Refining the cheatgrass–fire cycle in the Great Basin: Precipitation timing and fine fuel composition predict wildfire trends

Larger, more frequent wildfires in arid and semi‐arid ecosystems have been associated with invasion by non‐native annual grasses, yet a complete understanding of fine fuel development and subsequent wildfire trends is lacking. We investigated the complex relationships among weather, fine fuels, and fire in the Great Basin, USA. We first modeled the annual and time‐lagged effects of precipitation and temperature on herbaceous vegetation cover and litter accumulation over a 26‐year period in the northern Great Basin. We then modeled how these fine fuels and weather patterns influence subsequent wildfires. We found that cheatgrass cover increased in years with higher precipitation and especially when one of the previous 3 years also was particularly wet. Cover of non‐native forbs and native herbs also increased in wet years, but only after several dry years. The area burned by wildfire in a given year was mostly associated with native herb and non‐native forb cover, whereas cheatgrass mainly influenced area burned in the form of litter derived from previous years’ growth. Consequently, multiyear weather patterns, including precipitation in the previous 1–3 years, was a strong predictor of wildfire in a given year because of the time needed to develop these fine fuel loads. The strong relationship between precipitation and wildfire allowed us to expand our inference to 10,162 wildfires across the entire Great Basin over a 35‐year period from 1980 to 2014. Our results suggest that the region's precipitation pattern of consecutive wet years followed by consecutive dry years results in a cycle of fuel accumulation followed by weather conditions that increase the probability of wildfire events in the year when the cycle transitions from wet to dry. These patterns varied regionally but were strong enough to allow us to model annual wildfire risk across the Great Basin based on precipitation alone.     

Weather-induced changes in moth activity bias measurement of long-term population dynamics from light trap samples

Interpretation of light trap catches of moths is complicated by daily variation in weather that alters flight activity and numbers caught. Light trap efficiency is also modified by wind and fog, and daily weather may effect absolute abundance (numbers actually present). However, actograph experiments and other sampling methods suggest that changes in daily activity are large by comparison to changes in absolute abundance. Daily variation in weather (other than wind and fog) is therefore a form of sampling error in absolute abundance estimates. We investigated the extent of this sampling bias in 26 years of population dynamics from 133 moth species. In a subset of 20 noctuid and geometrid species, daily numbers caught were positively correlated with temperature in 14 species, and negatively correlated with rainfall in 11 species. The strength of correlations varied between species, making it difficult to standardize catches to constant conditions. We overcame this by establishing how weather variation changed with time and duration of the flight period. Species flying later in the summer and for shorter periods experienced more variable temperatures, making sampling error greater for these species. Of the 133 moth species, those with shorter flight periods had greater population variability and more showed significant temporal density dependence. However, these effects were weak, which is encouraging because it suggests that population analyses of light trap data largely reflect factors other than sampling error.     

Assessing the response of forest productivity to climate extremes in Switzerland using model–data fusion

The response of forest productivity to climate extremes strongly depends on ambient environmental and site conditions. To better understand these relationships at a regional scale, we used nearly 800 observation years from 271 permanent long‐term forest monitoring plots across Switzerland, obtained between 1980 and 2017. We assimilated these data into the 3‐PG forest ecosystem model using Bayesian inference, reducing the bias of model predictions from 14% to 5% for forest stem carbon stocks and from 45% to 9% for stem carbon stock changes. We then estimated the productivity of forests dominated by Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica for the period of 1960–2018, and tested for productivity shifts in response to climate along elevational gradient and in extreme years. Simulated net primary productivity (NPP) decreased with elevation (2.86 ± 0.006 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1 km^?1 for P. abies and 0.93 ± 0.010 Mg C ha^?1 year^?1 km^?1 for F. sylvatica). During warm–dry extremes, simulated NPP for both species increased at higher and decreased at lower elevations, with reductions in NPP of more than 25% for up to 21% of the potential species distribution range in Switzerland. Reduced plant water availability had a stronger effect on NPP than temperature during warm‐dry extremes. Importantly, cold–dry extremes had negative impacts on regional forest NPP comparable to warm–dry extremes. Overall, our calibrated model suggests that the response of forest productivity to climate extremes is more complex than simple shift toward higher elevation. Such robust estimates of NPP are key for increasing our understanding of forests ecosystems carbon dynamics under climate extremes.     

极端酶的研究进展

极端酶具有超常的生物学稳定性,能够在极端温度、pH、压力和离子强度下表现出生物学活性,因此极端酶为生物催化和生物转化提供了良机.新的极端物种的发现、基因组序列的确定及基因工程技术的应用,加快了发现和制备新酶的进程.蛋白质工程和定向进化技术进一步改善酶的活性和特异性,促进了极端酶的工业应用.对极端酶的研究加深了人们对酶稳定性机制的理解,丰富了分子进化理论.     

基于FWI湿度码的塔河林业局地表凋落物含水率预测

加拿大火险天气指标系统(FWI)是目前世界上应用最广的火险天气系统,其可燃物含水率预测方法成为一种重要的研究方法.本文以黑龙江省大兴安岭地区塔河林业局典型林分为研究对象,通过野外地表凋落物含水率的连续观测,分析了凋落物含水率与FWI系统3个湿度码\[细小可燃物湿度码（FFMC）、枯落物下层湿度码（DMC）、干旱码（DC）\]之间的关系.结果表明： 对于研究地区8个样地单独取样的地表凋落物,用FWI系统的湿度码FFMC所建立的线性预测方程的平均绝对误差和平均相对误差分别为14.9%和70.7%,低于气象要素回归模型,说明采用FWI湿度码来预测地表凋落物含水率具有一定优势,可用于预测可燃物含水率,但这种优势是有限的.今后应加强对FWI系统在我国应用的修正工作,特别是雨后可燃物湿度码的修正.     

不同天气条件下小叶锦鸡儿茎流及耗水特性

采用以热平衡为原理的Dynamax包裹式茎流测量系统,于2006年对科尔沁沙地人工小叶锦鸡儿群落的液流变化进行连续监测,利用实验区自动气象站同步检测光合有效辐射、气温、相对湿度和风速等气象因子,结合人工记录的天气状况,分别选取4种最典型的天气条件,分析了小叶锦鸡儿的茎流变化、单枝耗水量及其与气象因子的关系.结果表明:在高温、强辐射条件下,小叶锦鸡儿的液流呈"几"字型宽峰曲线,以低耗水的蒸腾特性耐受干旱缺水的环境.不同天气条件下,小叶锦鸡儿液流日变化波动曲线及其主要影响因子各异,但光合有效辐射始终是液流变化的主导因子.小叶锦鸡儿茎干液流通量密度的变化是各种气象因子综合作用的结果.单枝日耗水量的总体变化趋势是从晴天、阴天、风天到雨天依次减少,其平均值分别为459、310、281和193mg.d-1.     

2010年冬季寒冷天气对闽江口3种红树植物幼苗的影响

2010年10月8日-2011年2月26日,跟踪监测了闽江河口互花米草治理试验区人工种植的秋茄(Kandelia candel)、无瓣海桑(Sonneratia apetala)和拉关木(Leguncalaria racemosa)1年生幼苗叶片相溶性物质含量以及活性氧代谢等生理生化指标.结果表明:可溶性糖和脯氨酸含量均随气温的逐步降低而增加,秋茄可溶性糖含量最高,拉关木脯氨酸含量最高;整个监测期无瓣海桑和拉关木幼苗叶片超氧阴离子(O2)产生速率显著高于秋茄(P＜0.01),而超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性显著低于秋茄(P＜0.01);3种植物叶片丙二醛(MDA)含量及电解质渗透率均随着气温的降低而增加,其中无瓣海桑和拉关木MDA含量及电解质渗透率与日最低气温为显著和极显著的负相关关系.2010年冬季持续寒冷天气对闽江河口湿地1年生土著种秋茄幼苗无破坏,对引进种无瓣海桑和拉关木造成了严重的低温胁迫并使幼苗基本全部死亡.     

中国西北地区降水量及极端干旱气候变化特征

采用1960—2011年西北地区111个观测站逐日气象资料,利用FAO Penman-Monteith模型,计算出各气象站的潜在蒸散量,由此计算出各站的湿润指数,并对其进行标准化,统计极端干旱发生频率。对西北全区和不同自然区的降水量及极端干旱发生频率的时空变化特征进行了探讨分析。结果表明:近52年来西北全区年降水量变化倾向率表现出微弱的上升趋势,平均每年上升0.17 mm。由该区年降水量变化的空间差异,可将研究区划分为3个部分:明显增加区、轻度增加区、减少区。西北全区极端干旱发生频率的平均值为3.8月/a,气候变化倾向率总体上表现出明显的下降趋势,平均每年下降0.011月。根据西北地区极端干旱发生频率变化的空间差异,也可将研究区划分为3个部分:明显减少区、轻度减少区、增加区。极端干旱发生频率与降水量和平均气温表现为显著的负相关性,与无雨总日数呈现出显著的正相关性。     

Microbial diversity of boron-rich volcanic hot springs of St. Lucia, Lesser Antilles

The volcanic Sulphur Springs, St. Lucia, present an extreme environment due to high temperatures, low pH values, and high concentrations of sulfate and boron. St. Lucia offers some unique geochemical characteristics that may shape the microbial communities within the Sulphur Springs area. We chose six pools representing a range of geochemical characteristics for detailed microbial community analyses. Chemical concentrations varied greatly between sites. Microbial diversity was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses. With the exception of one pool with relatively low concentrations of dissolved ions, microbial diversity was very low, with Aquificales sequences dominating bacterial communities at most pools. The archaeal component of all pools was almost exclusively Acidianus spp. and did not vary between sites with different chemical characteristics. In the pool with the highest boron and sulfate concentrations, only archaeal sequences were detected. Compared with other sulfur springs such as those at Yellowstone, the microbial diversity at St. Lucia is very different, but it is similar to that at the nearby Lesser Antilles island of Montserrat. While high elemental concentrations seem to be related to differences in bacterial diversity here, similarities with other Lesser Antilles sites suggest that there may be a biogeographical component as well.     

镉和锌在皖景天细胞内的分布及化学形态

运用差速离心法和化学试剂逐步提取法,分析了Cd和Zn在皖景天根、茎和叶的亚细胞分布及其化学形态.结果表明:10 μmol·L^-1 Cd处理下,Cd在皖景天细胞内的主要分布位点是其可溶部分;在100 μmol·L^-1 Cd处理下,Cd在根中主要分布在细胞壁、茎中主要分布在细胞壁和可溶部分、叶中超过90%的Cd分布在可溶部分.高Cd浓度处理时,皖景天根、茎和叶的细胞壁中Cd分布比例增加,而可溶部分Cd分布比例相对减少.在1和800 μmol·L^-1 Zn处理条件下,Zn在皖景天根、茎和叶的主要分布位点是可溶部分;高Zn浓度处理时,皖景天叶、茎和根的可溶部分和细胞壁中Zn的分布比例无明显变化.细胞器中Zn和Cd分布都很少.Cd在皖景天根、茎和叶内主要以氯化钠提取态和水提取态存在,Zn在皖景天根、茎和叶内以多种化学形态存在.