, 是一种值得大力推广的地被植物。     

The Technological Multiplicity of the Acheulean of the Southern Iberian Peninsula

The Acheulean of the southern Iberian Peninsula is markedly similar to the north African Acheulean. However, the characteristics of the stone tool assemblages are heterogeneous and represent complex cultural phenomena. From MIS 15, the lithic assemblages in fluvial (Guadiana, Guadalquivir and Guadalete rivers), fluvio-lacustrine (Solana del Zamborino) and karstic (Cueva del Ángel, Bolomor, Cueva Negra del río Quípar, Cueva Horá and Santa Ana) contexts exhibit analogies and technical differences representative of a phenomenon of multiplicity. Contributing to this phenomenon is the perception of technological stasis or conservatism of the Acheulean technocomplex and the different technical responses articulated by hominins to achieve equivalent results. These equivalences generate the uniformity that allows us to recognise typologies of large cutting tools (LCTs) regardless of the lithic materials used or the organisational structures of the operational sequences. These diversified typologies include handaxes, picks, and cleavers, which maintain a consistent presence despite innovations such as the Levallois flaking method. In some cases, the presence of cleavers and spheroids affects the range of represented typologies. Beneath the uniformity of the handaxes, lie organisational differences in the operational sequences. The changes and differences in the use of flakes to shape handaxes, the representation of cleavers and diversification of shaped-tool typologies all suggest differential cultural behaviours linked in part to divergent contexts. These aspects indicate that this multiplicity is related to diffusion, adaptation and cultural changes produced at the margins of the conservatism of this technocomplex. Observed changes could indicate inter-group cultural replacements, most of which retained a similar techno-typological diversity to that seen in the north African Acheulean until MIS 5. Cyclical climate change during the Middle Pleistocene affected the Strait of Gibraltar, regulating its function and conditioning the circulation of hominins and affecting cultural interactions between southern Iberian groups.