Morphological variation and reproductive biology of Polaskia chende (Cactaceae) under domestication in Central Mexico

The columnar cactus Polaskia chende, endemic to Central Mexico, occurs in the wild and in silviculturally managed populations where artificial selection for better edible fruits operates by sparing and favouring desirable phenotypes during vegetation clearance. Wild and managed populations were compared in morphology and reproductive biology to analyse if human selection has influenced phenotypic divergence, if it has modified breeding systems and if reproductive isolation exists between them. Fruits from managed populations were larger (6·36±0·17 cm³), heavier (19·62±1·32), sweeter (9·07±0·25 °Brix), and with thinner peel (2·09±0·13 mm) than those from wild populations (5·77±0·18 cm³, 15·73±0·85 g, 8·23±0·31 °Brix, and 2·58±0·14 mm, respectively). Both population types bloom synchronically, show diurnal anthesis, with bees as the most likely pollinators, and have breeding system predominantly self-incompatible. Spatial and temporal barriers to pollen exchange between wild and managed populations are unlikely, and morphological differences would be related with an ongoing process of artificial selection.     

Proglacial Sediment—Landform Associations of a Polythermal Glacier: Storglaciären, Northern Sweden

Mapping and laboratory analysis of the sediment—landform associations in the proglacial area of polythermal Storglaciären, Tarfala, northern Sweden, reveal six distinct lithofacies. Sandy gravel, silty gravel, massive sand and silty sand are interpreted as glaciofluvial in origin. A variable, pervasively deformed to massive clast‐rich sandy diamicton is interpreted as the product of an actively deforming subglacial till layer. Massive block gravels, comprising two distinctive moraine ridges, reflect supraglacial sedimentation and ice‐marginal and subglacial reworking of heterogeneous proglacial sediments during the Little Ice Age and an earlier more extensive advance. Visual estimation of the relative abundance of these lithofacies suggests that the sandy gravel lithofacies is of the most volumetric importance, followed by the diamicton and block gravels. Sedimentological analysis suggests that the role of a deforming basal till layer has been the dominant factor controlling glacier flow throughout the Little Ice Age, punctuated by shorter (warmer and wetter climatic) periods where high water pressures may have played a more important role. These results contribute to the database that facilitates discrimination of past glacier thermal regimes and dynamics in areas that are no longer glacierized, as well as older glaciations in the geological record.     

高山增水效应及其水资源意义

根据高山上云、雾、雨、雪、径流等水资源丰富现象，分析了高山冰川、植被、地形等与汽-水作用关系，提出高山增水效应概念和高山区水资源开发与保护的新思路。高大山体及其造成的垂向对流、高山冰川和高山植被共同作用形成了高山增水效应，并形成良性增水系统。山体愈高大，增水效应愈明显。对内陆干旱地区开发利用更多的高山水资源具有意义。     

50a来洮河流域降水径流变化趋势分析

洮河流域 40多年水文实测资料分析表明 ,由于受气候变化及人类活动影响 ,流域降水和径流特征发生了明显变化 ,降水与径流总体呈下降趋势 ,其下降的线性斜率分别为 - 0 .86～ - 1.34mm·a-1和 - 1.5 7～ - 3.36m3·s-1·a-1;而气温呈缓慢上升趋势 ,其上升的线性斜率为 0 0 2℃·a-1.降水的减少和温度的升高已经导致甘南草原荒漠化 ,使许多湿地和湖泊干涸 ;径流的减少和温度增加在近2 0a来有进一步加剧的趋势 .     

吉林省土壤中有效锰、铜、钼和锌含量的时空变化

选择吉林省的五个大豆种植区(敦化、桦甸、榆树、农安、白城)、四个水稻种植区(白城、九台、延吉、梅河口)及3个草场分布区(镇赉、洮南、大安)，对其土壤中有效锰、铜、钼和锌的含量在过去20年的变化作了比较和分析。经研究表明：吉林省土壤中有效锰和有效铜含量较20年前有所增高，有效钼含量总体呈降低趋势，中部部分地区和东部地区土壤有效锌含量降低，其余地区含量增高。空间分布东部高于中西部。