Carotenoid-based bill and eye ring coloration as honest signals of condition: an experimental test in the red-legged partridge (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alectoris rufa</Emphasis>)

Carotenoid pigments cannot be synthesized by vertebrates but must be ingested through the diet. As they seem to be a limited resource, carotenoid-based ornaments are particularly interesting as possible honest signals of individual quality, in particular of foraging efficiency and nutritional status. Some studies have demonstrated the condition dependence of carotenoid-based plumage in birds. However, many other carotenoid-pigmented bare parts (i.e. skin, caruncles, bills, cere, and tarsi) are present in birds but, in comparison with plumage, little is known about these traits as indicators of individual quality. Here, we show that the eye ring pigmentation and bill redness of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) are positively associated to body condition and recent changes in body mass. Also, we found a negative relationship between these two traits and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, an indicator of physiological stress (the relationship with bill redness being significant only for males). In an experiment, we found that after a period of reduction in food intake (with the consequent loss of body mass), food-restricted birds showed lower eye ring pigmentation than ad-libitum-fed birds. Therefore, different ornaments seem to reflect changes in body condition but at different speeds or intensities (eye ring, a fleshy ornament, appears to respond more rapidly to changes in the nutritional status than a keratinized structure as the bill). These results indicate that carotenoid-based ornaments are condition-dependent traits in the red-legged partridge, being therefore susceptible to be employed as honest signals of quality in sexual selection.     

Settlement decisions in blue tits: difference in the use of social information according to age and individual success

Dispersers are expected to assess breeding habitat quality before settlement. Although cues reflecting habitat quality are well studied, social cues have not been as well evaluated. In this paper, we studied breeding habitat selection during 3 years in a natural population of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, breeding in nest-boxes. Our aim was to investigate if this species used conspecific density and/or reproductive success of con- and heterospecifics (i.e., social cues) in settlement decisions. The patterns observed were consistent with the idea that juveniles, when dispersing from their natal patches, did not react to any of the cues that we tested. In contrast, breeders that dispersed seemed to respond to both conspecific mean patch reproductive success (PRS) and breeding density of the settlement patch in the year of dispersal, their response differing according to their own reproductive success. Indeed, failed breeders moved to areas with high PRS and low density relative to source patches, while successful breeders behaved the opposite. The comparison between juveniles and adults might be modulated by the limited time available to juveniles to gather information on PRS and density at the end of the dispersing year. Adults lacking these time constraints, however, seemed to rely on these conspecific cues although limited by their own quality. Additionally, breeders were more likely to be immigrants in patches with relatively low breeding success and density the previous year, suggesting that settlement is influenced by multiple cues, which may reveal information on different aspects of habitat and be available at different moments. Collectively, our results support the importance of social cues for blue tits’ settlement.     

Landscape pattern and its effect on ecosystem functions in Seoul Metropolitan area: urban ecology on distribution of the naturalized plant species

During land transformation process in the human history,naturalized plants were introduced to several land use patterns by the different ways of plant itself .Including some naturalized plants that had been contribute to land restoration,many naturalized plants have been invaded to original habitat or landscape for native plants.Once the plants were colonized,they extend their area and population size.Urban developed areas often give an impotant role of source habitat for naturalized plants and expanding their popuation size.In recent,this tituation is appearing as one of environmental problems about the urban landscape management controlling the naturalized plants that invaded in the developed area and conserving the native vegetation.This paper is focusing on relationships between distribution of habitat of naturalized plants and landscape patch in urban area in Seoul.Gengdong-Gu ,one of the administrative areas in Seoul was selected for this study.We examined the recent land use change using LANDSAT TM data and spreading of the representative naturalized plants(Robinia pseudoacacia and Eupatorium rugosum)by Seoul Biotope Mapping Project and field survey in 1999.As a result,these two species were often occurred in the same habitat and distributed in forest edge disturbed by man.Their distribution patterns were related to landscape indices (patch size and shape)in the forest edge.     

The fractal dimension of a conspicuous ornament varies with mating status and shows assortative mating in wild red-legged partridges (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alectoris rufa</Emphasis>)

Complex body designs, such as plumage ornaments in birds, can be described by fractal geometry. These complex patterns could have a role as visual signals during courtship and social interactions, but an empirical validation in the wild is currently lacking. Here, we investigated whether the fractal dimension (FD) of a complex plumage pattern displayed by red-legged partridges Alectoris rufa could function as a potential sexual signal. We captured wild birds early in the breeding season and tested if mated and unmated birds differed in the FD of their conspicuous melanin-based black bib. We also tested if the FD of the black bib was correlated within the pair, looking for evidence of assortative mating based on the expression of this trait. We simultaneously assessed similar effects in other ornamental traits (black bib size, white throat patch and black flank band surface, redness of the eye rings and bill). Mated birds showed higher black bib FD values than unmated ones. Mated males, but not females, also displayed a larger black bib. Moreover, the black bib FD (but not the trait size) and the white throat patch surface showed assortative mating. Finally, females with higher black bib FD showed smaller black flank band surface, suggesting a trade-off in the expression of the two melanin-pigmented plumage traits. This provides unique and novel indication for the shape complexity of a pigmented trait, here described by its fractal dimension, to be potentially under sexual selection in a wild animal.     

不同地区土壤古菌群落对重金属污染的响应

为探讨农田土壤古菌群落结构与构建机制对不同类型重金属污染的响应特征及影响因素,采集高地质背景区、涉重金属企业和工矿区周边农田土壤样品,通过高通量测序,结合土壤理化性质,对土壤古菌群落组成及构建机制进行研究.结果表明,本研究区域内农田土壤重金属空间异质性高,镉污染较广泛,除工矿区部分土壤样本存在强生态风险,其他样本存在轻微的潜在生态风险.不同地区古菌群落结构差异较大,泉古菌门（Crenarchaeota）为优势菌门,占比62.7%~98.3%,其次为Halobacterota （1.1%~23.2%）.环境因子中,土壤有机质含量、pH、砷和铅含量与古菌群落显著相关（P<0.05）,是古菌群落结构差异的主要驱动因子.零模型分析表明本研究古菌群落在系统发育上聚集,确定性过程驱动古菌群落构建,有机质和pH等环境因子的异质选择作用主导古菌群落形成.因此,环境过滤的确定性作用最终驱动本研究古菌群落构建,环境异质性导致了古菌群落多样性和空间异质性,从而增强古菌抵御环境胁迫的能力,利于农田生态系统功能的稳定性和可持续性.     

鄱阳湖流域水葫芦(Eichhornia crassipes)对水体微塑料的吸附截留效应

微塑料是环境中的新型污染物,随着人们对微塑料污染的认识,微塑料在河流和湖泊等淡水湿地环境中的迁移问题受到普遍关注.中国内陆最大淡水湖鄱阳湖湿地受五河流域及其地表径流的影响,湿地水环境中的微塑料污染问题也不容忽视.为了解鄱阳湖各流域水体中微塑料的分布现状及水生植物对微塑料的吸附截留效应,选择鄱阳湖流域的赣江、信江、抚河、修水和饶河这五河水系入湖段为研究区,以各流域水体及其普遍存在的漂浮植物水葫芦（Eichhornia crassipes）为研究对象,分析鄱阳湖五河流域水葫芦对水体微塑料的吸附截留特征,探讨水生植物对水体环境中的微塑料是否具有吸附或截留效应,阐明水葫芦对微塑料的吸附与水体赋存微塑料的相关性,解析微塑料在湿地环境中的迁移特性,为鄱阳湖湿地环境中微塑料的管控及污染治理提供一定的理论基础与依据.在鄱阳湖流域赣江、抚河、信江、饶河和修水的五河水系入湖区和湖口出湖区共设置18个采样点,分别采集水表漂浮的水葫芦整株样品和水深约1 m处的水样,采用HNO₃（65%）-H₂ O₂（30%）混合试剂消解水样后抽滤分离水体及水葫芦体表微塑料;采用显微鉴定方法观察微塑料的颜色、粒径和形态等特征,采用Nano Measurer 1.2软件统计各流域水体和水葫芦体表中分离出的微塑料丰度;采用傅立叶变换红外（FTIR）光谱仪鉴定不同形态微塑料的聚合物成分.鄱阳湖流域各水体微塑料丰度处于中度偏高水平,丰度范围为65.5~353 n ·L^-1,且以0~0.5 mm范围内的小粒径微塑料为主,占各流域水体中微塑料的80%以上;各流域水葫芦截留或吸附的微塑料丰度范围为36~204 n ·kg^-1,且以0~1.5 mm范围内的小粒径微塑料为主,所占比例达80%以上;水葫芦吸附0~0.5 mm粒径范围内的微塑料丰度含量与水体中0~0.5 mm粒径范围内的微塑料丰度间呈显著相关,水葫芦对水体中占比较高的小粒径微塑料具有明显的吸附效应.鄱阳湖五河流域水体微塑料的聚合物成分以聚乙烯和聚苯乙烯为主体;各流域水体微塑料的丰度处于较高水平,以0~0.5 mm的小粒径微塑料为主,对水体生物及水环境易构成生态风险.各流域水葫芦对水体微塑料具有显著的吸附效应,且以吸附0~1.5 mm的小粒径微塑料为主;水葫芦吸附0~0.5 mm粒径范围内的微塑料丰度值与水体中0~0.5 mm粒径范围内的微塑料丰度间存在显著相关性;水葫芦对水体中的小粒径微塑料具有较强的吸附效应,可为水生植物吸附或截留水体环境中的微塑料提供一定的参考依据.     

Salt glands in the Jurassic metriorhynchid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geosaurus</Emphasis>: implications for the evolution of osmoregulation in Mesozoic marine crocodyliforms

The presence of salt-excreting glands in extinct marine sauropsids has been long suspected based on skull morphology. Previously, we described for the first time the natural casts of salt-excreting glands in the head of the Jurassic metriorhynchid crocodyliform Geosaurus araucanensis from the Tithonian of the Vaca Muerta Formation in the Neuquén Basin (Argentina). In the present study, salt-excreting glands are identified in three new individuals (adult, a sub-adult and a juvenile) referable to the same species. New material provides significant information on the salt glands form and function and permit integration of evolutionary scenarios proposed on a physiological basis in extant taxa with evidence from the fossil record. G. araucanensis represents an advanced stage of the basic physiological model to marine adaptations in reptiles. G. araucanensis salt glands were hypertrophied. On this basis, it can be hypothesized that these glands had a high excretory capability. This stage implies that G. araucanensis (like extant pelagic reptiles, e.g. cheloniids) could have maintained constant plasma osmolality even when seawater or osmoconforming prey were ingested. A gradual model of marine adaptation in crocodyliforms based on physiology (freshwater to coastal/estuarine to estuarine /marine to pelagic life) is congruent with the phylogeny of crocodyliforms based on skeletal morphology. The fossil record suggests that the stage of marine pelagic adaptation was achieved by the Early Middle Jurassic. Salt gland size in the juvenile suggests that juveniles were, like adults, pelagic.     

Intraspecific competition and high food availability are associated with insular gigantism in a lizard

Resource availability, competition, and predation commonly drive body size evolution. We assess the impact of high food availability and the consequent increased intraspecific competition, as expressed by tail injuries and cannibalism, on body size in Skyros wall lizards (Podarcis gaigeae). Lizard populations on islets surrounding Skyros (Aegean Sea) all have fewer predators and competitors than on Skyros but differ in the numbers of nesting seabirds. We predicted the following: (1) the presence of breeding seabirds (providing nutrients) will increase lizard population densities; (2) dense lizard populations will experience stronger intraspecific competition; and (3) such aggression, will be associated with larger average body size. We found a positive correlation between seabird and lizard densities. Cannibalism and tail injuries were considerably higher in dense populations. Increases in cannibalism and tail loss were associated with large body sizes. Adult cannibalism on juveniles may select for rapid growth, fuelled by high food abundance, setting thus the stage for the evolution of gigantism.     

Mass predicts web asymmetry in Nephila spiders

The architecture of vertical aerial orb webs may be affected by spider size and gravity or by the available web space, in addition to phylogenetic and/or developmental factors. Vertical orb web asymmetry measured by hub displacement has been shown to increase in bigger and heavier spiders; however, previous studies have mostly focused on adult and subadult spiders or on several size classes with measured size parameters but no mass. Both estimations are suboptimal because (1) adult orb web spiders may not invest heavily in optimal web construction, whereas juveniles do; (2) size class/developmental stage is difficult to estimate in the field and is thus subjective, and (3) mass scales differently to size and is therefore more important in predicting aerial foraging success due to gravity. We studied vertical web asymmetry in a giant orb web spider, Nephila pilipes, across a wide range of size classes/developmental stages and tested the hypothesis that vertical web asymmetry (measured as hub displacement) is affected by gravity. On a sample of 100 webs, we found that hubs were more displaced in heavier and larger juveniles and that spider mass explained vertical web asymmetry better than other measures of spider size (carapace and leg lengths, developmental stage). Quantifying web shape via the ladder index suggested that, unlike in other nephilid taxa, growing Nephila orbs do not become vertically elongated. We conclude that the ontogenetic pattern of progressive vertical web asymmetry in Nephila can be explained by optimal foraging due to gravity, to which the opposing selective force may be high web-building costs in the lower orb. Recent literature finds little support for alternative explanations of ontogenetic orb web allometry such as the size limitation hypothesis and the biogenetic law.     

Conserving the species-rich meadows of Europe

Owing to changes in agricultural practices throughout Europe, with greater emphasis on intensification, traditionally managed hay meadows have become scarce. Their loss has also meant the loss of species diversity. One of the few areas of Europe where traditional management is still practised is in Northern Spain.The hay meadows of Northern Spain can be defined as semi-natural, species-rich communities that are maintained by one or more factors which are under the direct control of man. The traditional management to which they are subjected has led to a high species diversity. For centuries the meadows have been important to man in supporting cattle during the winter. There is now little need for further increase of production. However, the importance of the need for conservation of species diversity and protection of ecologically sensitive areas is now recognised. Although the biological richness of the hay meadows is well known, few studies have been made of the effects of different traditional management regimes on the diversity and floristic composition of these grasslands.A survey was carried out to examine the effects of traditional management on the floristic composition, diversity and production of these meadows. The area studied is situated in the Valdeón valley, northwestern Spain (Cantabrian Mountains) and consists of a deep valley in which arboreal vegetation is represented by beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests. The survival of semi-natural habitats and traditional forms of management and also the low use of chemical fertilisers compared with Northern Europe are the most important reasons for the richness of these habitats. In this study, cutting for hay once per year, non-irrigation non-manuring and grazing in autumn was correlated with high species diversity. The future conservation of these habitats will depend on the formulation of support to continue with traditional management practices.     

Density and nutritional condition of carabid beetles in wildflower areas of different age

Density and nutritional condition of the five carabid beetle species Agonum mülleri, Anchomenus dorsalis, Anisodactylus binotatus, Pterostichus vernalis and Poecilus cupreus was studied. Carabids were caught in sixteen 1–4-year-old wildflower areas, identified and counted, their nutritional condition was calculated and calculations were related to habitat parameters (i.e. wildflower area age, vegetation cover, soil water content, habitat size, surrounding landscape composition) and sex.Whereas the number of Anisodactylus binotatus caught responded positively to succession in wildflower areas, A. mülleri numbers tended to decrease and the other three species were unaffected. In a stepwise multiple regression species affiliation, sex and age of wildflower area explained together 98.5% of the variance in the pooled nutritional condition of Anchomenus dorsalis, Anisodactylus binotatus, A. mülleri and P. vernalis. Age of wildflower area alone explained 61.7% of the variance and age increased the nutritional condition of carabids. Correspondingly, nutritional condition of Poecilus cupreus was positively correlated with the age of wildflower area. Overall, the nutritional condition of the carabid assemblage studied increased from the first to the second year and then remained stable. To keep the proportion of 1-year-old wildflower areas low, wildflower areas should therefore be maintained for several years to improve the life conditions of carabid beetles and to enhance their beneficial effects in agroecosystems.     

腾格里沙漠东南缘不同生境白刺(Nitraria)灌丛沙堆的空间分布格局

运用地统计学和数量生态学方法,从维持天然白刺灌丛稳定性和持久生态效益角度出发,对腾格里沙漠东南缘不同生境白刺灌丛沙堆的空间异质性进行了研究,分析了不同生境白刺固沙生态效益.结果表明,生境地下水埋深和白刺植株发育状况的差异直接影响了白刺耐沙埋的能力,间接地影响了白刺沙堆的固沙效应.湖盆低地白刺种群的植株盖度、密度和生物量显著高于山前冲积扇区（p<0.01）,植株高度则相反,且无显著差异（p>0.05）.湖盆低地的半固定生境沙堆高度平均为1.20 m,单个沙堆积沙体积平均为88.19 m³,固定生境的山前冲积扇沙堆高度平均为1.14 m,单个沙堆积沙体积平均为33.16 m³.不同生境条件下,白刺沙堆的斑块大小和分布存在明显差异（p<0.01）.湖盆低地的白刺灌丛沙堆趋向于大斑块、小密度,空间自相关距离较长,而山前冲积扇区相反.湖盆低地由自相关因素引起的沙堆大小和积沙体积空间异质性占主要部分,分别体现在1.2～84 m和1.2～505 m尺度;而山前冲积扇的随机因素引起的沙堆大小和积沙体积空间异质性占到100％,在100 m以下尺度该区白刺灌丛沙堆大小和积沙体积具有恒定的变异,其空间分布格局在这个尺度无规律体现呈随机分布.     

Effects of landscape homogeneity on starling roost distribution

The possible effects of landscape structure on starling roost distribution were investigated in western France using GIS analysis at different radii (2, 4, 8 and 10 km). Composition (11 land use classes) and configuration (patch size, diversity index) of the landscapes surrounding 97 roost sites used by starlings from 1981 to 2002 and surrounding 50 random points not used as roost sites were compared. Significant results suggested that starling roosts were established preferentially in the centre of an agricultural landscape where large units of pastures and arable land predominated and where natural areas were lacking both in large patches (forests or wetland classes) and in small patches such as woods in the mixed land class. A varied farmland landscape with natural areas and small patches should be promoted to limit the starling damage in wintering regions and also to favour their reproduction in regions where it has declined.     

黄河源区斑块化退化高寒草甸土壤细菌群落多样性变化

为研究海拔变化和退化过程中高寒草甸土壤细菌群落多样性的变化规律,利用MiSeq高通量测序技术,分析不同海拔活动斑块、非活动斑块、恢复斑块和高寒草甸土壤细菌群落多样性,利用冗余分析对细菌多样性和环境因子进行分析.结果发现,3种类型斑块中主要的土壤细菌门均是变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、放线菌门（Actinobacteriota）和酸杆菌门（Acidobacteriota）.细菌优势属为RB 41 、鞘脂单胞菌属（Sphingomonas）和慢生根瘤菌属（Bradyrhizobium）.RB 41 和慢生根瘤菌属相对丰度随海拔升高而下降,随斑块演替而增加,但3种类型退化斑块相对丰度均显著低于高寒草甸（P<0.05）.退化斑块土壤碳固定功能的细菌丰度,大于健康高寒草甸.不同斑块的细菌Chao1指数和物种数显著高于高寒草甸（P<0.05）.冗余分析发现,生物结皮盖度和全氮是海拔4013 m处细菌优势门的主要影响因子;生物量、全氮和pH对高海拔4224 m细菌优势门影响较大.生物量和全钾显著影响海拔4013 m的细菌属分布,海拔4224 m地区莎草科盖度和速效氮为细菌优势属的主要影响因子.生物结皮和pH对细菌多样性影响较大.不同海拔地区细菌的影响因子发生着较大变化,在研究细菌多样性变化的过程中,不仅要关注高寒草地退化的影响,还应考虑海拔高度的作用.     

玛瑙河多环境介质和铜锈环棱螺体内微塑料的赋存特征

微塑料污染对水生态系统及人类健康危害大,为探究微塑料在不同环境介质中的赋存特征,选择长江一级支流玛瑙河为研究区域,通过现场采样、显微镜观察和傅里叶红外光谱测定等,对玛瑙河表层水体、沉积物、河岸带土壤和底栖动物铜锈环棱螺中微塑料的丰度、粒径、形状、颜色和组成类型进行了分析.结果表明,玛瑙河表层水体的微塑料平均丰度为（5.9±0.26）n·L^-1;上层沉积物中微塑料丰度（以干重计）为（1.35±0.1）n·g^-1,下层沉积物中微塑料丰度（以干重计）为（0.93±0.12）n·g^-1;近河岸带土壤中微塑料丰度（以干重计）为（0.68±0.16）n·g^-1,远河岸带土壤中微塑料丰度（以干重计）为（0.69±0.14）n·g^-1;铜锈环棱螺体内微塑料丰度为（2.06±0.25）n·g^-1.分析发现,上层沉积物和下层沉积物中微塑料丰度呈正相关;铜锈环棱螺体内微塑料丰度分别与上、下层沉积物中微塑料丰度呈正相关;近、远河岸带土壤中微塑料丰度具有相关性.各环境介质和铜锈环棱螺体内微塑料粒径大多<0.1mm,主要形态为纤维状和碎片状,颜色以蓝色和黑色为主,成分主要是聚丙烯（PP）和聚乙烯（PE）.研究发现,河岸带土壤中微塑料主要来源于农用塑料薄膜的破碎和分解.通过多环境介质调查和铜锈环棱螺体内微塑料的分析,探明了大型底栖动物体内微塑料的累积效应,可为全面了解微塑料潜在生态风险提供依据.     

Aerobic granulation of pure bacterial strain Bacillus thuringiensis

The objective of this study is to cultivate aerobic granules by pure bacterial strain, Bacillus thuringiensis, in a sequencing batch reactor. Stable granules sized 2.0–2.2 mm were formed in the reactor after a five-week cultivation. These granules exhibited excellent settling attributes, and degraded phenol at rates of 1.49 and 1.19 g phenol/(g VSS?d) at 250 and 1500 mg/L of phenol concentration, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopic test results show that Bacillus thuringiensis was distributed over the initial small aggregates, and the outer edge of the granule was away from the core regime in the following stage.     

典型喀斯特地区参考作物蒸散量的时空变化分析——以贵州省为例

喀斯特地区地表地下的二元储水结构导致地表水渗漏严重,而土被浅薄且分布不连续,土壤蓄水量不足,易导致作物出现缺水。以贵州省为例,基于FAO-56 Penman-Monteith公式和气象资料,估算了贵州省1961~2014年参考作物蒸散量ET_O,在此基础上运用反距离权重插值法对贵州省ET_O进行空间插值,分析了贵州省ET_O的时空变化特征,并用多元回归分析方法探讨了影响贵州省ET_O的主要因素。结果表明:贵州省西部地区的ET_O高于中、东部地区;1年之中ET_O主要集中于夏季和春季,冬季最少;60年代的ET_O高于多年平均值,70年代之后逐渐降低,90年代达到最低值,2000年以来ET_O急剧升高;从年际变化看,贵州省年平均ET_O总体呈波动上升趋势,1961~2002年持续降低,2003年以后显著升高;年际变化中秋季ET_O变化最大,其次为春季、夏季,冬季变化最小;影响贵州省ET_O的主导气象因素是日照时数,两者呈显著的正相关,地理纬度与ET_O存在明显的负相关。贵州省ET_O的时空特征研究及其影响因素分析将为其他喀斯特地区的农业发展和水资源合理配置提供科学依据。     

Eight years of annual no-till cropping in Washington's winter wheat-summer fallow region

The tillage-based winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-summer fallow (WW-SF) cropping system has dominated dryland farming in the Pacific Northwest USA for 125 years. We conducted a large-scale multidisciplinary 8-year study of annual (i.e., no summer fallow) no-till cropping systems as an alternative to WW-SF. Soft white and hard white classes of winter and spring wheat, spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), yellow mustard (Brassica hirta Moench), and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) were grown in various rotation combinations. Annual precipitation was less than the long-term average of 301 mm in 7 out of 8 years. Rhizoctonia bare patch disease caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani AG-8 appeared in year 3 and continued through year 8 in all no-till plots. All crops were susceptible to rhizoctonia, but bare patch area in wheat was reduced, and grain yield increased, when wheat was grown in rotation with barley every other year. Remnant downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) weed seeds remained dormant for 6 years and longer to heavily infest recrop winter wheat. There were few quantifiable changes in soil quality due to crop rotation, but soil organic carbon (SOC) increased in the surface 0–5 cm depth with no-till during the 8 years to approach that found in undisturbed native soil. Annual no-till crop rotations experienced lower average profitability and greater income variability compared to WW-SF. Yellow mustard and safflower were not economically viable. Continuous annual cropping using no-till provides excellent protection against wind erosion and shows potential to increase soil quality, but the practice involves high economic risk compared to WW-SF. This paper provides the first comprehensive multidisciplinary report of long-term alternative annual no-till cropping systems research in the low-precipitation region of the Pacific Northwest.     

Leaching of nitrogen in Swedish agriculture — a historical perspective

There is a need to examine long-term changes in nitrogen leaching from arable soils. The purpose of this study was to analyse variations in specific leaching rates (kg ha⁻¹ per year) and gross load (Mg per year) of N from arable land to watercourses in Sweden from a historical perspective. The start of the study was set to 1865 because information on crop distribution, yield and livestock has been compiled yearly since then. The SOIL/SOILN model was used to calculate nitrogen leaching. Calculations were done for cereals, grass and bare fallow for three different soil types in nine agricultural regions covering a range of climatic conditions. Results indicate that both specific leaching rates and gross load of nitrogen in the middle of 19th century were approximately the same as they are today for the whole of south and central Sweden. Three main explanations for this were (1) large areas of bare fallow typical for the farming practice at the time; (2) enhanced mineralisation from newly cultivated land; and (3) low yield . From 1865, i.e. the start of the calculations, N leaching rates decreased and were at their lowest around 1930. During the same period, gross load was also at its lowest despite the fact that the acreage of arable land was at its most extensive. After 1930, average leaching increased by 60% and gross load by 30%, both reaching a peak in the mid-1970s to be followed by a declining trend. The greatest increase in leaching was in regions where the increase in animal density was largest and these regions were also those where the natural conditions for leaching such as mild winters and coarse-textured soils were found. Extensive draining projects occurred during the period of investigation, in particular an intensive exploitation of lakes and wetlands. This caused a substantial drop in nitrogen retention and the probable increase in net load to the sea might thus have been more affected by this decrease in retention than the actual increase in gross load.     

广东省非道路移动机械排放清单及不确定性研究

随着工业源和机动车等重点污染源减排空间的下降,非道路移动机械排放已成为大气污染防治领域的研究热点之一.本研究通过资料收集与实地调研,初步构建了广东省非道路机械基于机型的活动水平数据集、综合排放因子及时空分配因子,采用自下而上的排放因子法,建立了广东省2014年非道路移动机械排放清单.并利用蒙特卡洛方法定量评估清单结果不确定性.结果表明,广东省2014年非道路移动机械的SO_2、NO_x、PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)、VOCs和CO排放总量分别为4.9、61.1、4.8、4.5、11.6 kt和45.1 kt.其中,农业机械排放以四轮农用运输车和小型拖拉机为主,贡献率分别为38.4%和18.0%,主要分布在非珠三角的农村地区;工程机械排放以建筑运输车和挖掘机为主,贡献率分别为40.1%和33.9%,主要分布在珠三角地区.此外,不确定性分析结果显示VOCs和PM_(2.5)排放结果不确定性较大,不确定性范围分别为-25.2%~41.7%和-23.4%~32.8%.NO_x不确定性较小,不确定性范围为-15.2%~17.5%.