Vertical variations and associated ecological function of bacterial communities from Sphagnum to underlying sediments in Dajiuhu Peatland

To investigate vertical changes of bacterial communities from living plants to the associated sediments and bacterial biogeochemical roles in peatland ecosystem,samples of different part of individual Sphagnum palustre and the different layers of the underlying sediments were collected from Dajiuhu Peatland in central China.All samples were subject to 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and quantitative PCR analysis.Even though bacteria vary in abundance at the same order of magnitude in all samples,they show great profile difference in composition from the top part of S.palustre to the low layer of the sediments.Cyanobacteria and alpha-Proteobacteria dominate at the top part whereas Acidobacteria at the middle part of S.palustre.Alpha-Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria are the dominant phyla at the bottom part of S.palustre and in the surface peat sediment.In contrast,bacterial communities in the subsurface sediments are dominated by Acidobacteria.These profile distributions of different bacterial communities are closely related to their ecological functions in the peatland ecosystem.Specifically,most Cyanobacteria were observed at the top green part of S.palustre,a horizon where the active photosynthesis of the moss occurs,which infers their endosymbiosis.In contrast,Acidobacteria,dominant in the subsurface sediments,are able to decompose the specific compounds on the cell wall of Sphagnum moss and thus might play an important role in the formation of the peatland,including the acidic condition.Methane oxidizing process might have been underestimated in Sphagnum peatland due to the identification of Methylocystaceae in all parts of the moss investigated here.The vertical difference in bacterial composition and bacterial ecological functions presented here sheds light on the understanding of biogeochemical processes,in particular the CH4 flux,in peat ecosystems.     

典型草原区芨芨草灌丛积雪形态与滞雪阻雪能力

通过对典型草原区芨芨草（Achnatherum splendens）灌丛积雪体的调查,研究了灌丛特征（灌丛高度、灌丛迎风侧宽度、灌丛顺风侧长度）对于积雪形态（积雪高度、积雪宽度、雪辫长度）的影响。结果表明：芨芨草积雪形态参数与灌丛特征单一因子间呈显著的幂函数关系（指数<1）,灌丛积雪发育过程及其形态特征是灌丛特征参数共同影响和作用的结果,灌丛高度对积雪高度与雪辫长度影响最大,灌丛迎风侧宽度对积雪宽度影响最大;在灌丛积雪的形成发育过程中,较小灌丛积雪形态发育较快,大灌丛积雪形态发育相对缓慢,不论灌丛特征如何变化,所有灌丛积雪体前期发育迅速,后期发育缓慢;灌丛二维空间滞雪范围模型直接反映灌丛对风力的干扰范围和积雪的潜在范围,间接反映灌丛的滞雪能力;灌丛三维空间阻雪量模型直接反映一定雪源、风况条件下灌丛的阻雪能力。建立的灌丛滞雪范围与灌丛阻雪体积模型,可为典型草原风吹雪区积雪资源估算和雪害植物防治技术提供理论依据。     

Snowmelt energetics at a shrub tundra site in the western Canadian Arctic

Snow accumulation and melt were observed at shrub tundra and tundra sites in the western Canadian Arctic. End of winter snow water equivalent (SWE) was higher at the shrub tundra site than the tundra site, but lower than total winter snowfall because snow was removed by blowing snow, and a component was also lost to sublimation. Removal of snow from the shrub site was larger than expected because the shrubs were bent over and covered by snow during much of the winter. Although SWE was higher at the shrub site, the snow disappeared at a similar time at both sites, suggesting enhanced melt at the shrub site. The Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) was used to explore the processes controlling this enhanced melt. The spring‐up of the shrubs during melt had a large effect on snowmelt energetics, with similar turbulent fluxes and radiation above the canopy at both sites before shrub emergence and after the snowmelt. However, when the shrubs were emerging, conditions were considerably different at the two sites. Above the shrub canopy, outgoing shortwave radiation was reduced, outgoing longwave radiation was increased, sensible heat flux was increased and latent flux was similar to that at the tundra site. Above the snow surface at this site, incoming shortwave radiation was reduced, incoming longwave radiation was increased and sensible heat flux was decreased. These differences were caused by the lower albedo of the shrubs, shading of the snow, increased longwave emission by the shrub stems and decreased wind speed below the shrub canopy. The overall result was increased snowmelt at the shrub site. Although this article details the impact of shrubs on snow accumulation and melt, and energy exchanges, additional research is required to consider the effect of shrub proliferation on both regional hydrology and climate. Copyright 2010 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Crown in the right of Canada.     

AVIAN NESTING HABITS AND VEGETATION STRUCTURE

Discriminant analysis is used to identify relationships between vegetation structure and nesting behavior in 78 breeding bird communities in North America. Results indicated that bird communities associated with structurally similar vegetation exhibited similar arrays of nesting habits despite their geographical separation. Tree-cavity, intermediate-cup, and high-cup nesters dominated forests and woodlands; ground-cup and ground-scrape nesters dominated grasslands; and low-cup nesters dominated desert, scrub, and some woodland sites. These functional relationships are distinct from previously reported continental scale relationships between avian feeding habits and gross vegetation structure. Links between nesting behavior and vegetation structure provide us, as geographers, with a means for placing birds into a physical landscape perspective.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviewed in this article: Redundant Spaces in Cities and Regions? Studies in Industrial Decline and Social Change . J. Anderson, S. Duncan and R. Hudson. eds. The Social Consequences and Challenges of New Agricultural Technologies . Gigi M. Berardi and Charles C. Geisler, eds. Determinants of Fertility in Developing Countries, Vol. I, Supply and Demand for Children . Rodolfo A. Bultao and Ronald D. Lee, eds. Computer Mapping: Progress in the‘80s . James R. Carter. Washington: Colonial Africa . A. J. Christopher. Geography of the Soviet Union . J. P. Cole. Chicago Mapmakers, Essays on the Rise of the City's Map Trade . Michael P. Conzen, ed. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists and the Ecology of New England . William Cronon. Mizner's Florida: American Resort Architecture . Donald W. Curl. Geographical Studies on the Soviet Union: Essays in Honor of Chauncy D. Harris . George Demko and Roland J. Fuchs, eds. Fluvial Hydrology . S. Lawrence Dingman. Pueblo Indian Water Rights: Struggle For a Precious Resource . Charles T. DuMars, Marilyn O'Leary and Albert E. Utton. Women in the Cities of Asia: Migration and Urban Adaptation . James T. Fawcett, Siew-Ean Khoo, and Peter C. Smith, eds. America's National Parks and Their Keepers . Ronald A. Foresta. Neighborhood Revitalization and the Postindustrial City . Dennis E. Gale. China in Canada: A Dialogue on Resources and Development . R. Louis Gentilcore, ed. China: The 80s Era . Norton Ginsburg and Bernard A. Lalor, eds. Boulder, CO: Global Resources: Challenges of Interdependence . Martin I. Glassner, ed. River Networks . Texas: A Geography . Terry G. Jordan with John L. Bean, Jr. and William M. Holmes. The American Frontier: An Archaeological Study of Settlement Pattern and Process . Kenneth E. Lewis. Water Resources, Geography and Law . Olen Paul Matthews. A Field Guide to American Houses . Virginia and Lee McAlester. Population: Patterns, Dynamics, and Prospects . James L. Newman and Gordon E. Matzke. Wood, Brick, and Stone, The North American Settlement Landscape, Vol. 1: Houses . Allen G. Noble. Historical Analysis in Geography . William Norton. The Displaced Worker and Community Response: Case Study of Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio . H. Milton Patton and Janet W. Patton. Disaster Management: Warning Response and Community Relocation . Ronald W. Perry and Alvin H. Muskatel. The Anthropology of Space: Explorations into the Natural Philosophy and Semantics of the Navajo . Rik Pinxten, Ingrid van Dooren, and Frank Harvey. What STYLE Is It? A Guide To American Architecture . John C. Poppeliers, S. Allen Chambers, Jr., and Nancy B. Schwartz. Appalachia: A Regional Geography—Land, People and Development . Karl Raitz and Richard Ulack. An Introduction to Urban Geography . John R. Short. Ford, A Village in the West Highlands of Scotland: A Case Study of Repopulation and Social Change in a Small Community . John B. Stephenson. Income and Jobs: USA Diagnosing the Reality . George Sternlieb and James W. Hughes. Weather and Climate of the Antarctic . W. Schwerdtfeger. History and Ecology: Studies of the Grassland, James C. Malin . Robert P. Swierenga, ed. Optimal Control of Spatial Systems . K. C. Tan and R. J. Bennett. Social Science and Revolutions . Stan Taylor. The Global Textile Industry . Brian Toyne, Jeffrey S. Arpan, David A. Ricks, Terence A. Shimp and Andy Barnett. Integrated Water Development: Water Use and Conservation Practice in Western Colorado . James L. Wescoat, Jr. Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Maps and Graphics for the Visually Handicapped . Joseph W. Wiedel, ed.     

Gated communities in England: historical perspectives and current developments

It is important to analyse the growth of gated communities and the drivers for their supply and demand, within the context specific to each country’s history. This article uses findings from recent studies of gated communities in England, together with historical material, to explore their typology. It considers the changing social, economic and political conditions which may lead to the emergence of defended collective housing, together with the history of property relations and the concept of public/private land within the English context.     

土壤盐分特征对内陆盐沼盐生植物群落的影响

为研究内陆盐沼植物群落的分布对土壤盐分的响应特征,选取鄂尔多斯盐湖盐沼区作为研究区,筛选了肉质耐盐植物群落,苔草植物群落和禾草植物群落3类典型植物群落,开展了土壤含水量、pH、电导率以及Na_⁺,K_⁺,Mg2_⁺,Ca_{^{2 +}},Cl_^-、SO_4^2-、CO_3^2-和HCO_3^-的测定,分析了区内典型植物群落对土壤水盐因子的响应规律。探讨了3类植物群落之间土壤因子含量的差异性;采用相关性分析和CCA分析,评价了3类植物群落多样性及物种分布随土壤因子的变化规律。结果表明,区内3类植物群落中,土壤盐分含量表现为肉质耐盐植物群落最高,苔草植物群落最低,禾草植物群落居中;植物多样性与土壤中含量最高的Na_⁺和SO_4^2-的相关性最显著;植物分布同时受到土壤盐分、水分和pH的显著影响。研究结果可为鄂尔多斯盐湖区土壤盐渍化改良和植被恢复提供理论支撑。     

Disruption of Routine Behaviors Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

This paper frames the unfolding impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as a process of lifeway disruption, analyzing the degree to which residents of spill affected communities were prevented from undertaking routine behaviors during the disaster. Special attention is paid to the influence of time, natural resource employment, and community sentiment. Drawing on data from the Louisiana Community Oil Spill Survey, the results show that people in the spill impacted region were prevented from engaging in routine behaviors, though this disruption has steadily decreased over time, suggesting a general trend toward recovery. Consistent with the renewable resource community concept, the results also show that those with ties to the fishing industry were more likely to be prevented from undertaking routine behaviors than were nonfishers. Finally, community sentiment is shown to ameliorate routine behavior disruption, thus, promoting resilience. Overall, these results challenge notions of monolithic paths to disaster recovery.     

沙地柠条(Caragana)灌丛微生境节肢动物群落特征

以宁夏荒漠草原柠条（Caragana）灌丛林地为研究对象,于2011年春、夏、秋季,利用陷阱诱捕法,调查了灌丛微生境节肢动物群落分布特征。结果表明：（1）调查共获得节肢动物9目31科32个类群,分属于4种功能群（植食性、捕食性、腐食性和杂食性）。其中,优势类群为蚁科（Formicidae）和拟步甲科（Tenebrionidae）,个体数占总个体数的71.97%;常见类群有7科8个类群,个体数占总个体数的19.72%;其余22个类群为稀有类群,个体数仅占总个体数的8.30%。（2）随着季节变化,灌丛内外节肢动物类群组成和个体数分布均发生改变。春季灌丛内外均包括优势类群、常见类群和稀有类群;夏季灌丛内外均包括优势类群,而灌丛下仅有常见类群,无稀有类群,灌丛外既没有常见类群也没有稀有类群;秋季灌丛内外均有优势类群和常见类群,但灌丛内外均无稀有类群。（3）夏季灌丛内外共有类群数最少,相似性指数最低,秋季次之,而春季灌丛内外共有类群数最多,相似性指数也最高。（4）春季和秋季,灌丛内外微生境中节肢动物个体数、丰富度和Shannon指数均无显著差异（P>0.05）。夏季,节肢动物个体数灌丛内外无显著差异性（P>0.05）,但丰富度和Shannon指数均表现为灌丛内显著高于灌丛外（P<0.05）。（5）春季灌丛内外捕食性、植食性和杂食性节肢动物的个体数和丰富度均无显著差异性（P>0.05）;但是,腐食性动物个体数和丰富度均表现为灌丛内显著高于灌丛外（P<0.05）。夏季,仅有捕食性动物丰富度呈现出灌丛内显著高于灌丛外（P<0.05）,而其他指标灌丛内外均无显著差异性（P>0.05）。秋季,每种功能群动物的个体数和丰富度灌丛内外均无显著差异性（P>0.05）。沙地灌丛内外生境中节肢动物的空间分布,既与灌丛本身生理生态学特性相关,也与季节性降雨和温度等气象条件的改变密切相关。     

大连湾石油污染沉积物中细菌群落结构分析

大连新港"7.16"输油管道爆炸溢油事故发生后,为探究石油污染与细菌群落结构变化之间的关系及在石油生物降解过程中起重要作用的细菌菌群,本研究对大连湾表层沉积物中石油烃含量和细菌宏基因组16SrDNA V3区进行分析。结果表明:溢油初期2010年8月DLW01站位表层沉积物石油烃含量高达1 492mg/kg,符合第三类沉积物质量标准,随着时间推移,2011年4月、2011年7月、2011年12月航次各站位沉积物中石油烃含量基本呈下降趋势,且均符合第一类沉积物质量标准;16S rDNA PCR-DGGE方法分析表明,石油烃含量高的区域优势细菌种类少,反之则较丰富;海洋环境中同一地点的细菌群落能保持一定稳定性;大连湾石油污染沉积物中变形菌门γ-变形菌纲和拟杆菌门一直保持较高的优势度,是在石油生物降解过程中起重要作用的细菌菌群,而厚壁菌门只在石油烃含量低的区域出现;此外,出现的对污染物敏感的嗜冷杆菌可作为石油污染指示生物进行深入研究。