Spatial non-stationary characteristics between grass yield and its influencing factors in the Ningxia temperate grasslands based on a mixed geographically weighted regression model

Spatial models are effective in obtaining local details on grassland biomass, and their accuracy has important practical significance for the stable management of grasses and livestock. To this end, the present study utilized measured quadrat data of grass yield across different regions in the main growing season of temperate grasslands in Ningxia of China (August 2020), combined with hydrometeorology, elevation, net primary productivity (NPP), and other auxiliary data over the same period. Accordingly, non-stationary characteristics of the spatial scale, and the effects of influencing factors on grass yield were analyzed using a mixed geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model. The results showed that the model was suitable for correlation analysis. The spatial scale of ratio resident-area index (PRI) was the largest, followed by the digital elevation model, NPP, distance from gully, distance from river, average July rainfall, and daily temperature range; whereas the spatial scales of night light, distance from roads, and relative humidity (RH) were the most limited. All influencing factors maintained positive and negative effects on grass yield, save for the strictly negative effect of RH. The regression results revealed a multiscale differential spatial response regularity of different influencing factors on grass yield. Regression parameters revealed that the results of Ordinary least squares (OLS) (Adjusted R² = 0.642) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) (Adjusted R² = 0.797) models were worse than those of MGWR (Adjusted R² = 0.889) models. Based on the results of the RMSE and radius index, the simulation effect also was MGWR > GWR > OLS models. Ultimately, the MGWR model held the strongest prediction performance (R² = 0.8306). Spatially, the grass yield was high in the south and west, and low in the north and east of the study area. The results of this study provide a new technical support for rapid and accurate estimation of grassland yield to dynamically adjust grazing decision in the semi-arid loess hilly region.     

Using palm‐mat geotextiles on an arable soil for water erosion control in the UK

To date, most studies of the effectiveness of geotextiles on soil erosion rates and processes have been conducted in laboratory experiments for less than 1 h. Hence, at Hilton (52°33′ N, 2°19′ W), UK, the effectiveness of employing palm‐mat geotextiles for soil erosion control under field conditions on arable loamy sands was investigated. Geotextile‐mats constructed from Borassus aethiopum (Borassus palm of West Africa) and Mauritia flexuosa (Buriti palm of South America) leaves are termed Borassus mats and Buriti mats, respectively. Duplicate runoff plots (10 m × 1 m on a 15° slope) had five treatments (bare, permanent grass, Borassus total plot cover, Borassus buffer strip and Buriti buffer strip). Borassus covered plots had about 72% ground cover and to differentiate between this treatment and Borassus buffer strips, the former treatment is termed Borassus completely‐covered. Runoff and eroded soil were collected from each bounded plot in a concrete gutter, leading to a receptacle. Results from 08/01/2007–23/01/2009 (total precipitation = 1776·5 mm; n = 53 time intervals) show that using Borassus buffer strips (area coverage ～10%) on bare soil decreased runoff volume by about 71% (P > 0·05) and soil erosion by 92% (P < 0·001). Bare plots had nearly 29·1 L m^?2 runoff and 2·36 kg m^?2 soil erosion during that period. Borassus buffer strip, Buriti buffer strip and Borassus completely‐covered plots had similar effects in decreasing runoff volume and soil erosion. Runoff volumes largely explain the variability in soil erosion rates. Although buffer strips of Borassus mats were as effective as whole plot cover of the same mats, the longevity of Borassus mats was nearly twice that of Buriti mats. Thus, use of Borassus mats as buffer strips on bare plots is highly effective for soil erosion control. The mechanisms explaining the effectiveness of buffer strips require further studies under varied pedo‐climatic conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A sensitivity analysis of lake water level response to changes in climate and river regimes

Lake water level regimes are influenced by climate, hydrology and land use. Intensive land use has led to a decline in lake levels in many regions, with direct impacts on lake hydrology, ecology and ecosystem services. This study examined the role of climate and river flow regime in controlling lake regimes using three different lakes with different hydraulic characteristics (volume-inflow ratio, CIR). The regime changes in the lakes were determined for five different river inflows and five different climate patterns (hot-arid, tropical, moderate, cold-arid, cold-wet), giving 75 different combinations of governing factors in lake hydrology. The input data were scaled to unify them for lake comparisons. By considering the historical lake volume fluctuations, the duration (number of months) of lake volume in different ‘wetness’ regimes from ‘dry’ to ‘wet’ was used to develop a new index for lake regime characterisation, ‘Degree of Lake Wetness’ (DLW). DLW is presented as two indices: DLW₁, providing a measure of lake filling percentage based on observed values and lake geometry, and DLW₂, providing an index for lake regimes based on historical fluctuation patterns. These indices were used to classify lake types based on their historical time series for variable climate and river inflow. The lake response time to changes in hydrology or climate was evaluated. Both DLW₁ and DLW₂ were sensitive to climate and hydrological changes. The results showed that lake level in high CIR systems depends on climate, whereas in systems with low CIR it depends more on river regime.     

Feeding ecology of the banded wrasse Notolabrus fucicola (Labridae) in southern New Zealand: Prey items,seasonal differences,and ontogenetic variation

Notolabrus fucicola Richardson, a large common labrid inhabiting shallow waters around New Zealand and southern Australia, were collected monthly (December 1996‐February 1998) around Kaikoura on the east coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Their diet, temporal variation in prey and gut fullness, and ontogenetic differences were examined. N. fucicola is a generalist predator, the major prey items being bivalves, amphipods, and crabs, which varied temporally in their diet. There were size specific changes in their diet. Small fish (100–180 mm) ate mostly amphipods and isopods, whereas larger fish (> 180 mm) ate mainly bivalves, crabs, and gastropods. There was a temporal variation in gut fullness but no significant difference between sexes.     

Distribution of the Permian Monodiexodina in Karakorum and Kunlun and its Geological Significance

The Permian fusulinoidean genus Monodiexodina is widely distributed in east Tethys.The genus might be an important indicator for the northern margin of Gondwana in northwestern China, but this is disputed.Monodiexodina-bearing areas can be restored as in either northern or southern middle latitudes with a symmetrical distribution between a high latitudinal,cool/cold water climatic realm and a paleotropical,warm water realm.Permian strata bearing Monodiexodina in Karakorum, Muztag Pear,and Buka Daban Pear...     

温带气旋爆发性发展的中期背景及预报

在研究了冬季(11—1月)西北太平洋温带气旋爆发性发展前5天,对流层中高层超长波及长波配置及西风急流、动量输送等物理量特征的基础上,综合出气旋爆发性发展的中期预报着眼点,应用数值预报产品可有效地延长预报时效。     

Carbon budgets of three temperate forest ecosystems in Dongling Mt.,Beijing,China

There is a general agreement that forest ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere function as signifi-cant sinks for atmospheric CO2; however, their magnitude and distribution remain large uncertainties. In this paper, we report the carbon (C) stock and its change of vegetation, forest floor detritus, and mineral soil, annual net biomass increment and litterfall production, and respiration of vegetation and soils between 1992 to 1994, for three temperate forest ecosystems, birch (Betula platyphylla) forest, oak (Quercus liaotungensis) forest and pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) plantation in Mt. Dongling, Beijing, China. We then evaluate the C budgets of these forest ecosystems. Our results indicated that total C density (organic C per hectare) of these forests ranged from 250 to 300 t C ha-1, of which 35―54 t C ha-1 from vegetation biomass C and 209―244 t C ha-1 from soil organic C (1 m depth, including forest floor detritus). Biomass C of all three forests showed a net increase, with 1.33―3.55 t C ha-1 a-1 during the study period. Litterfall production, vegetation autotrophic respiration, and soil heterotrophic respira-tion were estimated at 1.63―2.34, 2.19―6.93, and 1.81―3.49 t C ha-1 a-1, respectively. Ecosystem gross primary production fluctuated between 5.39 and 12.82 t C ha-1 a-1, about half of which (46%―59%, 3.20―5.89 t C ha-1 a-1) was converted to net primary production. Our results suggested that pine forest fixed C of 4.08 t ha-1 a-1, whereas secondary forests (birch and oak forest) were nearly in balance in CO2 exchange between the atmosphere and ecosystems.     

内蒙古半干旱草原土壤—植被—大气相互作用——科学问题与实验计划概述

“内蒙古半干旱草原土壤－植被－大气相互作用（ＩｎｎｅｒＭｏｎｇｏｌｉａＳｅｍｉ－ＡｒｉｄＧｒａｓｌａｎｄＳｏｉｌ－Ｖｅｇｅｔａｔｉｏｎ－ＡｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅＳｕｒｆａｃｅＳｔｕｄｙ,ＩＭＧＲＡＳＳ）”是国家自然科学基金委在“九五”期间支持的跨学部重大项目。该项目是全球变化研究的一个重要组成部分,主要着眼于具有全球代表性的温带半干旱草原区域中土壤－植被－大气相互作用的过程与参数化方案研究,理解在人类活动逐步增强背景下气候变化对草原生态的作用与反馈,定量了解中纬半干旱草原在温室气体排放与生物地球化学循环中的作用,发展利用卫星定量遥感陆气相互作用的反演方法与集成。这一项目将由一项中尺度综合观测和几项研究课题构成,希望成为我国对全球变化研究的新的独特贡献,亦为温带半干旱草原可持续发展提供进一步的对策依据。本文简要介绍ＩＭＧＲＡＳＳ项目的科学问题与实验计划。     

基于Forest-DNDC的长白山阔叶红松林土壤碳氮温室气体通量的模拟研究（英文）

土壤温室气体排放是土壤与大气之间的温室气体交换的重要途径,但对土壤温室气体排放动态变化的理解和收支水平的估算仍存在较大的不确定性。基于动态箱原位监测的高频、连续土壤温室气体通量数据,本研究初步检验了生物地球化学模型(Forest-DNDC)对长白山阔叶红松林(CBF)土壤CH_4、CO_2和N_2O温室气体通量的模拟效果。结果显示,当前版本的Forest-DNDC可以反演得到土壤温度、土壤湿度和积雪等主要环境要素的总体变化趋势,但是对于环境要素季节变化的准确模拟尚存在较明显偏差,特别是在非生长季节。模拟得到的土壤CH_4通量与监测结果相当接近,并且受到了土壤温度和积雪变化的显著调控。受温度变化的影响,模拟CO_2通量的季节变化与测定值相似,均在夏季达到高峰,但模拟的土壤CO_2排放量明显小于实际测定结果。与监测的土壤N_2O通量在春季冻融期间出现排放高峰的变化显著不同的是,模拟土壤N_2O通量主要受温度变化的影响,其最大值出现在夏季。因此,有必要结合更长时段的土壤温室气体监测数据,进一步优化模型参数与过程,特别是土壤水热传导和温室气体的产生过程等,为模拟改进和生态系统碳氮收支评估,以及从站点到区域的扩展提供支撑。     

Responses of two temperate sponge species to ocean acidification

There are still major gaps in our understanding of the impact of ocean acidification (OA) on some groups of organisms within different geographic regions. We investigated the effect of OA on two common and ecologically important temperate sponge species in New Zealand (Tethya bergquistae and Crella incrustans). Sponges were kept at pH 8 (control) and 7.6 for 4 weeks. Responses of the two species varied, with T. bergquistae kept at pH 7.6 showing some mortality in response to reduced pH and evidence of tissues necrosis. In contrast, only one C. incrustans died in the pH 7.6 treatment and showed little evidence of any tissue degradation. Only T. bergquistae showed evidence for physiological effects of reduced pH as respiration rates were generally higher in the pH 7.6 treatment. Our results provide preliminary evidence to support a general tolerance of temperate sponges to reduced pH, but that some species-specific responses may exist.