Grassland Bird Responses to Land Management in the Largest Remaining Tallgrass Prairie

Abstract: Extensive habitat loss and changing agricultural practices have caused widespread declines in grassland birds throughout North America. The Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma—the largest remaining tallgrass prairie—is important for grassland bird conservation despite supporting a major cattle industry. In 2004 and 2005, we assessed the community, population, and demographic responses of grassland birds to the predominant management practices (grazing, burning, and haying) of the region, including grasslands restored under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). We targeted 3 species at the core of this avian community: the Dickcissel (Spiza americana), Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), and Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna). Bird diversity was higher in native prairie hayfields and grazed pastures than CRP fields, which were dominated by Dickcissels. Although Dickcissel density was highest in CRP, their nest success was highest and nest parasitism by Brown‐headed Cowbirds (Moluthrus ater) lowest in unburned hayfields (in 2004). Conversely, Grasshopper Sparrow density was highest in grazed pastures, but their nest success was lowest in these pastures and highest in burned hayfields, where cowbird parasitism was also lowest (in 2004). Management did not influence density and nest survival of Eastern Meadowlarks, which were uniformly low across the region. Nest success was extremely low (5–12%) for all 3 species in 2005, perhaps because of a record spring drought. Although the CRP has benefited grassland birds in agricultural landscapes, these areas may have lower habitat value in the context of native prairie. Hayfields may provide beneficial habitat for some grassland birds in the Flint Hills because they are mowed later in the breeding season than elsewhere in the Midwest. Widespread grazing and annual burning have homogenized habitat—and thus grassland‐bird responses—across the Flint Hills. Diversification of management practices could increase habitat heterogeneity and enhance the conservation potential of the Flint Hills for grassland birds.     

Potential Misuse of Avian Density as a Conservation Metric

Abstract: Effective conservation metrics are needed to evaluate the success of management in a rapidly changing world. Reproductive rates and densities of breeding birds (as a surrogate for reproductive rate) have been used to indicate the quality of avian breeding habitat, but the underlying assumptions of these metrics rarely have been examined. When birds are attracted to breeding areas in part by the presence of conspecifics and when breeding in groups influences predation rates, the effectiveness of density and reproductive rate as indicators of habitat quality is reduced. It is beneficial to clearly distinguish between individual‐ and population‐level processes when evaluating habitat quality. We use the term reproductive rate to refer to both levels and further distinguish among levels by using the terms per capita fecundity (number of female offspring per female per year, individual level) and population growth rate (the product of density and per capita fecundity, population level). We predicted how density and reproductive rate interact over time under density‐independent and density‐dependent scenarios, assuming the ideal free distribution model of how birds settle in breeding habitats. We predicted population density of small populations would be correlated positively with both per capita fecundity and population growth rate due to the Allee effect. For populations in the density‐dependent growth phase, we predicted no relation between density and per capita fecundity (because individuals in all patches will equilibrate to the same success rate) and a positive relation between density and population growth rate. Several ecological theories collectively suggest that positive correlations between density and per capita fecundity would be difficult to detect. We constructed a decision tree to guide interpretation of positive, neutral, nonlinear, and negative relations between density and reproductive rates at individual and population levels.     

Successful outcome following prenatal intervention in a female fetus with bladder outlet obstruction

Bladder outlet obstructions are a diverse and heterogeneous group of developmental abnormalities that generally involve obstruction of the proximal urethra in the male fetus. Indications for prenatal intervention are few and are usually restricted to the male fetus because bladder outlet obstruction in female fetuses is usually caused by complex cloacal development anomalies. We report on a female fetus with an enlarged bladder and a dilated proximal urethra (known as typical keyhole sign). A vesicoamniotic shunt was performed despite non-reassuring prognostic factors, but the procedure resulted in a successful outcome. We propose that in selected cases of bladder outlet obstruction, fetal intervention should be considered even when the fetus is female. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

人员密度和出口宽度的不确定性对疏散行动时间的影响

基于Kikuji Togawa所提出的常用人员疏散行动时间经验公式，使用拉丁超立方抽样法，研究房间人员密度和出口宽度的不确定性对疏散行动时间的影响。得出二者服从均匀分布和正态分布条件下，疏散行动时间的概率密度直方图和累积概率曲线。结果表明，人员密度和出口宽度的不同分布形式对疏散行动时间都有显著影响，二者服从正态分布时，计算得到的疏散行动时间范围比服从均匀分布小，且较为集中。而服从均匀分布时，计算得到的疏散行动时间在其范围内则较为均匀、分散。在小概率0～0．1区间范围内，人员密度和出口宽度服从正态分布时，计算得到的疏散行动时间累计概率值明显较均匀分布小，说明二者服从正态分布得到的疏散行动时间值偏于保守。二者均为不确定参数时，假定人员密度服从均匀分布，出口宽度服从正态分布时计算得出的疏散行动时间值偏于保守。     

多维旋度大循环经济圈发展模式研究——产业集群视角下以黑龙江省为例

为了定量分析省域空间特征区域间的经济增长关系,通过引入场论理论框架,结合集聚经济学和传统空间区域划分理论观点,提出多维旋度大循环经济圈发展模型。定义资金通量经济场,以资金通量流速和资金通量密度为主要测度指标来衡量特征区域的经济学指标。以黑龙江省大循环经济圈发展模式的建设构思检验模型的合理性,并由此得出黑龙江省实现经济再增长的关键问题是要处理好农林产业、能源产业、其他新兴服务产业同外贸产业之间相互触发、互为依存的激励关系。     

重整四合一炉出口集合管盲端腐蚀研究及结构优化

结合某炼油企业重整装置四合一加热炉出口集合管盲板法兰腐蚀现状,分析产生腐蚀的机理,利用Fluent软件模拟分析不同处理量下发生腐蚀的出口集合管盲板结构处的速度失量图、涡量图等,得出了与腐蚀现状相吻合的结论。对盲板结构进行改进,并进行数值模拟分析,得出优化后的结构可以有效避免出口集合管盲板法兰腐蚀的结论。     

2010-2013年舟山污水处理厂排污口邻近海域的表层水质评价

根据2010—2013年对浙江舟山2个污水处理厂排污口邻近海域14个站位的表层海水铜、铅、锌、镉、砷、总铬、总汞、p H值、无机氮、活性磷酸盐、石油类、化学耗氧量、悬浮物和粪大肠菌群等14项污染因子的调查,采用单因子指数法和营养指数法对监测海域海水水质进行评价。结果表明,舟山污水处理厂排污口邻近海域表层海水质量总体良好,基本符合第二类海水水质标准;主要污染因子为无机氮、活性磷酸盐和悬浮物,其他水质指标则较低;2个污水处理厂排污口邻近海域海水均呈高富营养化状态,并受到一定程度的铅污染。     

江汉平原农田土壤有机碳分布与变化特点:以潜江市为例

以地处江汉平原腹地的潜江市农田土壤(水田、旱地)为研究对象,于2011年实地采样分析表层土壤(0~20 cm)有机碳的分布现状,并对比第二次土壤普查(1983年)资料,探讨28 a来江汉平原农田土壤有机碳的分布与变化特点.结果表明,2011年潜江市农田表层土壤有机碳密度为30.50 t·hm-2,碳储量为452.82×104t,与1983年相比有明显下降,下降速率分别为0.10 t·(hm2·a)-1和1.53 t·a-1,碳储量共损失了9%.两个时期水田土壤有机碳密度均明显高于旱地土壤,分别是旱地土壤的1.6倍和1.3倍,但是经过28年的常规耕作管理,水田土壤有机碳密度呈下降趋势,下降速率为0.23 t·(hm2·a)-1,导致的有机碳损失为52.83×104t,损失比例达16%;而旱地土壤有机碳则以0.05 t·(hm2·a)-1的速率缓慢增长,碳储量共增加了8.57×104t,增加比例为5%,远不能抵消水田土壤的有机碳损失.水田土壤碳储量的损失主要来自于低产潜育型水稻土碳密度的大幅下降所致(尽管其所占面积比例较小),其碳损失量占水田碳损失量的比例达80%;其次为占水田面积比例最大的潴育型水稻土,其碳损失量占水田碳损失量的15%.旱地土壤碳储量增长缓慢,完全来自于面积占96%的灰潮土有机碳密度的增长.因此,江汉平原区水田土壤有机碳的变化决定了农田土壤有机碳的整体动向,今后需着力提升有机碳下降迅速的低产水田以及面积较大的土壤类型的有机碳积累和固持能力.     

Tests of soil organic carbon density modeled by InTEC in China's forest ecosystems

The integrated terrestrial ecosystem C-budget model (InTEC) developed by Chen and co-workers has been used successfully to predict carbon dynamics of forests in Canada. It was tested here for forest soil organic carbon (SOC) density of China's northern temperate zone and southern subtropical zone. The results show that the simulated SOC density is highly correlated and in broad agreement with observations in Liping and in Changbaishan, representing the southern subtropical zone and the northern temperate zone in China, respectively. SOC density ranged from 2.2 to 11.2 kg/m(2) in Liping and from 3.4 to 14.8 kg/m(2) in Changbaishan. The correlation coefficients (r(2)) are 0.63 (N=16) and 0.76 (N=14) between the simulated and measured data in Liping and Changbaishan, respectively. The SOC densities under different vegetation types in Liping decrease in the order of mixed forest, broadleaf forest, Chinese fir, couch grass, and Chinese redpine, and in Changbaishan in the order of mixed forest, silver fir, larch forest, and birch forest.     

A Paleozoological Perspective on White-Tailed Deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Odocoileus virginianus texana</Emphasis>) Population Density and Body Size in Central Texas

Archaeological and paleontological datasets are used in conservation to add time-depth to ecology. In central Texas, several top carnivores including prehistoric Native American hunters have been extirpated or have had their historic ranges restricted, which has resulted in pest-level white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texana) populations in some areas. Differences in body size of deer between prehistory and modernity are expected, given that a lack of predation likely has increased intraspecific competition for forage among deer, resulting in smaller body size today. In fact, modern deer from settings without harvest pressure are significantly smaller than those from harvested areas and from prehistoric deer. From a natural history perspective, this research highlights potential evolutionary causes and effects of top-predator removal on deer populations and related components of biological communities in central Texas.