Effects of phenology and meteorological disturbance on litter rainfall interception for a Pinus elliottii stand in the Southeastern United States

Litter layers develop across a diverse array of vegetated ecosystems and undergo significant temporal compositional changes due to canopy phenological phases and disturbances. Past research on temporal dynamics of litter interception has focused primarily on litter thickness and leaf fall, yet forest phenophases can change many more litter attributes (e.g., woody debris, bark shedding, and release of reproductive materials). In this study, weekly changes in litter composition over 1 year were used to estimate litter water storage dynamics and model event‐based litter interception. Litter interception substantially reduced throughfall (6–43%), and litter water storage capacity ranged from 1 to 3 mm, peaking when megastrobili release and liana leaf senescence occurred simultaneously during fall 2015. Tropical storm disturbances occurred during the sampling period, allowing evaluation of how meteorological disturbances altered litter interception. High wind speeds and intense rainfall from 2 tropical storms increased litter interception by introducing new woody debris, which, in this study, stored more water than the pre‐existing woody debris. After 2 extreme weather events, a third (Hurricane Hermine) did not increase woody debris (or litter interception), suggesting that the canopy pool of branches susceptible to breakage had been largely depleted. Needle and bark shedding had minor effects on litter interception. Results suggest that the release of reproductive materials and meteorological disturbances appear to be the major compositional drivers of litter interception beyond their obvious contribution to litter thickness.     

新疆阿勒泰地区中低产田及其改造措施

中低产田指农作物产量低下的耕地。中低产田生产潜力大,对其改造的经济和生态效益均大于新垦荒地,在水少地多和生态脆弱的干旱区尤其如此,对其加强研究与改造是十分重要的。阿勒泰地区中低产田分布广,面积大,成因复杂,在新疆有较好的代表性。本文论述阿勒泰地区中低产田的分布、类型,分析中低产田的成因,并提出改造措施。     

The solubility of TiO2 in olivine: implications for the mantle wedge environment

One characteristic of many subduction-zone garnet peridotites is that they contain titanium-bearing phases not otherwise found in mantle rocks. In particular, titanoclinohumite and/or its breakdown assemblage consisting of symplectic intergrowths of olivine and ilmenite is common in many of these bodies. The Alpe Arami garnet lherzolite of the Swiss Alps, while lacking titanoclinohumite, displays instead large numbers of FeTiO₃ rod-shaped precipitates in the oldest generation of olivine, amounting to approximately 1% by volume, indicating that at some time in its past, the peridotite experienced conditions under which the solubility of TiO₂ in olivine was >0.6 wt.%. In order to test the hypothesis that the environment of very high solubility of TiO₂ in olivine is to be found at very high pressures, we have conducted experiments on lherzolite compositions with added ilmenite at pressures between 5 and 12 GPa and temperatures of 1350–1700 K. Our results on anhydrous compositions show that whereas solubility of TiO₂ was not detected in olivine at 5 GPa, 1400 K where it coexists with rutile, when rutile disappeared from the paragenesis, the solubility climbed to 0.4 wt.% at 8 GPa, 0.5 wt.% at 10 GPa and to >1.0 wt.% at 12 GPa, 1700 K. These results support our previous interpretations from titanate morphology and abundance that the Alpe Arami massif has surfaced from P=10 GPa but remove the need to suggest a deeper origin and possible precursor phase such as wadsleyite. They also support the hypothesis that garnet peridotites with unusual Ti-bearing phases reflect a unique mantle environment occurring in the mantle wedge overlying subduction zones.     

Experimental deformation of a synthetic dunite at high temperature and pressure. II. Transmission electron microscopy

We have performed detailed transmission electron microscope on most of the deformed synthetic dunite specimens prepared in the study by Zeuch and Green (1984). We have identified three basic types of sub-boundaries, simple tilt walls in (100) and (001). composed by b = [100] and b = [001] edge dislocations, respectively, and twist boundaries in (010) composed of b = [100] and b = [001] screws. We have also observed more complex, asymmetric lilt boundaries in (100) and (001). Like the (010) twist boundaries, these asymmetric tilt walls are common only at the highest temperatures and lowest strain rates. Subgrain development is extensive at the higher temperatures and lower strain rates, and subgrains are composed of the above-mentioned three types of sub-boundaries; edge components in (100) and (001) ire “knitted” to screw components in (010) as described by Kirby and Wegner (1978) for naturally deformed olivine. In many areas of the samples which we studied, subgrain development is not observed, but parallel arrays of tilt boundaries of one type or the other are present. At higher temperatures and lower strain rates. “(100) organization” (Durham et al., 1977) is common; this structure consists of parallel arrays of (100) tilt boundaries with b = [100] screws connecting the sub-boundaries. At lower temperatures we have observed an analogous arrangement of (001) sub-boundaries and b = [001] screws, which we refer to as “(001) organization”. Under all experimental conditions, dislocations with b = [100] and b = [001] are present in approximately equal numbers. However, the two types of dislocations also have distinctly different geometries under all test conditions. We suggest that the transition from slip parallel to [001] to slip parallel to [100] with increasing temperature, which has been reported in earlier studies may also depend upon water content. The substructures which we observe are virtually identical to those seen in many naturally deformed peridolites. and we conclude that the mechanisms involved in both natural and laboratory deformation of olivine polycrystals are similar. On the other hand, the substructures reported here are very different from those observed in experimentally deformed olivine single crystals. It seems likely that these substructural differences reflect fundamental differences in the behavior oh single crystals and polycrystals. which are in turn reflected in different measured creep strengths.     

Effective area of the antenna of the RT-22 CrAO RI radio telescope

Based on the results of calibrator observations at 13.5-mm and 8.2-mm wavelengths in 1985 and 2005, the dependence of the effective area of the RT-22 CrAO RI antenna on ambient temperature and elevation was determined. The obtained results confirm a high quality of the RT-22 antenna at millimeter wavelengths. A high accuracy of the reflector surface makes it possible to observe at millimeter wavelengths right to 2 mm. At 8.2-mm wavelength, the effective area changes by no more than 5% when the antenna is reinstalled from the zenith to 15° elevation angle. Large antennas, intended to operate at maximum frequencies, should be built either taking into account the climatic conditions of the antenna sites or taking measures to provide thermal stability of the antenna.     

Modelling how vegetation cover affects climate change impacts on streamflow timing and magnitude in the snowmelt‐dominated upper Tuolumne Basin,Sierra Nevada

We investigated, through hydrologic modelling, the impact of the extent and density of canopy cover on streamflow timing and on the magnitude of peak and late summer flows in the upper Tuolumne basin (2600–4000 m) of the Sierra Nevada, California, under current and warmer temperatures. We used the Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model for the hydrologic modelling of the basin, assuming four vegetation scenarios: current forest (partial cover, 80% density), all forest (uniform coverage, 80% density), all barren (no forest) and thinned forest (partial cover, 40% density) for a medium‐high emissions scenario causing a 3.9 °C warming over a 100‐year period (2001–2100). Significant advances in streamflow timing, quantified as the centre of mass (COM) of over 1 month were projected for all vegetation scenarios. However, the COM advances faster with increased forest coverage. For example, when forest covered the entire area, the COM occurred on average 12 days earlier compared with the current forest coverage, with the rate of advance higher by about 0.06 days year^?1 over 100 years and with peak and late summer flows lower by about 20% and 27%, respectively. Examination of modelled changes in energy balance components at forested and barren sites as temperatures rise indicated that increases in net longwave radiation are higher in the forest case and have a higher contribution to melting earlier in the calendar year when shortwave radiation is a smaller fraction of the energy budget. These increases contributed to increased midwinter melt under the forest at temperatures above freezing, causing decreases in total accumulation and higher winter and early spring melt rates. These results highlight the importance of carefully considering the combined impacts of changing forest cover and climate on downstream water supply and mountain ecosystems. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship between the wind and waves in the North Atlantic and atmospheric circulation oscillations

Characteristics of wind and waves are computed using the data of instrumental observations on the moored buoys in the northeastern part of the North Atlantic during the cold periods (November–March) of 2009–2013. Their comparison is carried out for different phases of the North Atlantic and East Atlantic oscillations and for the combinations of these phases.     

Studies of the quasar OH 471

Based on the 1964–1996 observations in the frequency range 0.325–90 GHz, we study peculiarities of the variability of the quasar OH 471 (z=3.4). The double-humped spectrum had peaks at frequencies near 1 and 20 GHz. The flux density of the low-frequency component first decreased and then began to increase. The high-frequency component rose to 2.5 Jy in the late 1970s. The peak frequencies were virtually constant. VLBI observations at 1.6 GHz revealed a core-jet structure with the jet extended eastward to 5 mas. The object is a powerful quasar.