Sex Structure of Scotch Pine Populations in the Dry Steppe

it has been determined that the sex structure of the population is of great importance for pine adaptation to extreme environmental conditions. As environmental conditions deteriorate, differentiation of populations with respect to sex becomes more apparent, the proportion of trees of mixed type decreases, and the number of male trees increases. A tendency toward correlation between tree habitus, needle and shoot sizes, and the sex structure of population is noted. The prevalence of male trees in populations exposed to increasing stress reflects the rearrangement of such populations aimed at the more efficient use of natural resources.     

An evaluation of adaptation options for climate change impacts on agriculture in Kazakhstan

Agriculture in Kazakhstan is sensitive to climate, and wheat yields could be reduced up to 70% under climate change. With the transition from a socialist economy to a free market economy, decisions are being made now that will affect Kazakhstan's ability to cope with climate change. A team of Kazakh and American researchers examined the cost-effectiveness and barriers to implementations of adaptation options for climate change. Twelve adaptation options that increase flexibility to respond to climate change were identified using a screening matrix. Four options, forecasting pest outbreaks, developing regional centers for preserving genetic diversity of seeds, supporting a transition to a free market, and reducing soil erosion through the use of changed farming practices, were examined. The Adaptation Decision Matrix (ADM) was then applied to estimate benefits using expert judgment (using an arbitrary numerical scale, not monetary values) and benefits estimates were compared to costs to determine cost-effectiveness. The ADM uses subjective measures of how well adaptation options meet policy objectives. Controlling soil erosion was estimated to have the highest benefits, but the high costs of implementation appears to make it relatively cost-ineffective. Supporting a transition to a free market was ranked as the most cost-effective measure, with regional centers second. However, use of different scales to quantify benefits or different weights can result in regional centers being more cost-effective than the transition to a free market. Regional centers was also judged to have fewer barriers to implementation than a transition to a free market. These results will be incorporated in Kazakhstan's National Action Plan. The ADM and other tools are relatively easy to apply, but are quite subjective and difficult to evaluate. The tools can be quite useful by decision makers to analyze advantages and disadvantages between different adaptation options, but should be supplemented with additional, particularly quantitative analysis.     

Modelling Crop-Climate Interactions in Spain: Vulnerability and Adaptation of Different Agricultural Systems to Climate Change

This study evaluates the theoretical impact of climate change on yields and water use of two crops with different responses to increased CO₂ and which represent contrasting agricultural systems in Spain. In all cases the simulated effects of a CO₂-induced climate change depended on the counteracting effects between higher daily ET rates, shortening of crop growth duration and changes in precipitation patterns as well as the simulated effects of CO₂ on the water use efficiency of the crops. For summer irrigated crops such as maize, the yield reductions and the exacerbated problems of irrigation water availability simulated with climate change may force the crop out of production in some regions. For winter dryland crops such as wheat, productivity increased significantly in some regions, suggesting a northward shift of area suitable for wheat production in future climates. The study considered strategies for improving the efficiency of water use based on the optimization of crop management decisions in a CO₂-driven warmer climate. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Assessing vulnerabilities to the effects of global change: an eight step approach

In the recent years, global environmental change research has seen increased attention to the concept of vulnerability. There have been a growing number of vulnerability assessments, but relatively little discussion on appropriate and common methods. Here we propose a method to guide vulnerability assessments of coupled human–environment systems toward a common objective: informing the decision-making of specific stakeholders about options for adapting to the effects of global change. We suggest five criteria vulnerability assessments must at least possess to achieve this objective. They should have a knowledge base from various disciplines and stakeholder participation, be place based, consider multiple interacting stresses, examine differential adaptive capacity, and be prospective as well as historical. On the basis of these criteria, we present a general methodological guideline of eight steps. To examine whether these eight steps, if attentively coordinated, do in fact achieve the criteria, and in turn satisfy the objective of the assessment, we discuss two case studies. We expect most readers to identify some of the steps as part of their well-established disciplinary practices. However, they should also identify one or more steps as uncommon to their research traditions. Thus taken together the eight steps constitute a novel methodological framework. We hypothesize that if researchers employ this framework, then the products of the research will (1) achieve the objective of preparing stakeholders for the effects of global change on a site-specific basis, and (2) further the “public good” of additional insights through cross-study comparisons of research projects designed according to common principles.     

植物对环境污染的适应代价

生物长期暴露在低浓度污染环境中会作自我调整来适应环境.适应继续, 其代价即可检测到.一般来讲,适应代价由进化代价和生态代价组成.进化代价主要集中在污染程度上,也就是说,适应于目前环境的植物群落会失去适应其他环境的能力,进化敏捷性减弱.尽管有一些学者并不赞成,但有大量科学数据支持这一观点.生态代价指的是生物适应寒冷、炎热、干燥和其他压力的能力降低,这些都是基于trade-offs理论产生的.     

雌雄异株植物与性别比例有关的性别差异研究现状与展望

雌雄异株植物是陆地生态系统的重要组分,自然种群中其雌雄个体的性别比例通常为1∶1,但随水分、养分、CO2浓度、温度、光照和干扰水平等的不同而有所不同.一般来说,在逆境下性别比例偏雄性,这是雌雄异株植物性别分离的常见模式.雌雄异株植物不同性别间的差异主要体现在:(1)存活率,(2)形态特征,(3)生理生化特性,(4)物候期,(5)资源分配模式等方面,但对于雌雄个体差异的分子机理未见报道.这些差异导致了雌雄植株个体环境适应性的不同,从而表现为在不同环境下雌雄异株植物性别比例偏倚的现象.基于此,可结合不同树种雌雄性的不同用途,开展有关研究.参59     

Differentiating HR systems' impact: moderating effects of age on the HR system–work outcome association

Combining the macro perspective of strategic human resource (HR) management with applied psychology's micro approaches, this paper helps to differentiate the effects of HR practices on individual‐level outcomes by introducing two distinct HR practice bundles. We draw on social exchange theory to hypothesize (i) main effects of both growth‐enhancing and maintenance‐enhancing bundles on affective organizational commitment and in‐role behavior and (ii) moderating effects of age and maintenance‐enhancing practices on work outcomes, such that increasing employee age attenuates the positive impact of HR practices. The results of a multilevel study comprising 600 employees and their direct supervisors in 64 business units provide support for the hypothesized main effects on affective commitment and the interaction between age and maintenance‐enhancing practices on work outcomes. We discuss the results, theoretical contributions, and practical implications of the study, as well as future research directions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

组织因素对民航维修人员安全行为的影响

为了减少民航维修人员不安全行为,探讨组织因素对民航维修人员安全行为的影响机理。基于组织行为学理论并结合民航维修人员的访谈分析,确定了影响民航维修人员安全行为的4个组织因素——安全氛围、工作压力、风险感知和安全管理,在此基础上,构建了组织因素与民航维修人员安全行为关系的假设模型。选取国内航空公司维修基地的一线机务维修人员进行问卷调查,采用结构方程模型对假设模型进行验证。结果表明,安全氛围、工作压力、风险感知和安全管理4个维度与安全参与行为、安全服从行为显著相关,其中,安全氛围对安全参与行为的影响最大。风险感知对安全服从行为的影响最小。     

Do these eggs smell funny to you?: an experimental study of egg discrimination by hosts of the social parasite Polyergus breviceps (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Social parasites exploit the behaviours of other social species. Infiltration of host systems involves a variety of mechanisms depending on the conditions within the host society and the needs of the social parasite. For many species of socially parasitic ants, colony establishment entails the usurpation of colonies of other species. This frequently involves the eviction or death of the host colony queen and the subsequent adoption of the invading queen. The social parasite queen achieves host worker acceptance by either manipulating the nest-mate recognition processes of the host or undergoing chemical modification. Little is known, however, about how host workers respond to social parasite eggs or whether host species defend against brood parasitism during parasite invasions. Host species are believed to adopt social parasite offspring because the recent common ancestry between many social parasites and their hosts may grant the sharing of certain characteristics such as chemical cues. Use of multiple host species, however, suggests other processes are needed for the social bond between host and parasite young to form. This study reports the findings of adoption bioassays in which eggs from a slave-maker ant, Polyergus breviceps, were offered to workers of two of its host species from unparasitised or newly parasitised nests to determine whether P. breviceps eggs generally elicit rearing behaviours from multiple host species. Comparisons of parasite egg survival until adulthood with conspecific egg survival reveal that workers of both host species, free-living or newly enslaved, do not typically accept slave-maker eggs. Both host species thus have sufficient discriminatory power to reject social parasite eggs although our hydrocarbon analysis indicates parasite eggs may be adapted to their local host species. Combined these results suggest that host rearing of P. breviceps eggs may reflect an evolutionary equilibrium that is maintained by probability and cost of recognition errors.Communicated by L. Sundström     

不同海拔珠芽蓼抗氧化系统的研究

对生长在青藏高原不同海拔地区的多年生高山植物珠芽蓼(Polygonum viviparum L.)的抗氧化系统进行了测试，以探讨高山植物对于高寒环境的适应机理。结果表明：随着海拔的升高，叶绿素a(chla)、叶绿素b(chlb)含量明显下降，chla／chlb增大，珠芽蓼叶和根细胞的膜脂过氧化均加剧，丙二醛(MDA)含量明显增加。3种抗氧化酶的活性受到明显影响，其中叶片中过氧化物酶(POD)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性，随海拔升高而活性降低，而均与根中的变化趋势相反，过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性随海拔升高呈增强的趋势，且叶片中活性较根中变化明显，抗坏血酸(AsA)随海拔的升高，含量呈明显增加，膜脂过氧化与抗氧化物酶的变化具有不一致性，这可能表明两种抗氧化系统之间存在一定的协同作用，特别是高含量的抗坏血酸，可能在高山植物适应高寒环境的胁迫方面具有更加重要的作用。图5表1参22。