Satellite microwave detection of boreal forest recovery from the extreme 2004 wildfires in Alaska and Canada

The rate of vegetation recovery from boreal wildfire influences terrestrial carbon cycle processes and climate feedbacks by affecting the surface energy budget and land‐atmosphere carbon exchange. Previous forest recovery assessments using satellite optical‐infrared normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and tower CO₂ eddy covariance techniques indicate rapid vegetation recovery within 5–10 years, but these techniques are not directly sensitive to changes in vegetation biomass. Alternatively, the vegetation optical depth (VOD) parameter from satellite passive microwave remote sensing can detect changes in canopy biomass structure and may provide a useful metric of post‐fire vegetation response to inform regional recovery assessments. We analyzed a multi‐year (2003–2010) satellite VOD record from the NASA AMSR‐E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS) sensor to estimate forest recovery trajectories for 14 large boreal fires from 2004 in Alaska and Canada. The VOD record indicated initial post‐fire canopy biomass recovery within 3–7 years, lagging NDVI recovery by 1–5 years. The VOD lag was attributed to slower non‐photosynthetic (woody) and photosynthetic (foliar) canopy biomass recovery, relative to the faster canopy greenness response indicated from the NDVI. The duration of VOD recovery to pre‐burn conditions was also directly proportional (P < 0.01) to satellite (moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer) estimated tree cover loss used as a metric of fire severity. Our results indicate that vegetation biomass recovery from boreal fire disturbance is generally slower than reported from previous assessments based solely on satellite optical‐infrared remote sensing, while the VOD parameter enables more comprehensive assessments of boreal forest recovery.     

Mechanobiological dysregulation of the epidermis and dermis in skin disorders and in degeneration

During growth and development, the skin expands to cover the growing skeleton and soft tissues by constantly responding to the intrinsic forces of underlying skeletal growth as well as to the extrinsic mechanical forces from body movements and external supports. Mechanical forces can be perceived by two types of skin receptors: (1) cellular mechanoreceptors/mechanosensors, such as the cytoskeleton, cell adhesion molecules and mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels, and (2) sensory nerve fibres that produce the somatic sensation of mechanical force. Skin disorders in which there is an abnormality of collagen [e.g. Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS)] or elastic (e.g. cutis laxa) fibres or a malfunction of cutaneous nerve fibres (e.g. neurofibroma, leprosy and diabetes mellitus) are also characterized to some extent by deficiencies in mechanobiological processes. Recent studies have shown that mechanotransduction is crucial for skin development, especially hemidesmosome maturation, which implies that the pathogenesis of skin disorders such as bullous pemphigoid is related to skin mechanobiology. Similarly, autoimmune diseases, including scleroderma and mixed connective tissue disease, and pathological scarring in the form of keloids and hypertrophic scars would seem to be clearly associated with the mechanobiological dysfunction of the skin. Finally, skin ageing can also be considered as a degenerative process associated with mechanobiological dysfunction. Clinically, a therapeutic strategy involving mechanoreceptors or MS nociceptor inhibition or acceleration together with a reduction or augmentation in the relevant mechanical forces is likely to be successful. The development of novel approaches such as these will allow the treatment of a broad range of cutaneous diseases.     

Gopher Tortoise Demographic Responses to a Novel Disturbance Regime

The long-term viability of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations is jeopardized by increased urbanization and habitat degradation owing to fire suppression. Because the species' remaining natural habitats in the southeastern United States exist within a mosaic of anthropogenic land uses, it is important to understand demographic responses to contrasting land uses and habitat management regimes. We examined differences in demographic parameters among fire-suppressed sandhill, restored sandhill, and former sandhill (i.e., ruderal) land use-land cover (LULC) types at Archbold Biological Station in south-central Florida, USA. Using Program MARK, we estimated population size, and sex-specific and LULC-specific survivorship based on 6 years of mark-recapture data. We also analyzed individual growth trajectories and clutch sizes to determine whether growth rates or reproductive output differed among LULC types. Tortoises in an open, ruderal field occurred at a higher density (7.79/ha) than in adjacent restored (1.43/ha) or fire-suppressed (0.40/ha) sandhill. Despite this higher density, both adult survivorship and body size were significantly higher in the ruderal field. Furthermore, the larger female body size in the ruderal field likely contributed to increased annual survivorship and slightly larger average clutch sizes. We did not detect offsetting negative demographic effects; in particular, we did not find significant biological or statistical differences in body condition, asymptotic body size, or growth rate among the 3 LULC types. Our results suggest that anthropogenic, grass-dominated land-cover types may be important components of the habitat mosaic currently available to this at-risk species. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.     

THE WATTLED CRANE BUGERANUS CARUNCULATUS (GMELIN)

The southern African endemic Short-clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana has two geographically isolated populations. Little is known about the smaller eastern population, which is restricted to the Polokwane Plateau, South Africa. To provide input for a conservation strategy for the eastern population, this study evaluated its habitat preference. Territories previously supporting Short-clawed Lark (1995–2005) were visited in the 2008/09 breeding season. Biophysical habitat parameters were measured at each site to determine the differences between active territories and those no longer active. Active territories had significantly less grass cover, more bare ground, shorter grass, smaller trees and had burned more recently. Bush encroachment and a reduction in the fire frequency were identified as serious threats to the Short-clawed Lark. However, overgrazing and harvesting of wood in rural areas may benefit the species.     

Fire mediated patterns of population densities in mountain big sagebrush bird communities

We employed a chronosequence approach to evaluate patterns of bird abundance in relation to post-fire vegetation recovery in mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata vaseyana). We estimated population density for 12 species of birds within the perimeters of 4 fires that had undergone 8–20 years of vegetation recovery and on adjacent unburned areas in the northwestern Great Basin, USA. Six species showed negative responses to fire persisting up to 20 years. Two species showed positive responses with effects persisting for <20 years. Understory vegetation was similar between burned and unburned areas irrespective of recovery time, and shrub canopy cover was similar between burned and unburned sites after 20 years of recovery. Persistent reductions in bird densities lead us to conclude that shrub canopy cover alone is not a sufficient metric for predicting recovery of songbird abundances following disturbance in mountain big sagebrush. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.     

Joint distribution of first exit times of a two dimensional Wiener process with jumps with application to a pair of coupled neurons

Motivated by a neuronal modeling problem, a bivariate Wiener process with two independent components is considered. Each component evolves independently until one of them reaches a threshold value. If the first component crosses the threshold value, it is reset while the dynamics of the other component remains unchanged. But, if this happens to the second component, the first one has a jump of constant amplitude; the second component is then reset to its starting value and its evolution restarts. Both processes evolve once again until one of them reaches again its boundary. In this work, the coupling of the first exit times of the two connected processes is studied.     

The Fire Refuge Value of Patches of a Fire‐Sensitive Tree in Fire‐prone Savannas: Callitris intratropica in Northern Australia

Patches of fire‐sensitive vegetation often occur within fire‐prone tropical savannas, and are indicative of localized areas where fire regimes are less severe. These may act as important fire refugia for fire‐sensitive biota. The fire‐sensitive tree Callitris intratropica occurs in small patches throughout the fire‐prone northern Australian savannas, and is widely seen as an indicator of low‐severity fire regimes and of good ecosystem health. Here, we address the question: to what extent do Callitris patches act as refuges for other fire‐sensitive biota, and therefore play a broader conservation role? We contrast floral and faunal species composition between Callitris patches and surrounding eucalypt savanna, using three case studies. In the first case study, a floristic analysis of 47 Callitris patches across Western Australia's Kimberley region showed that woody species in these patches were overwhelmingly widespread, fire‐tolerant savanna taxa. No species of special conservation concern occurred disproportionately within Callitris patches. Similarly, there was no concentration of fire‐sensitive fauna or flora in five Callitris patches in the East Kimberley. Finally, there was no difference in ant species composition among 12 Callitris patches and surrounding eucalypt savannas in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, and there were no fire‐sensitive ant species in Callitris patches. Our three case studies from throughout the northwestern Australia provide no evidence that Callitris patches act as important refuges for fire‐sensitive flora or fauna within fire‐prone eucalypt savannas. This calls into question the notion that Callitris is a strong indicator of general ecosystem health.     

火后泥石流研究进展

林火次生灾害的发生对环境质量和人类的健康与安全具有重要影响.火后泥石流是最危险的林火次生灾害之一,了解其发生条件、掌握其发生状况,是火后灾害风险评估的重要基础.本文从植被、降雨阈值、物源3方面阐述了火对泥石流的影响,分析了火后泥石流起动的地形地质、降雨、坡面条件以及浅层滑坡与地表径流引发火后泥石流的起动机制,并综述了火后泥石流预测预报与治理措施的研究进展.最后提出了在未来的研究中应该着重关注4个方面:量化火行为及环境因子与火后泥石流的关系;火后泥石流起动、运动过程的定量分析;火后泥石流机理模型研究;火后泥石流快速高效治理措施研究.     

Purification and Properties of Polyol: NADP Oxidoreductase from Pichia quercuum

In order to explain the fermentation mechanism of xylitol production from d-xylose by Pichia quercuum, enzymatic study was carried out. Three kinds of enzymes that catalyzed the reduction of d-xylose to xylitol were purified from the extract of the yeast cells by ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, hydroxylapatite chromatography and disc electrophoresis. The purification showed 27-fold, 135-fold and 93-fold increases of specific activities of reductase I, IIa and lib, respectively, over the crude extract. The reductase Ha was homogeneous in disc gel electrophoresis. The activity ratio of reductase I: IIa: IIb in the crude extract was estimated to be approximately 2: 1:1. The three enzymes were active with a variety of aldoses and had a specific requirement for NADPH. On the basis of the substrate specificity, coenzyme requirement and the stoichiometry of the reaction, the enzymes belong to polyol: NADP oxidoreductase (EC 1.1.1.21, trivial name, aldose reductase). The molecular weights for reductase I, IIa and IIb were estimated to be 160,000, 61,000 and 61,000, respectively, by gel filtration. Disc gel electrophoresis suggested that reductase Ila and lib were charge isomeric proteins with the same molecular size. Some other properties of the three enzymes were also described.