Xylem efficiency vs. safety: Acclimation to drought of seedling root anatomy for six Patagonian shrub species

With the aim to seek evidences on the possible trade off between hydraulic efficiency and hydraulic safety, from both an evolutionary and an acclimation point of view, we compared root xylem anatomy and derived functional properties for seedlings of six Patagonian shrub species grown in a greenhouse under two levels of water availability (control and drought). Root central cylinder area, vessel diameter (b) and double-wall thickness (t) were measured; from these data, the sum of vessel radii to the fourth power and wall strength [(t/b)²] were calculated as indicators of hydraulic efficiency and safety respectively. Across species, we observed only a weak negative correlation between hydraulic efficiency and hydraulic safety. Within species, Lycium chilense, the species with the most mesic leaves of the group, showed significant acclimation to drought for both functional attributes, lowering efficiency and increasing safety by developing a higher proportion of small and more resistant xylem vessels.     

Differential utilization of a shallow-water pulse by six shrub species in the Patagonian steppe

A field experiment was performed to improve understanding of the functional diversity of western Patagonian shrubs. Anarthrophyllum rigidum, Adesmia volckmanni, Berberis heterophylla, Mulinum spinosum, Schinus poligamus and Senecio filaginoides were compared in their capacity to absorb water from a 10-mm pulse enriched in deuterium and applied at the beginning of the dry summer. Xylem-water enrichment 14 days after watering was rather subtle, but the upper-soil signal was clear enough to distinguish shallow from deeper absorption. According to a linear mixing model, the proportion of surface-pulse water relative to total water uptake was maximum for Senecio (29-38%) and Mulinum (22-32%), both relatively shallow-rooted species, intermediate for Berberis (16-17%) and Schinus (6-9%), and negligible for the two N-fixing Fabaceae: Adesmia (<1%) and Anarthrophyllum (<3%), despite this last one having a dimorphic (tap + shallow) root system. It is hypothesized that shallow-water pulses may be more profitable in terms of nitrogen than of water, and thus constitute a higher-quality resource for those species only able to use N from soil sources.     

贸易开放条件下的区域分工与工业污染排放

对外贸易是否导致专业化区域锁定于污染行业而加剧污染排放?从动态视角出发,将区域分工视为专业化集聚与动态演化的综合,基于中国2003-2009年261个地级市30个制造业大类数据,借助区位商与共现概率描述专业化集聚与动态演化,构建联立方程模型进行实证检验。结果表明：一方面,专业化集聚将形成多个层面拥挤效应,降低污染行业进一步集聚的概率,制约区域朝着污染专业化方向演化;另一方面,环境规制将有效抑制区域进一步朝着污染专业化方向演化。因此,尽管对外贸易扩张在一定程度上强化了污染行业在专业化区域的集聚,但并未因此造成污染排放在区域之间形成两极分化。     

High-resolution images reveal rate and pattern of shrub encroachment over six decades in New Mexico, U.S.A.

Encroachment of the shrub Prosopis glandulosa Torr. (honey mesquite) into semi-arid grasslands is a serious concern in the south-western United States, yet little is known about the long-term dynamics of the invasion process. We used ten high-resolution aerial and satellite images taken from 1936 to 1996 to track the population dynamics and spatial pattern of all P. glandulosa greater than 2 m in diameter on a 75 ha area in southern New Mexico.Shrub cover and patch numbers increased from 1936 to the 1970s, then stabilized at 43% cover and 83 patches ha⁻¹. Individual patches were extremely persistent: 95% of the area occupied by shrub patches in 1936 was still occupied in 1996. Recruitment into the 2 m size class was more variable: 0·6–5·2% year⁻¹ (mean 0·8% year⁻¹). Patch-shape complexity increased from 1936 to 1983 as adjacent shrubs merged, and then declined as those clusters filled in and became rounder. Spatial pattern of shrubs showed a distinct trend over time: strongly clustered in 1936 at lag distances up to 250 m, then random arrangement at all scales, and by 1983 pattern was regular at lag distances greater than 100 m. There was no clear relationship with precipitation.The use of remote sensing imagery allowed us to examine one site over time, and revealed patterns in population dynamics and spatial pattern that would not have been visible otherwise. Comparison of field estimates collected in 2001 with 1996 image data suggest that the canopy cover estimates were accurate, but shrub densities were seriously underestimated in the satellite photographs, which do not show shrubs smaller than 2 m diameter. As long as limitations of the imagery are understood, these methods can be applied over a larger and more heterogeneous area to examine environmental correlates of invasion success.     

Errors in LiDAR-derived shrub height and crown area on sloped terrain

This study developed and tested four methods for shrub height measurements with airborne LiDAR data in a semiarid shrub-steppe in southwestern Idaho, USA. Unique to this study was the focus of sagebrush height measurements on sloped terrain. The study also developed one of the first methods towards estimating crown area of sagebrush from LiDAR. Both sagebrush height and crown area were underestimated by LiDAR. Sagebrush height was estimated to within ± 0.26-0.32 mm (two standard deviations of standard error). Crown area was underestimated by a mean of 49%. Further, hillslope had a relatively low impact on sagebrush height and crown area estimation. From a management perspective, estimation of individual shrubs over large geographic areas can be accomplished using a 0.5 m rasterized vegetation height derivative from LiDAR. While the underestimation of crown area is substantial, we suggest that this underestimation would improve with higher LiDAR point density (>4 points/m²). Further studies can estimate shrub biomass using LiDAR height and crown area derivatives.     

河西走廊西段戈壁灌木群落多样性及其分布格局研究

通过野外样方调查河西走廊西段荒漠戈壁典型灌木群落多样性状况,研究探讨了8种典型灌木群落物种多样性的空间分布格局及其与地理因子的关系,对荒漠戈壁植物群落的多样性的保护和可持续发展具有重要意义。结果表明:(1) 8个典型灌木群落Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数、Margalef指数和Pielou指数从高到低为:盐爪爪群落>麻黄群落>合头草群落>红砂群落>梭梭群落>泡泡刺群落>多枝柽柳群落>沙拐枣群落;波动范围分别为0.314～1.355、0.179～0.666、0.334～1.222和0.051～0.218,说明荒漠戈壁灌木群落物种多样性指数偏低,群落结构简单,物种组成稀少。(2)不同灌木群落内物种数越多,群落间Jaccard相似性系数越大。大部分灌木群落类型间Jaccard相似性在0.20～0.60之间,群落间相似水平较低,群落相对稳定。(3)随着海拔的升高,Margalef指数、Pielou指数和Shannon-Wiener指数均呈先增加后降低的单峰型分布格局,最大值出现在海拔2 000 m,且与海拔显著相关(P<0....     

Soil-dependent canopy die-back and plant mortality in two Mojave Desert shrubs

Recent drought has led to unprecedented levels of plant mortality across the Southwestern US. An unaddressed feature of this drought's impact is how soil characteristics and soil hydrological behavior affect desert plant canopy die-back and mortality. Here, we present a multi-year study in the Mojave Desert assessing canopy die-back and whole-plant mortality of white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) and creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) in soils varying in surface and sub-surface horizon development, and topographic (hillslope vs. channel) positions. Canopy die-back and mortality was more widespread A. dumosa than in L. tridentata, and dead plants tended to be smaller than surviving plants, especially in channel and hillslope locations. This suggests that juveniles were particularly vulnerable where plants depended heavily on augmentation of incident precipitation by runoff. Canopy die-back was greater in young, weakly developed soils that fostered extensive plant growth, while plants growing in older, well-developed soils showed markedly lower branch and plant mortality, especially in A. dumosa. We attributed these differences in plant response in part to variation in distributions of large rocks within soil profiles, which might affect soil hydrological heterogeneity and intensity of plant competition for water.     

Effects of shrub removal and nitrogen addition on soil moisture in sagebrush steppe

I monitored soil moisture profiles in sagebrush steppe in SE Idaho, USA, for 6 years, a period that included four consecutive years of drought. Recharge of soil moisture was primarily the result of winter and early spring precipitation, and soil moisture declined during the spring and summer growing season. Recharge was substantially lower during drought years, and a single year of average precipitation did not restore soil moisture to pre-drought levels. Relative to control plots, there was more soil moisture on shrub removal plots and less soil moisture on nitrogen addition plots, particularly at depths of 100–180 cm. These differences suggest that in this ecosystem shrubs extract more moisture from deeper in the soil profile than perennial grasses, and that increased nitrogen availability can significantly affect soil water balance.     

Seasonal changes in camera-based indices from an open canopy black spruce forest in Alaska,and comparison with indices from a closed canopy evergreen coniferous forest in Japan

Evaluation of the carbon, water, and energy balances in evergreen coniferous forests requires accurate in situ and satellite data regarding their spatio-temporal dynamics. Daily digital camera images can be used to determine the relationships among phenology, gross primary productivity (GPP), and meteorological parameters, and to ground-truth satellite observations. In this study, we examine the relationship between seasonal variations in camera-based canopy surface indices and eddy-covariance-based GPP derived from field studies in an Alaskan open canopy black spruce forest and in a Japanese closed canopy cedar forest. The ratio of the green digital number to the total digital number, hue, and GPP showed a bell-shaped seasonal profile at both sites. Canopy surface images for the black spruce forest and cedar forest mainly detected seasonal changes in vegetation on the floor of the forest and in the tree canopy, respectively. In contrast, the seasonal cycles of the ratios of the red and blue digital numbers to the total digital numbers differed between the two sites, possibly due to differences in forest structure and leaf color. These results suggest that forest structural characteristics, such as canopy openness and seasonal forest-floor changes, should be considered during continuous observations of phenology in evergreen coniferous forests.     

干旱半干旱区草原灌丛化的原因及影响-争议与进展

灌丛化作为全球干旱半干旱区草原普遍发生的现象,其定义为草原生态系统中灌木/木本的生物量、密度、盖度的增加以及草本的生物量、密度、盖度的减少。草原灌丛化是气候变化和人类活动多种因素综合作用的结果。过度放牧被认为是引发草原灌丛化的主要原因之一。最新的研究结果表明过度放牧并不能导致草原灌丛化,但过度放牧后实施休牧却改变了草本与灌木的种间作用,有可能导致灌木的扩张。灌木入侵草原长期以来被认为是草原的退化,结论来源于干旱区土壤沙化的情形,在沙化的灌木林中,土壤碳库被局限于灌木株丛及其周边,使草原的碳截留和储存降低。但最近的全球性集成研究表明草原中灌木覆盖率盖度增加对生态系统可以产生积极作用,灌木可以增加土壤水分的下渗,有利于生态系统的水分储存和和养分的转化(如加强氮的矿化过程)。草原灌丛化对生态系统结构和功能影响存在景观尺度和斑块尺度上的差异。进一步研究适应灌丛化过程的管理机制,综合不断变化的气候条件因素和地域因素,采取合理的草原管理策略,对于全球草原区生产具有极其重要的意义。     

Short- and long-term effects of shrub management on vegetation in the Monte, Argentina

A comparison was made of plant cover, carrying capacity and diversity in areas of Monte vegetation at the Biosphere Reserve of Ñacuñán, Mendoza, Argentina, in 1982, 1984 and 1995. Treatments applied in 1981 were: control (untreated plots), selective hand-cutting, roller-chopping, and root-plowing. By 1995, woody cover was lower in root-plowed plots (27%) than in the others treatments (41–51%), and herbaceous cover was similar in treated (28–39%) and untreated areas (26%). Carrying capacity of treated areas (6–8 ha per Large Stock Unit (LSU)) was higher than in the control areas (12 ha LSU⁻¹). Woody species diversity, quantified by the Shannon index, for both areas was similar in the study period (0·62), except in root-plowed sites in 1982 (0·0) and 1995 (1·3). Herbaceous species diversity was similar on treated (0·81) and untreated sites (1·2) in 1995. We could recommend less drastic treatments to improve carrying capacity.     

Above-ground biomass and productivity in the Montado: From herbaceous to shrub dominated communities

Our study was focused on the effect of abandonment on above-ground biomass and net primary productivity (ANPP) in a Montado in Southern Portugal. The Montado has a long history of human management and control of invasion by shrubs is achieved by clearing, ploughing and grazing. When these cease, it is invaded by Mediterranean matorral species. We hypothesized that the change in life form dominance would affect both biomass and productivity, but while the total biomass was expected to increase, the effects on ANPP were less clear. We tested our hypothesis by determining above-ground biomass and ANPP along a gradient of decreasing land use intensity, ranging from extensive grazing to 20 years of abandonment.Above-ground biomass increased with abandonment, which was related with the increase in shrub cover. In addition, we found a decrease in herbaceous ANPP that was more than compensated by an increase in shrub ANPP in plots abandoned for longer time, resulting in a significant increase in total ANPP. This increase was strongly related with the increase in the cover of Cistus ladanifer, a pioneer species that colonises degraded areas and forms one of the first stages of succession of woody communities.     

三种猪毛菜种子耐盐性与幼苗干燥存活能力

在控制条件下研究了三种藜科植物紫翅猪毛菜(Salsola affinisC.A.Mey.)、浆果猪毛菜(Salsola foliosa(L.)Schrad.)和钠猪毛菜(Salsola nitrariaPall.)种子的萌发特性以及萌发后的幼苗在室温中放置14天和30天之后重新放置在原溶液中的存活状况。结果表明:三种猪毛菜种子在无菌水、0.085 mol/L、0.17 mol/L、0.34 mol/L NaCl溶液中萌发的很好,但是在0.51 mol/LNaCl中萌发率很低,三种猪毛菜幼苗在干燥30天重新放置在原溶液中以后仍然具有很高的存活率。上述结果表明:已经萌发了的幼苗在干燥环境中仍然保持存活的能力是盐生植物为了适应极端干旱和盐渍荒漠环境的一个重要的生存策略。     

Combating desertification in the Negev: dryland agriculture vs. dryland urbanization

The Negev region occupies nearly two-third of Israel's land area (21,671 km²) but hosts less than 9% of its 6.5 million strong population. Until recently, the process of desertification did not affect the Negev profoundly. This was mainly due to large-scale afforestation programs, restrictions imposed on grazing, and large water subsidies from the less arid part of the country to its more arid part. However, there are some indications that the process of desertification in the Negev has already started and may accelerate in the future. In light of this trend, the efficient long-term strategy for the Negev's development is essential. The present study compares two alternative strategies of the Negev's future development: agricultural expansion vs. urbanization path. Two basic criteria—the minimization of adverse environmental impacts and economic feasibility—are used for the evaluation. The urbanization path is found to be preferable. Since agriculture and livestock grazing are the major contributors to desertification, replacing them with urban development may lessen the risk of desertification in the future. In contrast, urban development, if properly planned and regulated, may reduce the spatial extent of the area affected by agricultural development, and thus minimize the anthropogenic impact on the desert environment. Economic reason is also important: While even in the future, agricultural production in the Negev may remain limited due to economic considerations, urban development may justify the often-large investment required for the provision of fresh water.     

Gender vs. Sex Differences: Factors Affecting Performance in Geographic Education

Abstract

Much has been written about sex differences in learning, but less attention has been paid to the impacts of gender—which is socially constructed—on learning geography. This article investigates whether differences in gender influence performance on a standardized test of geography knowledge. Undergraduate students in two large clases completed a standardized inventory of gender differences and then completed a standardized test of geography knowledge. The results of our analysis of the correlation between gender traits and geographic learning resulted in somewhat unexpected results, as well as a set of complex questions for further research on learning styles in geographic education.     

Economic cycles and environmental crisis in arid southeastern Spain. A historical perspective

The arid southeast region has been one of the areas with the oldest settlement in the Iberian Peninsula. Despite limitations imposed by lack of water and low soil fertility, a great number of dwellers have settled in this land for three thousand years thanks to its easy access to the commercial paths of the Mediterranean. The area is currently under great territorial and socioeconomic transformation activated by intensive agriculture through greenhouses and irrigation. The history of this territory offers a series of successful and downward cycles determined, from an ecological and economic point of view, by its integration in different stages of the globalization process. Most recently, in the 19th century an intensive deforestation process took place caused by the mining and iron industry. The deep economic and social crisis which followed the declining of this development model brought also about an ecological crisis. In the second half of the 20th century, negative environmental effects have continued and extended to the next generations with problems such as territorial saturation and aquifer depletion that characterize the new intensive agriculture under plastic. The current debate about the sustainability of this developmental model in such vulnerable environment can take advantage of some ecological lessons from the past.     

两种梭梭属幼苗在土壤N和P梯度下的竞争能力研究

梭梭（Haloxylon ammodendron）和白梭梭（H.persicum）是古尔班通古特沙漠两个优势树种。两个物种形态相似,但梭梭主要分布在丘间地,而白梭梭主要分布在丘顶。两种梭梭属植物的典型分布格局受到了植物地理或生物地理学家长期关注。但是,我们还远远不能完全理解这种分布格局形成的原因。在本研究中,通过一个竞争实验,试图确定这两个物种在宽幅土壤养分供应处理下的竞争能力,以及检测这两个物种在古尔班通古特沙漠丘顶/丘间地分布格局的潜在原因。结果表明：（1）在幼苗期,高养分条件下梭梭竞争强度大于白梭梭,梭梭为优势竞争者;相反,在低养分条件下白梭梭竞争强度大于梭梭,白梭梭为优势竞争者。在混种盆中相对丰富度指数也展示了同样的结果。实验结果类似于我们在野外观察到的物种分布格局。（2）这两种梭梭截然相反的竞争表现依赖于它们养分生理差异。梭梭高养分吸收能力使自己在高养分条件下具有优势,但在低养分下成了劣势。因为在低养分条件下,养分从土壤到根表面扩散是植物从土壤获取养分的限速步骤,因此,高养分吸收潜力反而对养分获取总量贡献微弱。白梭梭低养分吸收能力暗示着高养分保留率（例如：低流出）。因此,拥有高养分保留率的白梭梭能够在低养分条件下,通过竞争替换拥有高养分吸收能力的梭梭。在土壤贫瘠的地区（如沙漠）,关于种间竞争机制仍不是很清楚。通常认为,植物保留资源能力要比从土壤获取资源能力更重要。但是,结果表明了在养分贫瘠地区养分吸收和养分保留都重要,其中一个关键结果是贫瘠地区种间竞争决定了植物在小尺度上的分布格局。     

Differences in production and mortality of reproductive structures in two Prosopis L. (Mimosaceae) shrub species from Patagonia, Argentina

Prosopis L. pods have been proposed as a source of gum (galactomannans), with potential applications as a thickening agent in the food industry. The objective of this work was to compare, under field conditions, the production and mortality of reproductive structures in two sympatric shrub species of Prosopis: P. alpataco Phillipi and P. denudans Bentham. Our results indicate that fruit production in Prosopis denudans and P. alpataco is very low and erratic in non-irrigated lands. Although large quantities of flowers (15,000–25,000 flowers*0.40 m⁻²) can be found in one flowering season, 70–80% are shed before they reach anthesis and 20–28% are aborted between anthesis and fruit set. We conclude that the utilization of native populations of Prosopis denudans and P. alpataco for fruit production in Patagonian steppe, could not guarantee a consistent supply for the food industry.     

不同郁闭度天山云杉林林冠截留量及穿透雨量特征研究

天山云杉(Picea schrenkiana var.tianschanica(Rupr.)Chen et Fu)是构成天山山地森林生态系统的主体。选取天山森林生态系统定位研究站不同郁闭度天山云杉林作为研究对象,研究了不同郁闭度条件下天山云杉林冠截留量及穿透雨量的月变化特征、林冠截留量及穿透雨量与总降雨量间的数量关系,通过研究得出结论:林冠截留率与郁闭度表现出显著正相关关系,而穿透雨比率与郁闭度表现出显著负相关关系;穿透雨量、穿透雨比率及林冠截留量的月变化与总降雨量基本一致,林冠截留率则相反;郁闭度为0.8和0.6、0.4和0.2之间的穿透雨量无显著性差异,0.8和0.6与0.4和0.2之间差异明显,林冠截留量相邻郁闭度间均无显著性差异,而不相邻郁闭度之间均差异显著;建立了穿透雨量及林冠截留量与总降雨量间的数学关系,用以定量评价该地区天山云杉林水文生态效益。