Relationships between climatic factors and flower and boll production in Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense)

Fruiting of cotton plant is determined and influenced by cultivar, climatic conditions, management practices and pests. An understanding of the flowering and boll retention patterns of cotton cultivars can contribute to more efficient and economical crop management. The objective of this investigation was to study the effect of various climatic factors on flower and boll production of Egyptian cotton. This could be used in formulating advanced predictions of the effect of certain climatic conditions on the production of Egyptian cotton. Two uniform field trials, using cotton Gossypium barbadense cv. Giza 75 were carried out in 1992 and 1993 at the Agricultural Research Station, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt, to investigate the relationships between climatic factors, flower and boll production. Climatic factors included maximum and minimum air temperatures along with their difference, evaporation, surface soil temperature (grass temperature or green cover temperature) at 0600 and 1800 h°C⁻¹, sunshine duration, maximum and minimum humidity and wind speed. The effects of climatic factors on flower and boll production were quantified in the absence of water and nutritional deficits and damage effects of insects. Results obtained indicate that evaporation, sunshine duration, humidity, surface soil temperature at 1800 h, and maximum air temperature, were the important climatic factors that significantly affect flower and boll production of Egyptian cotton. Consequently, applying appropriate specific cultural practices that minimize the deleterious effect of these factors will lead to an improvement in cotton yield.     

ENSO循环过程对南极海冰的影响

应用 1 951- 2 0 0 2年NINO特征指数 (NINO1 +2 ,NINO3 ,NINO4 ,NINO3 .4)和 1 973-1 998年南极海冰北界范围以及 1 950- 2 0 0 1年SODA海洋温度资料。首先分析探讨了在ElNi no期间 ,堆积于赤道东太平洋的异常暖水在南半球的传播途径 ,进而研究了ENSO以及东南太平洋异常海温场与南极海冰之间的关系。结果表明 ,在ElNino期间 ,堆积于赤道东太平洋的异常暖水 ,是沿秘鲁和智利沿岸向极传播。其传播过程持续大约 1年的时间 ,但未发现沿南赤道流的西传现象。ENSO循环过程与南极海冰变化存在一定联系 ,特别是Amundsen Belling shausen海和南极半岛海冰的变化与ENSO暖事件 (ElNino)较为密切。当ElNino事件发生后 ,时滞 2年左右的时间 ,Amundsen Bellingshausen海和南极半岛的海冰将出现明显的减少现象 ,特别是南极半岛的海冰减少最为明显。ElNino事件对南极海冰的影响过程是 ,堆积于赤道东太平洋的大量异常暖水 ,沿南美 (秘鲁和智利 )沿岸近海向极地传播 ,异常暖水的这种向极传播过程将引起近极的海温场出现异常升高 ,最终导致Amundsen Bellingshausen海和南极半岛地区的海冰减少。自 2 0世纪 80年代以来 ,Amundsen Bellingshausen海和南极半岛的海冰出现明显减少的趋势 ,与这一时期的ElNino事件的频繁发生     

Microclimate, freezing tolerance, and cold acclimation along an elevation gradient for seedlings of the Great Basin Desert shrub, Artemisia tridentata

Vegetation, microclimate, seedling frequency, freezing tolerance, and cold acclimation were compared for seedlings of Artemisia tridentata collected from 1775, 2175, and 2575 m elevation in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California. Data were used to test the hypothesis that ecotypic differences in stress physiology are important for seedling survival along gradients from desert to montane ecosystems. The vegetation canopy cover and A. tridentata seedling frequency were greatest at 2575 m, compared to 1775 and 2175 m. Snow cover ameliorated temperatures near the soil surface for part of the winter and depth varied across elevations. Freezing tolerance was compared for seedlings maintained in growth chambers at day/night air temperatures of 25°C/15°C. The temperature at which electrolyte leakage and Photosystem II function (F_V/F_M) from leaves were half-maximum was approximately −13·5°C for leaves of seedlings from all three elevations. Shifting day/night air temperatures from 25°C/15°C to 15°C/5°C initiated about 1·5° of acclimation by plants from all three altitudes, with seedlings from the highest elevation exhibiting the greatest acclimation change. Measurements of ambient air and canopy temperatures at the three elevations indicated that wintertime average low temperatures were consistent with the measured degree of freezing tolerance. At small spatial scales used in this study, pollen and seed dispersal between study sites may have precluded resolution of ecotypic differences. Patterns of freezing tolerance and cold acclimation may depend on a combination of mesoclimate and microclimate temperatures, canopy cover, snow depth, and snow melt patterns.     

热害矿井巷道温度场分布规律研究

为解决深部开采带来的热害问题，基于地质学和热力学理论，建立了热害矿井巷道温度场的数学模型，研究了巷道内部温度场随埋深和通风热速的变化规律。计算结果表明，巷道温度场对埋深的敏感度要高于风速、温度随埋深的增加而呈阶段性递增。控制入口温度是解决矿井热害的关键。以上结论为矿井热害的综合治理提供了重要依据。     

三马坊水温重复性前兆异常的构造特征

研究发现三马坊水温对应某些构造带上的地震,其前兆异常有相似性和重复性特征.对应北西向张渤构造带上的地震,其前兆异常形态为突降型,对应东西向阴山-燕山构造带上的地震,其前兆异常形态为上升型,表明水温前兆异常的相似性和重复性特征受活动性构造体系所控制.深入研究三马坊水温前兆异常特征与活动构造带间的关系,可能是突破该地区地震短临预报的有效途径.     

石泉ML4．7级地震前天水深井水温的短临异常特征

分析了天水台数字深井水温资料在陕西石泉ML4．7级地震前的异常特征，发现在震前5天内深井水温发生大幅度的降升变化，呈负脉冲形态，表现为典型的脉冲型前兆异常形态特征。     

Modelling the effects of temperature and food on individual growth and reproduction of Daphnia and their consequences on the population level

Individual based simulations of population dynamics require the availability of growth models with adequate complexity. For this purpose a simple-to-use model (non-linear multiple regression approach) is presented describing somatic growth and reproduction of Daphnia as a function of time, temperature and food quantity. The model showed a good agreement with published observations of somatic growth (r² = 0.954, n = 88) and egg production (r² = 0.898, n = 35). Temperature is the main determinant of initial somatic growth and food concentration is the main determinant of maximal body length and clutch size. An individual based simulation was used to demonstrate the simultaneous effects of food and temperature on the population level. Evidently, both temperature and food supply affected the population growth rate but at food concentrations above approximately 0.4 mg Cl⁻¹ Scenedesmus acutus temperature appeared as the main determinant of population growth.

Four simulation examples are given to show the wide applicability of the model: (1) analysis of the correlation between population birth rate and somatic growth rate, (2) contribution of egg development time and delayed somatic growth to temperature-effects on population growth, (3) comparison of population birth rate in simulations with constant vs. decreasing size at maturity with declining food concentrations and (4) costs of diel vertical migration. Due to its plausible behaviour over a broad range of temperature (2–20 °C) and food conditions (0.1–4 mg Cl⁻¹) the model can be used as a module for more detailed simulations of Daphnia population dynamics under realistic environmental conditions.     

The development of Nemurella pictetii Klapálek (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) in two springstreams in central Europe

From April 1997 to June 1998 Nemurella pictetii populations were regularly sampled in two springstreams at 220 and 850 m a.s.l., respectively, in Hesse (Germany), at approximately 51°N. Random samples of larvae were taken at three week intervals during the vegetation period, and once a month during winter. Sex, instar, body length, head capsule width and wing pad length of all larvae were recorded. Temperatures were recorded every hour, temporal patterns of temperature agreed closely between sites. Mean winter lows were 3.9 °C at both sites, the mean summer high was 11.9 °C at the lower site, as opposed to 9.6 °C at the mountain site.At both sites, adult emergence started in May. At the mountain site, recruitment started in late July and continued into autumn. There was cohort splitting in the young generation. Some individuals grew rapidly until October–November, but last instar larvae first appeared in March the next year. 1600 degree-days above 0 °C were accumulated during complete development. At the lower site, recruitment began in early July, and cohort splitting also occurred. Fast growing summer recruits emerged as adults in late August, having accumulated only 700 degree-days (above 0 °C). Their offspring hatched in November-December and emerged the next spring, having accumulated also only 700 degree-days. However, only part of the population was bivoltine. Many of the summer recruits grew more slowly and accumulated close to 1900 degree days until they emerged the next spring, together with the offspring of their own fast-growing siblings. Dependence of growth rate on temperature could not be estimated and appears to vary with daylength. For example, 3–6 °C support growth and development provided daylength exceeds 10 hrs of light, or is rising.At both sites and in all cohorts individuals emerging earliest were larger than later emerging ones. The size decline is significantly correlated with number of days after the winter solstice. For the first time it is shown that the decline does not occur shortly before adult emergence but actually takes place several instars before the last. Size differences are then carried on, and amplified, during subsequent molts, until adulthood. The literature presently relates seasonal size declines of insects to high or rising temperatures experienced by larvae approaching adulthood. Our data show that, at least in Nemurella, this explanation fails. On average, females were distinctly larger than males. Differences in mean last instar size were noticed also between sites and years. They remain presently unexplained. The mean sex ratio in both populations was close to 1:1.     

Optimum multiple tuned mass dampers for structures under the ground acceleration based on the uniform distribution of system parameters

The five MTMD models, with natural frequencies being uniformly distributed around their mean frequency, have been recently presented by the first author. They are shown to have the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio (more precisely, for a given mass ratio there is an upper limit on the total number, beyond which the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio occurs). In this paper, the eight new MTMD models (i.e. the UM‐MTMD1～UM‐MTMD3, US‐MTMD1～US‐MTMD3, UD‐MTMD1 and UD‐MTMD2), with the system parameters (mass, stiffness and damping coefficient) being, respectively, uniformly distributed around their average values, have been, for the first time here, proposed to seek for the MTMD models without the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio. The structure is represented by the mode‐generalized system corresponding to the specific vibration mode that needs to be controlled. Through minimization of the minimum values of the maximum dynamic magnification factors (DMF) of the structure with the eight MTMD models (i.e. through the implementation of Min.Min.Max.DMF), the optimum parameters and values of Min.Min.Max.DMF for these eight MTMD models are investigated to evaluate and compare their control performance. The optimum parameters include the optimum mass spacing, stiffness spacing, damping coefficient spacing, frequency spacing, average damping ratio and tuning frequency ratio. The six MTMD models without the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio (i.e. the UM‐MTMD1～UM‐MTMD3, US‐MTMD1, US‐MTMD2 and UD‐MTMD2) are found through extensive numerical analyses. Likewise, the optimum UM‐MTMD3 offers the higher effectiveness and robustness and requires the smaller damping with respect to the rest of the MTMD models in reducing the responses of structures subjected to earthquakes. Additionally, it is interesting to note, by comparing the optimum UM‐MTMD3 with the optimum MTMD‐1 recently investigated by the first author, that the effectiveness and robustness for the optimum UM‐MTMD3 is almost identical to that for the optimum MTMD‐1 (without inclusion of the optimum MTMD‐1 with the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio). Recognizing these performance benefits, it is preferable to employ the optimum UM‐MTMD3 or the optimum MTMD‐1 without the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio, when installing the MTMD for the suppression of undesirable oscillations of structures under earthquakes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.