Quantifying the recent expansion of native invasive rush species in a UK upland environment

Rushes, such as soft rush (Juncus effusus L.), hard rush (Juncus inflexus L.), and compact rush (Juncus conglomeratus L.) have become problem species within upland grasslands across the United Kingdom and the coastal grasslands of western Norway. Indeed, being largely unpalatable to livestock and having a vigorous reproductive ecology means that they can rapidly come to dominate swards. However, rush dominance results in a reduction in grassland biodiversity and farm productivity. Anecdotal evidence from the United Kingdom suggests that rush cover within marginal upland grasslands has increased considerably in recent decades. Yet, there is currently no published evidence to support this observation. Here, we use recent and historical Google Earth imagery to measure changes in rush frequency over a 13-year period within four survey years: 2005, 2009, 2015, and 2018. During each survey year, we quantified rush presence or absence using a series of quadrats located within 300 upland grassland plots in the West Pennine Moors, United Kingdom. Data were analysed in two stages, first, by calculating mean rush frequencies per sample year using all the available plot-year combinations (the full dataset), and second by examining differences in rush frequency using only the plots for which rush frequency data were available in every sample year (the continuous dataset). The full dataset indicated that rush frequency has increased by 82% between 2005 and 2018. Similarly, the continuous dataset suggested that rush frequency has increased by 174% over the same period, with the increases in frequency being statistically significant (p < .05) between 2005–2018 and 2009–2018. We discuss the potential drivers of rush expansion in the West Pennine Moors, the ecological and agronomic implications of grassland rush infestations, and priorities for future research.     

Sustainable intensification of crop residue exploitation for bioenergy: Opportunities and challenges

Crop residue exploitation for bioenergy can play an important role in climate change mitigation without jeopardizing food security, but it may be constrained by impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, and market, logistic and conversion challenges. We explore opportunities to increase bioenergy potentials from residues while reducing environmental impacts, in line with sustainable intensification. Using the case study of North Rhine‐Westphalia in Germany, we employ a spatiotemporally explicit approach combined with stakeholder interviews. First, the interviews identify agronomic and environmental impacts due to the potential reduction in SOC as the most critical challenge associated with enhanced crop residue exploitation. Market and technological challenges and competition with other residue uses are also identified as significant barriers. Second, with the use of agroecosystem modelling and estimations of bioenergy potentials and greenhouse gas emissions till mid‐century, we evaluate the ability of agricultural management to tackle the identified agronomic and environmental challenges. Integrated site‐specific management based on (a) humus balancing, (b) optimized fertilization and (c) winter soil cover performs better than our reference scenario with respect to all investigated variables. At the regional level, we estimate (a) a 5% increase in technical residue potentials and displaced emissions from substituting fossil fuels by bioethanol, (b) an 8% decrease in SOC losses and associated emissions, (c) an 18% decrease in nitrous oxide emissions, (d) a 37% decrease in mineral fertilizer requirements and emissions from their production and (e) a 16% decrease in nitrate leaching. Results are spatially variable and, despite improvements induced by management, limited amounts of crop residues are exploitable for bioenergy in areas prone to SOC decline. In order to sustainably intensify crop residue exploitation for bioenergy and reconcile climate change mitigation with other sustainability objectives, such as those on soil and water quality, residue management needs to be designed in an integrated and site‐specific manner.     

Browsing herbivores improve the state and functioning of savannas: A model assessment of alternative land‐use strategies

Changing climatic conditions and unsustainable land use are major threats to savannas worldwide. Historically, many African savannas were used intensively for livestock grazing, which contributed to widespread patterns of bush encroachment across savanna systems. To reverse bush encroachment, it has been proposed to change the cattle‐dominated land use to one dominated by comparatively specialized browsers and usually native herbivores. However, the consequences for ecosystem properties and processes remain largely unclear. We used the ecohydrological, spatially explicit model EcoHyD to assess the impacts of two contrasting, herbivore land‐use strategies on a Namibian savanna: grazer‐ versus browser‐dominated herbivore communities. We varied the densities of grazers and browsers and determined the resulting composition and diversity of the plant community, total vegetation cover, soil moisture, and water use by plants. Our results showed that plant types that are less palatable to herbivores were best adapted to grazing or browsing animals in all simulated densities. Also, plant types that had a competitive advantage under limited water availability were among the dominant ones irrespective of land‐use scenario. Overall, the results were in line with our expectations: under high grazer densities, we found heavy bush encroachment and the loss of the perennial grass matrix. Importantly, regardless of the density of browsers, grass cover and plant functional diversity were significantly higher in browsing scenarios. Browsing herbivores increased grass cover, and the higher total cover in turn improved water uptake by plants overall. We concluded that, in contrast to grazing‐dominated land‐use strategies, land‐use strategies dominated by browsing herbivores, even at high herbivore densities, sustain diverse vegetation communities with high cover of perennial grasses, resulting in lower erosion risk and bolstering ecosystem services.     

Integrating flood depth and plant resistance with chlorantraniliprole seed treatments for management of rice water weevil,Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Chlorantraniliprole seed treatments in rice provide effective suppression of rice water weevil populations in the United States; however, heavy reliance on prophylactic insecticide treatments as a sole strategy could destabilize management programs for this insect. The present research evaluated the compatibility of seed treatments with two other potential management tactics—plant resistance and shallow flooding–by conducting two split‐plot experiments in 2009 and 2011. In both experiments, no substantial antagonism was found among the 3 different tactics. Statistical interactions in these experiments arose from the strong and persistent effects of chlorantraniliprole on larval densities rather than incompatibility of tactics. In 2009, weevil densities differed among varieties and were significantly lower on the cultivar “Jefferson.” In 2011, weevil densities were reduced significantly in shallow‐flooded plots compared to deep‐flooded plots. Significant reductions in weevil numbers by chlorantraniliprole seed treatments, even at application rates 5 fold lower than commercially recommended rates, demonstrated the potential to reduce application rates of this highly potent larvicide. These latter results suggest that future studies on the relationship between chlorantraniliprole seed treatment rate and weevil fitness are warranted.     

微生物污垢检测技术的特点、现状与发展趋势

微生物污垢是工业冷却水污垢的重要组成部分.在适宜条件下,引起污垢的微生物迅速繁殖.不但会显著增大污垢热阻、流动阻力和腐蚀速率,甚至还会堵塞流道而引发停机故障.本文介绍了微生物污垢的概念,阐述了微生物污垢检测技术研究的地位、作用和特点,归纳了目前已知的微生物污垢的形成过程及其主要影响因素,着重分析了目前国内外应用较广的微生物污垢检测方法、优缺点及其最新研究动态.展望了微生物污垢检测技术未来的发展趋势.     

冠心病强化标准化药物治疗最新进展

冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病的患病人数呈逐年上升趋势,目前治疗冠心病的方法主要包括改善生活方式,药物治疗,经皮冠状动脉介入治疗（PCI）和外科冠状动脉旁路移植手术治疗（CABG）。虽然介入治疗在治疗阻塞性冠心病取得了显著的进展,但因支架再狭窄,晚期血栓形成,及未知的机制,其死亡率未见明显下降。冠状动脉旁路移植手术虽可降低死亡率,但因其为侵入性操作及手术费用的较高成本,不能为大部分患者接受。近几年来进行了一些全球多中心的临床试验研究,以评估不同诊疗方案对冠心病的预后及远期疗效。目前一些研究表明强化标准化药物治疗（optimal medical therapy,OMT）可与再血管化治疗同效。本文将针对冠心病强化标准化药物治疗方面的实验研究进展进行简要综述。     

Reduced genetic diversity in Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus in Southern Africa

The Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus occurs throughout its range in small and dwindling population fragments with limited genetic differentiation between populations, suggesting that the species might be managed as a single entity. The numbers of East and Southern African Bearded Vultures included in previous studies were small, so we determine the genetic variation within, evolutionary placement of and connectivity among sub‐Saharan African populations. Mitochondrial DNA fragment analyses detected little or no differentiation between populations in Ethiopia and Southern Africa, with reduced haplotype diversity in Southern Africa compared with populations in the Northern Hemisphere. The results inform conservation management of this species globally and locally, and offer guidelines for translocations should populations continue to decline.     

长白山阔叶红松林生态价位分级与生态系统经营对策

引入生态价位概念,以长白山阔叶红松林为对象,采用层次分析法进行了生态价位划分．长白山阔叶红松林的生态系统价值评价综合指数由物理环境因素、群落结构组成、干扰状况3方面8个指标构成,包括坡度、土层厚度、土壤母质稳定性、结构盖度指数、物种多样性指数、更新力指数、优势种寿命和干扰度．采用层次分析法取得相应指标的系数;根据综合评价指数分布范围划分了3个生态价位类型,即低生态价位,综合指数1～1．874;中生态价位,综合指数1．874～2．749;高生态价位,综合指数2．749～3．623;对典型样地进行了生态价位分级,分析了各个生态价位类型森林的主要特征,据此提出了相应的生态系统管理对策,即高生态价位阔叶红松林采用封禁保护型自然经营,中生态价位阔叶红松林采用生态修复型半自然经营,低生态价位阔叶红松林采用近自然生态重建型经营。     

农林复合系统固碳潜力研究进展

农林复合系统是解决当前资源枯竭、农林用地紧张和实现环境保护的一种可持续土壤管理模式。自《京都议定书》签订以来, 农林复合系统因其较高的固碳潜力引起了科学家的广泛关注。深入理解农林复合系统的固碳过程及其对气候变化、环境条件的改变和管理措施的响应, 是准确地预测农林复合系统在全球变化情景下固碳潜力的关键。该文综述了农林复合系统的概念和分类, 探讨了农林复合系统相比单一系统的固碳潜力及固碳机理, 分析了农林复合系统固碳潜力的测定方法和当前面临的挑战, 综述了气候因子、环境条件和人为管理措施对农林复合系统固碳潜力的影响。我国农林复合系统的固碳潜力相比全球其他区域还处于较低水平, 为提高我国农林复合系统的固碳潜力, 未来需要加强以下四个方面的工作: 扩大农林复合系统的分布面积、加强农林复合系统的合理配置和管理、选择适宜的物种组合和优化系统的群体结构。