Factors controlling the spatial variability of surface soil moisture within revegetated‐stabilized desert ecosystems of the Tengger Desert,Northern China

The spatial structure of surface soil moisture was investigated at a grid scale with 10 × 10 m intervals on a plot of 4500 m² in a re‐vegetated desert area in Shapotou, the Tengger Desert. The site topography varies from dune crest to dune hollow, and again to dune crest. Volumetric soil moisture contents were measured 21 times over 6 months in 2006 by using Delta‐T Theta‐Probes in the 0–6 cm surface soil layer before and after rainfall. At the same time, soil texture, relative elevation, and plant coverage were measured, to examine (i) the spatial variability of surface soil moisture; (ii) the main factors controlling the spatial variability patterns; and (iii) how the importance of these factors varies with the seasonal variations in soil moisture content. The results indicated that the normal distribution of surface soil moisture was more obvious in wet conditions than in dry conditions; the spatial variability of surface soil moisture was inherent and decreased with increased soil moisture content; and precipitation increased the spatial dependence of surface soil moisture. The relative elevation of the landscape, the shrub coverage of the community, and the soil texture were the main factors influencing surface soil moisture variability, while the effect of soil texture strengthened gradually following the heavy precipitation events. The correlation between the spatial variability of surface soil moisture and the environmental factors, such as, the dry and wet conditions, the landscape coverage and the relative elevation suggests that increasing stability of the soil moisture resulted in a significant increase of soil moisture. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Storm-dominated sedimentation along a rocky transgressive shoreline in the Silurian (Llandovery) of Western Ireland

Sedimentation patterns are described from the Kilbride Formation west of the Maam Fault zone, north Galway, Ireland. Seven distinct facies are described using faunal and lithological parameters. Environments of deposition range from marginal marine to deep shelf conditions. Lateral facies distributions were largely controlled by a rocky topographic high which influenced sedimentation until being buried by outer shelf sediments in middle-upper Kilbride Formation times. Four distinct sequences are described: in the lower Kilbride Formation, sequences I and IV are dominated by proximal storm deposits; sequence II was deposited in the lee of the topographic high and is interpreted as barred estuarine deposits; and in sequence III, at the topographic high, no deposition took place. In the upper Kilbride Formation the barrier was buried and uniform outer shelf conditions prevailed throughout the area. Faunal assemblages were strongly controlled by local environmental conditions and do not conform directly with the expected pattern of depth-related brachiopod communities. The Lingula and Eocoelia communities are amalgamated and alloch-thonous, the Pentameroides and Costistricklandia communities are absent, and only the Clorinda community is well represented, though parautochthonous.     

福尔摩沙海脊冷泉区海底表征规模及其分布规律

福尔摩沙海脊冷泉系统是我国南海北部陆坡最活跃的冷泉系统之一,也是我国冷泉系统研究的重要场所。通过综合利用水深数据以及连续3年的近海底影像资料,对该冷泉区的海底表征表现形式、规模和分布特征等做了描述。该冷泉系统发育了形态各异的自生碳酸盐岩、繁茂的化能自养生物群落、活动的流体喷口等特征性的海底冷泉系统表征。分析表明,自生碳酸盐岩的广泛发育与出露于海底导致了该区异常的地形特征。研究区内生物群落的分布主要受控于海底流体逸出海底的位置及其活跃程度,因此主要沿裂隙等海底流体优势通道发育。这些优势通道的发育能够有效疏导和汇聚露体运移至海底以维持化能自养生物群落,而化能自养生物群落对甲烷等有效成分的消耗促进了海底流体向海底运移。简言之,冷泉系统的海底表征是海底流体的重要产物,而海底表征亦可反作用于海底流体,主要影响其运移路径和有效通量。     

Parasite communities in Boops boops (L.) (Sparidae) after the Prestige oil-spill: detectable alterations

Environmental pollution affects parasite populations and communities, both directly and through effects on intermediate and final hosts. In this work, we present a comparative study on the structure and composition of metazoan parasite communities in the bogue, Boops boops, from two localities (Galician coast, Spain) affected by the Prestige oil-spill (POS). We focus on the distribution of both individual parasite species and larger functional groupings by using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Our results indicate directional trends in community composition that might be related to the Prestige oil-spill disturbance of the natural coastal communities off Galicia. Endoparasite communities in B. boops reflected a notable change in the composition and abundance of the benthic fauna in the localities studied post-spill probably due to organic enrichment after the POS.     

The effects of the identity of shrub species on the distribution and diversity of ground arthropods in a sandy desert ecosystem of northwestern China

Shrub is an important factor on structuring ground arthropod communities in desert ecosystems. In this study, in order to determine how shrubs and their species influence ground arthropod distribution patterns in a sandy desert scrubland dominated by two different shrub species, Calligonum mongolicum and Nitraria sphaerocarpa, the ground arthropods were sampled with pitfall traps during spring, summer and autumn. At the community level, total arthropod abundance was shown to be significantly higher under shrubs than in intershrub bare areas in spring; similar patterns occurred in terms of the richness of arthropod groups in the spring and over three seasons, suggesting season-specific shrub presence effects on arthropod activity. In addition, more arthropods were found under N. sphaerocarpa shrubs than under C. rnongolicum shrubs in autumn, suggesting season-specific effects of shrub species of arthropod activity, whereas more arthropods taxa were captured under C. mongoIicum than N. sphaerocarpa. At the trophic group level, the abundances of predator and herbivore arthropods were significantly greater under shrubs than in intershrub bare habitats, whereas herbivore arthropods were more abundant under N. sphaerocarpa than C. rnongolicum, and an opposite rule was detected for predator arthropods At the family level, the mean abundances of Carabidae, Curculionidae, Gnaphosidae and Lycosidae were significantly higher in the shrub microhabitats than in the intershrub bare habitat, there was no significant difference between habitats on the mean abundances of Formicidae and Tenebrionidae. The study results suggested that shrub presence and shrub species variation are important determinants of ground arthropod assemblages in this desert ecosystem, but the responses of ar- thropods differed among trophic and taxonomic groups.     

民勤绿洲边缘带灌丛沙丘防风作用研究

对民勤天然绿洲边缘带的固定、半固定及半流动风速灌丛沙丘实地观测表明,气流通过单个固定灌丛沙丘时,近地面平均风速降低4.4%,在965 m观测样线内降低57%,且风是连续降低的,愈靠近内侧降低得愈多,到绿洲内部农田边缘处时,平均风速仅有对照点的21%。深入了解灌丛沙丘对绿洲的防护机理,对于合理保护和恢复绿洲边缘带灌丛沙丘,避免绿洲遭受风沙侵袭具有重要意义。     

住宅郊区化背景下门禁社区与周边邻里关系——以广州丽江花园为例

作为"破碎城市"的典型表征,西方学者对门禁社区持负面态度,然而门禁社区在不同区域的出现受制于当地的社会文化要素,并可能对当地产生不同的影响.本文试图探讨在中国特殊的社会文化背景下,门禁社区与周边社会经济地位较低邻里的联系和社会关系,并通过分析门禁社区居民的活动范围和围墙内外居民彼此间的态度和社会交往来探讨门禁社区的影响...     

喀斯特地区不同坡位条件下优势灌木根际与非根际土壤养分与pH的分布特征

对广西喀斯特地区2种优势灌丛植物子凌蒲桃与火棘在不同坡位条件下根际与非根际土壤养分与pH值的分布特征进行研究,揭示植物种类及其立地条件对植物根际养分与pH值分布特征的影响。结果表明,2种植物根际养分存在一定程度的富集现象,其中,火棘根际有机碳与速效磷含量富集明显,子凌蒲桃根际有机碳与全氮含量富集明显;根际与非根际土壤养分含量在不同坡位下存在显著性差异（p<0.05）;根际土壤有机碳含量与全氮含量呈显著正相关（p<0.05）,与速效磷含量呈显著负相关（p<0.05）;非根际土壤有机碳含量与速效磷、全氮含量呈显著正相关（p<0.05）。双因素方差分析显示,与植物种类相比,坡位对根际土壤养分含量影响更大。以上的研究表明,喀斯特灌丛优势植物有利于提高该地区土壤养分利用,但应该考虑植物立地条件对根际养分利用的影响。      

科尔沁沙地优势固沙灌木的生物量预测模型

灌木生物量预测模型对于快速估算固沙灌木林生产力具有重要作用。以科尔沁沙地3种常见的固沙灌木小叶锦鸡儿（Caragana microphylla）、差不嘎蒿（Artemisia halondendron）、黄柳（Salix gordejevii）为对象,基于对灌木地上、根系和整株生物量及高度、冠幅等的测定,建立3种灌木地上、根系和总生物量的估算模型,通过决定系数（R²）、估计值的标准误（SEE）和回归检验显著水平（P<0.05）筛选最优的生物量预测模型。结果表明：小叶锦鸡儿和黄柳生物量的最佳估算变量为冠幅体积,而差不嘎蒿的最佳预测变量为冠幅面积。幂函数回归模型具有最大的R²和较小的SEE,说明相对生长方程是估算小叶锦鸡儿、黄柳、差不嘎蒿灌木生物量较理想的模型。通过实测值检验,3种灌木幂函数模型预测生物量的预估精度在93%以上,具有较好的预测精度。