Impact factors identification of spatial heterogeneity of herbaceous plant diversity on five southern islands of Miaodao Archipelago in North China

Herbaceous plants are widely distributed on islands and where they exhibit spatial heterogeneity. Accurately identifying the impact factors that drive spatial heterogeneity can reveal typical island biodiversity patterns. Five southern islands in the Miaodao Archipelago, North China were studied herein. The spatial distribution of herbaceous plant diversity on these islands was analyzed, and the impact factors and their degree of impact on spatial heterogeneity were identified using CCA ordination and ANOVA. The results reveal 114 herbaceous plant species, belonging to 94 genera from 34 families in the 50 plots sampled. The total species numbers on different islands were significantly positively correlated with island area, and the average α diversity was correlated with human activities, while the β diversity among islands was more affected by island area than mutual distances. Spatial heterogeneity within islands indicated that the diversities were generally high in areas with higher altitude, slope, total nitrogen, total carbon, and canopy density, and lower moisture content, pH, total phosphorus, total potassium, and aspect. Among the environmental factors, pH, canopy density, total K, total P, moisture content, altitude, and slope had significant gross effects, but only canopy density exhibited a significant net effect. Terrain affected diversity by restricting plantation, plantation in turn influenced soil properties and the two together affected diversity. Therefore, plantation was ultimately the fundamental driving factor for spatial heterogeneity in herbaceous plant diversity on the five islands.     

Mixing of Enriched Lithospheric Mantle-Derived and Crustal Magmas: Evidence from the Habo Cenozoic Porphyry in Western Yunnan

New zircon U–Pb ages, whole-rock geochemistry and zircon Hf isotopes from the Habo porphyry Western Yunnan, China, were determined to provide constraints on the timing of uplift of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. The intrusive rocks consist of shoshonitic porphyry (syenite porphyry and monzonite porphyry). Zircon laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb dating indicates coeval emplacement ages of ~35 Ma. The porphyries have alkaline affinities, enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) (e.g., Rb, Th, U, Pb), with depletion of high field strength elements (HFSEs) (e.g., Nb, Ti, Ta) and weak Eu anomalies. They display uniform Lu–Hf isotopic compositions with negative zircon εHf(t) values ranging from -3.9 to -0.6. The chemical characteristics of the syenite porphyries indicated that they most likely originated from the lower crust, with mantle-derived material involved in their generation. Geochemically, the monzonite porphyries are similar to the syenite porphyries; however, the lower MgO contents suggest that they were produced by different degrees of partial melting of the same lower crust source. Combined with the geochemical and isotopic data in this paper, imply that the alkali-rich porphyries of the Habo polymetallic deposit were derived from the partial melting of lower crust, enriched by mantle magma, formed in a conversion stage from stress extrusion (a strike-slip shear process) to local stress relaxation (a strike-slip pull-apart process) at the Ailaoshao tectonic zone.     

Correction to: Assessing real options in urban surface water flood risk management under climate change

Windblown dust originating in China and Mongolia causes health effects and agricultural damage in its source areas and causes Asian dust events in Japan. An early warning system that could be combined with weather forecasts would be helpful in preventing serious damage. However, it is difficult to specify source areas of dust with current dust modeling systems because land surface information, including vegetation coverage and land surface soil water content, is inadequate. To find and monitor dust source regions, a semi-real-time dust erodibility map was developed based on MODIS satellite data that focuses particularly on the threshold wind speed in a target area of northeast Asia including China and Mongolia (35°–50°N, 75°–120°E). The mapping system incorporates satellite data on snow cover, areas of frozen soil, surface soil water content, and vegetation cover.     

Dynamic Response and Mechanical Behaviours of Geogrid for High Earth-rockfill Dams

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Due to the complexity of the interaction between the geogrid and the soil interface in high earth-rock dams, the method of replacing the grid with steel...     

Characterization of a mutant of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alteromonas aurantia</Emphasis> A18 and its application in mariculture

Mutant J61321 with enhanced siderophore production of Alteromonas aurantia AI8 was obtained after a series of chemical-physical mutageneses. It was found that the antibacterial activity against Vibrio anguillarum W-1 and siderophore production of the mutant were higher than those by the original strain A 18 which had been used in mariculture. The results of the specific assay（Csaky and Arnow methods） of siderophore showed that the sidrophore with hydroxamate group was produced by mutant J61321 and the original strain A 18, respectively, while the siderophore with catechol group was yielded by strain W-1 （Aibrio anguillarum）. Meanwhile, the siderophore yield, antibacterial activity and anti-chelator activity of strain J61321 were higher than those of its parent strain A 18.     

我国地震预报的战略建议与思考

讨论了我国地震预报面对的问题和困难。认为只有加强以形变为主的前兆观测 ,才能作出地震的短临预报。目前前兆观测的主要问题在于可信度差 ,应把重点放在仪器探头上 ,只有探头提供的信息“源”可靠了 ,后续的采集、传输、预报的“流”才会有坚实的基础。我国现在建立以形变为主的前兆台网的技术条件已经成熟 ,建议建立全国高精度的高、中、低频衔接的前兆物理信息观测网络。     

Application of transparent soil model tests to study the soil-rock interfacial sliding mechanism

When transparent soil technology is used to study the displacement of a slope, the internal deformation of the slope can be visualized. We studied the sliding mechanism of the soil-rock slope by using transparent soil technology and considering the influence of the rock mass Barton joint roughness coefficient, angle of the soil mass, angle of the rock mass and soil thickness factors on slope stability. We obtained the deformation characteristics of the soil and rock slope with particle image velocimetry and the laser speckle technique. The test analysis shows that the slope sliding can be divided into three parts: displacements at the top, the middle, and the bottom of the slope; the decrease in the rock mass Barton joint roughness coefficient, and the increase in soil thickness, angles of the rock mass and soil mass lead to larger sliding displacements. Furthermore, we analyzed the different angles between the rock mass and soil thickness. The test result shows that the displacement of slope increases with larger angle of the rock mass. Conclusively, all these results can help to explain the soil-rock interfacial sliding mechanism.     

Analyses of egg size,otolith shape,and growth revealed two components of small yellow croaker in Haizhou Bay spawning stock

The geographic al variations in life history characteristic s of small yellow cro aker Larimich thys polyactis,caused by experienced different environmental conditions,have been observed in China seas.Previous studies based on spatial distribution,migration route,and body morphometrics suggested a complex stock structure.In this study,to clarify the source of a spawning stock,we investigated the reproduction strategy and inter-structure of the Haizhou Bay(HZB)spawning stock in the middle Yellow Sea from both egg survey and adult otolith increment analysis.Egg and adult samples were collected from three surveys during spawning season in 2013.Distinct spatial and temporal variations were detected in egg distribution and size,and otolith shape analy sis of adult fishes revealed two morphotypes with different increment growth using random forest cluster.The results indicate the existence of two components within the same spawning stock in HZB from different wintering grounds,and accordingly special protection should be required for this stock given the significance to maintain connectivity between adj acent subpopulations.     

Effects of stocking density on the growth and immunity of Atlantic salmon salmo salar reared in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS)

Atlantic salmon reared in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) may lead to inappropriately high stocking density, because fish live in a limited space. Finding the suitable stocking density of Atlantic salmon reared in RAS is very important for RAS industry. In this paper, the influence of stocking density on growth and some stress related physiological factors were investigated to evaluate the effects of stocking density. The fish were reared for 220 days at five densities (A: 24 kg/m³; B: 21 kg/m³; C: 15 kg/m³; D: 9 kg/ m³ and E: 6 kg/m³ ). The results show that 30 kg/m³ might be the maximum density which RAS can afford in China. The stocking densities under 30 kg/m³ have no effect on mortality of Atlantic salmon reared in RAS. However, the specific growth rate (SGR), final weight and weight gain in the high density group were significantly lower than the lower density groups and middle density groups. Moreover, feed conversion rate (FCR) had a negative correlation with density. Plasma hormone T₃ and GH showed significant decrease with the increase of the stocking density of the experiment. Furthermore, thyroid hormone (T₃), GH (growth hormone) activities were decreased with stocking density increase. However, plasma cortisol, GOT (glutamic oxalacetic transaminase) and GPT (glutamic pyruvic transaminase) activities were increase with stocking density increase. And the stocking density has no effects on plasma lysozyme of Atlantic salmon reared in RAS. These investigations would also help devise efficient ways to rear adult Atlantic salmon in China and may, in a way, help spread salmon mariculture in China.