Ant gardens: interspecific recognition in parabiotic ant species

 In French Guiana, parabiotic societies (natural mixed colonies) are frequently found in ant gardens. Crematogaster limata parabiotica (Myrmicinae), often associated with Camponotus femoratus (Formicinae), was found for the first time in parabiosis with ponerine ants: Pachycondyla goeldii and Odontomachus mayi. A detailed study of the relationships between Cr. l. parabiotica and O. mayi showed that each species is aggressive towards allospecific or conspecific individuals belonging to another colony, but tolerates allospecific individuals from the multi-species society. Studies of cuticular substances of the four ant species were made using gas chromatography. The results showed that each species, living alone or in parabiosis, possesses a specific chemical profile. Thus, the ants are able to recognise nestmate and non-nestmate individuals of the associated species, even though their cuticular profiles are different. The hypothesis that the nestmate allospecific profile is learned is suggested to explain this pattern of recognition. Received: 5 June 1996 / Accepted after revision: 17 October 1996     

Reproductive effort of colonial and solitary breeding tree sparrows Passer montanus L.

A total of 250 nestboxes were arranged in five plots in a suburban area of Budapest, Hungary (19°04E, 47°41N). In each plot, 25 were placed at 50 m intervals to simulate solitary breeding and 25 3–5 m apart to simulate colonial breeding. Length of nest building period, feeding frequency, nestling mortality, nestlings' diet, productivity and parental condition were compared for colonial and solitary breeding tree sparrows Passer montanus. Parents with long nest-building periods, including the majority of first-year females, produced fewer young than parents which built over short periods. Parents fed nestlings morefrequently and nestlings had lower mortality in second than first broods; whether or not a third brood was reared was determined by the costs invested in first and second broods. Females that laid a third clutch had reared fewer young in first and second broods and were heavier than females that reared many young in two broods. Colonial birds had higher feeding frequencies, more similar diets and suffered lower nestling mortality than solitary parents for first broods, but they fed less frequently, diets were less similar, and nestling mortality was higher in second and third broods. It is suggested that colonial breeders benefited from the social stimulation of simultaneous feeding in first broods, but the advantage of synchronicity in feeding declined in second broods and the sparser breeding spacing of solitary parents was more advantageous for feeding in second and third broods. Birds that changed nest spacing between broods had fed nestlings less frequently and had higher nestling mortality before changing than birds which retained their spacing. Parents which changed from colonies to solitary nests fed more frequently with lower nestling mortality in the next brood than parents which retained colonial nests for their second (and third) brood. Solitary parents did not show such a relationship. The rearing of three broods caused higher weight loss in colonial than solitary parents.Correspondence to: L. Sasvári     

江苏及邻区地震趋势的极值理论分析

极值理论是概率论中的一个分支,在许多领域已被广泛应用。本文用历史地震资料对江苏及邻区作大震级范围的极值理论分析,用近几十年来的小震资料分别对苏北地区和苏南地区进行了较小震级范围的极值理论分析,对未来按不同的年份进行了缺震估计,并对１９９５年９月２０日的苍山５．２级地震、１９９６年１１月９日的南黄海６．１级地震作了内符检验。     

Mitigation of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from drained irrigated rice fields

One of the important cultural practices that affect methane and nitrous oxide emissions from tropical rice plantations is the water drainage system. While drainage can reduce methane emissions, it can also increase nitrous oxide emissions, as well as reduce yields. In this experiment, four different water drainage systems were compared in a rice field in central Thailand including: (1) continuous flooding, (2) mid-season drainage, (3) multiple drainage and (4) a local method (drainage was done according to local cultural practice) in order to find a system of drainage that would optimize yields while simultaneously limiting methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Methane and nitrous oxide emission were observed and compared with rice yield and physical changes of rice plants. It was found that drainage during the flowering period could reduce methane emission. Interestingly, nitrous oxide emission was related to number of drain days rather than the frequency of draining. Fewer drain days can help reduce nitrous oxide emission. The mid-season drainage and the multiple drainage, with 6.9% and 11.4% reduction in rice yield, respectively, had an average methane emission per crop 27% and 35% lower when compared to the local method. Draining with fewer drain days during the flowering period was recommended as a compromise between emissions and yield. The field drainage can be used as an option to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice fields with acceptable yield reduction. Mid-season drainage during the rice flowering period, with a shortened drainage period (3 days), is suggested as a compromise between the need to reduce global warming and current socio-economic realities.     

辽宁西部人工林油松径向生长对气候要素的响应

全球气候变化对森林生态系统产生广泛影响,特别是对气候响应敏感的农牧交错带。辽西丘陵位于我国农牧交错带东北部,为探究辽西丘陵人工林油松径向生长与气候要素的关系,基于树木年代学方法,利用树轮宽度年表,对温度、降水、scPDSI及生长期要素进行相关分析,探究气象因子对树木径向生长的影响情况。结果表明：油松标准化年表与上年7月、9月及当年5月的气温呈负相关,相关系数分别为?0.457、?0.426、?0.471（p<0.05）,与当年5月的降水量呈正相关,相关系数为0.52（p<0.05）;年表与逐月scPDSI显著正相关,并表现出相近的周期变化,表明水分胁迫是研究区油松生长的关键限制因子;在不同阈值温度下,辽西人工林油松径向生长与生长期活动积温和持续天数呈负相关,由高温引起的水分蒸发是影响其径向生长的关键因子。最低温11℃阈值下对树木生长期影响大,年表与其初日位序、积温、持续天数的相关系数分别达到0.663、?0.619、?0.732（p<0.01）;通过V-S模型模拟出辽西油松的生长对春季的9.0℃和秋季的9.5℃较敏感,生长期为4—10月,生长速率的变化受温度和土壤湿度变化的影响。因此,在进行人工油松林区经营抚育时,可适当考虑造林树种对不同气候因子响应的敏感期,注意水热合理配置,以提高林区生态林的营林质量。     

青岛采暖期不同天气状况下大气颗粒态无机氮分布研究

于2007-10～2008-04采集了青岛近海采暖前及采暖期内大气气溶胶样品,并运用离子色谱法(IC)分析了颗粒物中的无机氮组分.结果表明,采暖期内青岛颗粒物和无机氮的浓度都有明显增加,采暖期颗粒物质量浓度为137.41μg/m3,比采暖前增加了82.2%;NO3--N和NH4+-N浓度分别由采暖前的2.48μg/m3和6.95μg/m3增加到采暖期的4.43μg/m3和10.28μg/m3.天气过程对于青岛颗粒物浓度和无机氮离子浓度均有较大影响.采暖期晴天颗粒物浓度均值为181.34μg/m3,较采暖前增加32.0%,主要源于二次气溶胶的NH4+-N和NO3--N浓度分别为5.56μg/m3和1.86μg/m3,低于采暖前.雾天因为低温高湿和污染物的循环积累,样品中颗粒物、NH4+-N和NO3--N平均浓度比采暖前浓度增加了1～2倍.大风降温天气下颗粒物浓度及无机氮组分浓度均有所降低.采暖期烟尘和飞灰的排放明显影响青岛大气颗粒物和无机氮的粒径分布,特别是细粒子部分.青岛近海颗粒物及NO3--N质量浓度呈现双峰分布,采暖前峰值出现在0.43～0.65μm与3.3～4.7μm的范围内,采暖期积聚模态峰值移至0.65～1.1μm范围内.NH4+-N粒径分布均呈现明显的单峰分布,峰值出现在积聚模态.     

嘉陵江河口段枯水期水质分析

对嘉陵江河口段2010年2,3,4月枯水期选取总磷（TP）、叶绿素a（Cha）含量、pH值、溶氧量等作为指标进行水质检测分析。结果表明：随着降雨量的持续减少、气温的回升、蒸发的加快、水位的下降等使得干旱期嘉陵江富营养化有加重的趋势。4月份嘉陵江降雨增加、旱情有所缓解,各项指标出现一个相对稳定的下降,同时在温度上升、营养盐输入等大环境的影响下各富营养指标会有一个相对稳定的上升。三峡大坝建成后富营养化成为水环境突出问题之一,特别是对干旱期内嘉陵江富营养化应引起足够重视,加强监督保护嘉陵江生态相对稳定。     

西宁及邻区地震活动特征研究

对西宁及邻区1900年以来M≥5.0、1970年至今ML≥3.0地震进行了分析,得到了该区5级以上中强地震的活动规律,认为研究区近2～3年内地震活动处于相对平静期,具备发生M5～6级中强地震的条件,发生6级以上地震的可能性不大.     

广东南山花岗岩形成时代、地球化学特征与成因

广东南山花岗岩体位于陂头复式岩体西端,锆石的SHRIMP U-Pb年龄为158.1±1.8Ma,是燕山早期岩浆活动的产物.岩石化学特征显示岩体以高硅、富碱、贫Ca和Mg以及高TFeO/MgO、低CaO/Na2O为特征.其K2O/Na2O>1,A/NK=7.8～11.92,A/CNK=1.33～1.68,属过铝质碱性岩石.在稀土和微量元素组成上,岩石富含稀土元素(除明显的负Eu异常,δEu=0.09～0.16)以及Zr、Y、Th、U、Nb等高场强元素,贫Ba、Sr、Ti等,高10000x Ga/AI(比值大于2.6).在Zr、Nb、Ce、Y对10000×Ga/Al以及TFeO/MgO-SiO2等A型花岗岩多种判别图上,投影点主要落在A型花岗岩区,而与高分异的I、S型花岗岩明显不同.这些特征均指示,南山岩体具有铝质A型花岗岩的特点.通过Y-Nb-3Ga和Y-Nb-Ce构造环境判别图解将其进一步划分为A2型花岗岩,代表其形成于拉张的构造背景之下.本文在此研究基础上,认为南山花岗质岩浆可能形成于相对挤压的中侏罗世.而在晚侏罗世早期相对拉张的作用下,岩石圈减薄,软流圈地幔上涌,地壳的泥质岩和少量砂质岩受到幔源流体富集后发生部分熔融后上侵形成铝质A型花岗岩,且有较强的结晶分异作用.     

唐山工业新区冬季采暖期大气污染变化特征研究

为研究唐山工业新区采暖期大气污染变化状况,2009～2010年冬季唐山工业新区的唐山市、迁安市和曹妃甸3个地区观测研究表明,唐山工业新区冬季采暖期间大气污染严重,NO、NO2、SO2、CO、PM2.5和PM10区域平均日均值分别达到（26±28）、（52±27）、（72±53）、（3 500±3 600）、（82±65...