Simulated circum-Arctic climate changes by the end of the 21st century

This study investigates future changes of the Arctic climate by the end of the 21st century, simulated by the regional climate model HIRHAM forced with the ECHAM5/MPI-OM general circulation model and assuming the SRES A1B emission scenario. This assessment provides the regional patterns of future circulation, temperature, and precipitation in the Arctic by the end of the 21st century. The magnitude of winter and summer temperature and precipitation is projected to increase, while their interannual variability is projected to change seasonally and is regionally dependent. The regional-scale response of the temperature and precipitation is associated with changes in storm tracks and atmospheric baroclinicity. During winter, the regions of strongest baroclinicity are shifted northward and strengthened. Changes in the seasonal temperature and precipitation are accompanied by changes in their extremes. Extreme warm and cold events are significantly projected to change, with relative changes of seasonal precipitation being larger than those of precipitation extremes.     

The optical–infrared colour distribution of a statistically complete sample of faint field spheroidal galaxies

In hierarchical models, where spheroidal galaxies are primarily produced via a continuous merging of disc galaxies, the number of intrinsically red systems at faint limits will be substantially lower than in 'traditional' models where the bulk of star formation was completed at high redshifts. In this paper we analyse the optical–near-infrared colour distribution of a large flux-limited sample of field spheroidal galaxies identified morphologically from archival Hubble Space Telescope data. The I ₈₁₄− HK ' colour distribution for a sample jointly limited at I ₈₁₄<23 mag and HK '<19.5 mag is used to constrain their star formation history. We compare visual and automated methods for selecting spheroidals from our deep HST images and, in both cases, detect a significant deficit of intrinsically red spheroidals relative to the predictions of high-redshift monolithic-collapse models. However, the overall space density of spheroidals (irrespective of colour) is not substantially different from that seen locally. Spectral synthesis modelling of our results suggests that high-redshift spheroidals are dominated by evolved stellar populations polluted by some amount of subsidiary star formation. Despite its effect on the optical–infrared colour, this star formation probably makes only a modest contribution to the overall stellar mass. We briefly discuss the implications of our results in the context of earlier predictions based on models where spheroidals assemble hierarchically.     

Vegetation patterns and diversity along an altitudinal and a grazing gradient in the Jabal al Akhdar mountain range of northern Oman

Little is known about the effects of grazing on vegetation composition on the Arabian Peninsula. The aim of this study therefore was to analyse the vegetation response to environmental conditions of open woodlands along an altitudinal and a grazing gradient in the Jabal al Akhdar mountain range of Oman. The species composition, vegetation structure, grazing damage and several environmental variables were investigated for 62 samples using a nested plot design. Classification analysis and a Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) were used to define vegetation types and to identify underlying environmental gradients. The relationship between environmental variables and diversity was analysed using correlation coefficients and a main-effects ANOVA. The plant species richness followed a unimodal distribution along the altitudinal gradient with the highest number of species at the intermediate altitudinal belt. The cluster analysis led to five vegetation groups: The Sideroxylon mascatense–Dodonaea viscosa group on grazed and the Olea europaea–Fingerhuthia africana group on ungrazed plateau sites at 2000 m a.s.l., the Ziziphus spina-christi–Nerium oleander group at wadi sites and the Moringa peregrina–Pteropyrum scoparium group at 1200 m a.s.l, and the Acacia gerrardii–Leucas inflata group at 1700 m a.s.l. The CVA indicated a clear distinction of the groups obtained by the agglomerative cluster analysis. The landform, altitude and grazing intensity were found to be the most important variables distinguishing between clusters. Overgrazing of the studied rangeland is an increasing environmental problem, whereas the plant composition at ungrazed sites pointed to a relatively fast and high regeneration potential of the local vegetation.     

Quantitative climate and vegetation trends since the late glacial on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau deduced from Koucha Lake pollen spectra

Quantitative information on vegetation and climate history from the late glacial-Holocene on the Tibetan Plateau is extremely rare. Here, we present palynological results of a 4.30-m-long sediment record collected from Koucha Lake in the Bayan Har Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Vegetation change has been traced by biomisation, ordination of pollen data, and calculation of pollen ratios. The application of a pollen-climate calibration set from the eastern Tibetan Plateau to Koucha Lake pollen spectra yielded quantitative climate information. The area was covered by alpine desert/steppe, characteristic of a cold and dry climate (with 50% less precipitation than today) between 16,700 and 14,600 cal yr BP. Steppe vegetation, warm (∼ 1°C higher than today) and wet conditions prevailed between 14,600 and 6600 cal yr BP. These findings contradict evidence from other monsoon-influenced areas of Asia, where the early Holocene is thought to have been moist. Low effective moisture on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau was likely due to high temperature and evaporation, even though precipitation levels may have been similar to present-day values. The vegetation changed to tundra around 6600 cal yr BP, indicating that wet and cool climate conditions occurred on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the second half of the Holocene.     

Quantitative antimony speciation in shooting-range soils by EXAFS spectroscopy

The Sb speciation in soil samples from Swiss shooting ranges was determined using Sb K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and advanced statistical data analysis methods (iterative transformation factor analysis, ITFA). The XAS analysis was supported by a spectral data set of 13 Sb minerals and 4 sorption complexes. In spite of a high variability in geology, soil pH (3.1-7.5), Sb concentrations (1000-17,000 mg/kg) and shooting-range history, only two Sb species were identified. In the first species, Sb is surrounded solely by other Sb atoms at radial distances of 2.90, 3.35, 4.30 and 4.51 Å, indicative of metallic Sb(0). While part of this Sb(0) may be hosted by unweathered bullet fragments consisting of PbSb alloy, Pb L_III-edge XAS of the soil with the highest fraction (0.75) of Sb(0) showed no metallic Pb, but only Pb²⁺ bound to soil organic matter. This suggests a preferential oxidation of Pb in the alloy, driven by the higher standard reduction potential of Sb. In the second species, Sb is coordinated to 6 O-atoms at a distance of 1.98 Å, indicative of Sb(V). This oxidation state is further supported by an edge energy of 30,496-30,497 eV for the soil samples with <10% Sb(0). Iron atoms at radial distances of 3.10 and 3.56 Å from Sb atoms are in line with edge-sharing and bidentate corner-sharing linkages between Sb(O,OH)₆ and Fe(O,OH)₆ octahedra. While similar structural units exist in tripuhyite, the absence of Sb neighbors contradicts formation of this Fe antimonate. Hence the second species most likely consists of inner-sphere sorption complexes on Fe oxides, with edge and corner-sharing configuration occurring simultaneously. This pentavalent Sb species was present in all samples, suggesting that it is the prevailing species after weathering of metallic Sb(0) in oxic soils. No indication of Sb(III) was found.     

绿色杜氏藻被膜泡囊的超微结构研究

于１９９０年５月－１９９１年５月,运用透射电镜观察绿色杜氏藻,对该氏藻被膜泡囊的形态结构及其在细胞内的分布和形成过程进行研究。观察表明,绿色杜氏藻细胞的高尔基体和细胞膜有许多大小不等的被膜泡囊;这些被膜泡囊由泡囊及其表面的网状结构构成,其直径在４５－１２０ｎｍ之间;在细胞膜附近的被膜泡囊直径较大;在高尔基体和细胞膜上还观察到被膜泡囊的形成过程。     

Biota of a subalpine springbrook in the Southern Alps

The flora and fauna of a subalpine springbrook at Cass in the Southern Alps of New Zealand was studied from April 1975 to January 1976. Spring water was moderately hard (30.0 g.m.^‐3), with high concentrations of dissolved oxygen (> 90% saturation) and carbon dioxide (5–14 g.m^‐3) and a temperature of 6.0–6.5°C. Three mosses covered much of the stream bed and formed distinct zones. Fissidens rigidulus inhabited torrential, water near the middle of the channel, Pterygophyllum quadrijarium. grew in the water‐saturated inner spray zone, and Cratoneuropsis relaxa inhabited the outer spray zone. In moss samples, 44 species of invertebrates were collected, mainly immature stages of insects. Zelandoperla jenestrata (Plecoptera), Zelolessica cheira (Trichoptera) a species of Empididae (Diptera) and several species of Chironomidae were most abundant in Fissidens; Austroperla cyrene (Plecoptera), a species of Helodidae (Coleoptera) and a triclad, Neppia montana, were most abundant in Pterygophyllum; an isopod, Styloniscus otakensis, was the only common animal on Cratoneuropsis. It is suggested that animal microdistribution patterns reflect differences in water saturation, flow rates, and detritus trapping ability within the moss zones.     

Observations on Chatham Rise currents

New Zealand stream ecosystems differ from many of their North American counterparts, on which general stream ecosystem models are based, in several ways. In New Zealand, large particle detritivores (shredders) are poorly represented, and the dominant invertebrates are browsers which feed on fine particulate organic matter and stone‐surface organic layers. In contrast with the river continuum concept of Vannote et al. (Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 37: 130–137, 1980), representation of functional feeding groups shows little change downstream and a temporal continuum of synchronous species replacements is not found. Many common benthic invertebrates are ecologically flexible species with poorly synchronised life histories. These differences appear to be associated with the non‐retentive, climatically unpredictable nature of the stream environment. The idea that stream communities are highly structured entities is questioned, as is the generality of the river continuum concept.