Delayed dispersal as a potential route to cooperative breeding in ambrosia beetles

Xyleborini are a species-rich tribe of ambrosia beetles, which are haplodiploid and typically mate among siblings within their natal brood chamber. Several characteristics of this tribe would predict the evolution of higher levels of sociality: high genetic relatedness within galleries due to inbreeding, high costs of dispersal and the potential benefit of cooperation in brood care within the natal gallery (e.g. by fungus gardening, gallery extension, offspring feeding and cleaning). However, information on the social system of these beetles is very limited. We examined the potential for cooperative breeding in Xyleborinus saxeseni by monitoring dispersal in relation to brood size and composition. Results show that adult female offspring delay dispersal despite dispersal opportunities, and apparently some females never disperse. The females’ decision to stay seems to depend on the presence of eggs and dependent siblings. We found no indication that female offspring reproduce in their natal gallery, as colonies with many mature daughters do not contain more eggs than those with few or no daughters. There is a significant positive relationship between the number of females present and the number of dependent siblings (but not eggs), which suggests that cooperative brood care of female offspring raises colony productivity by improving survival rates of immatures. Our results suggest that cooperative breeding is likely to occur in X. saxeseni and possibly other xyleborine species. We argue that a closer look at sociality within this tribe may yield important information on the factors determining the evolution of cooperative breeding and advanced social organization.     

Nitrogen availability in relation to vegetation changes resulting from grass encroachment in Dutch dry dunes

The encroachment of some tall grass species in open dune vegetation, as observed in a Dutch dry dune area, is considered unfavourable from a conservation viewpoint. This paper investigates differences in vegetation and soil properties between grass-dominated and still existing open dune grassland plots at four locations along the coast. Soil properties studied include nitrogen and phosphorus pools and nitrogen availability by mineralization. Vegetation properties included are above and below-ground biomass and nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in above-ground biomass. Systematic differences in N-pools between grass-dominated and open dune grassland plots were not observed. However, N-availability by mineralization and its turnover rates are higher in grass-dominated plots than in open dune grassland plots, as well as above and below-ground biomass. In open dune grassland plots, atmospheric N-input is an important source of N, whereas in grass-dominated plots mineralization largely exceeds atmospheric N-input. However, these observations do not explain the mosaic-like vegetation pattern. Grazing intensity is most likely the determinant factor in the dry dune system. It is concluded, that grass encroachment is probably triggered by atmospheric deposition and is enhanced by positive feedbacks in the N-cycle. The relevance of these results for restoration management is briefly discussed.     

草坪绿地对土壤温度的调节作用

在冬半年,对南宁市郊草坪绿地和空旷裸地土壤温度的对比观测表明,０、５、１０、１５、２０ｃｍ土层中的温度日较差、草坪绿地依次为９．６、２．７、１．６、ｌ．０、０．６℃,相应比空旷裸地(１２．８、５．７、３．２、１．９、１．３℃)分别低３．２、３．０、１．６、０．９、０．７℃,并随土层深度的增加,日较差逐渐减少。研究结果显示草坪绿地缓热降温、降低土温日较差的效果比空旷裸地更为显著。     

利用年限对农牧交错带退耕还草地土壤物理性质的影响

在农牧交错带以小麦为对照,比较研究不同利用年限对退耕还草种植的老芒麦草地土壤物理性质的影响。结果表明,随利用年限增加,在0~30cm范围内,老芒麦草地土壤体积质量呈现先降低后增加,土壤含水量、孔隙度呈现先增加后降低的趋势。利用第2年的老芒麦草地土壤体积质量最小、孔隙度最大,利用第3年的老芒麦草地土壤含水量最大。利用年限对0~120min内的老芒麦草地土壤渗透性影响不大。不同利用年限老芒麦草地首30min渗透率大小顺序为:第2年>第1年>第3年>第4年,利用第2年的老芒麦草地通过渗透截留降水的能力较强。一个生长季后,不同利用年限的老芒麦草地土壤含水量、孔隙度和体积质量分别比小麦地平均提高3.86%、1.53%和降低6.07%。     

西北地区草地旅游点的生态功能与建设方向——从青海高原都兰古王国墓葬群及其周围的原生态绿色魅力谈起

对青海省都兰县吐谷浑古王国墓葬群山谷地及其周围3 600 km2范围内生态环境进行考察后认为,完善的草地旅游应具有生态心理抚育、生态文化鉴赏、自然原生态的生理享有以及草地生态农业成就观光4个方面的生态功能.据此,提出了草地生态旅游的建设方向与建议.     

三江源区草场生态恶化原因新解

上世纪60年代以来三江源区草场“三化”明显,生态恶化,究其原因,既有自然因素的影响,又有人类活动的作用。通过比较分析有测量记录的气温、降雨和年末牲畜存栏数、采金、挖虫草(Cordycepssinensis)规模的变化及其与草原植被覆盖度变化的关系,文章为人为成因说提供了更为翔实可靠的证据。结论:超载是1957—1979年间、采金子和挖虫草是1980—2004年间草场生态恶化的主要原因。     

Changes of Soil Microbiological Properties Caused by Land Use Changing From Rice–Wheat Rotation to Vegetable Cultivation

A survey was done recently in Jiaxing city of Zhejiang Province in the Yangtze River Delta to compare the differences of soil microbiological properties among paddy soils with different land use including continuous open-field vegetable cultivation (OFVC), plastic-greenhouse vegetable cultivation (PGVC) and traditional rice–wheat rotation (RWR). The soil types included are percolating, permeable and waterlogged paddy soils. The results indicate that the microbial flora was markedly changed as the land use changed for all the three soil types. In continuous vegetable cultivation soils, especially in PGVC soils, the bacteria amounts decreased dramatically, but the fungal and actinomyce amounts increased as compared with RWR soils. The dehydrogenase activities decreased significantly in vegetable soils, especially in PGVC soils as compared with RWR soils. The microbial biomass C and the total phospholipid contents (TPL) in vegetable cultivation soil greatly decreased as compared with RWR soils. Biolog analysis indicated that the kinds of carbon sources that could be metabolized by native microbes in PGVC soils greatly decreased as compared with OFVC soils and RWR soils, revealing that microbial diversity had decreased since land use change. The activities of some soil enzymes including urease, invertase and phosphase were all lower in OFVC soils than those in RWR soils, and those in PGVC soils were the lowest. The degradation of microbiological activities in continuous vegetable cultivation soils, especially in PGVC soils, as compared with RWR soils might have been caused by soil acidification and accumulation of salts due to overuse of both organic and inorganic fertilizers in vegetable cultivation.     

关于荒漠化问题的几点想法

荒漠化问题是个全球问题,受到了广泛的关注.就目前我国的荒漠化问题,本文提出了几点想法.     

无锡太湖新城污水处理厂改良型A^2／O工艺的调试与运行

介绍了无锡市太湖新城污水处理厂的一期工程设计概况和所采用的改良型A^2/O脱氮除磷工艺，分析、探讨了污水处理厂的调试、培菌、试运行过程中出现的问题，并针对性地采用了一系列的解决措施。由监测数据表明，该工艺运行可靠，出水水质稳定，实现了污水处理厂的正常运行。     

不同培养方式下絮状污泥颗粒化特性和灰色关联度分析

为探索好氧颗粒污泥形成机理,开展了不同培养方式下絮状污泥颗粒化特性研究.选取3种培养方式:人工配水培养、海藻酸钠强化培养和农村模拟污水培养,利用灰色关联分析法,对比3种不同培养方式下,污泥颗粒化过程中各影响因素灰色关联度系数,筛选好氧颗粒污泥培养的关键因素.研究发现,人工配水培养方式下经过40 d成功出现好氧颗粒污泥,投加海藻酸钠强化培养方式下经过20 d出现好氧颗粒污泥,农村模拟污水经过55 d培养出好氧颗粒污泥.3种培养方式下出现的好氧颗粒污泥均具有密实的结构和较好的沉降性能,同时可实现对污染物的高效去除.利用数据处理系统(Data Processing System,DPS)对各影响因素的灰色关联度进行分析,发现不同培养方式下污泥颗粒化过程中起主导作用的影响因素并非唯一,水力停留时间和胞外聚合物在各培养方式中均具有较高的关联度系数,对好氧颗粒污泥的形成具有关键作用.