How to tell a shrub from a tree: A life‐history perspective from a South African savanna

The ecological differences between ‘shrubs’ and ‘trees’ are surprisingly poorly understood and clear ecological definitions of these two constructs do not exist. It is not clear whether a shrub is simply a small tree or whether shrubs represent a distinct life‐history strategy. This question is of special interest in African savannas, where shrubs and trees often co‐dominate, but are often treated uniformly as ‘woody plants’ even though the tree to shrub ratio is an important determinant of ecosystem functioning. In this study we use data from a long‐term fire experiment, together with a trait‐based approach to test (i) if woody species usually classified as shrubs or trees in African savanna differ in key traits related to disturbance and resource use; and (ii) if these differences justify the interpretation of the two growth forms as distinct life‐history strategies. We measured for 22 of the most common woody plant species of a South African savanna 27 plant traits related to plant architecture, life‐history, leaf characteristics, photosynthesis and resprouting capacity. Furthermore we evaluated their performance during a long‐term fire experiment. We found that woody plants authors call (i) shrubs; (ii) shrubs sometimes small trees; and (3) trees responded differently to long‐term fire treatments. We additionally found significant differences in architecture, diameter‐height‐allometry, foliage density, resprouting vigour after fire, minimum fruiting height and foliar δ¹³C between these three woody plant types. We interpret these findings as evidence for at least two different life‐history‐strategies: an avoidance/adaptation strategy for shrubs (early reproduction + adaptation to minor disturbance) and an escape strategy for trees (promoted investment in height growth + delayed reproduction).     

不同生境中国芦荟凝胶活性成分的分析

中国芦荟产于云南元江地区,是一种极具发展潜力的芦荟品种,在全国均有引种,特别在东北地区的温室中已开始大面积种植。本项研究对不同生境的中国芦荟凝胶中活性成分的含量进行了分析。生境不同的中国芦荟凝胶中活性成分含量有明显差异。从测定结果上看,云南元江产的中国芦荟凝胶中所含的活性成分要高于黑龙江温室内产的中国芦荟;积温高、土壤呈弱酸性的条件下,中国芦荟凝胶中的蛋白质、有机酸含量较高。     

圆柏属常绿木本植物叶片水分、渗透调节物质的季节变化与抗冷冻性的关系

以祁连圆柏（Sabina przewalskii）和圆柏（Sabina chinensis）为材料,研究了圆柏属植物的抗冷冻性与叶片水分和渗透调节物质季节变化的关系。结果表明,随秋季气温下降,叶片组织相对含水量（RWC）和自由水含量（FWC）下降,束缚水含量（BWC）、脯氨酸（Pro）、游离氨基酸（FAA）、可溶性蛋白质（SP）和可溶性糖（SS）含量增加,翌年春季气温回升,相对含水量和自由水含量增加,束缚水含量下降,有机渗透调节物再次增加。有机渗透调节物在秋末冬初及初春的增加正好与圆柏属植物抗冻锻炼及脱冻恢复生长的时间相吻合,因而是植物抗冻及脱冻适应的重要生理响应,在降低细胞冰点、防止细胞结冰引起的膜机械伤害、抑制膜脂过氧化、保护膜稳定性方面具有重要作用。祁连圆柏的相对含水量和自由水含量均低于圆柏,3种有机渗透调节物含量均高于圆柏,表明祁连圆柏在抗冷冻性诱导中具有更广泛的适应性策略。     

Raw material selectivity in Late Pliocene Oldowan sites in the Makaamitalu Basin, Hadar, Ethiopia

We report the results of an analysis of raw material selection patterns in the assemblages from two Late Pliocene in situ archaeological localities in the Makaamitalu Basin (Hadar, Ethiopia). While the same local conglomerate was used as a raw material source for both archaeological occurrences, different selection criteria are identified. At A.L. 894, selection for quality is subtle and the clearest selection is against non-homogeneous raw materials. In the A.L. 666 assemblage, higher-quality raw materials were selected and some rare raw materials reached the locality from unknown sources. A comparison between the Makaamitalu and other Oldowan assemblages reveals an overall shift toward higher complexity of both selectivity and transport behaviors from ca. 2.0 Ma onward, contrasting a typo-technological conservatism that pertains until ∼1.6 Ma. It is hypothesized that an increase in complexity of behaviors related to raw material selection and acquisition involved changes in the intensity and fidelity of technological knowledge transmission.     

Urban development and sustainability challenges chronicled by a century of construction material flows and stocks in Tiexi,China

Construction materials are considerable forces of global environmental impacts, but their dynamics vis‐à‐vis urban development are poorly documented, in part because their long lifespans require elusive and sometimes nonexistent decade‐long high‐resolution data. This study analyzes the construction material flow and stock trends that shaped and were shaped by the development, decline, and renewal of the Tiexi district of Shenyang, a microcosm of China's urban transformations since the early 20th century. Chronicling building‐by‐building the material flows and stock accumulations involved in the buildup of this area, we shed light on the physical resource context of its socioeconomic history. We find that 42 million tonnes of construction materials were needed to develop the Tiexi district from 1910 to 2018, and 18 million tonnes of material outflows were generated by end‐of‐life building demolition. However, over 55% of inflows and 93% of outflows occurred since 2002 during a complete redevelopment of the district. Only small portions of end‐of‐life materials could have been reused or recycled because of temporal and typological mismatches of supply and demand and technical limitations. Our analysis reveals a dramatic decrease in median building lifetimes to as low as 6 years in the early 21st century. These findings contribute to the discussion of long‐term environmental efficiency and sustainability of societal development through construction and reflect on the challenges of urban renewal processes not only in China but also in other developing and developed countries that lost (or may lose) their traditional economic base and restructure their urban forms. This article met the requirements for a Silver/Silver JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges .     

长白山溪流河岸带森林木本植物多样性沿海拔梯度分布规律

采用样带网格调查方法和α、β多样性指数分析方法,研究了长白山河岸带原始林和次生林群落木本植物多样性沿海拔梯度分布规律及其对采伐干扰的响应.结果表明：不同海拔区域河岸带原始林群落均由11～13个树种组成,其在群落中的地位随海拔升高而发生变化,阔叶树种优势地位逐步被针叶树种所取代,采伐干扰不仅改变了群落树种丰富度及其在群落中的地位,而且使针叶树种取代阔叶树种的趋势有所增强;河岸带原始林群落物种多样性沿海拔梯度呈现出中、低海拔区域相对较高且比较恒定(2.454～2.544),高海拔区域(2.250)下降的分布规律,采伐干扰改变了其沿海拔梯度分布格局(波动型),加大了不同海拔区域群落间的波动性(2.174～2.692);河岸带原始林群落树种沿海拔梯度的变动速率相对较低(1.5～3.5),且群落相似性较高(0.85～0.94),采伐干扰使次生林群落树种沿海拔梯度的变动幅度增大(0.5～6.0),群落相似性下降(0.68～0.91),但次生林群落沿海拔梯度分布仍具有较高连续性.     

UV-B辐射胁迫对杨桐幼苗生长及光合生理的影响

通过对UV-B辐射胁迫下亚热带典型木本杨桐幼苗的生长及光合生理的研究,探讨植物对于UV-B辐射胁迫的生理响应及适应性机理,进而揭示UV-B辐射变化对亚热带森林树种的影响.实验设置UV-B辐射滤光组、自然光对照组以及辐射增强组,选择亚热带典型树种杨桐(Cleyera japonica Thunb.)幼苗为实验材料.研究结果表明:(1)增强UV-B辐射会降低杨桐幼苗的叶绿素含量,而降低辐射则会显著促进叶绿素的增加,且这种胁迫在时间上具有积累性.(2)增强或降低辐射强度都会抑制杨桐地径的生长,增强辐射会产生更显著的抑制;降低辐射强度会对杨桐幼苗的株高生长产生促进作用,反之,则会抑制其生长.3个测定期数据综合分析显示随着处理时间的加长,这种胁迫作用有减小的趋势.(3)对光响应曲线的分析表明相对于自然光条件下的UV-B辐射,降低其强度对杨桐幼苗光合作用有显著的促进作用,反之则会抑制,不过抑制作用并不显著;对于光合特征参数的分析表明增强或降低UV-B辐射会显著降低杨桐幼苗的光饱和点(LSP)和光补偿点(LcP),而对最大净光合速率(Amax)、表观光合量子效率(AQY)、暗呼吸速率(Rd)影响均不显著,表明辐射胁迫对杨桐幼苗利用光能的效率影响不大,从而也并未对杨桐的光合作用产生显著性的伤害,但是由于森林树种的多年生特性,这种影响将是积累性的或延迟的,UV-B所造成的光合作用或光能利用率的微小变化都可能会积累成长期影响.因此,对森林树种进行长期研究是必要的.     

组织工程面临的技术挑战与发展趋势

当前组织工程研究仍处于初级阶段,还仅仅是初步应用组织工程技术修复临床简单组织缺损,还有许多制约组织工程应用与发展的基本科学问题没有阐明.随着组织工程各个层面技术难题的逐个攻破,组织工程的内涵和外延将不断拓展,并有助于加快组织工程的产业化进程,促进临床应用.针对组织工程核心要素研究的不足,结合最新的组织工程研究进展,阐述...     

有机物料对滨海盐渍土重金属根际效应的影响Ⅱ.土壤内源铁形态分布

研究了排水条件下施用腐熟有机物料、种稻改良滨海盐渍土内源铁形态分布．结果表明,单淹水利于土中无定形氧化铁、络合态铁、有效态铁以及氧化铁活化度升高,并且络合态铁与有效态铁升高程度,低盐土壤显著;晶形氧化铁变化不明显,土中可能存在其它形态铁向晶形氧化铁转化．种稻不施有机物料,根际络合态铁和有效态铁富集;无定形氧化铁和晶形氧化铁亏缺．根际氧化铁活化度稍低于非根际．增施有机物料利于两种盐渍土根际内外铁形态向络合态铁和无定形氧化铁转化;有效态铁和氧化铁活化度提高,低盐土壤根际较明显