Application of participatory principles to investigation of the natural world: An example from Chile

Participatory research in environmental and natural resources-related fields is premised on many of the same notions that underlie participatory processes in decision making. This study examines one instance of participatory research to assess the extent to which the documented benefits of participatory decision-making hold up in the context of research. A survey of Chilean shell-fishers engaged in research with marine biologists assesses the relationships between four variables: fishers’ participation in research, fishers’ opinions of biologists, fishers’ trust in biologists, and fishers’ acquisition of knowledge from biologists. Results illuminate the multidimensionality of these variables and suggest that complex interrelationships between them make the benefits of participatory research more nuanced than those reported for participatory decision-making. For instance, participatory research may provide low benefits when participatory research outcomes differ little from those produced solely by scientists. In addition, high-cost scenarios may result when outcomes of participatory research are inferior to those produced solely by scientists. A third downside may result when participation leads participants to increase their deference to scientific knowledge, thereby defeating the corroborative purpose of their participation. A fourth effect may occur when increased trust by in scientists results from participation, decreasing participants’ perceived need to take part in research.     

Distribution and abundance patterns of two parapagurid hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) along the west and south coasts of South Africa

A series of over 6 000 research-trawl samples collected along the west and south coasts of South Africa between 1987 and 2014 were analysed for the presence and biomass of two parapagurid hermit crabs, Sympagurus dimorphus and Parapagurus bouvieri. The percentage of trawls that landed S. dimorphus and P. bouvieri and the mean caught biomass were higher on the west than on the south coast for both the more-abundant S. dimorphus (30.59 vs 5.81% success and 287.88 vs 31.37 kg km^–2, respectively) and for the less-abundant P. bouvieri (13.76 vs 3.58% success and 38.56 vs 16.32 kg km^–2, respectively). Very few parapagurids were caught shallower than 150 m; thereafter, the proportion of trawls containing hermit crabs increased, peaking over the depth range 201–250 m for S. dimorphus (54%) and 401–450 m for P. bouvieri (51%), and declining steadily thereafter. On the west coast, the relative caught biomass of S. dimorphus increased significantly from north to south, but there was no apparent latitudinal trend in relative biomass for P. bouvieri. Similarly, there was a significant decline in caught biomass of S. dimorphus with increasing longitude along the south coast, but no apparent trend for P. bouvieri. Although this represents by far the most comprehensive global analyses of distribution and abundance patterns for parapagurids to date, extremely little remains known about the biology and ecological relationships of these species, or indeed of other members of the group.     

海洋木栖真菌抗菌活性的初步研究

从福建厦门海沧、集美及漳州浮宫等地采集到的红树林等海洋潮间带的各种腐木样品中分离得到176株海洋木栖真菌,对其进行抗菌活性检测.其结果表明共有96株海洋木栖真菌对大肠杆菌、枯草杆菌及白色假丝酵母中的一种或多种拮抗指示菌具有抑制作用,占供测菌株总数的54.5%.在这些活性菌株中,红树源菌株拮抗比例为30.2%,非红树源菌株拮抗比例为69.8%.具有抗菌活性的菌株主要分布于15个属中,包括木霉Trichoderma、青霉Penicillium、拟青霉Paecilomyces和一些不产孢的分类群.某些稀有真菌如盘多毛孢Pestalotia、茎点霉Phoma也具有一定的抗菌活性.     

Potential martian mineral resources: Mechanisms and terrestrial analogues

The future exploration of Mars is likely to utilize resources that can be extracted in situ. An overview of the geology of Mars has been presented and several mechanisms that could result in the formation of ore deposits have been identified. These include deposits caused by hydrothermal fluids resulting from volcanic activity, large igneous province formation and impact craters. Surface enrichment of mineral sand deposits is also discussed. Where appropriate, terrestrial analogues of these mechanisms have been discussed and supporting evidence from observations of Mars undertaken to date presented. Types of deposits that are unlikely to be found on Mars are also listed.     

西太平洋海山区构造分区图编制及玄武岩Nd同位素填图

基于公开的地球物理、地球化学数据以及国内外航次调查积累的海底地形等资料,笔者编制了西太平洋海山区1:500万构造分区图.西太平洋海山区构造分区图包括1幅主图和3幅辅图,主图为《西太平洋海山区构造分区图》,共划分出了3个一级板块、22个二级分区块体、12个三级分区块体,3幅辅图分别为《西太平洋海山区地质构造图》、《西太平...     

实验水槽常规流速模拟的缩尺方法

提出了一种实验室水槽中流速模拟的方法,该方法可根据需要提供合适的模型缩尺比,用来完成相关海洋工程的模型水动力性能实验,可以近似地模拟出实际设备在水中的工作状态,为在实验水槽中模拟水流动力参数提供有效的参考,方便水槽中的科学实验的开展。     

Equivalent continuum strain calculations based on 3D particle kinematic measurements of sand

Constitutive modeling of granular materials has been a subject of extensive research for many years. While the calculation of the Cauchy stress tensor using the discrete element method has been well established in the literature, the formulation and interpretation of the strain tensor are not as well documented. According to Bagi, 1 researchers mostly adopt well‐known continuum or discrete microstructural approaches to calculate strains within granular materials. However, neither of the 2 approaches can fully capture the behavior of granular materials. They are considered complementary to each other where each has its own strengths and limitations in solving granular‐mechanics problems. Zhang and Regueiro 2 proposed an equivalent continuum approach to calculating finite strain measures at the local level in granular materials subjected to large deformations. They used three‐dimensional discrete element method results to compare the proposed strains measures. This paper presents an experimental application of the Zhang and Regueiro 2 approach using three‐dimensional synchrotron microcomputed tomography images of a sheared Ottawa sand specimen. Invariant Eulerian finite strain measures were calculated for representative element volumes within the specimen. The spatial maps of Eulerian octahedral shear and volumetric strain were used to identify zones of intense shearing within the specimen and compared well with maps of incremental particle translation and rotation for the same specimen. The local Eulerian volumetric strain was compared to the global volumetric strains, which also can be considered as an averaging of all local Eulerian volumetric strains.     

河流沉积学研究热点与进展--第11届国际河流沉积学大会综述

第11届国际河流沉积学大会于2017年7月17日-21日在加拿大卡尔加里大学举行,每四年举行一次的国际河流沉积学学术会议,吸引了当今北美、欧洲、澳洲及亚洲从事河流沉积学及相关学科研究的众多知名学者参会,研究成果充分体现了当前国际河流沉积学研究取得的重要进展和发展方向。重要进展有:1）河流动力学及其变化过程研究。其中包括将今论古法论现代河流沉积过程与古老地层对比,河道-洪泛平原体系的越岸复合沉积动力学,河流动力学与变化过程研究展望,恢复河道迁移过程:新一代平面图演化模式的讨论,冲积河流和基岩河流的湍流、颗粒间作用和沉积作用;2）陆缘河流。包括河流入海处的地貌动力学与沉积学,河流补给边缘的沉积物搬运、地貌和地层特征,干旱地区河流、冲积扇体系与风的相互作用,植被生长前、无植物生长、或是植被发育区河流的沉积过程研究;3）河流沉积地层及其地下资源。包括源-汇系统,"河流相模式"是否有用的讨论,辫状河、网状河、曲流河概念的厘定等;4）河流地貌变化。包括气候改变、泥泞植被洪泛平原等对河流沉积物通量、河流模式等产生影响,河道中冲积岛屿的演化和稳定河流的蛇曲化,河流环境中沉积物生物作用等。基于上述资料分析,认为河流演化过程从定性向定量化研究,物理模拟与数值模拟技术是河流沉积学研究不可或缺的手段,应用定量建模、数学计算等方法进行精准研究,碎屑锆石U-Pb定年技术是新一代从源到汇研究的重要工具等诸多方面,是我国学者应该重视并开展研究的方向。     

鄂尔多斯风沙滩地区土壤凝结水试验研究

鄂尔多斯风沙滩地区,常年干旱少雨,蒸发强烈,地下水资源消耗主要源于表土蒸发.而土壤凝结水的形成与转化又与表土蒸发之间存在着十分密切的关系.作者在内蒙古自治区乌审旗气象局院内,采用自制的笼屉式测渗仪进行土壤凝结水的观测试验研究,测量方法为称重法.并同步观测地表以上50cm处的空气温湿度以及地表和地表以下5cm、10cm、15cm、20cm、30cm、40cm、50cm处的土壤温度.通过试验,初步探明了该区土壤凝结水的形成与转化的基本过程,以及土壤凝结水的转化与气象因素之间的相关关系.