Fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi along different aspect in degraded grassland

Aims Fractal root system is phenotypic plasticity result of plant root architecture to respond to environmental heterogeneity, may reflect the growth strategy of plants to adapt to environmental conditions. Our objective was to explore the relationship between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance of fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi population in response to aspect variation in the northwest of China. Methods The study site was located in a degraded alpine grassland on the northern slope in Qilian Mountains, Gansu Province, China. Survey and sampling were carried out at 40 plots which were set up along four slope aspects transects with 20 m distance between adjacent plots. Handheld GPS was used to determine the elevation, longitude and latitude of each plot. ArcGIS was used to set up digital elevation model (DEM). Community traits were investigated and six individuals roots of M. przewalskyi were collected randomly at each plot. The samples were cleaned and divided into different organs, then scanning the root with the Win-RHIZO for measurements of fractal dimension and fractal abundance in laboratory, and their biomass were then measured after being dried at 80 °C in an oven. Important findings With the slope aspect turned from north to east, west, and south, the density, height and soil moisture content of the plant community displayed a pattern of initial decline, the height, density, root fractal abundance of M. przewalskyi increased and the root fractal dimension decreased. The root fractal dimension was negatively associated with the fractal abundance in all aspects, but the relationship varied along the slope aspects gradient; there was a highly significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance at north slope and south slope aspect, whereas the correlation only reached a significant level (p < 0.05) at the east slope aspect and west slope aspect; indicating that there is a trade-off between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance. In addition, when the slope aspect changed from north to east, west and south, the standardized major axis (SMA) slope of the regression equation in the scaling relationships between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance increased (p < 0.05), indicating that the roots of M. przewalskyi at the droughty southern slope have less branch and more sparse in the same soil volume of root exploitation and utilization. Consequently, the resource allocation pattern on reasonable trade-off between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance in different slope aspect of M. przewalskyi, reflects the relationship between the income and the cost of construction of plant root architecture.     

Tasmania revisited: rotifer communities and habitat heterogeneity

The results of four field surveys for Rotifera in Tasmania are summarized. Most new species and records in a 1987 survey were from acid waters (pH < 4.0) of dune lakes on the west coast (42° S). Marked intra- and interhabitat differences in rotifer communities of lakes and ponds were demonstrated by cluster analysis and related to habitat heterogeneity.     

Limnology of naturally acidic,oligotrophic dune lakes in subtropical Australia,including chlorophyll — phosphorus relationships

This study provides the most comprehensive physico-chemical and phytoplankton data yet available for Australian dune lakes, which are among the world's most naturally acidic and oligotrophic freshwaters. Seasonal and spatial variations were examined in Blue Lagoon and Lake Freshwater, two ‘water-table window’ lakes in south-east Queensland. Like other dune lakes, they are acidic (minimum pH 4.20 and 4.55, respectively), polymictic water bodies with low concentrations of marine-derived major ions and almost undetectable levels of trace metals. While linmologically similar in winter, during spring-summer Lake Freshwater has significantly higher levels of chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus (TP) and turbidity than Blue Lagoon and other dune lakes, indicating seasonal mesotrophy. The key nutrient is TP, which has recently increased to a maximum of 17 μ· l⁻¹, due either to inputs from recreational sources, or to the death and decomposition of littoral vegetation resulting from falling water levels over the last decade. Inorganic nitrogen, though present only in small amounts, does not appear to limit the eutrophication process because of a shift in phytoplankton dominance from the usual desmids and dinoflagellates to N₂-fixing blue-green algae. A chlorophyll - TP linear regression derived for dune lakes indicates that at TP < 20 μg · l⁻¹ chlorophyll ‘yield’ is higher than in other lake types represented by regressions from the literature. This may be due to a more efficient utilization of the limited available phosphorus by dune lake algae which have adapted to the naturally oligotrophic environment. The implications of these findings for lake management are discussed.     

人工樟子松—差不嗄蒿植被及其固沙作用

植物固沙是整治沙漠和沙漠化土地的一种有效措施。人工植被的建立是植物固沙的必然结果。人工植被的演替、稳定性及其对环境的影响直接关系到流沙的固定程度。因此,本文旨在探讨人工樟子松(Pinus sylvestris var.     

The soil fauna: the other last biotic frontier

Different approaches to biodiversity yield global totals as small as 3 million or as large as 80 million species. Erwin's calculation and estimation leads to an estimate of ca 30 million species and relies on four assumptions of which one concerns the ratio between the number of canopy insects and those found elsewhere, especially in the soil. A short survey of the microarthropods living in coastal sand dunes and collected with a new flotation method yielded amazing results. In spite of the severity of the habitat (low organic matter content and extreme dryness), the density of microarthropods varied between 175 000 and 1 400 000 individuals per square metre, i.e., densities 3 to 10 times higher than densities usually observed in any other type of soil. A total of 31 species was recorded, most undescribed and smaller than 200 m. The consequences of these findings on the estimation of the number of species are discussed. It is suggested that the soil, including the deepest horizons and the rhizosphere, might constitute a huge reservoir for biodiversity.     

Vegetation zonation in dune slacks on the Leba Bar,Polish Baltic Sea coast

Vegetation zones in dune slacks on the Leba Bar on the Polish Baltic Sea coast are described. Plant colonization starts on moist sand in eastern ends of slacks, in the wake of receding mobile dunes. Communities on deflation ribs, dominated by psammophytic grasses, sedges and lichens, are structurally simple. Communities in troughs, dominated by species of fresh habitats, become structurally more complex in a western direction and they culminate with the Pinus silvestris forest. The main lines of vegetation variation correlate with groundwa-ter depth, micro topography, soil profile build-up and substrate acidification.     

沙丘微地形生境蚁丘分布特征及其对恢复过程的响应

为了阐明沙丘微地形生境蚁丘特征及分布规律对沙丘固定过程的响应规律,以科尔沁沙地为研究区,选择不同固沙阶段沙丘的4个方位（西北、东南、西南、东北）布设调查样地,测定了不同样地的蚁丘密度、直径和高度,分析了不同样地蚁丘特征及空间分布规律。结果表明：（1）流动沙丘背风向（即东南方位）蚁丘密度显著高于其他方位,但从流动沙丘到半流动沙丘,背风向（即东南方位）蚁丘密度显著低于其他方位;从半固定沙丘开始,半固定和固定沙丘微地形对蚁丘密度分布的影响较小。（2）在流动沙丘、半流动沙丘、半固定沙丘,不同微地形生境中蚁丘直径和高度均呈现出相似的分布规律,即东南方位均小于其他方位。在固定沙丘,蚁丘高度表现为东南方位亦较低,但蚁丘直径表现为西南和东北方位显著小于西北方位。（3）在流动沙丘,西北、西南和东南方位上蚁丘空间分布均表现为均匀分布型,而在半流动、半固定和固定沙丘,4个方位上蚁丘空间分布均表现为聚集分布型。（4）相关性分析表明,不同固沙阶段不同微生境下蚁丘密度、高度、直径与植物密度、多样性间的相关性不同。随着固沙阶段演替,不同微生境下蚁丘特征与植物密度、多样性的相关性增强。研究表明,在科尔沁沙地,随着流动沙丘固定和生境逐渐恢复,沙丘不同空间方位上蚁丘密度分布差异缩小,而蚁丘直径和高度仍存在沙丘微地形间显著差异性,并且蚁丘空间方位上均呈现聚集分布状态。     

升温突变对川西不同坡向和海拔岷江冷杉径向生长的影响

坡向和海拔作为重要的地形因子决定着林木立地条件的水热分配,为揭示川西地区升温突变前后制约岷江冷杉(Abies fargesii var.faxoniana)径向生长的气候因子变化及其在坡向和海拔上的响应格局,通过树木年轮学方法构建了4个坡向(NE、N、NW和W)的3个海拔梯度(≥3650 m)共12个岷江冷杉的标准年表,采用皮尔逊相关分析和回归分析的方法分析了升温突变前后(1980年)限制岷江冷杉径向生长主要气候因子的变化及径向生长的变化趋势。结果表明：升温前,生长季(7月)低温和降水、前一年冬季(10—11月)最高温和平均温制约岷江冷杉的生长,而当年春季(3月)温度的升高和生长季前(5月)较多的降水不利于其生长。升温后,4个坡向的林线、东北坡中海拔,西坡中、低海拔岷江冷杉的径向生长与大部分月温度表现为正相关关系,且上述样点树木径向生长明显加速。1980年升温前,制约不同样点岷江冷杉径向生长的气候因子具有一致性——坡向和海拔对其径向生长与温度相关关系的干扰和影响较小。增温促进了各坡向林线岷江冷杉的径向生长,且偏阳坡在更大的海拔范围内对增温表现出正反馈。研究对未来气候变化背景下川西不同坡...     

基于城市微气候模拟软件的城市道路绿化带对PM2.5消减作用的研究

随着经济的快速发展及机动车保有量的持续增长,车辆造成的道路污染问题日益严重。广州作为中国重要的经济发展城市,交通源排放问题高度集中,机动车排放是城市PM2.5的主要来源之一,开展减缓城市道路污染危害的研究具有重要意义。本研究为调查绿化带对广州城市道路PM2.5的影响,运用实测与城市微气候模拟软件（ENVI-met）模拟结合的研究方法,实测并分析城市道路空间PM2.5的浓度分布及其影响因素,使用实测数据对模拟软件进行验证分析,模拟研究理想道路模型下不同高宽比、风向等因素及绿化带植配类型对PM2.5的消减作用。研究表明：（1）城市道路空间PM2.5浓度分布受污染源、街道高宽比、风速风向、绿化带等综合影响,自然消减情况下,其主要受风速风向和高宽比双因素影响;（2）通常街道高宽比越大,越有利于道路空间PM2.5的扩散;（3）城市道路空间PM2.5自然沉降最小距离为12 m,0-12 m范围内应保持无障碍物的开敞环境,PM2.5消减的关键范围是12-24 m,此范围内可以利用生态手段沉降颗粒物;（4） PM2.5消减率受绿化带和风向的双控制,应根据主导风向选择绿化带植配方式。在主导风平行面和垂直迎风面绿化带对PM2.5有正消减效应,建议植配类型为"乔-乔+灌+草";在主导风垂直背风面绿化带对PM2.5呈负消减效应,植配类型为"乔-灌"绿化带消减率接近于自然消减率,而植配类型为"乔-灌+草"和"乔-乔+灌+草"的绿化带加重了颗粒物在该区域的积聚。