Seasonal variation of plankton communities influenced by environmental factors in an artificial lake

We evaluated the seasonal variation in plankton community composition in an artificial lake. We conducted microscopic analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNAand 18S rRNAgenes to characterize the plankton community. The clustering of unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) was then used to investigate the similarity of these plankton communities. DGGE fingerprinting revealed that samples collected at the different sites within a season shared high similarity and were generally grouped together. In contrast, we did not observe any seasonal variation based on microscopic analysis. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of the plankton operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in relation to environmental factors revealed that transparency was negatively correlated with the first axis (R=-0.931), and temperature and total phosphorus (TP) were positively correlated with the first axis (R=0.736 and R=0.660, respectively). In conclusion, plankton communities in the artificial lake exhibited significant seasonal variation. Transparency, phosphorus and temperature appear to be the major factors driving the differences in plankton composition.     

The impacts of food price and income shocks on household food security and economic well-being: Evidence from rural Bangladesh

This paper examines the combined impacts of food price and income shocks on household food security and economic well-being in low-income rural communities. Using longitudinal survey data of 1800 rural households from 12 districts of Bangladesh over the period 2007–2009, we estimated a three-stage hierarchical logit model to identify the key sources of household food insecurity. The first-difference estimator was then employed to compare pre- and post-shock expenditure for those households that experienced acute food shortages and those that managed to avoid the worst impacts of the shocks. On the basis of our results we conclude that: (1) the soaring food prices of 2007–2009 unequivocally aggravated food insecurity in the rural areas of Bangladesh; (2) the subsequent income shocks of 2007–2009 contributed toward worsening food insecurity; (3) the adverse impacts of these shocks appeared to have faded over time due to labor and commodity market adjustments, regional economic growth, and domestic policy responses, leaving no profound impacts on households’ economic well-being in most cases; and (4) although the immediate adverse consequences of rising food prices were borne disproportionately by the poor, the longer term consequences were distributed more evenly across the rich and poor and were favorable for the day laborers.     

我国华东地区月尺度气候动力预测的研究:(Ⅱ) 嵌套模式的回报评估

采用数值模式方法对我国华东地区进行月尺度短期气候预测。预测框架由改进的低分辨率全球环流模式T63 L9嵌套并入了水文模型VXM的区域气候模式RegCM3构成,根据嵌套气候模式的积分结果,经剔除系统误差后制作短期气候预报。本文利用国家气候中心的评分方法对2003、2004两年的降水和地表气温回报结果作了评估;还将本系统的预报结果与CMAP降水资料、NMC温度资料及全国160站的观测资料进行了对比。结果表明,该系统可以比较稳定地对我国华东地区的降水和温度进行月尺度预测。     

纳木错湖夏季典型大气边界层特征的数值模拟

为了进一步检验分析纳木错湖对当地地方性环流、湖气能量交换及大气边界层的影响,在本文中使用美国NCAR新版MM5V3.7非静力中尺度模式,设计了有湖面、3/4湖面、1/2湖面及无湖四组试验,以NCEP再分析资料做初、边值条件,做了48 h三重嵌套模拟试验,对比中国科学院"纳木错圈层相互作用"综合观测站实测资料,说明该模式模拟性能良好。白天在纳木错湖风与念青唐古拉山北坡谷风共同作用下,在念青唐古拉山脊处汇合,形成一强水平切变及辐合上升运动,造成了该地夏季白天复杂多变的天气;夜间由于南岸湖风与山风叠加,使得整个区域为强大南风气流控制,这也补给了水汽和热量,也为白天不稳定运动提供了能量。对大气边界层特征的模拟结果表明:由于白天(夜晚)纳木错湖的存在有很好的降温(保温)作用,该湖表现出了明显的冷(暖)湖效应;纳木错湖对感热和潜热的影响有很强的日变化,白天湖面感热、潜热均小于周围陆地,夜间湖面有强潜热通量;纳木错湖使得白天湖区边界层顶低,陆区边界层顶高,夜间相反。这样的地方性环流和大气边界层特征的配合,是该地中小尺度天气剧烈变化的重要原因。     

红壤中微生物群落对半导体矿物日光催化作用的响应

本研究选取天然红壤作为研究对象,分析其中的含铁半导体矿物光催化作用对本源微生物群落结构的影响。采用聚 合酶链式反应/变性梯度凝胶电泳（PCR-DGGE）,研究了不同原始光照条件的红壤中微生物群落在外源电子作用下群落结 构的改变。DGGE图谱的主成分分析表明,两个不同原始光照环境的土壤样品的微生物群落结构由于原始环境的差异而不同： 原始环境为强光照的样品中微生物群落结构受外源电子影响较小;原始环境为弱光照的样品中微生物群落结构受外源电子 影响较大。这一群落结构改变的差异可能由于原始环境为强光照时半导体矿物光催化作用产生光生电子传递到环境中持续 影响周围的微生物群落,而原始弱光照环境中则缺少光生电子的作用。