On the origin of rock fragment mulches on Vertisols: A case study from the Ethiopian highlands

Many Vertisols in Tigray, Ethiopia, typically carry a discontinuous rock fragment (RF, size 0.5–> 40 · 10^− 2 m) cover with 10 to 100 RFs m^− 2. Such RF mulches are of agricultural and environmental significance because they influence the water balance in the underlying soils and the crop yield. Natural RF concentrations are mostly considered as eolian or hydraulic lag deposits, or as the result of lateral transport over the soil surface from a rock outcrop, upslope. In cultivated areas RF mulches can develop by tillage.This paper presents the case of a natural RF mulch whose lithology indicates that the RFs are up-squeezed by the local Vertisol. The study site is located in the pass of Enda Maryam, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia (39°8′ E and 13°36′ N). A circular area of 10 m diameter, about 200 m away from the water divide in the valley has been cleared annually between 01/1999 and 05/2003. During this period, 625 RFs, 17 being > 7.5 · 10^− 2 m in size, totalling a mass of nearly 62 kg, have been collected. After correction for measurement procedures, the rate of RF up-warping by the Vertisol at Enda Maryam is assessed at 5 RFs m^− 2 in 3 years. At this rate of appearance, the formation of current RF concentrations on top of active valley Vertisols is only a matter of 10^1–2 years, provided the availability of RFs below the soil surface.Although important underground displacements were measured in the Vertisol between 01/1999 and 05/2002, the supposed link between up-squeezing of RFs and plastic deformations of ‘chimney’, ‘diapir’ or ‘intrusion’-like type in the Vertisol could not be evidenced. Instead, RFs are clearly concentrated on the soil surface as well as in depth, along the existing vertical desiccation cracks, often > 1 m deep which display polygonal configurations at the soil surface. Further, bundles of slickensides containing some RFs, have been mapped at the base of the Vertisol. The slickenside configuration suggests that the RF-bearing substrate is being scraped off.While the underground displacement of RFs along active slickensides seems normal, the process of RFs ascending in ‘upright’ position in the edge of desiccation cracks needs explanation. The closure of a desiccation crack is a peristaltic-like movement, following ascent or descent of the capillary fringe. It is hypothesized that this movement gradually pushes the RF to the surface or to another place or level in the soil profile where the crack closes in last instance.The apparent young age of the valley Vertisol mulches in Ethiopia might indicate the very recent formation of yearly recurrent desiccation cracks of Vertisols in the area. Available information confirms that most valleys in the study area used to be perennially marshy. Under these conditions no movements of RFs in the soil profile are expected to occur. Gullying, leading to pronounced seasonal desiccation of the Vertisols, started in several cases not more than 50 years ago.     

蓖麻生长农业气象条件分析及栽培技术初探

根据对蓖麻发育期的观测，结合当地气象条件，分析了阿克苏种植蓖麻的适应性及栽培中应采取的趋利避害的技术措施。     

基于遥感信息的华北冬小麦区域生长模型及模拟研究

卫星遥感估产和作物生长模拟在作物监测和产量预测方面有各自不可替代的优势。但是,遥感估产难以揭示作物生长发育和产量形成的内在机理,作物模拟在区域应用时初始值的获取和参数的区域化遇到很多困难。如何利用二者的互补性使其相互结合受到人们关注。该文在Wofost模型本地化和区域化的基础上,首次利用同化法的思路探讨了MODIS遥感信息与华北冬小麦生长模拟模型结合的可行性和方法,初步建立了潜在生产水平(水分适宜条件)下区域遥感-作物模拟框架模型(WSPFRS模型)。模拟结果显示:WSPFRS模型对区域尺度的出苗期重新初始化后,模拟的开花期、成熟期空间分布的准确性比Wofost模拟结果有所改进;利用遥感信息对区域尺度上返青期生物量重新初始化后,模拟贮存器官干重的空间分布更接近实际单产的分布,贮存器官干重的高值区与实际高产区基本相符。该研究将为下一步实际水分供应条件下基于遥感信息的冬小麦区域生长模拟研究奠定了基础。     

The Production of Methanol by Flowering Plants and the Global Cycle of Methanol

Methanol has been recognised as an important constituent of the background atmosphere, but little is known about its overall cycle in the biosphere/atmosphere system. A model is proposed for the production and emission to the atmosphere of methanol by flowering plants based on plant structure and metabolic properties, particularly the demethylation of pectin in the primary cell walls. This model provides a framework to extend seven sets of measurements of methanol emission rates to the global terrestrial biosphere. A global rate of release of methanol from plants to the atmosphere of 100 Tg y^–1 is calculated. A separate model of the global cycle of methanol is constructed involving emissions from plant growth and decay, atmospheric and oceanic chemical production, biomass burning and industrial production. Removal processes occur through hydroxyl radical attack in the atmosphere, in clouds and oceans, and wet and dry deposition. The model successfully reproduces the methanol concentrations in the continental boundary-layer and the free atmosphere, including the inter-hemispheric gradient in the free atmosphere. The model demonstrates a new concept in global biogeochemistry, the coupling of plant cell growth with the global atmospheric concentration of methanol. The model indicates that the ocean provides a storage reservoir capable of holding at least 66 times more methanol than the atmosphere. The ocean surface layer reservoir essentially buffers the atmospheric concentration of methanol, providing a physically based smoothing mechanism with a time constant of the order of one year.     

欧北-大湾地区火山岩储层成因机制的研究

从分布、成分组成、形成机制等几个方面探讨了辽河油田东部凹陷中段最主要的火山岩储层－－粗面岩的成因机制，并对其成为该区良好储层的原因进行了探讨，通过对比说明了另一类火山岩－－玄武岩不含油的原因，并建立了成因模式，最后得出结论：粗面岩呈喷发状态产出，由于其硅质含量高，流动性小，容易在构造高部位形成巨厚的火山岩锥或火山岩钏，从而造成其大部分在水上，结晶较好且储层物性极佳，同时因其裂缝发育，这些因素结合起来使其成为良好的会层。从供油方式来看，其成藏方式属于侧生式，而从生储盖组合方式来看，其属于自生、自储、自盖式成藏组合。同时给出了其成藏模式。     

湖北牛山湖高体鳑鮍的年龄、生长与繁殖

图 3　卵粒大小的频数分布 (ａ)具成熟卵细胞 (ｂ)无成熟卵细胞Ｆｉｇ 3ＦｒｅｑｕｅｎｃｙｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎｏｆｅｇｇｓｉｚｅｏｆＲｈｏｄｅｕｓｏｃｅｌｌａｔｕｓ(ａ)ｗｉｔｈｓｏｍｅｍａｔｕｒｅｅｇｇｓ ,(ｂ)ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔｍａｔｕｒｅｄｅｇｇｓ图 4繁殖力 (Ｆ ,ｅｇｇｓ)与体重 (Ｗ ,ｇ)及全长 (ＴＬ ,ｍｍ )的关系Ｆｉｇ 4Ｒｅｌａｔｉｏｎｓｈｉｐｂｅｔｗｅｅｎｆｅｃｕｎｄｉｔｙ (Ｆ ,ｅｇｇｓ)ａｎｄｂｏｄｙｗｅｉｇｈｔ (Ｗ ,ｇ)ｏｒｔｏｔａｌｌｅｎｇｔｈ (ＴＬ ,ｍｍ)湖北牛山湖高体鳑鮍的年龄、生长与繁殖@…     

城市用地与人口的异速增长和相关经验研究

由于城市土地利用变化涉及的因素多，使获取动态研究研究所需的资料十分困难，所以，用少数几个主要因素定量地表达其变化就显得十分重要。从前人的成果，即以人口表示的城市位序-规模法则和建成区面积表示的位序-规模法则出发，绽绎出城市的用地规模和人口数量呈异速增长。这意味着，如果把整个城市看成是一个生命有机体，那么作为反映城市特征的城市用地规模和城市人口这两个重要变量，就是城市这个有机体的两个器官，他们的增长率是成比例的。还通过这个关系建立了城市建成区面积与市场人口和经济发展水平的数学模式。对我国部分城市的经验研究在一定程度上分别证明了这两经验关系。     

Book Reviews

Books Reviewed Colbert C. Held, Middle East Patterns: Places, People, and Politics Barbara A. Weightman, Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East, and Southeast Asia Henry J. Bruman, Alcohol in Ancient Mexico Brian W. Blouet, Geopolitics and Globalization in the Twentieth Century M. A. B. Siddique (ed.), International Migration into the 21st Century: Essays in Honour of Reginald Appleyard Michael R. Haines and Richard H. Steckel (eds.), A Population History of North America Emilio Moran, Human Adaptability: An Introduction to Ecological Anthropology Jeremy Leggett, The Carbon War: Global Warming and the End of the Oil Era Susan B. Marriott and Jan Alexander (eds.), Floodplains: Interdisciplinary Approaches William S.Logan, Hanoi: Biography of a City Alex Krieger and David Cobb (eds.) with Amy Turner, Mapping Boston Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Carl Abbott, Greater Portland: Urban Life and Landscape in the Pacific Northwest Arthur D. Murphy, Colleen Blanchard and Jennifer A. Hill (eds.), Latino Workers in the Contemporary South Yanek Mieczkowski, The Routledge Historical Atlas of Presidential Elections