Yield response of potato to spatially patterned nitrogen application

Although crop response to nitrogen fertilization has long been studied, classical experimental designs have led to inadequate accounting of spatial variability in field properties and yield response. Analytical methods to explicitly account for spatial variability now exist but the complementary modification of experimental design is still developing. There is a need to combine these analytical methods with non-traditional experimental design. A 2-year study was implemented to assess the response of potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Kennebec) yield to nitrogen fertilizer rate. We used a transect-type plot design where four nitrogen treatments (0, 56, 112, and 280 kg N ha^?1) were applied systematically in a continuous sinusoidal pattern along longitudinal transects. Measured field properties included topography, soil texture, pre-application soil nitrate levels, and plant available soil water content. A random field linear model was used to simultaneously account for treatment effects and soil properties. The results showed that treatment effects were significantly different from each other; however, if spatially correlated errors were accounted for, these differences were smaller and significance levels lower. Nitrogen response functions varied widely throughout the field. Of the covariates, only clay content proved important in explaining spatial differences in response to N. The sinusoidal response pattern of N was similar over the 2 years but the amplitudes varied due to differences in weather. Interactions between uncharacteristically high rainfall and a sandy field soil may have minimized discernable effects of the other covariates. The results demonstrated how the statistical analysis of potato response to a patterned application of nitrogen fertilizer can take advantage of spatial correlations to understand the response of potato to nitrogen application over larger areas.     

温度对好氧颗粒污泥吸附铅离子的影响

由活性污泥培养得到好氧颗粒污泥,研究了温度对好氧颗粒污泥吸附Pb²⁺的影响.结果表明,好氧颗粒污泥主要含有C、H、N、O、P等元素,其经验结构式为C_5.7H_10.9O3.9NS_0.04.好氧颗粒污泥表面主要由球状细菌组成,具有明显的孔隙结构.在20～40℃时,Pb²⁺在好氧颗粒污泥上的吸附过程可以由Langmuir和Freundlich等温方程进行拟合（R²>0.914）.Pb2+最大吸附量Qmax由80.65 mg·g-1（20℃）增至97.09　mg·g-1（40℃）.吸附过程的表观自由能变ΔG<0、 ΔH>0、 ΔS>0,表明Pb2+在好氧颗粒污泥表面的吸附为吸热、熵增的自发过程.红外扫描分析(FTIR)结果表明,吸附过程Pb2+主要与—OH、蛋白质中的—COOH以及PO发生作用,与含氮官能团无关.     

西部横断山区强降温气候条件下桥塔温度效应及抗裂性能优化研究∗

在强降温极端气候条件下,桥塔混凝土表面存在开裂风险。为此,以我国西部横断山脉地区某大跨悬索桥为工程背景,开展了强降温气候条件下桥塔温度效应及抗裂性能优化研究。首先,提出了桥址区极端天气的识别与模拟方法,并验证了所提模拟方法的有效性。随后,建立桥塔节段的 3D 有限元模型,分析了强降温极端天气下混凝土桥塔的温度场以及温度应力分布特征。最后,针对强降温极端天气下混凝土桥塔外表面存在开裂风险的问题,提出了两种桥塔混凝土表面抗裂优化方法,并通过参数分析给出了本例桥塔的最优参数。研究结果表明：在强降温天气下,当不考虑任何抗裂优化措施前,桥塔表面拉应力极值为 2.06 MPa,存在较大开裂风险;当采用抗裂优化措施后,提出的两种措施均能有效降低混凝土桥塔表面的拉应力极值。通过参数分析发现,采用有机涂料涂装桥塔表面的优化方法时,白色有机涂料的优化效果最佳;当采用桥塔表面覆盖 UHPC 的优化方法时,其厚度为 0.04 m 时优化效果最佳。     

Carbon accumulation through ecosystem recovery

A market has emerged for carbon sequestered through reforestation. The opportunity to restore ecosystems through this market rather than establish plantations is demonstrated by an Australian case study. In the state of Queensland there are vast areas that have been cleared relatively recently and could be restored to ecosystems with high resilience and important biodiversity values with appropriate management. In order to foster opportunities for carbon accumulation through ecosystem recovery spatially explicit information on sequestration rates, management recommendations, and clear definitions of ancillary biodiversity benefits need to be defined.     

Estimating carbon in savanna ecosystems: rational distribution of effort

Minimising the cost of repeatedly estimating C (C) stocks is crucial to the financial viability of projects that seek to sell C credits. Depending on the price of C, this may imply less or more sampling effort than would be applied for science objectives. In systems with heterogeneous C pools, such as savannas, this translates into a variable-effort sampling strategy that maximises the marginal additional C that can be claimed per incremental unit of effort expended. Analysis of a savanna in north-eastern South Africa indicates relatively modest returns per hectare due to the small C quantities and low sequestration rates. Under these conditions, areas in excess of 1,000 ha and infrequent sampling frequencies of 5–10 years are required to make such projects financially viable. For such projects the sample variance, number of samples, cost per sample and establishment costs have negligible impacts on financial viability. It was also found that the soil-C pool contributes up to three times the net returns of the aboveground C pool and provides a strong argument to monitor soil C for certification and market trading. The financial viability estimates, however, do not include the management or opportunity costs incurred in changing the land use. The economies of scale identified in this study combined with the massive area covered by savannas indicate that these additional costs can be covered. Further research is recommended to quantify these costs and interrogate the feasibility of large scale (in excess of 10,000 ha) C-sink projects in savanna systems.