Validation of a multispecies forest dynamics model using 50-year growth from Eucalyptus forests in eastern Australia

One of the key problems confronting ecological forecasting is the validation of computer models. Here we report successful validation of a forest dynamics model Ecosystem Dynamics Simulator (EDS), adapted from the JABOWA-II forest succession model. This model and many variants derived from it have successfully simulated growth dynamics of uneven-aged mixed forests under changing environment with a moderate amount of input data. But rarely are adequate time-series data available for quantitative model validation. This study tested the performance of EDS in projecting the tree density, tree diameter at breast height (dbh), tree height, basal area and aboveground biomass of uneven-aged, mixed species sclerophyll forests in St. Mary state forests of eastern Australia. The test data were collected between 1951 and 2005. Every tree was uniquely numbered, tagged and measured in consecutive re-measurements. Projected growth attributes were compared with those observed in an independent validation dataset. The model produced satisfactory projections of tree density (91.7%), dbh (92.3%), total tree height (82.8%), basal area (89.3%) and aboveground biomass (87.6%) compared to the observed attributes. These results suggest that the EDS model can provide reasonable capability in projecting growth dynamics of uneven-aged, mixed species sclerophyll forests.     

Measuring and decomposing changes in agricultural productivity, nitrogen use efficiency and cumulative exergy efficiency: Application to OECD agriculture

This paper uses an aggregate quantity space to decompose the temporal changes in nitrogen use efficiency and cumulative exergy use efficiency into changes of Moorsteen-Bjurek (MB) Total Factor Productivity (TFP) changes and changes in the aggregate nitrogen and cumulative exergy contents. Changes in productivity can be broken into technical change and changes in various efficiency measures such as technical efficiency, scale efficiency and residual mix efficiency. Changes in the aggregate nitrogen and cumulative exergy contents can be driven by changes in the quality of inputs and outputs and changes in the mixes of inputs and outputs. Also with cumulative exergy content analysis, changes in the efficiency in input production can increase or decrease the cumulative exergy transformity of agricultural production. The empirical study in 30 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development from 1990 to 2003 yielded some important findings. The production technology progressed but there were reductions in technical efficiency, scale efficiency and residual mix efficiency levels. This result suggests that the production frontier had shifted up but there existed lags in the responses of member countries to the technological change. Given TFP growth, improvements in nutrient use efficiency and cumulative exergy use efficiency were counteracted by reductions in the changes of the aggregate nitrogen contents ratio and aggregate cumulative exergy contents ratio. The empirical results also confirmed that different combinations of inputs and outputs as well as the quality of inputs and outputs could have more influence on the growth of nutrient and cumulative exergy use efficiency than factors that had driven productivity change.     

A model for measuring leaf growth rate of vegetative shoot in the seagrass, Zostera marina

A new model for determining leaf growth in vegetative shoots of the seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) is described. This model requires the weights of individual mature and immature whole leaves and leaf plastochrone interval (P_L) as parameters, differing from the conventional leaf marking technique (CLM) that requires cutting and separation between new and old tissue of leaves. The techniques required for the model are the same as for the plastochrone method, but the parameters differ between both methods in use of the weight of individual immature leaves. In a mesocosm study, eelgrass growth was examined, and parameters for the new model and plastochrone method (the weights of individual mature and immature leaves and P_L) were measured. Leaf growth rate was measured using the CLM and determined by the new method and the plastochrone method. The results were then compared between the CLM, the new model, and the plastochrone method. The results obtained with the new model were similar to those obtained with the CLM. However, the results of the plastochrone method differed from those of the CLM, while the weight of immature leaves varied seasonally. The new model was also used to determine leaf growth in a natural eelgrass bed in Mikawa Bay, Japan, and revealed the growth rates in all shoots and those of different ages. This method would be advantageous as an accurate means of direct measurement in fieldwork, and should therefore be a useful tool for monitoring seagrass growth.     

有机质腐解对穗花狐尾藻生长及磷积累的影响

在室内以原沉积物（处理1）和分别添加0.5%与1%有机质（植物残体）（处理2和处理3）的沉积物作为底质培养沉水植物,研究了植物残体的腐解对穗花狐尾藻生长及各器官磷积累的影响。结果表明：在试验的早期阶段,植物残体的腐解对狐尾藻的生长及磷积累有一定的抑制,其干质量积累量与磷积累量均表现为处理1〉处理2〉处理3,与处理1相比,处理2和处理3植株干质量积累量分别降低了16.9%和24.35%,磷积累量降低了24.38%和44.18%;但在培养的中后期,则表现为处理2〉处理3〉处理1,与处理1相比,处理2和处理3的穗花狐尾藻干质量和磷积累量分别增加了22.45%和7.48%、75.53%和17.21%。整个培养实验结果表明低含量植物残体的残留,促进了植株生长及磷积累,但当植物残体残留过高时,沉水植物的生长及磷积累受到抑制。3个处理不同器官干质量和磷分配比均表现为叶〉茎〉根,叶是穗花狐尾藻主要的磷累积器官。     

栅藻LX1和雨生红球藻的胞外产物产生特性及其对藻细胞生长的影响

基于微藻在资源化大规模培养过程中,其胞外产物对藻细胞生长影响的不确定性,对比研究了两株高含油脂藻种,栅藻LX1（Scenedesmus sp.LX1）和雨生红球藻（Haematococcus pluvislis）的生长特征、胞外产物的产生特性,以及胞外产物对藻细胞生长的影响。研究结果表明,在相同培养条件下,栅藻LX1与雨生红球藻的内禀生长速率基本相当,分别为0.16和0.17 d-1。两株藻在不同生长期的胞外产物（以DOC值表征）产生速率不同,其中栅藻LX1胞外产物的对数期产生速率（1.4 mg·L-1·d-1）﹥稳定期后期产生速率（0.56 mg·L-1·d-1）﹥稳定期产生速率（0.48 mg·L-1·d-1）;雨生红球藻胞外产物的稳定期后期产生速率（2.3 mg·L-1·d-1）﹥稳定期产生速率（0.88 mg·L-1·d-1）﹥对数期产生速率（0.66 mg·L-1·d-1）。栅藻LX1胞外产物对其整个生长过程都有明显抑制;雨生红球藻胞外产物则在稳定期后期才对其生长产生明显抑制作用。     

林丹短期暴露对斑马鱼生长发育和繁殖的影响

以斑马鱼为受试生物,研究在低浓度(0.005、0.05、0.5峭μg·L-1)林丹暴露条件下,林丹对斑马鱼体长、体质量、肝脏指数、性腺指数、产卵量和受精率的影响.结果显示,经14 d暴露后,处理组斑马鱼体长和体质量与空白对照组或溶剂对照组之间差异不显著;与空白对照组和溶剂对照组相比,0.5μg·L-1处理组雄性和雌性斑马鱼肝脏指数均显著增加(P＜0.05),雄性斑马鱼性腺指数显著降低(P＜0.05),其他处理组无明显变化;林丹对斑马鱼产卵量和受精率表现出明显的抑制作用,与空白对照组相比,0.05和0.5μg·L-1处理组斑马鱼平均产卵量和受精率均极显著降低(P＜0.01).该研究表明林丹具有环境内分泌干扰物特性,在低浓度暴露条件下可对斑马鱼的生长发育和繁殖产生一定抑制影响.     

碱改性活性炭表面特征及其吸附甲烷的研究

采用不同浓度的氢氧化钠对椰壳活性炭进行表面改性.BET和SEM分析改性前后活性炭的表面结构,Boehm滴定和SEM/EDS方法测定活性炭表面元素及含氧基团.研究改性活性炭对甲烷的吸附性能和吸附行为.结果表明,经氢氧化钠改性处理后,活性炭孔径变化不明显,表面含氧基团显著减少;当氢氧化钠的浓度>3.3 mol·L-1时,活性炭的比表面积和孔容大于未处理的活性炭,并且随碱的浓度增加而增大.与改性前的活性炭相比,甲烷在碱改性活性炭上的吸附量提高了24%.增加活性炭的比表面积和孔容,减少表面的含氧基团有利于甲烷的吸附.甲烷的吸附行为符合Langmuir等温吸附式,吸附常数为163.7 m3·mg-1.     

改性石墨烯对水中亚甲基蓝的吸附性能研究

对十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)改性石墨烯用于水中亚甲基蓝(MB)的去除进行了研究.用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射分析仪(XRD)、傅里叶红外光谱分析仪(FTIR)和热重分析仪(TGA)对石墨烯和改性石墨烯性能进行表征.探讨了反应时间、pH、温度、剂量对石墨烯和改性石墨烯去除MB的影响.结果表明,在石墨烯制备过程中添加CTAB可以明显增大比表面积,提高MB的去除率.反应过程在前15 min内反应速率很快,并约在120 min内达到吸附平衡.吸附动力学符合伪二级动力学模型.最佳反应温度为293 K,吸附剂投加量的最适浓度为2 g·L-1,且吸附量的大小与溶液的初始pH值无关.通过Langmuir等温吸附方程得到改性石墨烯的最大吸附量86.43 mg·g-1,且为放热反应.     

Growth and nutrient accumulation of Phragmites australis in relation to water level variation and nutrient loadings in a shallow lake

Shallow lake eutrophication is a global environmental issue. This study investigated the effects of water level variation and nutrient loadings on the growth and nutrient accumulation of Phragmites australis (reed) by field samplings in Baiyangdian Lake, the largest shallow lake of northern China. The field samplings were conducted in two sites of different nutrient loadings during the whole growth period of reeds, and three types of zones with different water depths were chosen for each site, including the terrestrial zone with water level below the ground, the ecotone zone with the water level varying from belowground to aboveground, and the submerged zone with water level above the ground. The result showed that reed growth was more limited by water level variation than nutrient loadings. The average stem lengths and diameters in terrestrial zones were about 26.3%-27.5% and 7.2%-12.0% higher than those in submerged zones, respectively. Similarly, the terrestrial status increased the aboveground biomass of reeds by 36.6%-51.8% compared with the submerged status. Both the nutrient concentrations and storages in the aboveground reeds were mainly influenced by the nutrient loadings in surface water and sediment rather than the water level variation of the reed growth environment, and the nutrient storages reached their maxima in late August or early September. It was observed that the maximum nitrogen storage occurred in the terrestrial zone with higher nutrient loadings, with the value of 74.5 g/m 2 . This study suggested that water level variation and nutrient loadings should be considered when using reeds to control and remediate eutrophication of shallow lakes.