Short-term responses of winter soil respiration to snow removal in a Picea asperata forest of western Sichuan

Aims Seasonal snow cover is one of the most important factors that control winter soil respiration in the cold biomes. The warming-induced decreases in snowpack could affect winter soil respiration of subalpine forests. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of snow removal on winter soil respiration in a Picea asperata forest.Methods A snow removal experiment was conducted in a P. asperata forest stand in western Sichuan during the winter of 2015/2016. The snow removal treatment was implemented using wooden roof method. Soil temperatures, snow depth and soil respiration rate were simultaneously measured in plots of snow removal and controls during the experimental period.Important findings Compared to the control, snow removal increased the fluctuations of soil temperatures. The average daily temperature of the soil surface and that at 5 cm depth were 1.12 °C and 0.34 °C lower, respectively, and the numbers of freeze-thaw cycles of the soil surface and that at 5 cm depth were increased by 39 and 12, respectively, in plots of snow removal than in the controls. The average rate of winter soil respiration and CO₂ efflux were 0.52 μmol·m^-2·s^-1 and 88.44 g·m^-2, respectively. On average, snow removal reduced soil respiration rate by 21.02% and CO₂ efflux by 25.99%, respectively. More importantly, the snow effect mainly occurred in the early winter. The winter soil respiration rate had a significant exponential relationship with soil temperature. However, snow removal significantly reduced temperature sensitivity of the winter soil respiration. Our results suggest that seasonal snow reduction associated with climate change could inhibit winter soil respiration in the subalpine forests of western Sichuan, with significant implications for the carbon dynamics of the subalpine forests.     

Problematic megafossils in Cambrian palaeosols of South Australia

Abstract: Red calcareous Middle Cambrian palaeosols from the upper Moodlatana Formation in the eastern Flinders Ranges of South Australia formed in well‐drained subhumid floodplains and include a variety of problematic fossils. The fossils are preserved like trace fossil endichnia but do not appear to be traces of burrows or other animal movement. They are here regarded as remains of sessile organisms, comparable with fungi or plants living in place, and are formally named as palaeobotanical form genera under provisions of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Most common are slender (0.5–2 mm) branching filaments flanked by green‐grey reduction haloes within the red matrix of palaeosol surface horizons (Prasinema gracile gen. et sp. nov.). Other axial structures (Prasinema nodosum and P. adunatum gen. et spp. nov.) are larger and show distinctive surface irregularities (short protuberances and irregular striations, respectively). The size and form of these filaments are most like rhizines of soil‐crust lichens. Other evidence of life on land includes quilted spheroids (Erytholus globosus gen. et sp. nov.) and thallose impressions (Farghera sp. indet.), which may have been slime moulds and lichens, respectively. These distinctive fossils in Cambrian palaeosols represent communities comparable with modern biological soil crusts.     

Cork stoppers industry: defining appropriate mould colonization

AIMS: The main aims of this work were the study of cork slabs moulds colonization and the evaluation of the moulds diversity during cork processing steps, in different cork stoppers factories. Simultaneously, it was envisaged to perform an evaluation of the air quality. METHODS AND RESULTS: Moulds were isolated and identified from cork slabs and cork samples in four cork stoppers factories. The identification was based on morphological characters and microscopic observation of the reproductive structures. Airborne spore dispersion was assessed using a two stage Andersen sampler. It was observed that Chrysonilia sitophila was always present on cork slabs during the maturing period, but mould diversity appeared to be associated to the different factory configurations and processing steps. CONCLUSIONS: Spatial separation of the different steps of the process, including physical separation of the maturation step, is essential to guarantee high air quality and appropriate cork slabs colonization, i.e. C. sitophila dominance. The sorting and cutting of the edges of cork slabs after boiling and before the maturing step is also recommended. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study is very important for the cork stopper industry as it gives clear indications on how to keep high quality manufacturing standards and how to avoid occupational health problems.     

雪豹两种人工育幼方式比较

北京动物园分别采用全人工和人工．狗乳交替哺育的方法,成功哺育6只雪豹幼崽。通过对育幼箱内外温、湿度的监测结果表明,幼崽呼吸频率随年龄增加而呈现周期性波动,9周后接近成年雪豹;幼崽体温0—87日龄呈逐渐下降趋势,50日龄后趋于稳定;排便和排尿量均随年龄增长呈增加趋势,70日龄增长量趋缓;幼崽体重直线增长。通过对两种哺育方式的卡方检验结果表明,两种哺育方式下雪豹幼崽体重生长存在显著差异。育幼箱内温度和幼崽自身体温对体重增长具有显著的影响;体温与幼崽呼吸频率和进食量具有显著的相关性。此外,还应注意饲料转换时机及微量元素对幼年雪豹生长发育的重要性。     

Separating direct and indirect effects of global change: a population dynamic modeling approach using readily available field data

Two sources of complexity make predicting plant community response to global change particularly challenging. First, realistic global change scenarios involve multiple drivers of environmental change that can interact with one another to produce non‐additive effects. Second, in addition to these direct effects, global change drivers can indirectly affect plants by modifying species interactions. In order to tackle both of these challenges, we propose a novel population modeling approach, requiring only measurements of abundance and climate over time. To demonstrate the applicability of this approach, we model population dynamics of eight abundant plant species in a multifactorial global change experiment in alpine tundra where we manipulated nitrogen, precipitation, and temperature over 7 years. We test whether indirect and interactive effects are important to population dynamics and whether explicitly incorporating species interactions can change predictions when models are forecast under future climate change scenarios. For three of the eight species, population dynamics were best explained by direct effect models, for one species neither direct nor indirect effects were important, and for the other four species indirect effects mattered. Overall, global change had negative effects on species population growth, although species responded to different global change drivers, and single‐factor effects were slightly more common than interactive direct effects. When the fitted population dynamic models were extrapolated under changing climatic conditions to the end of the century, forecasts of community dynamics and diversity loss were largely similar using direct effect models that do not explicitly incorporate species interactions or best‐fit models; however, inclusion of species interactions was important in refining the predictions for two of the species. The modeling approach proposed here is a powerful way of analyzing readily available datasets which should be added to our toolbox to tease apart complex drivers of global change.     

兴安鹿蹄草叶片雪盖初期与雪盖后期保护酶活性的变化规律

研究了自然生境下生长的兴安鹿蹄草(Pyrola dahurica)叶片在雪盖初期、后期的细胞膜相对透性、膜质过氧化产物丙二醛(MDA)含量、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)及过氧化物酶(POD)活性的变化, 结果表明: 兴安鹿蹄草顺利越冬取决于两个关键时期, 即雪盖初期和雪盖后期, 雪盖初期包括积雪期和盛雪期, 雪盖后期包括融雪初期和融雪后期。积雪期(11月1日~12月1日)兴安鹿蹄草随着温度的降低叶片中的MDA含量逐渐增高, 细胞膜相对透性增大, SOD和POD活性增强; 进入盛雪期(12月1日以后), 雪盖下温度较高而恒定, 兴安鹿蹄草叶片MDA含量减少, 细胞膜相对透性减低, SOD和POD活性减弱。翌年春天融雪初期(3月1日~3月15日), 雪盖下温度降低, 兴安鹿蹄草叶片中的MDA含量增高, 但低于积雪期; 细胞膜相对透性增大, 且高于积雪期; SOD和POD活性增强, 但低于积雪期; 融雪后期(3月中旬以后)兴安鹿蹄草叶片MDA含量减少, 细胞膜相对透性减低, SOD和POD活性减弱。     

Natural selection on body size traits in a long‐lived bird,the snow petrel Pagodroma nivea

I consider the possibility of selection favouring large body size in a population of snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea), a long‐lived seabird species. I measured natural selection on body size traits in a population from 1987 to 1998. There was evidence of selection on body size associated with fecundity and survival. Directional selection on bill length and stabilizing selection on tarsus length associated with reproductive success were detected among males. Selection associated with survival favoured males with longer bills. However, selection was weak in all cases. No evidence of selection acting on female body size traits was detected. Offspring–parents regression suggested that bill length and tarsus length were heritable. Although I was able to identify the targets of selection in this population, I could not demonstrate the ecological implications of both tarsus length and bill length variation. The selection on male, but not on female, body size traits suggests factors such as intrasexual competition for nests and/or mates rather than factors such as feeding efficiency as mechanisms of selection on bill size.     

高山林线交错带高山杜鹃的凋落物分解

凋落物分解是维持生态系统生产力、养分循环、土壤有机质形成的关键生态过程。高山林线交错带是陆地生态系统中对气候变化响应的敏感区域。季节变化和海拔梯度上的植被类型差异可能会影响该区域凋落物的分解,进而对高山生态系统的碳氮循环产生重要影响。采用凋落物分解袋的方法,研究了川西高山林线交错带优势种高山杜鹃(Rhododendron lapponicum)凋落叶在雪被期和生长季的分解特征。结果显示:(1)季节变化和植被类型对高山杜鹃凋落物的分解均具有显著影响(P0.05),凋落叶的质量损失主要发生在生长季且在高山林线最大,暗针叶林中雪被期的质量损失略高于生长季,但差异不显著;(2)林线交错带上高山杜鹃凋落叶分解缓慢,一年干物质失重率为9.62%,拟合分解系数k为0.145;(3)高山杜鹃凋落叶的质量变化主要体现在纤维素降解显著且集中在雪被期,木质素无明显降解,在高山林线上C/N、C/P、木质素/N变化幅度较小且C、N、P的释放表现得稳定而持续。结果表明,季节性雪被对林线交错带内高山杜鹃分解的影响不仅局限在雪被期内,雪被融化期间频繁的冻融作用和雪融水淋洗作用可能会促进高山杜鹃凋落物在生长季初期的分解。总的来看,在气候变暖的情景下,雪被的缩减、生长季的延长和高山杜鹃群落的扩张可能加速高山林线交错带高山杜鹃凋落物的分解。     

青藏高原1979-2007年间的积雪变化

利用雪深被动微波遥感数据产品,对青藏高原1979—2007年积雪深度、积雪日数的分布变化及其趋势进行了分析。结果表明:青藏高原积雪日数、积雪深度和海拔三者之间在空间上具有显著正相关;青藏高原积雪在1988年发生突变,该年前后积雪分布有显著不同,这与20世纪80年代中后期青藏高原由暖干时期进入暖湿时期有关;将青藏高原按夏季水汽来源不同将其分为南北两部分,发现29年来北部积雪日数变化与全国积雪变化相反呈极显著增加趋势(R2=0.39,P0.01),以1.40 d/a的趋势增加,主要原因是西北部地区冬季积雪日数增加;南部积雪深度与全国积雪变化一致呈极显著减少趋势(R2=0.24,P0.01),以-0.04 cm/a的趋势减少,主要原因是东南部春、夏、秋三季积雪深度减少。     

森林的风/雪灾害研究综述

风／雪灾害不仪极大影响木材生产,同时对森林生态系统的稳定性也造成很大影响。森林风／雪危害的主要类型有树干弯曲、干(冠)折、掘根以及后续危害等;其发生主要依赖于气象条件、立地因子、树木和林分特征及其之间的相互作用。其中．林木尖削度(胸径／树高)和林分结构特征(树种、组成、密度等)是控制树木和林分对风／雪荷载抵抗的主要特征量。因此．通过造林、调整林分结构．加强林分管理如间伐、施肥等措施一直是用来减少林木的风／雪灾害的主要措施。另外．林木或林分发生风／雪害的模型分析研究也取得了很大进展,但由于森林风／雪害受诸如地形、天气等多种因素影响、目前所建立的模型系统在实际应用中普适性较芹。通过综述以往研究结果认为：在气象和立地条件难以控制的情况下．通过改变可控因子林分结构来减少森林风／雪害是可行的。因此．研究如何加强森林经营管理,尤其是不同形式的间伐技术和不同处理的造林措施与风／雪灾害发生的关系、如何增加林木和林分抵抗风／雪灾害的能力等是今后该研究领域的重点和难点。与此同时．应加强风／雪灾害危险率评估研究．进而对森林进行风／雪灾害危险率管理;并注重对受灾前后林地内生态效应的研究,以便为灾后的森林经营管理和调控提供坚实的理论依据。