Population viability of the Siberian Tiger in a changing landscape: Going, going and gone?

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a flagship species of the boreal forest ecosystem in northeastern China and Russia Far East. During the past century, the tiger population has declined sharply from more than 3000 to fewer than 600 individuals, and its habitat has become much smaller and greatly fragmented. Poaching, habitat degradation, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation have been widely recognized as the primary causes for the observed population decline. Using a population viability analysis tool (RAMAS/GIS), we simulated the effects of poaching, habitat degradation, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation on the population dynamics and extinction risk of the Amur tiger, and then explored the relative effectiveness of three conservation strategies involving improving habitat quality and establishing movement corridors in China and Russia. A series of controlled simulation experiments were performed based on the current spatial distribution of habitat and field-observed vital rates. Our results showed that the Amur tiger population could be viable for the next 100 years if the current habitat area and quality were well-maintained, with poaching strictly prohibited of the tigers and their main prey species. Poaching and habitat degradation (mainly prey scarcity) had the largest negative impacts on the tiger population persistence. While the effect of habitat loss was also substantial, habitat fragmentation per se had less influence on the long-term fate of the tiger population. However, to sustain the subpopulations in both Russia and China would take much greater conservation efforts. The viability of the Chinese population of tigers would rely heavily on its connectivity with the largest patch on the other side of the border. Improving the habitat quality of small patches only or increasing habitat connectivity through movement corridors alone would not be enough to guarantee the long-term population persistence of the Amur tiger in both Russia and China. The only conservation strategy that allowed for long-term persistence of tigers in both countries required both the improvement of habitat quality and the establishment of a transnational reserve network. Our study provides new insights into the metapopulation dynamics and persistence of the Amur tiger, which should be useful in landscape and conservation planning for protecting the biggest cat species in the world.     

Modelling N mineralization from green manure and farmyard manure from a laboratory incubation study

Predicting N mineralization from organic manures like farmyard manure (FYM) is more difficult than from fresh organic materials like crop residues, as the manures vary greatly in composition. A laboratory incubation experiment was carried out for 98 days at 30 °C under aerobic conditions to study the effects on N dynamics of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium, Jacquin) and FYM application to soil at 5 and 10 g kg⁻¹. Application of Gliricidia induced N mineralization from the start of incubation period, with the amount of N mineralized increasing with rate of application. In contrast, application of FYM resulted in immobilization of mineral N in soil, irrespective of the rate of application. The initial net immobilization from FYM was limited by availability of N in the soil for the higher rate of application.We used the APSIM SoilN module to simulate these contrasting patterns of mineralization of N from Gliricidia and from FYM. The prediction of N mineralized from Gliricidia was better than FYM. The default model parameters specify that the fresh organic matter pools (FPOOL1, FPOOL2 and FPOOL3) have the same C:N ratio and this assumption was ineffective in predicting N mineralized from FYM. The predictive ability of the model improved when this default assumption was modified based on the size of the individual pools (FPOOL1, FPOOL2 and FPOOL3), and the pool's C:N ratios. The modelling efficiency, a measure of goodness of fit between the simulated and observed data, improved markedly for the modified model. The discrepancy between the modelled and observed data was a tendency for the model to underestimate the rate of re-mineralization at the lower rate of application of FYM in the later part of incubation. Unfortunately the appropriate modification to the size and C:N ratios of the FPOOLs could not be determined on the basis of chemical analysis alone. Thus, a true predictive application of the model to a new FYM material is not yet possible.     

Integrating soil carbon cycling with that of nitrogen and phosphorus in the watershed model SWAT: Theory and model testing

In this paper we describe and test a sub-model that integrates the cycling of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) watershed model. The core of the sub-model is a multi-layer, one-pool soil organic carbon (S_C) algorithm, in which the decomposition rate of S_C and input rate to S_C (through decomposition and humification of residues) depend on the current size of S_C. The organic N and P fluxes are coupled to that of C and depend on the available mineral N and P, and the C:N and N:P ratios of the decomposing pools. Tillage explicitly affects the soil organic matter turnover rate through tool-specific coefficients. Unlike most models, the turnover of soil organic matter does not follow first order kinetics. Each soil layer has a specific maximum capacity to accumulate C or C saturation (S_x) that depends on texture and controls the turnover rate. It is shown in an analytical solution that S_x is a parameter with major influence in the model C dynamics. Testing with a 65-yr data set from the dryland wheat growing region in Oregon shows that the model adequately simulates the S_C dynamics in the topsoil (top 0.3 m) for three different treatments. Three key model parameters, the optimal decomposition and humification rates and a factor controlling the effect of soil moisture and temperature on the decomposition rate, showed low uncertainty as determined by generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation. Nonetheless, the parameter set that provided accurate simulations in the topsoil tended to overestimate S_C in the subsoil, suggesting that a mechanism that expresses at depth might not be represented in the current sub-model structure. The explicit integration of C, N, and P fluxes allows for a more cohesive simulation of nutrient cycling in the SWAT model. The sub-model has to be tested in forestland and rangeland in addition to agricultural land, and in diverse soils with extreme properties such high or low pH, an organic horizon, or volcanic soils.     

长柄石杉居群遗传多样性和遗传结构的AFLP分析

石杉科植物因所含石杉碱甲(Huperzine A)对中老年痴呆等具有良好疗效,近年来倍受关注.利用AFLP分子标记对武夷山脉广布种长柄石杉[Huperzia serrata(Thunb.ex Murray)Trev.var.longipetiolata(Spring)H.M.Chang]7个居群112株个体进行遗传多样性和居群遗传结构分析.选用多态性高、分辨力强的8对选择性扩增引物组合共获得675个位点,其中多态位点比例为69.38%.居群内观测等位基因数(Na)为1.633,有效等位基因数(Ne)1.493;Nei’s基因多样性指数(He)与Shannon多态性信息指数(I)的平均值分别为0.272和0.392,多样性最高为地处武夷山脉中段的泰宁居群和建宁居群,最低为山脉北段的光泽居群.居群总基因多样性(Ht)为0.327 3,居群内基因多样性(Hs)为0.272 2,居群间的遗传分化系数(Gst)为0.168 1,表明居群内变异是长柄石杉遗传多样性的主要来源.由Gst估计,武夷山脉长柄石杉自然居群的基因流(Nm)为2.474 0.邻接树分析表明居群间遗传亲缘关系与地理位置相关.武夷山脉长柄石杉较高的遗传多样性和基因流水平表明其仍然具有相当的适应(生存)能力和进化潜力,这可能与其生物学(异交水平)、生态学特性及武夷山脉相对良好的生境条件有关.     

2008年初特大冰雪灾害对粤北地区杉木（Cunninghamia lanceolata）人工林土壤理化性质的影响

2008年8月,选择具有代表性的样地（受冰雪灾害较轻、受到冰雪灾害影响、受到冰雪灾害后皆伐清理样地）,用野外调查和室内分析相结合的方法,对广东省天井山林场杉木人工林土壤理化性质进行分析。结果表明：（1）粤北地区杉木人工林在受到冰雪灾害后,0-60 cm的土壤容重比未受到损害的上升8.1%-16.4%,孔隙度下降8.9%-11.9%,自然含水量减少17.1%-28.6%,皆伐清理后,土壤容重比未受到损害的下降1.5%~9.5%;孔隙度上升1.2%~5.9%,自然含水量增加44.2%~68.1%。（2）受损后,土壤pH值未发生变化,浅层（0-40 cm）有机质质量分数比未损样地下降（1.3%-9.4%）,深层（〉40 cm）有机质质量分数提高30.5%;各层土壤全氮、全磷、有效氮、有效磷和有效钾质量分数分别下降13.4%、30.3%、16.7%、37.6%和37.2%,全钾质量分数上升21.0%,且与未损样地的差异显著;土壤交换性钙和交换性镁大幅减少,分别为28.1%和43.4%。进行皆伐清理后,有机质质量分数比未损样地提高207.9%,土壤全氮、全钾、有效氮和有效磷质量分数升高138.7%、10.2%、161.3%和540.0%,全磷、有效钾、交换性钙和交换性镁的质量分数下降2.6%、9.0%、28.7%和24.3%,各土层变化不一致。（3）冰雪灾害的发生使杉木人工林林下土壤紧实度增加,不利于土壤呼吸、空气传导和土壤养分的累积;而经过清理后,土壤变得较为疏松,通透性增强,含水量增加,有利于土壤团粒结构的增强、土壤微生物活动和土壤养分的累积及转化。因此,冰雪灾害后对受损林地进行及时的清理对植被恢复重建尤为重要。     

国际生态学研究发展态势文献计量分析

目前,全球的生态环境问题已经引起了各国政府和人民的高度关注,而生态学研究可以为人类与自然生态系统的共存提供理论依据和行动指南。利用Thomson Data Analyzer、NetDraw和Aureka等分析工具,结合Pathfinder算法,对SCIE和SSCI数据库中国际生态学研究相关文献进行统计分析,发现：北美、欧洲、澳大利亚等国及其研究机构在生态学领域的论文影响力较大,论文质量较高;美国是全球生态学研究合作网络的中心,其次是英国和德国;在机构层面上,加州大学戴维斯分校和马普学会是两个比较明显的合作中心;我国在生态学研究领域发文量上具有一定的优势,但论文总体质量仍有待继续提高,目前我国在生态学领域的主要合作国家有美国、英国、加拿大、德国、日本、澳大利亚和法国;2008—2010年国际生态学研究热点主要集中在生物多样性、气候变化、基因变异、物种间相互作用和性选择等研究领域。     

基于分形学的瓦斯爆炸事故时序数据分析模型及应用

针对煤矿瓦斯爆炸灾害子系统的复杂非线性动力学特性,以南方某省1958—2007年的煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故发生数构建时间序列,应用霍斯特时间序列数据的标度行为,提出瓦斯爆炸时间序列的重标极差分析(R/S分析)方法。结果表明:瓦斯爆炸时间序列的霍斯特指数为0.550 2,分形维数为1.449 8,其分式布朗运动轨迹表现出一定的持久性和非高斯性。为诊断瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列变异年份,对时间序列进行分段R/S分析,获得变异年份为1974年,以1974年为分界点构成2个时间序列,霍斯特指数分别为0.589 1和0.697 5,分形维数为1.410 9和1.302 5,与煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列的持久性趋势一致。煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列看似无序却蕴藏规律,反映了系统的动力学变化特征,R/S分析方法可以描述煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列的动力学特征。     

油罐喷射火燃烧模拟

针对由一定压力的单相或两相介质泄漏或压力泄放系统排放引起的喷射火,利用gambit生成计算区域网格,得到相应的计算模型.再利用Fluent软件中的离散相模型计算气体流动,采用Realizable k-epsilon湍流模型和部分预混燃烧模型来预测燃料的燃烧,模拟了戊烷燃料燃烧和湍动多相流场,给出了燃烧速度矢量、温度和组...     

外军皮肤防护器材化学防护性能测试与评价用标准物质研究进展

本文简迷了皮肤防护器材--化学防护服(衣)化学防护性能试验与评价用标准物质的重要性,系统地概述了外军化学防护服(衣)化学防护性能试验与评价用标准物质的研究现状,并提出了我国化学防护服(衣)防护性能试验与评价用标准物质研制过程中应注意的一些问题.     

摩托车防护头盔发展现状和展望分析

当今保护人类健康安全日益受到社会普遍重视,头部安全是摩托车乘员的首要问题。摩托车头盔防护依然十分重要;国际上其标准修定较快并不断完善;通过对TBT通报,头盔安全类发明专利等数据分析,得出摩托车头盔的技术研发高峰近期爆发。