Testing a facilitation model for ecosystem restoration: Does tree planting restore ground layer species in a grassy woodland?

Planning for the restoration of degraded ecosystems has a strong basis in facilitation successional theory, which, as applied in restoration practice, states that planting of structurally dominant tree species will assist the entry of other native species into a restored community. In Australia, tree planting has been widely applied in restoration of grassy woodland ecosystems. Trees have been postulated to reduce the cover and diversity of weed species, thus facilitating recolonization of native woodland species (indirect facilitation). The expected outcomes of this process include reduced species richness and abundance of exotic plant species and increased species richness and abundance/dominance of natives in areas beneath tree canopies, with these trends strengthening with time. To assess whether this was occurring, we carried out a comparative analysis of species assemblages found underneath and outside of planted tree canopies in sites replanted with juvenile canopy tree species 3–5 or 8–10 years previously. We sampled revegetated stands of Cumberland Plain Woodland, an endangered ecological community in Western Sydney, Australia. We found that neither the number nor abundance of native ground layer species beneath canopies increased as a result of trees being planted at sites of both ages. Where seed is limited, we predicted an increase in abundance of existing native species under planted tree canopies. On this point, the results were mixed and showed some natives with an increased abundance while others decreased. Exotic species richness showed the reverse of the expected pattern, being greater under tree canopies. These findings lend no support to the theory of indirect facilitation. We conclude that simple facilitation models may be inadequate to support planning of grassy woodland restoration and that those models incorporating successional time lags and restoration barriers are likely to be more informative about the development of communities initiated by tree planting.     

不同耕作措施对华北地区麦田CH4吸收通量的影响

华北地区作为我国重要的粮食产区,其农田土壤CH4的吸收与排放对我国准确合理的估算农业温室气体的排放量、制定合理的农业减排和适应措施具有重要意义。研究利用静态箱-气相色谱法研究了华北地区麦田5种不同耕作模式在不同生育时期土壤CH4通量的动态变化和日变化,试验结果表明:5种不同耕作模式在不同生育时期土壤CH4通量具有明显的动态变化。不同的耕作处理都表现为CH4的净吸收汇。整个生育期,常规耕作无秸秆还田处理≈常规耕作秸秆还田处理耙耕≈旋耕深松耕免耕。CH4吸收通量具有明显的日变化,吸收通量白天高夜晚低。处理间比较,常规耕作无秸秆还田处理常规耕作秸秆还田处理免耕。结论:常规耕作无秸秆还田处理CH4的吸收通量较高,但此种耕作方式不利于土壤耕层的保护,而耙耕、旋耕这两种保护性耕作方式使表层土壤具有较好的保墒保肥能力,对土壤扰动小,且只比常规无秸秆还田的CH4吸收值低5.35%和6.31%,较有利于农业减排,所以从环境效益和土壤保护这两个方面来看,耙耕和旋耕这两种保护性耕作处理较为理想。     

农田开垦对三江平原湿地土壤种子库影响及湿地恢复潜力

种子库是湿地植被恢复的重要途径之一,不同时期的耕作土壤中残留的种子对开垦湿地恢复具有重要的作用.本文采用温室萌发法在两种水分条件下对三江平原天然湿地、不同开垦年限湿地种子库结构和规模进行了研究,以了解不同开垦年限湿地种子库特征及其在湿地植被恢复中的潜力.本次实验共萌发物种50种,随着开垦年限增加,萌发物种逐渐减少,天然湿地、开垦1年、3年、10年、20年的湿地分别为34种、31种、21种、21种和8种,萌发物种数与种子库规模均表现出极显著差异(F1=8.32,F2=5.946,P＜0.001).种子库密度以天然湿地和开垦1年湿地最大,分别为7624粒/m2,9836粒/m2.随着开垦年限增加,种子库规模逐渐减小,开垦3年、10年种子库密度为4336粒/m2,4872粒/m2.开垦20 a后,显著减少为432粒/m2.湿润条件下萌发物种数及种子密度显著高于淹水处理,种子库具有明显的分层现象,0-5 cm土层种子库规模显著高于5-10 cm.小叶章(Calamagrostis angustifolia)作为该地区优势物种,由最初的1192粒/m2,经过20 a开垦后在种子库中消失.研究表明,在一定的开垦年限范围内,开垦湿地土壤中仍然保留大量的湿地物种种子,在湿地恢复中具有重要的作用.     

长江中游城市群生态文明水平测度及时空演变

长江中游城市群在我国区域发展格局中占有重要地位,必须以生态文明为理念进行城市群的建设。使用熵权TOPSIS综合评价法测度长江中游城市群2009至2013年的生态文明水平;利用环境库兹涅茨曲线理论和障碍度模型解析城市群生态文明差异化格局的成因和重要影响因子;运用空间全局自相关方法分析城市群整体生态文明水平的空间聚集程度;借助Jenks自然最佳断裂点法对各地区生态文明状况进行聚类可视化分析。研究表现:(1)人均国内生产总值、人均居民社会消费品零售额、服务业增加值占GDP比重、人均水资源总量、城镇居民年人均可支配收入为5大影响长江中游城市群生态文明水平的重要因素。(2)武汉城市圈中武汉市生态文明水平颇佳,周边城市围绕武汉市呈圈层低值分布,"中心-外围"模式明显;环长株潭城市群展现长沙、株洲双核模式,一定程度上带动临近城市进行生态文明建设,但与相隔较远城市极化现象严重;环鄱阳湖城市群各地市间生态文明差异较小,5年来生态文明水平进步明显。(3)2009至2013年长江中游城市群生态文明聚类特征由微弱的负相关向微弱的正相关演变,并于2012年呈现出较强的集聚倾向。(4)襄阳市、宜昌市生态文明水平逐年下降,由生态文明库兹涅茨曲线的上方跌落至曲线下方,经济刺激对生态文明贡献偏低,九江市生态文明水平的保持与连续性较弱,波动性较大。     

除草剂对黄河三角洲入侵植物互花米草的影响

互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)作为我国危害最严重的外来入侵植物之一,严重威胁滨海湿地生态系统安全。筛选可高效灭除互花米草的除草剂,为互花米草防治提供技术支持。2017年7月在黄河三角洲潮间带对互花米草茎叶喷施不同除草剂,在施药当年和次年对互花米草生长状况和大型底栖动物密度进行跟踪调查。研究结果表明:1)高效氟吡甲禾灵对互花米草的灭除效果最好,既能杀死互花米草地上部分从而完全抑制有性繁殖,又可完全抑制次年的无性繁殖;2)氰氟草酯对互花米草的灭除效果也比较好,可以完全抑制互花米草的生长和结穗,但抑制根状茎无性繁殖能力的效果稍差,草甘膦可以完全抑制互花米草的有性繁殖,但无法抑制次年互花米草的无性繁殖;3)施用除草剂在短期内会毒害某些底栖动物,但在1年后底栖动物种群数量与对照处理无显著差异。除草剂对环境的影响程度与除草剂用量和施用时间息息相关,未来研究中,应在保证灭草效果的前提下,探索最佳用药时间和最低用量以最大限度地降低环境影响。     

春秋,战国时期以来长江流域入口活动对植被变迁的影响

在探讨春秋,战国至民国时期长江流域人口总量变动趋势的基础上,着重研究长江流域人口活动对植被变迁的影响。联系长江流域历史上人口与环境关系的发展及行征,将植被变迁的过程划分为四个阶段：第一阶段,春秋战国至六朝,农田生态系统创建时期;第二阶段,隋唐五代,农业生态系统与自然生态系统和储共存时期;第三阶段,北宋至明中叶,人口与环境日见紧张时期;第四阶段,明中叶至民国,人口与环境严重恶化时期。通过分阶段研究,     

Biosynthesis of mucin type <Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-glycans: Lack of correlation between glycosyltransferase and sulfotransferase activities and CFTR expression

Structural differences have been reported in the glycosylation patterns of cystic fibrosis glycoproteins. Although the gene mutated in cystic fibrosis (CFTR) has been cloned and characterized as a chloride channel, its relationship to the highly viscous mucus and structural glycoprotein and mucin abnormalities in cystic fibrosis still remains to be defined. We have evaluated O-glycan biosynthesis in CHO and BHK cells that express CFTR and F508 CFTR as in vitro models, and utilized the cftr knockout mouse as an in vivo model of CFTR dysfunction. Activities of glycosyltransferases and sulfotransferases synthesizing mucin type O-glycan chains were determined in these models. Differences in transferase activity levels were found between tissues and cell types and during mouse development. No specific patterns of activities were associated with the lack of CFTR or with F508CFTR expression. This suggests that it is not the presence or absence of normal CFTR, or the presence of mutant CFTR alone, but rather cell specific additional factors or pathophysiological consequences that determine the changes in mucin glycosylation in cystic fibrosis.     

Confidence interval estimation of the intraclass correlation coefficient for binary outcome data

We obtain closed-form asymptotic variance formulae for three point estimators of the intraclass correlation coefficient that may be applied to binary outcome data arising in clusters of variable size. Our results include as special cases those that have previously appeared in the literature (Fleiss and Cuzick, 1979, Applied Psychological Measurement 3, 537-542; Bloch and Kraemer, 1989, Biometrics 45, 269-287; Altaye, Donner, and Klar, 2001, Biometrics 57, 584-588). Simulation results indicate that confidence intervals based on the estimator proposed by Fleiss and Cuzick provide coverage levels close to nominal over a wide range of parameter combinations. Two examples are presented.     

Detection of Three-Nucleotide Deletion ΔF508 in Human Gene CFTR by UV Immobilization on Nylon of a Complex Formed by the PCR-Amplified DNA Fragment with a Highly Specific Probe

Deletion F508 has been revealed in PCR-amplified regions of human gene CFTR by color detection of the hybridization complex obtained by ligation of a tandem of short oligonucleotides on a DNA template followed by UV immobilization on nylon. The method allows reliable detection of the three-nucleotide deletion (insertion). The nonspecific signal depends on the nucleotide composition of the biotinylated tandem component. A significant level of the specific signal was achieved by using the PCR-amplified DNA fragments of different length (200–400 bp) irrespective of the position of the tandem-binding site in their sequences.