Livestock grazing and habitat for a threatened species: Land-use decisions under scientific uncertainty in the White Mountains,California, USA

The North Fork of Cottonwood Creek, in the White Mountains, Inyo National Forest, California, is a critically important refuge for the Paiute cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki seleniris), a federally listed threatened species. Habitat for these fish appears to be limited by excessive levels of fine sediment in the channel, and livestock grazing of riparian meadows has been implicated in delivery of sediment to the channel. However, the relationships between land use and sediment yield have not been conclusively determined, in large part because there are no historically ungrazed sites to serve as long-term controls. Accordingly, land-use decisions must be made under scientific uncertainty. To reduce erosion and sedimentation in the stream, the Forest Service spent approximately US$260,000 from 1981 to 1991 to repair watershed damage from livestock grazing, prevent livestock from traversing steep banks, and limit livestock access to the channel. Throughout this period, livestock grazing has continued on these lands, yielding less than $12,000 in grazing fees. In revising its Allotment Management Plan for the basin, the Forest Service rejected the “no-grazing” alternative because it was inconsistent with its Land and Resource Management Plan, which specifies there is to be no net reduction of grazing. Joint appointment with the University of California White Mountain Research Station, East Line Street, Bishop, California 93518, USA.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE WATER QUALITY ALONG A WATERSHED DISTURBANCE GRADIENT1

ABSTRACT. Characterizing ecological indicators such as water quality is necessary to effectively manage human-dominated systems such as the New Jersey Pinelands. Pinelands surface waters are naturally acidic and low in nutrients and other dissolved substances. Water quality for 14 Pinelands stream sites monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey was characterized in relation to land use. A gradient of increasing pH, specific conductance, and concentration of dissolved calcium, dissolved magnesium, total nitrite + nitrate-nitrogen, total ammonia-nitrogen, and total phosphorus was associated with a watershed disturbance gradient of increasing land use intensity and waste water flow. These two parallel gradients emphasized the significant effect that watershed disturbance can have on natural water chemistry in the Pinelands. The results of this study can be applied to planning and regulatory programs in the Pinelands.     

东三旗井数字化水位观测干扰异常分析与识别研究

本文对北京市昌平地震台东三旗井数字化水位观测中出现的锯齿型“凹型”阶变现象进行了研究,并结合观测环境条件、同井孔体应变观测、区域地震活动、GPS地面沉降观测等分析,探析了该异常现象的成因。结果显示,该变化可能与环境变化引起区域周围电磁场的改变有关,可能是地震活动或应力应变引起电磁量增加导致水位仪器电信号干扰异常引起,是前兆异常特征的可信度低。     

中压燃气管道泄漏工况下流量扰动幅度模拟分析*

为检测和定位燃气管道泄漏,基于泄漏定位公式,利用模拟软件Pipeline Studio构建等效中压管道模型,模拟不同工况条件下燃气管道泄漏动态。结果表明:泄漏发生后,一定时域内用户端流量将出现扰动,供气压力越高、供气量越大、泄漏孔径越小、管道长度越长,流量扰动持续时间越长;忽略管长影响,泄漏位置越接近气源,流量扰动幅度越易出现先增大后减小趋势,反之易出现单调递减趋势;泄漏端位置距离用户端越近,流量扰动幅度越大,反之越小。研究结果可为燃气管道泄漏检测和定位提供理论依据。     

Reproductive disturbance of Japanese bumblebees by the introduced European bumblebee Bombus terrestris

The European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is an invasive eusocial species whose distribution is expanding greatly beyond its native range because numerous colonies are imported to or locally produced in non-native countries for pollination of agricultural crops. Closely related species exist in Japan where the unrestricted import and use of B. terrestris has resulted in the establishment of wild colonies. Laboratory studies previously showed that B. terrestris and Japanese native species can copulate and produce fertilized eggs. Although these eggs do not hatch, the interspecific mating can cause a serious reproductive disturbance to native bumblebees. In this study, we determined the frequencies of interspecies mating between B. terrestris males and native bumblebee queens in the wild on the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu by analyzing the DNA sequences of spermatozoa stored in spermathecae of native queens. We found that 20.2% of B. hypocrita hypocrita queens and 30.2% of B. hypocrita sapporoensis queens had spermatozoa of B. terrestris males in their spermathecae. Given that a Bombus queen generally mates only once in her life, such high frequencies of interspecific mating with B. terrestris pose serious threats to the populations of native bumblebees in Japan.     

再悬浮作用下长江河口沉积物中Hg的迁移与释放

利用PES(particle entrainment simulator)装置,实验测定了不同的扰动强度和时间对长江口沉积物结合Hg释放和再分布的影响.在再悬浮过程中,上覆水中HgD(溶解态Hg)和HgP(颗粒态Hg)随扰动强度和扰动时间发生变化,含量分别在34~268ng.L-1和25~195μg.kg-1之间,HgD和HgP含量相关性不显著.经一级扰动强度扰动近3 h后,上覆水中的Hg总体上存在释放,HgD含量从扰动前的179 ng.L-1增加到了268 ng.L-1,HgP含量仅有略微增加,从116μg.kg-1增加到了139μg.kg-1.经二级扰动强度扰动近3 h后,上覆水中HgD和HgP总体上减少了,而经三级扰动强度扰动近3 h后,上覆水中HgD又有略微增加,HgP含量也从89μg.kg-1增加到了162μg.kg-1.上覆水中Hg分配系数(lgKd)与水体的pH、Eh、DO、TSS均没有显著的相关性,而是受水体中各种物理、化学性质的综合影响.当扰动强度增大后,在再悬浮初期尤其前5 min之内,上覆水中悬浮颗粒含量迅速增加,Hg的lgKd也迅速增大,悬浮颗粒对溶解态Hg产生了强烈的吸附作用.之后随扰动时间的延长和悬浮颗粒含量的增加,Hg的lgKd值降低,由硫化物氧化释放的Hg被新近生成的铁锰水合氧化物等胶体物质结合.在较强动力条件下,随扰动时间延长,部分粗颗粒会发生沉降,"细颗粒浓缩效应"使上覆水中HgP含量增加.     

人为干扰条件下白洋淀底栖动物群落变化及其主要环境影响因子分析

底栖动物对维持和稳定湖泊生态系统结构与功能具有重要作用.为了探明长期强人为干扰条件下底栖动物群落结构特征及其主要环境影响因子,本研究分别于2009年和2018年的4月和8月采集和分析了白洋淀8个区水体、沉积物和底栖动物样品.根据人为干扰程度的不同,将白洋淀分为重度干扰区（HD）、中度干扰区（MD）和轻度干扰区（LD）,同时分析了3类生境的理化参数和底栖动物群落结构与多样性指数.研究结果表明：1就水体和沉积物理化参数而言,总磷（TP）、总氮（TN）、氨氮（NH₄⁺）、硝酸盐（NO₃^-）、磷酸盐（PO₄^3-）和沉积物总氮（TNs）、总磷（TPs）等理化参数在重度干扰区呈最高值;2就底栖动物群落组成而言,在重度干扰区底栖动物群落物种丰度、生物量、密度均最低,且优势种大多以水生昆虫为主;3就底栖动物群落多样性指数而言,2009年,白洋淀底栖动物群落Margalef丰富度指数D值（0.84）和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H''值（1.13）均在中度干扰区最高,而Pielou均匀度指数J值（0.53）在轻度干扰区最高,这些指数均与沉积物总氮（TNs）呈显著负相关;2018年,D值（2.02）和H''值（2.21）在轻度干扰区中最高,而J值（0.84）在重度干扰区中最高,D值和H''值与水深（Water depth,WD）呈正相关关系,而与硝酸盐（NO₃^-）和总磷（TP）等呈负相关关系;4RDA分析结果表明,白洋淀底栖动物群落组成的主要环境影响因子在2009年为WD和pH,而在2018年为沉积物中总磷（TPs）.2009-2018年,白洋淀底栖动物群落（主要影响因子从WD和pH变为沉积物总磷）和多样性指数（主要影响因子从TNs变为WD、TN、TP、NO₃^-、TNs等）的主要环境影响因子发生了显著变化.因此,针对主要环境影响因子的时间变化,在不同时期底栖动物群落的恢复需采取不同措施,本研究结果可为白洋淀生态修复提供理论和数据基础.     

Plant biomass allocation strategies of the dominant species in an alpine meadow of northwestern Sichuan,China北大核心CSCD

Plant biomass partitioning is an important driver of whole-plant net carbon gain, as biomass allocation could directly affect plant's future growth and reproduction. Alpine meadow in the northwestern Sichuan was impressed by the abundant community structure and species diversity. This study on biomass allocation pattern of different functional types and lifeforms might help understand plant life-history strategy of alpine meadow plants. We investigated 72 dominant herbaceous species for their compartments, biomass, and morphological traits during 2012-2014. These plants were sampled from natural grassland, disturbed grassland, and wintergreen grassland; they belonged to three functional types (grass, sedge, and forb) and two lifeforms (annual and perennial). The scaling relationships between functional traits of these plants were analyzed using Model type II regression method to estimate the parameters of the allometric equations. (1) Biomass allocation proportion of components significantly differed among grasses, sedges, and forbs owing to phylogeny: grasses had the highest stem biomass percentage, sedges had higher root biomass percentage, and forbs had higher leaf biomass percentage, but the scaling relationships were not significantly different, and isometric scaling was noted between biomass components for the three functional types. (2) Moreover, plant lifeforms affected the biomass allocation proportion of components, owing to the shorter or longer turnover rate and investment strategy between annual and perennial species. Annuals allocated more biomass to the stem and reproduction organs, but perennials invested more biomass to the leaves and roots. (3) In addition, plants from different grassland types differed in both biomass and morphology traits. Moreover, forbs from natural grassland and wintergreen grassland had higher leaf and reproductive biomass, but those from disturbed grasslands had higher stem biomass. Our results suggest that the functional type and lifeform decide the inherent scaling relationships between components of plants, but anthropogenic disturbance significantly impacted the quantity of component biomass. This study has important theoretical and practical significance to understand the response of alpine plants to climate change and anthropogenic disturbance as well as to help in the scientific management of alpine meadow. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

湿地生态系统服务功能评价模式的不足与改进

本文基于对湿地生态系统服务功能评价研究发展历程的回顾,结合湿地资源保护面临的严峻形势以及社会经济发展对评价研究的现实要求,重点剖析了湿地生态系统服务功能的现状评价模式在研究定位、评价内容、评价方式和评价体系建设几个方面存在的主要不足,在此基础上提出相应的改进思路和方案.认为评价模式的改进应当以维持湿地生态系统健康和支撑区域社会经济可持续发展为研究目标,面向湿地生态系统管理方向补充评价内容,完善评价体系,强调人为活动干扰对湿地生态系统服务的影响及反馈分析,重视人类社会对服务功能需求的评价,并详细阐述干扰评价、需求评价和服务功能供需平衡分析的主要内容、方法和难点,总结湿地管理的意识和手段在服务功能评价各环节的体现.     

岷江上游土地岭生态恢复过程中植被特征研究

对岷江上游土地岭生态恢复过程中的群落外貌、物种组成和结构进行了研究。结果表明,恢复后群落外貌以小型叶、单叶、非全缘、草质的高位芽植物为主,表现出与演替前期相符的类似温带针阔混交林特征。恢复形成的四类不同群落组成有一定差异,造林并封育效果最好,干扰下的恢复效果最差。在恢复的进程中,四类群落垂直结构层次更复杂,川莓在各灌木层都占优势地位。放牧干扰是灌木层与草本层物种丰富度与均匀度较低及灌丛难以实现进展演替的主要原因。恢复后群落的上层盖度影响下层盖度,放牧引起了少数口食性差的草本迅速占优。从径级结构上看,处于演替前期的华山松林有被云杉类取代的趋势,加入演替后期种的封育造林是更理想的恢复模式。