Assessment of chemical and physical treatments to selectively kill non-indigenous freshwater zooplankton species

Non-indigenous zooplankton species pose a biosecurity threat to New Zealand’s freshwater native taxa. Nine species are known to have established in New Zealand lakes to date. The spread of some zooplankton taxa is linked to the translocation of farmed fish, principally grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and recreational vessel movements. The aims of this study were to assess the effectiveness of a range of chemical and physical treatments for transport water and associated equipment to kill freshwater cladoceran, copepod, and rotifer zooplankton species, and their risk to non-target fish. Sodium chloride was the most effective and applicable chemical treatment tested at length in the cladoceran and, combined with physical treatment via mechanical filtration of water or hot water immersion of equipment (to also manage the risk of diapausing eggs), represents an effective option for the control of non-indigenous zooplankton, with limited impact on stenohaline fish.     

北方农牧交错带草原产草量遥感监测模型

及时准确地了解草原产草量的时空配置状况,对于科学合理地利用、管理草地,保证畜牧业生产持续稳定发展、改善生态环境等具有重要的意义。本文利用2005年的MODIS数据和同期野外实测的668个样方产草量数据,分析了5种植被指数和草地生物量之间的相关关系。研究表明:(1)分区模型优于不分区模型,在分区基础上建模更能反映产草量的实际情况;(2)通过线性、非线性模型和BP神经网络模型的对比,得出BP神经网络模型在拟合精度上优于线性和非线性模型,是最适宜监测北方农牧交错带草原产草量的模型;(3)5种植被指数中,NDVI和SAVI与草地生物量之间的拟合精度最高,是研究区最适宜使用的植被指数。     

豫北沙地优质高产饲草料生产与发展模式研究

优质高产饲草料的生产是豫北沙地草食畜牧业经济有效发展的重要环节之一。根据本地区资源状况以及草食畜牧业的特点,饲草料的发展将影响着草食畜牧业发展规模、成效及在本区农业经济中所占据的地位。为此,我们着重探讨适合本区优质高产饲草料生产与有效利用模式,为地区草食畜牧业经济有序发展奠定良好的基础。     

湛江红树林国家级自然保护区海草床分布点新记录

报道了广东湛江红树林国家级保护区高桥保护站新发现的海草床生境、种类组成,对该海草床的生境威胁和今后研究展望进行了简述。     

草皮护坡水力糙率实验研究

生态护岸工程可以在保护河岸的同时对河道生态系统起到良好的维护作用,其中草本植物因其生长快、易存活成为生态护岸的重要工程材料。草皮护坡糙率实验对36组草皮试件的糙率进行了系统的实验研究。研究表明,草皮糙率的大致范围为0.020~0.090,主要与土壤类型、肥沃程度、水流条件等有关。通过实验数据分析发现:草皮糙率随生长期而增加;加筋草皮(基土中设置三维加筋材料的草皮)的糙率普遍大于天然草皮糙率。     

贵州石灰岩和砂岩地区C4和C3植物营养元素的化学计量对N/P比值波动的影响

陆地生态系统植物的生长受到营养元素氮(N)和磷(P)的可利用性的限制。已有的证据表明营养元素的相对丰度将控制生态系统的营养元素循环和能量流动的速度。文章提出如下假设:为了适应环境的变化,植物具有可伸缩性地调整营养元素含量的能力,也就是营养元素化学计量比值变化的能力,植物N/P比值波动的影响不仅来源于N对P的相对可利用性的变化,也来源于其他营养元素化学计量的变化,尤其是与Ca的化学计量的变化。为了验证上述假设,本研究利用3种C₄植物和11种C₃植物,研究了植物N/P化学计量比值的波动随N与Ca和P与Ca化学计量的变化模式:对C₄植物来说,N/P比值的波动主要受生物量P与Ca化学计量变化的影响;而对C₃植物来说,则同时受N与Ca和P与Ca化学计量变化的控制,它们之间的相对控制能力的大小将决定植物N/P比值波动的变化梯度,C₄植物和C₃植物的N/P比值的波动都要受土壤pH值的影响。本研究对了解物种丰度和N对P的相对可利用性、N与Ca,以及P与Ca的化学计量之间关系具有重要意义。     

How the spatial distribution of grass contributes to controlling hillslope erosion

The aim of this study was to investigate how the spatial distribution of grass influenced run-off and erosion from a hillslope with loess and cinnamon soils in the rocky area of Northern China. We set up a trial to test the two soils with different treatments, including bare soil (BS), grass strips on the upper (UGS) and lower (DGS) parts of the slope, grass cover over the entire slope (GS), and a grass carpet on the lower part of the slope (GC), under simulated rainfall conditions. The results showed that the run-off coefficients for the loess and cinnamon soils decreased by between 4% and 20% and by between 2% and 37%, respectively, when covered with grass. Grass spatial distribution had little effect on the run-off, but more effect on erosion than vegetation coverage degree. The most effective location of grass cover for decreasing hillslope erosion was at the foot, and the high efficiency was mainly due to controlling of rill formation and sediment deposition. The soil loss from GS, DGS, and GC on the loess and cinnamon soils was between 77% and 93% less and 55% and 80% less, respectively, compared with the loss from BS. However, the soil characteristics had little effect on soil erosion for well-vegetated slopes. The results highlight the importance of vegetation re-establishment at the foot of hillslope in controlling soil erosion.     

Long-term vegetation response to mesquite removal in Desert Grassland

Forty-six years of vegetation response to mesquite removal at dry, low elevation sites on the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona was only slightly different than the vegetation dynamics where mesquite trees were left intact. Only the density of threeawn grass species (Aristida spp.) was greater in the mesquite removal areas: and that difference persisted even after the cover of mesquite was no longer different between treatment and control areas. Cover of shrubs and perennial grasses, and density of all other perennial grasses did not differ between mesquite treatments throughout the study period. Mesquite cover on treated areas was not different than untreated areas 40 years after tree removal. The long-term results support the interpretation that vegetation dynamics at these dry locations, are not limited by the abundance of neighbouring mesquite. Alternatively, mesquite abundance is self-limiting at levels less than would influence grass abundance and precipitation anomalies may override any effects of neighbouring mesquite. Practically, these results suggest that areas with 350 mm year⁻¹ of annual precipitation and <20% mesquite cover may have very little potential for increasing grass abundance through the removal of mesquite trees.     

黄土沟壑区黑麦草植被冠层与根系坡面水沙效益及水力特性

基于野外人工模拟降雨试验和黑麦草全植被结构、根系结构及裸坡结构,通过设置不同雨强(30 mm·h-1、60 mm·h-1和90 mm·h-1)和不同下垫面坡度(1°、3°和5°),对坡面产流产沙特征、水力参数分布变化及坡面侵蚀特征和水力特征关系进行了分析,揭示了不同草被结构类型下坡面产流产沙特征与水力特性.结果表明:随...     

Modelling flow and sediment trapping upstream and within grass buffer strips

Grass buffer strips impact the hydrology of flow and consequently the fate of sediment. A complex process‐based model is developed to predict flow characteristics as well as sediment deposition and transport upstream, and within grass strips. The model is capable of estimating the proportion and amount of different sediment particle size classes in the outflow. The modified Green–Ampt equation was used to simulate infiltration. Gradually varied flow and kinematic wave approximation were used to model flow characteristics upstream and within grass strips. The GUEST model approach has been modified in order to use its basic approaches in sediment transport module in grass strips. Model predictions agree well with the results of two sets of controlled experiments. The bias, coefficient of model efficiency and the root mean squared error of the modelled efficiency of grass strips in reducing sediment concentration were 0.93–0.99, 0.58–0.99 and 8.9–12.7, respectively. The sensitivity analysis showed that the initial soil moisture and flow rate are the most sensitive parameters in predicting runoff loss. Increasing the slope steepness and flow rate dramatically decreases the efficiency of grass strips in reducing sediment concentration and mass. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.