GRAZED STUBBLE HEIGHT AS A CRITERION FOR CONTROLLING SEDIMENT PRODUCTION FROM GRAZING LANDS1

ABSTRACT: Efforts by state and federal agencies to develop standards and guidelines for protecting and enhancing water quality on grazing lands have led to suggestions that grazed stubble height criteria could be used to determine when cattle should be removed from a specific pasture or grazing area. Until recently only indirect scientific evidence from agronomy and laboratory studies gave support to the stubble height concept. Consequently, a grazing study was initiated on a Montana ranch in 1997 to determine the reduction in overland sediment achieved by grazing a pasture to a predetermined stubble height. Treatments consisted of 7 cm (3 in) grazed, 7 cm (3 in) clipped or mowed, 15 cm (6 in) grazed; 15 cm (6 in) clipped and untreated or natural forage plant height. The five treatments were used in a two‐year trial spanning 1997 to 1999. At the conclusion of this study the magnitude of sediment production was related to the number of intense rain events during the March through June period rather than total precipitation. There was a significant year effect in terms of sediment accumulation (P < 0.01) but no year by treatment effect (P = 0.11). Even though a significant difference in sediment accumulation was detected between the shorter and taller stubble heights (P = 0.04) in both 1998 and 1999, the difference could not be explained by grazed stubble height alone. Close grazing (7 cm stubble) consistently ranked lowest in sediment production (P < 0.01) among all treatments, including the ungrazed control. These results suggest that changes in plant community structure and microtopographic caused by grazing influence sediment entrapment (retention) on hillslopes more than those caused by plant height.     

果树注射施肥初探

通过对果树注射施肥技术原理,特点与操作方法的介绍,并与传统的方法相对比.从果品产量与品质,肥料利用率,环境影响程度等方面分析了果树注射施肥的效果,该方法具有较大的推广应用前景.     

Effects of maternal diet and host quality on oviposition patterns and offspring performance in a seed beetle (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

In seed beetles, oviposition decisions may influence the offspring phenotype because eggs constitute the initial resources available for larval development. We tested the effects of host quality variations (small vs. large seeds of the host plant Calystegia sepium, Convolvulaceae) on oviposition patterns and offspring performance of the seed beetle Megacerus eulophus. We also manipulated the maternal diet: high diet quality vs. low diet quality to evaluate possible interactive effects of the maternal nutritional environment and host quality on oviposition patterns. We further assessed the consequences of egg size variation in offspring size. Female M. eulophus fed with high-quality diet (H-diet) laid more eggs and lived longer than females fed with low-quality diet (P-diet). Fecundity decreased under a low-quality host for both maternal diets. The occurrence of maternal environmental effects on egg size plasticity was detected. Under conditions of low-quality host, mothers fed with the high-quality diet produced bigger eggs in comparison with a high-quality host, whereas females fed with the low-quality diet produced smaller ones. Regardless of these differences observed in egg size depending on the maternal diet, progeny emerging from small seeds (low-quality host) showed a similar performance at emergence. Offspring traits were only significantly affected by host quality. Beetles emerging from large seeds had greater body weight and length than those reared on small seeds. Variations in oviposition patterns in response to host quality are discussed.     

Phosphorus and nitrogen in soil, plants, and overland flow from sheep-grazed pastures fertilized with different rates of superphosphate

Eutrophication of waterways through delivery of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) from farmland is a problem in many countries. Loss of nutrients from grazed grassland via overland flow is well demonstrated, but the sources of these nutrients and the processes controlling their mobilization into water are not well understood. Much of the nutrient loss in overland flow from grazed pastures may be due to generally increased fertility of the soil–plant system (i.e. background or ‘systematic’ nutrient loss) rather than to immediate loss after fertilizer application [Nash, D., Clemow, L., Hannah, M., Barlow, K., Gangaiya, P., 2005. Modelling phosphorus exports from rain-fed and irrigated pastures in southern Australia. Aust. J. Soil Res. 43, 745–755]. The main aim of this study was to measure the effects of long-term (25 years) superphosphate (Ca(H₂PO₄)₂ + 2CaSO₄) fertilizer application (0–23 kg/(ha year)) on P and N in soil, plants, and potential background P and N movement in overland flow (generated using a rainfall simulator) from sheep-grazed pastures in southern Australia. Measurements were taken in autumn, under dry soil conditions, and in winter, under wet soil conditions, 12 and 15 months after the last fertilizer applications, respectively. Superphosphate application caused a strong increase in plant P, soil total P, Olsen P, and Colwell P; and a weaker increase in plant N, soil total N, and inorganic N (ammonium and nitrate). Soil P and N were concentrated in the surface 25 mm of soil. Soil water-extractable P, calcium chloride-extractable P, and calcium chloride organic P were in general only poorly associated with fertilizer application. The concentration of P and, to a lesser extent, the concentration of N in overland flow increased with increasing fertilizer application and showed strong seasonal differences (0.06–0.77 mg P/L and 0.6–5.5 mg N/L in autumn; 0.04–0.20 mg P/L and 0.4–1.7 mg N/L in winter). The P in overland flow was predominantly dissolved reactive P in autumn and particulate P in winter. The N in overland flow contained significant proportions of dissolved organic N, dissolved inorganic N (ammonium and nitrate), and particulate N. The concentrations of P and N in overland flow usually exceeded State water quality targets (<0.04 mg P/L and <0.90 mg N/L), suggesting that background losses of nutrients from these pasture systems could contribute to the eutrophication of waterways.     

居室花卉对室内空气污染的正负效应

人们很早就意识到室内养花能调解室内空气。近年来随着室内空气污染问题的日益凸显,加之人们对环境质量与健康水平的日益关注,原本作为室内装饰用的花卉被赋予新的使命而大量搬进居室。居室花卉对室内空气污染具有一定的消除作用,但同时我们也要看到其对室内空气的污染效应。本文分别论述了居室花卉对室内空气污染的消除作用和污染效应;最后指出要以科学的态度和方法看待居室花卉在室内空气污染中的作用。     

污水处理厂达标外排水对受纳水体影响的研究

文章通过模拟实验发现污水处理厂达标外排水对受纳水体具有明显的生态效应。实验结果表明,水中有机物与叶绿素都随接纳水量而增加,COD除3#比对照低32％外,2、4和5#中COD分别比对照高93％、46％和46％;叶绿素除3群比对照低51．7％外,2、4和5#中叶绿素分别比对照高129．9％、106．5％和81．8％。总氮随接纳水量的增加而显著增加,而水中总磷与接纳废水量的关系并不显著。根据Redfield比值。判断,对照体系1#中氮磷相对平衡,而接纳水量最少的2#系统N起限制作用,随着接纳水量的进一步增加,磷则成为主要的限制性因素。同时,外排水对受纳水体溶解性无机盐的积累贡献明显,2#～5#体系在45d内TSS的相对积累率分别达到153．9％、118．3％、243．3％和312．6％。外排水对受纳水体底泥有机质含量的影响也十分显著,2#-5撑体系底泥中的有机物比对照体系都显著降低,分解速率平均提高3倍。这说明接纳水中的有机物并没有引起水体中有机物的沉降与积聚,反而促进了底泥中有机物的矿质化过程。     

生物洞穴影响的黄河口粉质土优势流及其效应研究

生物扰动对沉积物性质的改变已越来越受国际地圈生物圈计划的关心.通过高密度电阻率法和示踪剂相结合的方法,监测了室内模拟黄河口生物洞穴影响非饱和粉土的渗流.从入渗的电剖面特征分析,发现渗流主要发生在生物洞穴形成的大孔隙通道中,而周围基质中的渗流很弱,即黄河口粉土的生物洞穴中存在优势流.优势流在细粒土的垂直迁移中有重要作用,同时也改变了大孔隙周围土体的基本性质,如密度、含水量、强度、颗粒组成以及电导率等.优势通道在入渗过程中可增加周围土体的含水量,但在排水的过程中也可增加周围土体的排水能力,具有增水和排水的双重效应.     

Variation in levels of reactive oxygen species is explained by maternal identity, sex and body-size-corrected clutch size in a lizard

Many organisms show differences between males and females in growth rate and crucial life history parameters, such as longevity. Considering this, we may expect levels of toxic metabolic by-products of the respiratory chain, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), to vary with age and sex. Here, we analyse ROS levels in female Australian painted dragon lizards (Ctenophorus pictus) and their offspring using fluorescent probes and flow cytometry. Basal level of four ROS species (singlet oxygen, peroxynitrite, superoxide and H₂O₂) measured with a combined marker, and superoxide measured specifically, varied significantly among families but not between the sexes. When blood cells from offspring were chemically encouraged to accelerate the electron transport chain by mitochondrial uncoupling, net superoxide levels were three times higher in daughters than sons (resulting in levels outside of the normal ROS range) and varied among mothers depending on offspring sex (significant interaction between maternal identity and offspring sex). In offspring, there were depressive effects on ROS of size-controlled relative clutch size, which relies directly on circulating levels of vitellogenin, a confirmed antioxidant in some species. Thus, levels of reactive oxygen species varies among females, offspring and in relation to reproductive investment in a manner that makes its regulatory processes likely targets of selection.     

Cu2+对栅藻和鱼腥藻增殖的影响

通过藻类增长潜力(AGP)实验,研究了铜离子浓度对2种淡水浮游藻类增殖的影响.结果显示,当Cu2 质量浓度为0.001～0.100 mg·L-1时,能促进斜生栅藻增殖; Cu2 质量浓度为1.000～100.000 mg·L-1时,对斜生栅藻产生不同程度的毒性效应.当Cu2 质量浓度为0.001～0.010 mg·L-1时,会促进鱼腥藻增殖; Cu2 质量浓度为0.100～100.000 mg·L-1时,会对鱼腥藻产生不同程度的毒性效应.当Cu2 浓度为0.001～0.100 mg·L-1时,斜生栅藻和鱼腥藻细胞经过2 d的调整期,从生理上适应了新环境并进入对数增长期; Cu2 浓度达到1.000 mg·L-1时则需经4 d的调整期才能进入对数增长期,到14 d时2种藻细胞的密度仍在增加.对栅藻和鱼腥藻细胞密度的平均比增长率比较显示,斜生栅藻对Cu2 毒性效应的耐受力大于鱼腥藻.结果表明,在淡水水体中,微量的Cu2 有利于浮游藻类增殖,能够增进水体的富营养程度; Cu2 浓度超过1.000 mg·L-1时对浮游藻类的繁殖与生长有抑制或毒害作用; 过量的Cu2 还可能会导致食物链的破坏与水源的污染.因此,在使用硫酸铜杀藻时应注意其用量与使用次数可能会对水体造成的影响.