Isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen in desert fauna: investigations into the effects of diet, physiology, and seasonality

Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of bone apatite were measured in 14 endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates native to the Chihuahuan Desert and collected in June and July of 1999 and 2000. The δ⁸O values of most reptiles were very high, up to 44‰ (standard mean ocean water (SMOW), some of the highestδ¹⁸ O values ever measured for an animal. The δ¹⁸O values of rodents and birds were lower (32±5‰ vSMOW), and the earless lizard Holbrookia maculata were the lowest of all species analysed (25‰). Omnivorous grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) had lower δ¹⁸O values than granivorous rodents. Results from oxygen analysis likely reflect variation in diet and body water flux differences between endotherms and ectotherms. Carbon isotope analysis revealed a dramatic shift in diet from C₃ plants in 1999 to C₄ plants in 2000 in most rodents and birds. Kangaroo rats and reptiles did not change, having a constantδ¹³ C value indicative of a C₃-based diet in both years. This suggests reliance on winter annual plant seed caches for kangaroo rats, but not other rodents. The carbon isotope data can be explained in terms of seasonal differences within and between years in the timing and intensity of the seasonal rainfall events, and the productivity of summer and winter annual plants. This study illustrates that stable isotope analysis is a powerful method for tracking dietary change and feeding behavior in desert vertebrates.     

西藏雅鲁藏布江流域典型沙漠区生态修复植物群落物种多样性

为了深入了解和探讨西藏沙化土地治理区的植物群落的结构类型、组织水平和稳定程度,根据西藏雅鲁藏布江河谷沙地山南市全国防沙治沙综合示范区20个样地的调查资料,分析了西藏山南市全国防沙治沙综合示范区植物群落物种多样性特征。结果表明：西藏山南市全国防沙治沙综合示范区的植物有34种,藏沙蒿（Artemisia wellbyi）、花棒（Hedysarum scoparium）、桑（Morus alba）、沙打旺（Astragalus adsurgens）和沙蒿（Artemisia desertorum）占优势地位。综合示范区固沙植被平均盖度为31.6%±13.1%;平均生长高度为41.2±19.9 cm;平均生长密度为4.6±4.7株·m^-2。植物群落物种多样性H指数平均为0.99±0.54;物种多样性D指数平均为2.55±1.37;物种均匀度平均为1.76±0.75。     

人为干扰对尼泊尔中部丘陵森林物种多样性、更新和碳密度的影响

全球近四分之三的森林正在遭受人为干扰,尼泊尔三分之二以上的森林受到不同类型的干扰。在社区森林中,当地社区在生计的各个方面都依赖于森林提供的生态系统服务,这些服务以各种方式干扰森林的自然条件和生态系统的功能。本研究在尼泊尔中部丘陵区的两个社区管理森林中,研究了对植物物种多样性、更新(幼苗和树苗)、生物量、土壤有机碳(SOC)和总碳密度的主要干扰因子。以树桩数、断苗、砍伐和放牧践踏作为主要人为干扰的衡量指标,从89个随机选取的250 m2的样地中收集了必要的数据,利用广义线性模型(GLM)对人为干扰的响应进行了分析。结果表明,森林砍伐对生物量和总碳密度平衡的影响最大。森林砍伐程度越高,森林碳储量越低。SOC对上述类型的人为干扰均无显著反应。木本物种丰富度和幼树数量随着树桩数量的增加而增加,说明中间干扰是有益的。然而,较高的砍伐强度降低了幼树密度。放牧/践踏是抑制幼苗生长的最显著干扰,在践踏强度较高的森林地区,幼苗和树苗数量较少。这些结果将为尼泊尔多目标森林管理以及如何降低其他地区类似社会经济环境中的人为干扰的影响提供指南。     

2006年12月26日台湾恒春海外地震及其对核电厂的影响

2006年12月26日台湾恒春海外MS7.2地震具有两个引人瞩目的重要震害特点,一是造成十数条国际海底通信光缆中断,二是造成台湾第三核电厂紧急停机。本文首先介绍了该地震地震参数厘定、震源机制、发震构造背景、地震动特征等方面的基本情况,然后重点介绍和讨论了该地震对台湾地区核电厂的影响及其带给我们的启示。     

沙生植物水分特征曲线及水分关系的初步研究

应用植物水分特征曲线(PV曲线)研究了油蒿(Artemisia ordosica)和柠条(caragana korshimskii)的各种水分状况参数及其相互关系。结果表明:油蒿和柠条在干旱环境中具有相似的水分生理特点,水势降低、束缚水与自由水比值增大、组织体积弹性模量减小。在充分吸胀植物组织逐渐失水初期,水势的迅速降低主要是由于压力的降低引起的;当组织失去膨压(压力势△ψ_r,=0)后,渗透势成为水势的主要部分。植物失水临界状态的水分状况不是固定不变的,临界水势和水分饱和亏缺随干旱条件发生变化是植物响应沙地水分亏缺的特征之一。在对干旱环境的适应途径方面,油蒿具有高水势、高蒸腾的耐旱特征,细胞壁坚硬、弹度小,通过维持较高膨压保持水分;柠条具有低水势、低蒸腾的耐旱特征,细胞壁较柔软、弹性大,具较强耐脱水能力。     

Do benthic algae provide important information over and above that provided by macrophytes and phytoplankton in lake status assessment? – Results from a case study in Norway

To test if phytobenthic algae provide additional important information to macrophytes and phytoplankton for lake monitoring, we sampled two large lakes in Norway. In each lake, we analyzed water chemistry and phytoplankton above the deepest site, recorded macrophytes and non-diatom phytobenthic algae at 20 sites around the shoreline and estimated site-specific nutrient input from land cover. Since no ready-to-use phytobenthos index exists for lakes in Norway, we tested the PIT index developed for rivers, commonly perceived signs of disturbance such as high algal cover, and taxon richness as well as similarity patterns. Both lakes were nutrient poor, but had potential local nutrient inputs (villages, agriculture). In neither of the lakes did phytobenthos indicate a worse overall ecological status than macrophytes and phytoplankton. Our data therefore, did not suggest that it would be useful to add phytobenthos into surveillance monitoring of lakes in Norway. There was a loose correlation between macrophyte and phytobenthic site-specific taxon richness and similarities. This means that macrophytes and phytobenthos do indeed give partly redundant information. High algal cover was found at sites with both high and low phosphorus input. Using algal cover as indicator of site-specific nutrient input is therefore overly simplistic. Urban and cultivated areas were associated with a more eutrophic PIT. This indicates that the PIT, despite being developed for lotic waters, may be used to detect site specific nutrient input in lakes.     

抚仙湖沉积物多指标记录的过去5000年湖泊环境变化

我国西南地区湖泊众多,利用湖泊沉积物已开展了大量全新世植被、降水、温度和水位等的重建工作.然而,代用指标的季节性差异和气候演变的区域差异使得不同代用指标和地区重建的古气候结果存在较大差异,需要更多可靠记录来相互佐证和构建我国西南地区气候变化的详细图景.本文以云南抚仙湖FXH-6钻孔沉积物为研究对象,对正构烷烃和色度指标作了分析,在厘清其来源及环境指示意义的基础上,重建过去近5000年抚仙湖有机质的来源和湖泊水位的变化,探讨了湖泊环境变化与区域气候变化的关系.结果表明,抚仙湖沉积物中正构烷烃n-C₂₃和n-C₃₁可有效指示内源沉水植物和外源陆生植物.近5000年抚仙湖湖泊环境经历了3个阶段:在5000—2300 cal a BP阶段,沉水植物广泛分布,湖泊水位处于高位;在2300—2000 cal a BP阶段,抚仙湖沉积环境快速变化,内源沉水植物生物量锐减,水位快速下降;2000 cal a BP至今,沉水植物生物量持续减少,湖泊水位保持低水位;同时,人类活动也影响了该阶段(2000 cal a BP至今)陆源植物的输入.本研究重建的抚仙湖持续降低的水位变化和湖泊生产力趋势与过去5000年西南地区的年平均温逐渐降低、年平均降水量逐渐减小的总体趋势相对应,表明区域气候变化是湖泊沉积环境变化的主要驱动力.     

Increased winter-spring precipitation from the last glaciation to the Holocene inferred from a δ~(13)C_(org) record from Yili Basin(Xinjiang,NW China)

The nature and dynamics of climate change in central Asia since the late Pleistocene are controversial. Moreover,most of the published studies focus mainly on the evolution of moisture conditions, and there have been few attempts to address changes in seasonality. In this study, records of δ¹³C_org, TOC, TN, C/N and grain size were obtained from lacustrine sediments at Yili Basin, Xinjiang, NW China. Our aim was to reconstruct the trend in seasonality of precipitation from the last glaciation to the Holocene. The organic matter content of the sediments is derived predominantly from terrestrial plants. The δ¹³C_orgvalues vary from-19.4‰ to-24.8‰, indicating that the vegetation was dominated by C_3 plants. Winter-spring precipitation is identified as the factor determining the relative proportions of C_3 and C_4 plants in the region. A negative trend in δ¹³C_orgcorresponding to an increase in the relative abundance of C_3 plants indicate a trend of increasing winter-spring precipitation from the last glaciation to the Holocene. The increased incidence of wintertime storms in the interior of Asia is suggested to result in the increase of winterspring precipitation in the Holocene.     

生物土壤结皮对温带荒漠植物凋落物分解的影响

环境和微生物群落的变化会影响凋落物的分解过程。生物土壤结皮是干旱荒漠区地表普遍存在的生物覆盖,对土壤物理化学性质有显著影响,但对于是否影响荒漠植物凋落物分解缺乏深入了解。选择8种在古尔班通古特沙漠广泛分布的荒漠植物（白梭梭Haloxylon persicum、梭梭Haloxylon ammondendron、黑沙蒿Artemisia ordosica、粉苞菊Chondrilla piptocoma、羽毛针禾Aristida pennata、刺沙蓬Salsola ruthenica、紫翅猪毛菜Salsola affinis、钩刺雾冰藜Bassia hyssopifolia）,分析生物土壤结皮覆盖对这8种凋落物质量损失率和分解速率的影响。结果表明：生物土壤结皮和植物种对凋落物质量损失率有极显著影响（P<0.01）,生物土壤结皮的存在增大了荒漠植物凋落物质量损失率,不同物种的分解率差异显著。8种植物凋落物的质量损失率在结皮覆盖条件下为13.67%~64.56%,去除结皮处理下为13.58%~54.13%。其中,结皮覆盖条件下白梭梭、梭梭、紫翅猪毛菜的质量损失率（46.12%、41.26%、64.56%）显著高于去除结皮处理（35.85%、36.97%、54.13%,P<0.05）。生物土壤结皮的存在缩短了凋落物的半分解和95%分解时间,缩短长度随物种差异而不同,受凋落物的初始全碳和全氮含量调节。荒漠地表生物土壤结皮对植物凋落物分解具有促进作用,且这种作用具有显著的种间差异,地表生物土壤结皮的存在对初始全碳含量较低而全氮含量较高的凋落物促进作用更明显。