Patterns of Genetic Diversity and Its Loss in Mammalian Populations

Abstract:  Policy aimed at conserving biodiversity has focused on species diversity. Loss of genetic diversity, however, can affect population persistence, evolutionary potential, and individual fitness. Although mammals are a well-studied taxonomic group, a comprehensive assessment of mammalian genetic diversity based on modern molecular markers is lacking. We examined published microsatellite data from populations of 108 mammalian species to evaluate background patterns of genetic variability across taxa and body masses. We tested for loss of genetic diversity at the population level by asking whether populations that experienced demographic threats exhibited lower levels of genetic diversity. We also evaluated the effect of ascertainment bias (a reduction in variability when microsatellite primers are transferred across species) on our assessment of genetic diversity. Heterozygosity did not vary with body mass across species ranging in size from shrews to whales. Differences across taxonomic groupings were noted at the highest level, between populations of marsupial and placental mammals. We documented consistently lower heterozygosity, however, in populations that had experienced demographic threats across a wide range of mammalian species. We also documented a significant ( p = 0.01) reduction in heterozygosity as a result of ascertainment bias. Our results suggest that populations of both rare and common mammals are currently losing genetic diversity and that conservation efforts focused above the population level may fail to protect the breadth of persisting genetic diversity. Conservation policy makers may need to focus their efforts below the species level to stem further losses of genetic resources.     

Effects of intracolony variability in behavioral development on plasticity of division of labor in honey bee colonies

There is a genetic component to plasticity in age polyethism in honey bee colonies, such that workers of some genotypes become precocious foragers more readily than do workers of other genotypes, in colonies lacking older bees. Using colonies composed of workers from two identifiable genotype groups, we determined that intracolony differences in the likelihood of becoming a precocious forager are a consequence of differences in rates of behavioral development that are also evident under conditions leading to normal development. An alternative hypothesis, that differences in the likelihood of becoming a precocious forager are due to differences in general sensitivity to altered colony conditions, was not supported. In three out of three trials, workers from the genotype group that was more likely to exhibit precocious foraging in single cohort colonies also foraged at relatively younger ages in colonies in which workers exhibited normal behavioral development. In contrast, in three out of three trials, workers from the genotype group that was more likely to exhibit precocious foraging in single-cohort colonies did not show disproportionately more overaged nursing in colonies in which workers exhibited delayed development. These results indicate that genotypic differences in plasticity in age-related division of labor are based on genotypic differences in rates of behavioral development.     

论我国降水丰度和适度

本文以全球陆地年平均降水量、农田蒸散量和作物需水量等指标为尺度,衡量我国降水量的丰度,从降水的时空分布,及其稳定性等方面评价我国降水量的适度,从经济现状分析我国降水条件对国土开发的影响程度,并和欧美各国对比,说明我国降水条件的优劣程度,指出我国的降水条件和降水量不是黄万里先生所说的那样优越和丰富。     

Adaptive Management and Climate Change Adaptation: Two Mutually Beneficial Areas of Practice

Adaptive management (AM) is a rigorous approach to implementing, monitoring, and evaluating actions, so as to learn and adjust those actions. Existing AM projects are at risk from climate change, and current AM guidance does not provide adequate methods to deal with this risk. Climate change adaptation (CCA) is an approach to plan and implement actions to reduce risks from climate variability and climate change, and to exploit beneficial opportunities. AM projects could be made more resilient to extreme climate events by applying the principles and procedures of CCA. To test this idea, we analyze the effects of extreme climatic events on five existing AM projects focused on ecosystem restoration and species recovery, in the Russian, Trinity, Okanagan, Platte, and Missouri River Basins. We examine these five case studies together to generate insights on how integrating CCA principles and practices into their design and implementation could improve their sustainability, despite significant technical and institutional challenges, particularly at larger scales. Although climate change brings substantial risks to AM projects, it may also provide opportunities, including creating new habitats, increasing the ability to quickly test flow‐habitat hypotheses, stimulating improvements in watershed management and water conservation, expanding the use of real‐time tools for flow management, and catalyzing creative application of CCA principles and procedures.     

Streamflow Forecasting Using Singular Value Decomposition and Support Vector Machine for the Upper Rio Grande River Basin

The current study improves streamflow forecast lead‐time by coupling climate information in a data‐driven modeling framework. The spatial–temporal correlation between streamflow and oceanic–atmospheric variability represented by sea surface temperature (SST), 500‐mbar geopotential height (Z₅₀₀), 500‐mbar specific humidity (SH₅₀₀), and 500‐mbar east–west wind (U₅₀₀) of the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean is obtained through singular value decomposition (SVD). SVD significant regions are weighted using a nonparametric method and utilized as input in a support vector machine (SVM) framework. The Upper Rio Grande River Basin (URGRB) is selected to test the applicability of the proposed model for the period of 1965–2014. The April–August streamflow volume is forecasted using previous year climate variability, creating a lagged relationship of 1–13 months. SVD results showed the streamflow variability was better explained by SST and U₅₀₀ as compared to Z₅₀₀ and SH₅₀₀. The SVM model showed satisfactory forecasting ability with best results achieved using a one‐month lead to forecast the following four‐month period. Overall, the SVM results showed excellent predictive ability with average correlation coefficient of 0.89 and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.79. This study contributes toward identifying new SVD significant regions and improving streamflow forecast lead‐time of the URGRB.     

中国资源型城市房价时空变化与影响因素分析

基于禧泰数据库的全国城市二手房价监测数据,利用描述统计和GIS空间分析方法详细分析了2011—2018年126个中国资源型城市房价时空变化特征,并采用空间杜宾模型进一步揭示了其影响因素。研究结果表明：（1）2011年和2018年中国资源型城市平均房价分别为4105元/m²和5675元/m²,再生型城市、成熟型城市、成长型城市和衰退型城市的平均房价依次递减;（2）2011—2018年中国资源型城市平均房价呈现出波动上升的态势,房价增长率为38.2%,远低于全国城市平均房价增长幅度55.3%,且不同类型资源型城市房价的增长幅度有所差异,以成熟型和再生型城市的房价增幅相对较大;（3）中国资源型城市房价和变化存在显著的空间集聚特征,房价热点区主要集中在东部地区和中部地区城市,房价冷点区主要以东北地区和西部地区城市为主;（4）空间杜宾模型显示,人均GDP、人均住房开发投资、多样化指数、专业化指数和工业废水排放强度是影响中国资源型城市房价空间差异的主要因素。     

中国表层土壤中239+240Pu的空间分布与变异性研究

为了解中国表层土壤中^239+240Pu比活度和²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu的范围、空间分布以及变异性,利用统计分析和数学模型的方法,定量分析了1991~2019年中国表层土壤^239+240Pu比活度和²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu的范围,空间分布以及产生空间变异性的原因.结果表明：中国表层土壤中²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu比值集中在0.18的概率为99%,全球大气核试验沉降是中国表层土壤中^239+240Pu的主要来源;表层土壤中^239+240Pu比活度处于低放射水平（£1Bq/kg的概率为94%）,西北和东北地区的表层土壤中^239+240Pu比活度有较高的空间变异性.^239+240Pu分布的空间变异性受到大气混合、冠层效应、土壤粒度、有机质和迁移（横向迁移和纵向迁移）的影响.同时,本文系统梳理了计算表层土壤中^239+240Pu空间变异的数学模型,为定量评估^239+240Pu的环境水平提供有效的方法.     

春季北支脊变化特征及其对中国气候的影响

论文利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和中国160个站月降水量和气温资料,通过小波、相关分析等方法,讨论了春季北支脊的变化特征及其对中国同期降水和气温的影响。结果表明：春季北支脊缓慢增强,存在2~3 a和准6 a的周期;纬向位置略向东移,具有准3 a和12 a的周期。春季北支脊偏强（弱）,黄河流域到江南地区的降水量偏少（多）,东北、西南和华南地区的降水量偏多（少）;春季北支脊纬向位置偏东（西）,中国北方大部分地区的降水量偏多（少）,西南和江南大部分地区的降水量偏少（多）;中国大部分地区的升（降）温显著。当春季北支脊纬向位置显著偏东（西）时,且强度偏强（弱）,淮河流域降水偏少（多）,东北、西南和华南地区的降水偏多（少）,中国大部分地区气温明显偏高（低）。通过对相应的环流和物理量场的分析,能较合理地解释中国春季气候异常的原因,对中国短期气候预测有一定帮助。     

Gender response and safe carrying load limit for sugar industry workers

This study investigates the safe carrying load limit in relation to gender of workers in the sugar industry. A total of 632 workers (male and female) were interviewed following a physiological and psycho-physiological methodology. All of these workers were in the age groups of 21–30, 31–40 and ≥41 years. In this study, for the physiological methodology, both field and laboratory data were collected, which included heart rate, heart rate variability, energy expenditure and maximum rate of oxygen consumption. Information regarding hemoglobin content, weight, age, lean body weight, etc., was recorded to know the physical health of the workers. In the psycho-physiological evaluation, load-carrying limits were determined by the psychophysical rating of the load by workers from the selected age groups. By considering the physiological stresses and psycho-physiological evaluation, the safe carrying load limit was determined in head and back mode for male and female workers as per their age groups.     

Spatial and temporal variation of haze in China from 1961 to 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze the climatic characteristics and long-term spatial and temporal variations of haze occurrence in China. The impact factors of haze trends are also discussed. Meteorological data from 1961 to 2012 and daily PM₁₀ concentrations from 2003 to 2012 were employed in this study. The results indicate that the annual-average hazy days at all stations have been increasing rapidly from 4 days in 1961 to 18 days in 2012. The maximum number of haze days occur in winter (41.1%) while the minimum occur in summer (10.4%). During 1961-2012, the high occurrence areas of haze shifted from central to south and east regions of China. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) region, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan Province are the high occurrence areas for haze, while the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) have become regions with high haze occurrences in the last 25 years. Temperature and pressure are positively correlated with the number of haze days. However, wind, relative humidity, precipitation, and sunshine duration are negatively correlated with the number of haze days. The key meteorological factors affecting the formation and dissipation of haze vary for high and low altitudes, and are closely related to anthropogenic activities. In recent years, anthropogenic activities have played a more important role in haze occurrences compared with meteorological factors.