Vegetation changes in Conservation Reserve Program lands in interior Alaska

Over 14 million hectares of erosion prone cropland in the United States has been converted into grasslands through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, however, studies of the effects of CRP enrollment on plant communities and subsequent plant succession are largely lacking. In Delta Junction, Alaska plant communities in CRP fields are transitioning from grasslands to shrub dominated plant communities, which are resulting in compliance problems with program regulations that state “fields must be maintained in a condition that permits easy conversion to cropland”. To determine plant succession and how previous land management and soils might influence the transition, we measured plant populations in 20 CRP fields throughout Delta Junction using modified-Whittaker plots. These data were combined with data on current management practices, previous farming history, soils, soil properties, diversity indices, and time since land was cleared and analyzed with nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination to determine factors that influence plant succession. Time in the CRP was the only factor consistently influencing plant succession. As time in the CRP increased, the planted introduced grasses brome grass (Bromus inermis) and red fescue (Festuca rubra) and the native pteridophyte (Equisetum arvense) decreased, whereas a native grass (Calamigrostis canadensis), five native forb, two native shrub, and three native tree species increased. Plant diversity increased at a rate of more than 2 species per 1000 m² per year. Regression analyses of plant species and plant groups using time in the CRP as the dependent variable resulted in the identification of outlier CRP fields with significantly more or less than expected covers of vegetation. All fields with these outliers had reasonable explanations for the differences in cover that were unrelated to the overall rate of plant succession. Current management practices will result in incompliant fields and different management practices that result in woody vegetation control is key to maintaining CRP fields in compliance.     

Allometric scaling and accidents at work

Allometry is the knowledge concerning relations between the features of some beings, like animals, or cities. For example, the daily energy rate is proportional to a mass of mammals rise of 3/4. This way of thinking has spread quickly from biology to many areas of research concerned with sociotechnical systems. It was revealed that the number of innovations, patents or heavy crimes rises as social interaction increases in a bigger city, while other urban indexes such as suicides decrease with social interaction. Enterprise is also a sociotechnical system, where social interaction and accidents at work take place. Therefore, do these interactions increase the number of accidents at work or, on the contrary, are they reduction-driving components? This article tries to catch such links and assess the allometric exponent between the number of accidents at work and the number of employees in an enterprise.     

A Power Law Model for River Flow Velocity in Iowa Basins

This study explores power law relationships to estimate water flow velocity as a function of discharge and drainage area across river networks. We test the model using empirical data from 214 United States (U.S.) Geological Survey gauging stations distributed over the state of Iowa in the U.S. The empirical data are the measurements of the mean cross‐sectional velocity and concurrent discharge. The data are used to estimate parameters for a state‐wide model and to test for spatial variability for 15 large river basins contained within the state. Spatial differences among the basins are small but some parameters significantly differ from the state‐wide model. Using individual station data, the authors also explore a simpler power law model that disregards dependence on the drainage area. Overall, the study shows that including drainage area improves the model. Our study provides parameter values that can be directly incorporated into a regional scale routing model, and provides a framework for developing flow velocity models for hydraulically similar rivers in the U.S. and the world.     

Scientists' opinions on the global status and management of biological diversity

The large investments needed if loss of biological diversity is to be stemmed will likely lead to increased public and political scrutiny of conservation strategies and the science underlying them. It is therefore crucial to understand the degree of consensus or divergence among scientists on core scientific perceptions and strategies most likely to achieve given objectives. I developed an internet survey designed to elucidate the opinions of conservation scientists. Conservation scientists (n =583) were unanimous (99.5%) in their view that a serious loss of biological diversity is likely, very likely, or virtually certain. Scientists' agreement that serious loss is very likely or virtually certain ranged from 72.8% for Western Europe to 90.9% for Southeast Asia. Tropical coral ecosystems were perceived as the most seriously affected by loss of biological diversity; 88.0% of respondents familiar with that ecosystem type agreed that a serious loss is very likely or virtually certain. With regard to conservation strategies, scientists most often viewed understanding how people and nature interact in certain contexts and the role of biological diversity in maintaining ecosystem function as their priorities. Protection of biological diversity for its cultural and spiritual values and because of its usefulness to humans were low priorities, which suggests that many scientists do not fully support the utilitarian concept of ecosystem services. Many scientists expressed a willingness to consider conservation triage, engage in active conservation interventions, and consider reframing conservation goals and measures of success for conservation of biological diversity in an era of climate change. Although some heterogeneity of opinion is evident, results of the survey show a clear consensus within the scientific community on core issues of the extent and geographic scope of loss of biological diversity and on elements that may contribute to successful conservation strategies in the future.     

Phenes of Woody Plants: Identification,Scaling, and Use in Population Studies (An Example of Pinus sylvestrisL.)

The methods of identification and scaling of phenes of forest plants are described. The phene identification consists of five stages. Specific features of studies at each stage are shown using identification of the phenes of seed color, cone color, and seed scale structure in Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) as examples. The method of phene scaling is based on the comparison of phene frequencies in a bog and in adjacent upland populations of pine. At the boundary between the bog and dry land, the frequencies of population-level phenes change, whereas those of superpopulation-level phenes remain unchanged.     

北方和温带森林生态系统的蒸腾耗水

北方和温带森林地处气候变化敏感的中高纬度地区,认识其蒸腾耗水过程的时卒动态及其控制因子是评价和预测森林在气候系统中作用的基础.本文综述了北方和温带森林蒸腾耗水的近期研究结果,从叶片、个体和林分3个尺度综合分析了树木蒸腾耗水的变异性及其影响因子,并探讨了其中的尺度转换问题.主要结论如下:尽管相同生活型树木的蒸腾耗水量变异性较大,但针叶树的平均蒸腾耗水量在叶片和个体尺度上显著低于阔叶树,而在林分尺度上针叶林和阔叶林之间差异不显著.3个尺度上的蒸腾作用均受太阳辐射、蒸汽压亏缺、土壤含水量等环境因子的影响,且存在因子间的交互作用,但主导控制因子因时空尺度而异.单株树木蒸腾量与胸径、边材面积和树高均呈显著正相关;林分日蒸腾量最大值与叶面积指数相关显著,而生长季日蒸腾量平均值则与年降水量和年均温呈正相关.这些蒸腾速率与生物环境因子之间的关系模型和不同空间尺度之间的联系是目前森林蒸腾过程尺度转换的基础.本文还讨论了该领域研究中存在的问题和研究热点.     

近45年中国12个一级站大气气溶胶光学厚度变化特征

利用常规观测的总辐射和散射辐射日曝辐量资料,结合NASA GISS的月平均平流层气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)产品,反演计算了北京等12个台站1961～2005年0.75μm对流层AOD和气溶胶标高数据.基于这些数据,分析了各站AOD、气溶胶标高和地面能见度的年、季、月变化特征.结果表明:①就12个站45a总平均而言,光学厚度为0.276,年增长为0.0034;气溶胶标高为1.65km,年增加为0.015km;能见度为17.1km,年变化值为-0.08km;AOD春夏较大,秋冬较小;气溶胶标高夏季最高,春季次之,冬季最低.②各站点45a平均AOD范围为0.116～0.387;除格尔木外,各站AOD均有增长.年变化值为0.0010～0.0079.③20世纪70、80年代AOD增加明显;20世纪90年代以来,多数站点AOD有所下降,能见度有转好趋势.     

陆地生态系统净第一性生产力过程模型研究综述

陆地生态系统净第一性生产力的模拟已从统计模型发展到过程模型时代。过程模型从机理上对植物的生物物理过程以及影响因子进行分析和模拟,理论框架完整,结构严谨。论文从植物器官、个体、冠层、景观以及区域等不同尺度对过程模型进行分析。近年来,由于遥感和GIS技术的支持,使得遥感过程模型融合了遥感及时、准确、宏观、多尺度的优势而成为当前生产力模型的主攻方向。遥感过程模型可实现生态系统NPP的及时模拟和动态监测,便捷、准确地反映NPP的时空变化格局。而在NPP建模过程中,尺度转换是所面临的一个重要问题。不同尺度模型间扩展时,需要采取相应的数学手段进行尺度转换,同时遥感和GIS技术提供了尺度转换的有力工具。综观我国NPP研究的发展,起步晚、发展快是其特点。虽然取得了大量的研究成果,但过程模型的建模方面还很不足,这是一个亟待解决的问题。     

河谷型城市城乡结合部景观格局空间尺度效应分析——以兰州市西固区土地利用格局为例

以兰州市西固区土地利用格局为例,利用2005年SPOT5遥感影像和正射航空影像数据,选取14个常用的景观指数,从景观水平和类型水平2个方面分析景观指数随尺度变化的基本规律,采用200m×200m正方形将研究区土地利用数据切分成规则格网,计算每个格网的多样性指数,通过半方差分析研究西固区多样性空间结构特征。结果表明:10m是西固区土地利用景观的本征观测尺度;研究区景观类型和景观格局特征随尺度增大变化显著,体现出一定的尺度依赖性;各乡(镇、街道)的景观指数呈现出城市中心—城乡交错带—乡村的分异特征,梯度变化明显;西固区多样性空间分布属于中等强度空间相关,高值区主要分布于黄河沿岸。     

黄土丘陵区不同地貌单元土壤有机碳空间变异的尺度效应

运用地统计学和GIS相结合的方法,研究了黄土丘陵区县域不同地貌单元土壤有机碳空间变异的尺度效应,尺度划分为县域、县域上三种不同的地貌单元以及与地貌单元相对应的乡镇尺度,结果表明：①各个尺度下有机碳含量均偏低,完整地貌单元尺度与乡镇尺度有机碳均值与变异系数大小顺序不同;②高山区随着尺度的变化,自然因素对变异的影响程度没有显著变化,但低山丘陵区与丘陵沟壑区自然因素的影响程度减小,插值图表现出较小的研究面积有机碳含量信息更丰富;③县域尺度上海拔与土壤类型是导致变异的主控因素,在丘陵沟壑区,所研究的自然因素（海拔、土壤类型、土壤侵蚀程度、田面坡度、坡向）对其影响都不显著;在低山丘陵区,地貌单元上主控因子是海拔与土壤类型,而乡镇尺度上转化为田面坡度;在高山区,地貌单元上主控因子是土壤类型,但乡镇尺度上其主要影响因素变为土壤侵蚀程度。